04/09/2010
Kent campaigner launches petition to "save" Gurkhas

BBC NEWS 4 September 2010

A campaigner who fought for the right of former Gurkhas to settle in the UK has launched a petition to defend the regiment from defence cuts.

Peter Carroll said he did not want to see the Gurkhas "sacrificed" following speculation that they were vulnerable in the government's spending review.   Mr Carroll, a councillor in Folkestone, Kent, where the Royal Gurkha Rifles are based, led Joanna Lumley's campaign.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said speculation on the review is unfounded.  The government's strategic defence and security review (SDSR) is due to report in October.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox has already said the defence budget is not immune from cuts with annual reductions of between 10% and 20% expected.

Conservative MP Patrick Mercer, a former Army officer, has said the Gurkhas, part of the British Army for 200 years, could be at risk.

Mr Carroll has called on the British public to sign the petition.

"I think there's a view in the community that why should we sacrifice something that's been of enormous value to us for about 200 years because of a short-term financial crisis?" he said.

"It's too easy to end up throwing things away but it's a false economy that would be very damaging for the British Army, for Britain and for Nepal.     I think the vast majority of people in Britain have an affinity with the Gurkhas and if they throw that away people will be very much aggrieved."

Last year, after a lengthy battle fought by Ms Lumley and Mr Carroll, MPs abandoned rules that prevented retired Gurkhas from settling in the UK.

But Ms Lumley's agent said she had no plans to add her voice to the new campaign as she will be in New York for the next six months, performing in the play La Bete on Broadway.

The MoD said: "The Defence Secretary has made clear that tough decisions will need to be made but the complex process of a Strategic Defence and Security Review will be concluded in the autumn.

"Speculation at this stage about its outcome is entirely unfounded."

 Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-11187155

03/09/2010
Cuts mean Britain can no longer go to war

By the Evening Standard's Robert Fox:  The proposed defence cuts mean Sierra Leone and Kosovo will not be an option in future.

By Robert Fox, 3 September 2010

For once the Jeremiahs of global strategy may be right: very soon the UK will be incapable of mounting an overseas military operation of any credibility. Forget about Sierra Leone, Kosovo, Bosnia, the Falklands - the Cold War, even. Britain won't have the forces and resources to do their equivalent in the present day.

The country will be unable to carry out these missions if the government sticks to the target of 20 per cent defence cuts in their slash-and-burn exercise - thinly camouflaged as a strategic defence review - by the end of the year.

In reality the cuts will be around 40 per cent, so wildly overspent are large chunks of the existing defence budget. 

The big decisions will be taken in Whitehall in the next fortnight. The Cabinet Office and the National Security Council have looked at a dozen major options to cut defence costs, with its current £36.8 billion budget shrinking to around £30 billion. Trident and the aircraft carriers are 'ring-fenced' meaning that renewing Trident alone will take £20 billion from the operational budget over the two decades.

"They seem to think they can cancel one programme, like a big ship or ground weapon, without a knock-on through the whole system," says a consultant who has seen the first draft of the cuts. "The whole thing lacks coherence – it doesn't add up," agrees another.

Not only will governments be unable, and unwilling - however worthy the cause – but the cuts will also put a greater strain on those already serving, particularly in Afghanistan.

A reduction in manpower will see some 20,000 service men and women lost across the board. Ground commanders are concerned about the long-term effect on morale, retention and recruiting for a long sequence of tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the infantry fights on a daily basis, often for weeks on end.

(The Americans are experiencing such strains even more acutely, largely due to longer individual tours of duty, a year and 15 months in some cases. As a result, there were more veterans' suicides in the US Army last year than combat deaths.)

The Tories have form in this area, having slashed the services in 1981, 1991, and now in 2011. They don't seem to have learned much from the past: it may be easy to turn off the recruiting tap, but turning it on is very, very hard.

One plan considered for the Army was to close down the Territorial Army - that is, most of the reserves - and the cadet forces. This would have a drastic effect on recruiting. Already female officer recruiting seems to have dropped dramatically because of family misgivings about Afghanistan.

Perhaps the government should heed the shrewd essay by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates in June's Foreign Affairs magazine.

Gates said there would be no more missions like Iraq and Afghanistan for the US – "forced regime change, followed by nation-building under fire". But he also said that America and allies like Britain had to develop "inter-agency tool kits", including a military component, to help failing and failed states to regenerate – instancing Pakistan in particular. He added that Britain "had provided a model for this kind of proposal".

Judging by the way the coalition government here has handled defence and security reform so far, Gates might as well have saved his breath. They seem to be about to strike their colours and surrender. 

Read more: http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/68113,news-comment,news-politics,government-defence-cuts-mean-britain-can-no-longer-go-to-war-army-navy-raf-robert-fox#ixzz0ySw04PSp

01/09/2010
RN to share Carriers with the French?

Barking mad! Storm of protest over controversial call for Royal Navy to share aircraft carriers with the Frence.

See report by Ian Drury Daily Mail - Wednesday 1 September 2010.

A proposal for Britain and France to share their aircraft carriers was last night described as 'barking mad' by military experts 

Fury erupted after it was claimed that David Cameron was preparing to announce the measure in an attempt to save money.  Sources in Whitehall said it would allow the Ministry of Defence to downgrade or even scrap one of the two 65,000ton replacement carriers being built at a cost of £5.2billion.

But critics said the plan would jeopardise the UK's military independence and place security of the nation in the hands of France, our oldest enemy.

Commander John Muxworthy, a Falklands veteran-who is chief executive of the UK National Defence Association - which campaigns to ensure the Armed Forces have the right weapons and equipment - branded the plan 'absolutely barking'.  He said: 'Sharing aircraft carriers with the French is a cute idea but it is highly impractical and certainly not in the national interest.

'When push came to shove, France would put its own national interest first. We would lose national independence.  'The Royal Navy is Britain's oceangoing police force, and if you haven't got a proper police force you are going to get robbed.'

An MoD insider said: 'We could find ourselves in a very difficult situation if we wanted to carry out an operation using the French carrier, and it was blocked by politicians in Paris.'  

There was also concern over British troops being sent to risk their lives on a mission ordered by France.

Under the carriers plan, Britain and France would pool their resources to ensure one of three flagship vessels - two British and one French - would always be at sea. Each vessel would remain under domestic command.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox is set to meet his French counterparts tomorrow to discuss the proposal.   That would pave the way for an announcement by Mr Cameron and French president Nicolas Sarkozy at a summit in November.

A Whitehall source said: 'Liam has made it clear that we want more co-operation as we have to face up to the world we are living in.  'The advantage is that if we are going to have one carrier, then at least we can still project our power on the sea.'

The MoD is under massive pressure to cut its £36.9billion budget by up to 20 per cent. The defence equipment programme is already £ 36billion over budget.    However, Royal Navy sources told the Daily Mail that the cost of scrapping one of the new carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, being constructed at five shipyards around the UK and due to launch in 2016 and 2018, would be prohibitive. The project is already a quarter complete.

Britain has two aircraft carriers, HMS Ark Royal and HMS Illustrious, supported by the commando carrier HMS Ocean.

At any one time, one carries fast jets - known as the 'strike capacity' - one carries helicopters and commandos, and one is being maintained and repaired in dock.

Gwyn Prins, a research professor at the London School of Economics, said: 'At first glance it may seem sensible to pool aircraft carriers with the French. But a moment's reflection in the light of past history and of modern geopolitics shows it is unwise.

'And what happens if we decide to conduct an operation that the French don't like?'

An MoD spokesman said: 'The Defence Secretary has made it clear that tough decisions will need to be made but speculation about the outcome of the Strategic Defence and Security Review is entirely unfounded.'

Click to read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1307586/Protest-Royal-Navy-share-aircraft-carriers-French.html#ixzz0yGM7c5nF
  

29/08/2010
D-Day Looming for MOD Chiefs

Report by Tracey Boles in the Sunday Express dated 29 August 2010.

The National Security Council will pave the way for the deepest defence cuts for a generation this week when it draws up a shortlist of cost savings from as many as 250 options.

The shortlist, to be presented to ministers as part of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), will shape the UK’s defence industry for the coming decade. Final decisions are to be made later in September ahead of the SDR’s publication on October 22.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is to make swingeing cuts in the face of a £36 billion black hole and a requirement from the coalition to drastically reduce public spending. The sheer scale of the cuts required means that no stone has remained unturned as the MoD seeks procurement savings.

Amphibious ships could go while the Navy’s new flagship aircraft carriers are likely to have far fewer Joint Strike Fighters than originally envisaged. The jump-jet version of the state-of-the-art US aircraft is now unlikely to be ordered.

All the RAF’s Tornados could be grounded as well as Puma helicopters and Hercules transporters. Thousands of personnel could be axed across the three services. Bases would also go.

Senior industry executives see the defence industry morphing so that it can concentrate on unmanned drones, nuclear capability and precision-guided bombs.

Click here:  http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/196267/D-Day-looming-for-MoD-chiefs

23/08/2010
Navy Custs "Treaten Security"

Report by Kylie Harrison Daily Express

The Royal Navy is dangerously weak and the UK’s national security will be at risk unless more funding is secured, an independent think tank claims.

RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, says years of underfunding, coupled with the current financial climate, will leave the Navy’s fleet ageing, weakened and inadequate for vital tasks.

An article in the latest RUSI Journal warns that unless more money is urgently pumped into the Navy, the UK will be unable to safeguard trade routes from pirates, terrorists or non-friendly governments.

Vice Admiral Sir Jeremy Blackham and Professor Gwyn Prins, who wrote the article, maintain that the UK needs to build at least 10 new ships in the next decade.

Click here: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/194871/Navy-cuts-threaten-security-Navy-cuts-threaten-security-Navy-cuts-threaten-security-

19/08/2010
Budget Cuts Could Sink New Aircraft Carriers

Britain could cancel one or both of its planned new aircraft carriers to cut costs, it emerged on Thursday night. Britain’s ageing squadrons of 106 Tornado fighter planes are also reportedly being lined up for retirement by 2020 – five years earlier than originally planned.
The claims, from Ministry of Defence sources, came as coalition colleagues argue over plans for the £20billion Trident nuclear submarine project. They have yet to agree on how it should be funded or whether it should even go ahead.
Defence secretary Liam Fox wants the Treasury to pay for Trident and has promised a defence spending review this October.
 
Last night’s claims appear to pre-empt that review.
 
Work is already under way on the carriers, involving about 10,000 British shipyard jobs that could now be threatened. The former Labour government gave the two new Royal Navy aircraft carriers the go-ahead in 2007, at a cost of £5.2billion.
 
The Queen Elizabeth class carriers, due to enter service in 2016 and 2018, are being built by a consortium including BAE Systems, Babcock International and Thales.
 
The MoD is expected to cut costs by up to 20 per cent by 2015, as part of the coalition government’s bid to reduce Britain’s £154.7billion deficit.
 
‘We could have one, two or no new aircraft carriers,’ said the source.
 
‘All options are on the table. That does not mean we are leaning towards one particular option, but none should be considered as too radical.’
 
There are no plans to axe Trident, despite renewed calls, added the source.
 
Click here: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/838576-budget-cuts-could-sink-new-aircraft-carriers

16/08/2010
Defence budget "cannot withstand" Trident

Defence Management dated 16 August 2010.

Former senior defence officials have urged the government to go ahead with the Trident replacement, but not at the expense of spending on other defence projects.

In a joint letter to the Sunday Telegraph a former defence minister, former defence chiefs, and other defence lobbyists, warned that the armed forces could not afford to take further cuts.

"We call upon the Prime Minister to authorise the Trident replacement programme in its entirety, without diverting any resources from the existing core defence budget," read the letter.

"Our conventional armed forces are chronically over-stretched and seriously under-resourced; they cannot withstand further reductions in their budget in order to fund the Trident replacement."

The letter also warned of dangers of not going ahead with the nuclear deterrent replacement: "To decide against replacing Trident, or even to compromise by opting for a less certain, less reliable alternative, would be a major change to policies which have served this country well over decades. It presents real risks to our nation in an increasingly dangerous world."

The letter was signed by former defence minister Lord Gilbert, former First Sea Lord, Sir Julian Oswald, former Chief of the Air Staff Sir Michael Graydon, former Commander-in-Chief Fleet Admiral Sir John Treacher, UKNDA chief executive John Muxworthy and others.

Click here: http://www.defencemanagement.com/news_story.asp?id=13854

28/07/2010
Trident scale back urged amid cost worries

A report by the defence think-tank RUSI urges the Government to consider dropping the requirement of always having a Trident nuclear submarine on patrol at sea.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10784192

BBC News
28 July 2010

Trident scale back urged amid cost worries

The government should scale back the UK's Trident nuclear deterrent to save money, a think tank has said.

The Royal United Services Institute urged ministers to consider dropping the requirement of always having a nuclear submarine on patrol at sea.

Earlier this month, Defence Secretary Liam Fox said the four submarines could be cut to three.

The MoD said a review was under way but the government was committed to maintaining the nuclear deterrent.

The call from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) comes as the Ministry of Defence is having to contemplate cuts in its budget of between 10% and 20%.

Trident vessels currently provide a nuclear deterrent because the submarines, under the waves in secret locations, would be almost impossible to destroy in a pre-emptive strike.

Critics say Trident is too expensive, and there have been calls to either scrap the nuclear deterrent or switch to a cheaper land-based missile system.

'Significant savings'

The so-called continuous-at-sea-deterrence (CASD) has been the basis of Britain's strategic nuclear deterrent since the first Polaris submarines - the predecessor of Trident - were deployed in 1968.

But the RUSI paper, written by Professor Malcolm Chambers - a former adviser to Jack Straw and Margaret Beckett when they were foreign secretaries - suggests CASD is no longer necessary following the end of the Cold War and abandoning it could produce "significant financial savings".

"There is now a stark gap between the assumptions on which planning for the UK's conventional and nuclear forces, respectively, are based," the paper said.

Dropping CASD would enable the government to delay ordering a replacement fleet of missile-carrying submarines, putting back the point where it would have to start paying out up to £1.5bn a year in construction costs, it argued.

The paper comes as Dr Fox is locked in a battle over whether the new submarines should be paid for from the MoD's core budget or whether - as in the past - they should be funded separately.

The government is carrying out a strategic defence review of the shape and size of the UK's armed forces, but said it would not be looking at whether to replace the ageing submarines.

But a MoD spokesman said it would be looking at whether the renewal of the deterrent provided "value for money".

"It will consider the programme timetable, numbers of submarines, missiles, missile tubes and warheads, infrastructure and other support costs, and the industrial supply chain," he said.

"Once the review has concluded, ministers will discuss and agree the optimum balance of capability and cost."

Earlier this month, Dr Fox told the Chatham House policy think tank in London that a decision about the fourth submarine would be made in 2014/2015.

In his Budget last month, Chancellor George Osborne said departments would face average cuts of 25% when the government's public spending review was completed in October - potentially bigger than anything attempted by a previous UK government.

Health and overseas aid spending will be ringfenced, while defence and education will face cuts of between 10% and 20%.

Click here to read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10784192

24/07/2010
"Battle Royal" as Forces chiefs clash over cuts

The chiefs of the three Armed Forces will clash today in a "battle royal" to decide which aircraft, warships and tanks will go in the coming round of defence cuts.

By James Kirkup, Political Correspondent

Liam Fox, the Defence Secretary, has ordered a weekend meeting of the Defence Strategy Group of senior officers and officials to settle where spending cuts in the forces will be made. The group includes the heads of the Army, the Royal Navy and the RAF.

The meeting follows Dr Fox’s revelation in the Daily Telegraph yesterday that Britain no longer has enough money to defend itself against all possible future threats.

Today's “away-day” meeting will see the RAF under intense pressure to sacrifice some of its fast jets, potentially losing both fast jets and transport aircraft. The Navy might lose control of the Royal Marines as the price of its new aircraft carriers.

The prospect of deep cuts in defence spending has sharpened the traditional rivalries between the three service chiefs, with each fighting energetic private campaigns to protect their forces and major equipment programmes.

One source said: “This is where we start to whittle down the options into hard plans. This is where the chiefs really fight for their services. It could be a bloodbath.”

Some officials expect the RAF to be the biggest loser from the coming cuts, amid growing questions about the cost and strategic purpose of its biggest projects.

The most painful option for the RAF would be to give up the planned Joint Strike Fighter. The Ministry of Defence is due to spend more than £10 billion buying 138 JSFs from the US, most of them for the RAF.

The existing Harrier and Tornado fleets could also be vulnerable.

“It is quite possible the RAF will lose a fast-jet type,” said one source.

General Sir David Richards, the Army chief who becomes the Chief of the Defence Staff in October, has publicly criticised the JSF project, suggesting the money would be better-spent on unmanned drone aircraft and cheaper Tucano fighters.

The Airbus A400M, an overdue and overbudget transport plane, could also come under intense scrutiny as the RAF is told to consolidate its strategic air lift capability.

The Royal Navy will face arguments that in order to justify its new £5 billion aircraft carriers, it must give up its amphibious task force of landing ships and commandoes.

The other services see an opportunity to extract a price for the new carriers and the Army has drawn up plans to take operational command of the Royal Marines.

The Army meanwhile is facing the possibility of losing thousands of soldiers and armoured units. Challenger 2 tanks are particularly vulnerable.

The Saturday meeting of the defence chiefs is part of Dr Fox’s new working regime at the MoD.

As the department works on the Strategic Defence and Security Review and debates its budget with the Treasury, the minister has warned many of his staff to expect to work at least six days weeks until October.

Click here to read this article online:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/7907148/Battle-Royal-as-Forces-chiefs-clash-over-cuts.html

22/07/2010
UK Defence Spending Under Attack

Interviews with UKNDA CEO Cdr John Muxworthy and vice-presidents Patrick Mercer MP and Tony Edwards on The Daily Politics on BBC2.

The Government's Strategic Defence Review is examining what the British armed forces may have to learn to live without. Giles Dilnot spoke to the former commander of British forces in Afghanistan Col Richard Kemp, Cdr John Muxworthy, the CEO of UK National Defence Association, Tony Edwards the former head of Defence Export Services Organisation and Patrick Mercer, an MP and former army officer.

Click here to watch this programme online:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_daily_politics/8844896.stm

22/07/2010
MoD "in denial" over procurement

MoD officials have been "lying through their teeth" to cover up failings in major equipment procurment programmes, a senior member of the Defence Select Committee told a UKNDA meeting at the House of Commons.

Defence Management

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Ministry of Defence officials have been "lying through their teeth" to cover up failings in major equipment procurement programmes, according to a senior member of the defence select committee.

Labour MP Dai Havard was referring to a report produced by the defence select committee in March which said that some of the MoD's answers to committee questions had been "at best confused and unhelpful, and at worst deliberately obstructive".

"'Deliberately obstructive', that was the nicest it could get," said Havard. "They are lying through their teeth half the time for particular reasons.

"Finding the truth is difficult and they have to come out of that denial themselves. They have to get to find a way of breaking that cycle."

In the report, the committee said that the MoD had at times provided "misleading" evidence on the state of big equipment procurement projects.

During the committee's inquiry, the MoD said that it had reduced the overall equipment funding gap from £21 billion in 2008 to £6 billion in 2009, but could not explain how this had been achieved.

The MoD also claimed that it had reduced the number of Type 45 destroyers from 12 to six after gaining a "better understanding of the capabilities of the ship".

At the time, committee chairman James Arbuthnot said: "The defence committee cannot fulfil its scrutiny role for Parliament if the MoD refuses to provide such information about its activities."

Havard, who has been a member of the defence committee for seven years, made the comments during a panel discussion on the strategic defence review arranged by thinktank the Henry Jackson Society and the UK National Defence Association.

Click here: http://www.defencemanagement.com/news_story.asp?id=13573

20/07/2010
Defence bill "unaffordable", warns Liam Fox

From the Guardien 20 July 2010

Allegra Stratton, political correspondent

Britain's defence programme is "entirely unaffordable" as it stands, the defence secretary, Liam Fox, said yesterday, in a speech preparing contractors and the military for a shift in spending priorities.

He told an audience at the Farnborough air show that "change was coming", because of the unavoidable reality of running two overseas conflicts, and the acute cuts forced upon him "thanks to the mess left by the previous government.

"The defence programme is entirely unaffordable – especially if we try to do what we need to do in the future while simultaneously doing everything that we've done in the past," he said.

His assessment came after he confirmed over the weekend that the Ministry of Defence was being asked to foot the bill for the capital costs of renewing Trident.

If he loses that battle, ministerial allies have warned there would have to be a further cut to troop numbers than that already accepted by Fox.

His department is conducting a strategic review to update its spending priorities but, regardless, faces cuts of up to 20% in the government's autumn comprehensive spending review.

The National Audit Office also today looks at the MoD's spending, warning it must stop "living beyond its means" and budget realistically - instead of running up a shortfall of £36bn over the next decade.

The Whitehall watchdog says in a report that the department has had a tendency to revise upwards its annual budget within the year, sometimes by as much as £315m. Amyas Morse, the office's auditor general, said: "A crucial question for the Ministry of Defence is whether it can use strategic financial management to stop living beyond its means. The current strategic defence and security review will provide an opportunity for the MoD to balance its books in the short-term. The greater challenge will be to keep spending plans affordable in the longer term. The department is not at present placing enough emphasis on financial management to be able to do this."

Trident would add a huge sum to Fox's department on top of the problems diagnosed by the NAO. The nuclear weapon is regarded as integral to national security, and so in the past has been funded by the Treasury ,with the MoD paying for its running and upkeep.

Treasury officials are privately standing firm, saying that it had been agreed that Fox would absorb the capital costs of Trident into his departmental budget.

Trident is thought to cost between £14bn and £20bn over a decade, with those costs starting low and becoming larger towards the end of that period.

Although the Comprehensive Spending Review only covers four years, during which the capital costs of Trident are not expected to be at their highest, Fox is thought to be keen to secure a deal that could last for a decade, during which Trident's costs become much higher.

The defence secretary is an advocate of the renewal of Trident, while Liberal Democrats in the coalition government fought the last general election with a pledge to scrap it. Fox has in response initiated a Trident renewal "value for money" exercise, to try to make it less expensive.

In his speech, Fox also challenged defence companies to lower their prices. "The industry's long-term prosperity also rests on offering better value for money," he said. "Without cost containment in the current programmes, we have no option but to either cut the programmes under way, or curtail investment in future programmes."

Click here to read more

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jul/21/defence-bill-unaffordable-warns-liam-fox

18/07/2010
Troops out of Afghanistan by 2014

Exclusive: Official - A communiqué containing a blueprint for British troops to pull out from Afghanistan in four years' time has been leaked ahead of a major international conference this week.

Exclusive: Official - Troops out of Afghanistan by 2014

By Jonathan Owen and Brian Brady

Sunday, 18 July 2010

British troops are to pull out of Afghanistan by 2014, under a secret blueprint for drawing down coalition forces that is set to begin in a matter or months, it emerged last night. A leaked communiqué – a copy of which has been seen by The Independent on Sunday – reveals how President Hamid Karzai will announce the timetable for a "conditions-based and phased transition" at the International Conference on Afghanistan to be held in Kabul on Tuesday.

The meeting – which is set to map out the way ahead for the war-torn country – will be attended by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, and foreign ministers from more 70 countries. An agreed version of the document, marked "not for circulation", was sent to senior diplomats yesterday by Staffan de Mistura, the United Nations Special Representative in Afghanistan.

It states: "The international community expressed its support for the President of Afghanistan's objective that the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) should lead and conduct military operations in all provinces by the end of 2014." This comes just weeks after Mr Hague hinted that British troops could leave by 2014, and is the first formal confirmation of the timescale that governments have been working towards behind the scenes to agree in recent months.

The communiqué goes on to pledge that the international community will continue to "provide the support necessary to increase security during this time, and the continued support in training, equipping and providing interim financing to the ANSF at every level to take on the task of securing their country". It adds: "The government of Afghanistan and the international community agreed to jointly assess provinces, with the aim of announcing by the end of 2010 that the process of transition is under way."

The announcement is one of many issues surrounding development and governance that will be addressed at the conference, as well as an $800m (£523m) five-year Afghan peace and reintegration programme that "aims to reintegrate in five years up to 36,000 ex-combatants and to reach 4,000 communities in 220 districts of 22 provinces". The document also outlines short-term goals for coalition troops. These include combating the opium trade by maintaining the provinces that are currently free of drug cultivation, and increasing the number of poppy-free provinces in Afghanistan to 24 within 12 months. It also describes transparent elections in future as a matter of paramount importance.

President Karzai will tell delegates that the conference represents "a turning point" in Afghanistan's "transition to an era of Afghan-led peace, justice and more equitable development". He will also pledge that "expanding the day-to-day choices and capabilities of the Afghan people and ensuring their fundamental rights" will "remain the cornerstones of my government's approach to peace-building and comprehensive recovery".

A senior source in the British military confirmed yesterday that the blueprint was "a significant map laying out the stages on the way to withdrawal". He said: "The British government has been talking in terms of a 2014 withdrawal, but nobody has been able to produce a timetable identifying how and when things would happen. This document demonstrates that there is a will in the international community to have it done by then.

"I cannot stress too much the importance of them having a strategy to do that. In the past, the international community has come up with dates by which they wanted something to happen, but because they had no plans to back them up, too many deadlines were allowed to slip."

Colonel Bob Stewart, the former UN commander in Bosnia and now MP for Beckenham, said last night: "Whether we can actually get out before 2014 is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string. The aspiration is actually to be out by 2015 – if they can do it any quicker, the better. I understand why we went in, to neutralise that part of the world and the threat of attack. But I want us out as soon as possible, and so does the rest of the country."

The new strategy came as it was reported that Britain is to divert hundreds of millions of pounds of aid away from other countries to help Afghanistan. The International Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell, is to boost aid to Afghanistan by 40 per cent, The Observer reported this weekend.

Four more British servicemen were killed in separate incidents in Afghanistan this weekend, the Ministry of Defence said yesterday. A member of the Royal Dragoon Guards and a soldier from the Royal Logistics Corps died in separate blasts in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand yesterday.

On Friday, an airman from the RAF Regiment died in a road accident near Camp Bastion in Helmand, and a marine from 40 Commando Royal Marines died in an explosion while on foot patrol in Sangin. Next of kin have been informed. The latest deaths, taking the total to 322, have added to a summer of escalating violence as Afghan and coalition forces step up patrols in the Taliban-dominated south in a push to take control of the traditional insurgent stronghold. Last month was the deadliest for coalition soldiers since the war began in 2001, with 103 killed.

The killing of three UK soldiers by a rogue Afghan recruit in Helmand on Tuesday highlighted the scale of the task of building up a local security force capable of maintaining security, and has raised tensions between coalition soldiers and their Afghan allies.

Success is by no means certain, with the strategic plan of creating an Afghan security force capable of taking over from coalition forces fraught with difficulty. Afghan police and soldiers have been infiltrated by the Taliban at senior levels, and the forces are plagued by corruption and drug addiction. Already this month, as the IoS revealed, the system for assessing them is so flawed that it has been scrapped, and a report by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (Sigar) warned that Afghan assessments "have overstated operational capabilities".

The Foreign Office confirmed that it was aware of the document but refused to comment last night.

Click here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/official-troops-out-of-afghanistan-by-2014-2029419.html

16/07/2010
UKNDA Vice President Azeem Ibrahim meets US Chief of Army Staff

Azeem Ibrahim met US Chief of the Army Staff General George Casey at the Aspen Ideas Festival.  General Casey expressed concern that European nations are reducing their defence budget and echoed the UKNDA's grave misgivings about the reduction of funding for the British Armed Forces.

General Casey, a former commander of the multinational force in Iraq, who has commanded at every level from platoon to Division, as well as serving as a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council of the United States, argued that in light of future threats to US, Europe and the West in general, he was concerned to see that European countries were reducing defence expenditure across the board. The UKNDA has long argued that to reduce the defence budget based on misconceptions about the ability to foresee potential threats to Britain and British interests would be a grave mistake.

Dr Ibrahim has repeatedly called for the UK’s defence budget to be increased, or at minimum ring-fenced. He reiterated that the planned cuts to the military’s budget would both weaken our ability to defend ourselves and weaken our usefulness to the United States as its key strategic ally. Our recent withdrawal from the Afghan outpost at Sangin, and subsequent replacement by US Marines, is only the latest symptom of this worrying trend, as evidenced by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates’ comment that the view of the British military is they probably don't have enough manpower to secure their areas of Helmand.

Ibrahim himself served for seven years as a reservist paratrooper. He is a successful entrepreneur, scholar, philanthropist and academic.

13/07/2010
UK Military must keep war-fighting edge

26/06/2010
Thousands take to the streets to mark Armed Forces Day

In glorious sunshine Britain paid joyful tribute to the cream of its military on Saturday as thousands took to the streets to celebrate Armed Forces Day. In the shadow of the Millennium Centre in Cardiff, where the main parade was held, veterans of World War Two, the Falklands War and soldiers who have served in Afghanistan marched side-by-side; age and youth united by pride in service to their country. A 50,000 strong crowd lined the route from Cardiff Castle to Cardiff Bay to watch more than 200 march past, led by HRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall in an open topped Rolls-Royce. Click here to read more.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/armed-forces-day/7856440/Thousands-take-to-the-streets-to-mark-Armed-Forces-Day.html

25/06/2010
Churchill, Obama and the sacking of generals

What can we learn by comparing President Obama’s dismissal of General Stanley McChrystal to Churchill's dismissals of Wavell and Auchinleck, two distinguished commanders in World War II? Mainly how standards of conduct have deteriorated. Differences first. Churchill’s generals were removed for not satisfying Churchill in opposing Irwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps. McChrystal’s situation bears more resemblance to that of General Douglas MacArthur, the Korean commander relieved in 1951 by President Truman for insubordination. Click here to read more.

www.winstonchurchill.org/learn/in-the-media/churchill-in-the-news/924-churchill-mcchrystal-obama-and-the-sacking-of-generals

23/06/2010
Obama replaces McChrystal with Petraeus

President Barack Obama ousted General Stanley McChrystal as the top US commander in Afghanistan today, saying that his scathing published remarks about administration officials undermine civilian control of the military and erode the needed trust on the president's war team. Obama named McChrystal's direct boss – General David Petraeus – to take over the troubled 9-year-old war in Afghanistan. He asked the Senate to confirm Petraeus for the new post “as swiftly as possible.” Click here to read more.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/obama-replaces-mcchrystal-with-petraeus-2008469.html

21/06/2010
Scotland will bear the brunt of defence custs, SNP warns

SCOTLAND will be hit with its biggest defence cuts since the end of the Cold War as part of measures to save cash by the UK Government, it was claimed last night. Defence experts believe Scotland’s military facilities will be hit hard as Westminster officials draw up huge cutbacks to the armed forces in their struggle to reduce the £155billion national debt. Cuts are expected across all areas of the military in Scotland, with manpower being reduced by 20 per cent, a reduction to the Navy’s submarine fleet and even the closure of schools set up to educate the children of servicemen. Click here to read more.

www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/182074/Scotland-will-bear-the-brunt-of-defence-cuts-SNP-warns/

19/06/2010
Cornwall air base commander seeks commercial ideas

The new station commander at a Cornish air base is inviting local people to put forward ideas for its future use. Taking on his post at RAF St Mawgan, Wing Commander Graham House said, with defence cuts looming, the base needed to make the most of its resources. St Mawgan is currently just used for defence training. Wing Cdr House said he was interested in other commercial ideas or training that could be based there and that such work could be vital to its future. Click here to read more.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/10356992.stm

15/06/2010
Politicians and military must understand each other better

The politicians and the military must understand each other better to avoid making the mistakes of the past decade.

UKNDA Vice-President Bernard Jenkin MP writes: The imminent departure of Sir Jock Stirrup fundamentally alters nothing. (Indeed, he was always expected to go soon after the election>)  The conclusions drawn from The Times; timely survey of the history of recent military deployments must be a key driver of the forthcoming Strategic Defence and Security Review.  There has indeed been institutional denial in the Armed Forces and at the heart of Whitehall.

Click here to read more.

conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2010/06/the-politicians-and-the-military-must-understand-each-other-better-to-avoid-making-the-mistakes-of-t.html

14/06/2010
Defence custs will be "ruthless and without sentiment", Liam Fox warns

The Government will act “ruthlessly and without sentiment” in finding savings in the defence budget, the Defence Secretary Liam Fox warned today. In his first major speech in the job, Dr Fox said Britain’s military would have to bear its share of the cuts needed to reduce the record deficit.  But he insisted that Britain’s security would end up “stronger” by ensuring its military approach was relevant and realistic - with a “clean break” from Cold War-legacy thinking. Click here to read more.

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7149688.ece

14/06/2010
Army top brass axed as Cameron prepares for challenging times

The British military will have a new chief, with the current holder of the post being asked to retire early, as it faces one of the most challenging periods in its history. Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup will be stepping down in the autumn, six months before the end of his term. At the same time, the most senior civil servant at the Ministry of Defence, Sir Bill Jeffrey, will also be leaving. David Cameron has indicated that he wants a clean sweep at the top with a new leadership in place at a critical time in the Afghan war and the armed forces coping with major cuts in the defence budget. Click here to read more.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/army-top-brass-axed-as-cameron-prepares-for-challenging-times-1999713.html

08/06/2010
Lessons to learn

Article in Defence Management by the former First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, on the continuing importance of the Royal Navy in an unpredictable world - and the role of the UKNDA in helping to shape a consensus on defence policy and funding.~

Important as it undoubtedly is to guarantee that our armed forces are appropriately funded and equipped for today's operations, there is a more enduring task – to help ensure that the armed forces are sufficiently and fully funded for the future. Thinking strategically into the longer term is vital if we are to arrive at the correct balance of investment in the military capabilities we best assess will be needed, not only to deliver operational success in support of national strategic objectives today, but also for the future in an uncertain world.

Organisations like the UKNDA have a role to play, not only in joining others in lobbying for enough of the right sorts of forces to defend the UK's interests, but more fundamentally, in helping to shape a consensus about the strategic context in which defence will be operating. Before you can campaign for appropriate armed forces, you need some idea about what you think they should look like.

08/06/2010
Defence questions left unanswered

All Service chiefs have a duty to understand defence issues and to resolve them in the best interests of the nation. (Letter from Vice-Admiral Sir Jeremy Blackham, published in The Times.)~

08/06/2010
Armed Forces numbers could shrink by 1/4, think tank claims

A report from the Royal United Services Institute predicts deep cuts in the defence budget from next year, with the size of the Armed Forces shrinking by 25% and substantial reductions to the UK's maritime and air defence capabilities

 The Armed Forces could see their numbers cut by 25 per cent in less than a decade as Britain’s defence budget shrinks, a respected think-tank has said. The Royal United Services Institute also predicts large reductions in the number of Royal Navy warships and military aircraft as public spending falls sharply from next year. The RUSI paper was written by Professor Malcolm Chalmers, who advised the Labour government on its Green Paper on defence earlier this year. That paper paved the way for the full Strategic Security and Defence Review the Coalition will carry out this year. The review comes as ministers plan deep cuts in Government spending to start reducing the deficit in the public finances, which will exceed £150 billion this year. The defence budget has been ring-fenced this year, but big cuts are expected from April next year. Click here for the full article

07/06/2010
British Army could shrink to its smallest since the Boer War

The defence budget could be reduced by a fifth, with the British Army shrinking from 98,000 fully trained men and women to around 80,000, under dramatic cuts to be finalised next month. (Report by Robert Fox in the Evening Standard.)~

27/05/2010
Don't cut your defence budget too deeply, Nato chief warns Britain

Nato’s Secretary-General, former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, is urging the British Government not to put the UK's military capability and economic security at risk by making unnecessary reductions in the defence budget.~

25/05/2010
Army's most senior bomb disposal officer resigns

Britain's top bomb disposal officer has resigned in protest over the shortage of new recruits in Afghanistan, it emerged last night. Colonel Bob Seddon, principal ammunition technical officer (PATO) of the Royal Logistics Corps, made the decision after revealing his men are under increasing strain because of the shortage. He said the problem was damaging their mental health and leaving them at risk of paying a 'deeper psychological price'. The announcement came as the widow of bomb hero Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid said she believed fatigue may have played a part in his death. Click here for the full article.

24/05/2010
Army's most senior bomb disposal officer resigns over shortage of recruits in Afghanistan

Colonel Bob Seddon, principal ammunition technical officer of the Royal Logistics Corps, says the shortage of new recruits is damaging his men's mental health and leaving them at risk of paying a "deeper psychological price".~

23/05/2010 22:00:00
Secret defence budget cuts put historic Scots battalions in firing line

Senior officers in the Royal Regiment of Scotland fear that either the Black Watch, the Highlanders or the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders will be disbanded in swingeing defence cuts. Article in the Scottish Sunday Mail - UKNDA quoted.~

23/05/2010
Secret defence budget cuts put historic Scots battalions in firing line

Senior officers in the Royal Regiment of Scotland fear that either the Black Watch, the Highlanders or the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders will be disbanded in swingeing defence cuts.  Article in the Scottish Sunday Mail - UKNDA quoted.

21/05/2010
Defence campaigners give qualified welcome to Coalition's Programme

The UKNDA welcomes the Liberal-Conservative Coalition's pledges on defence and security but seeks a clearer statement from the Government on funding for the Armed Forces.

DEFENCE CAMPAIGNERS GIVE QUALIFIED WELCOME TO COALITION'S PROGRAMME FOR GOVERNMENT

The UK National Defence Association (UKNDA), which campaigns for more resources for Britain's Armed Services, has welcomed the Coalition's "Programme for Government" and in particular the reaffirmation by the Prime Minister and his Deputy that "the first duty of government is to safeguard our national security and support our troops."

UKNDA spokesman Andy Smith said: "We welcome the commitments given by the Liberal-Conservative Coalition to improve pay, conditions and medical treatment for our brave servicemen and servicewomen, and to provide more support for veterans and service families. The Coalition is placing a strong emphasis on restoring the Military Covenant, which is long overdue.

"However, while we welcome the broad thrust of the Coalition Government's approach, we feel that firmer commitments should have been given on Armed Forces funding, and a clearer statement made on the need to match funding to commitments and capabilities. We are concerned that the Coalition has chosen to emphasise the Treasury involvement in the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) process currently underway, when in fact our defence and security policy should be threat-driven not Treasury-driven.

"Throughout the past 13 years the defence budget has edged up by little more than 1% a year, which in real terms is a cut, whereas other areas of public expenditure, such as health and welfare, have benefited from huge budget increases - despite the fact that we have been at war almost continually during this time. Ensuring sufficient funding for our Armed Forces should have been the nation's number one priority all along.

"Defence spending now represents barely 2.3% of GDP, less than half of what it was in the 1980s, and in consequence our Forces today are chronically under-funded and over-stretched. The UKNDA looks to the new Government to redress this imbalance by significantly raising the level of funding available for the defence of the realm."

-Ends

Media contacts: Cdr John Muxworthy, e-mail ceo@uknda.org, tel 01264 860693, or Andy Smith, e-mail pro@uknda.org, tel 07737 271676.

Notes to Editors:

The United Kingdom National Defence Association (UKNDA) was formed in 2007 to campaign in support of Britain's Armed Forces. The Patrons of the UKNDA include three former Chiefs of the Defence Staff – Admiral Lord Boyce, Marshal of the RAF Lord Craig, and General Lord Guthrie - the former Labour Foreign Secretary Lord Owen and former Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Menzies Campbell.  Tri-Service and politically independent, the UKNDA aims to ensure that Britain's fighting men and women are properly trained, equipped, sustained and cared for. The Association's founder-President, Winston S. Churchill, the former MP and war correspondent (and grandson of Britain's WWII Prime Minister), died on March 2, 2010.

For more information on the UKNDA, go to www.uknda.org

19/05/2010
Court decision is "a threat to security

and an insult to our brave troops"

UKNDA press statement in response to the news that a leading Al-Qaeda operative cannot be deported to Pakistan because it would be a breach of his "human rights".

The UK National Defence Association (UKNDA) has responded to yesterday's Court ruling against the deportation of Abid Naseer.

UKNDA spokesman Andy Smith said: "The Court's decision not to allow the deportation to Pakistan of Al-Qaeda operative Abid Naseer, on the pretext that it would breach his 'human rights', is an absolute disgrace, a threat to UK national security, and an insult to the brave British servicemen and servicewomen who are putting their lives on the line every day in the fight against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan."

He added: "The UK National Defence Association calls on the Government to put a stop to this nonsense and ensure that in future the defence of the realm is given greater weight by our Courts than the so-called 'human rights' of Islamist terrorists."

The UKNDA was formed in 2007 to campaign in support of Britain's Armed Forces and for stronger defence and security policies. 

-Ends

13/05/2010
UKNDA welcomes new Prime Minister

The UKNDA congratulates David Cameron and calls on the new Government to "give the highest priority to the defence of the realm and the security of our people, our borders, our global trade, our energy supplies and our worldwide interests."

13/05/2010
Liam Fox faces a MOD budget battle

The new Defence Secretary, Liam fox, faces one of the most difficult briefs of any in the new government and, like George Osborne at the Treasury, knows he must act quickly.  Article by Robert Fox in the Guardian. 

13/05/2010
Cameron sets up new National Security Council

Prime Minister David Cameron has set up a National Security Council to coordinate his government's response to international and domestic threats, and has appointed Sir Peter Ricketts to the new position of National Security Advisor, 

with responsibility for coordinating the government's security agenda, Cameron's office said in a statement. "The Council will coordinate responses to the dangers we face, integrating at the highest level the work of the foreign, defence, home, energy and international development departments, and all other arms of government contributing to national security," the statement said. Click here for the full article.

12/05/2010
UK Defence budget is

The head of BAE Systems Surface Ships has told a naval engineering conference in Portsmouth that "uncertain times lie ahead" and to protect the Navy from defence budget cuts DAE will have to trim costs.

The head of Britain's premier shipbuilder has issued a stark warning: we cannot go on with such a large defence budget. Alan Johnston, managing director of BAE Systems Surface Ships, was speaking at the opening of the massive International Naval Engineering Conference at Portsmouth Naval Base. Delivering the keynote address to an audience of around 400 international delegates yesterday, he admitted the UK faces big defence cuts, and to protect the navy, BAE would have to trim costs. Click here for the full article.

06/05/2010 23:00:00
Armed Forces unhappy over kit, MoD survey finds
A major Ministry of Defence survey of 10,000 servicemen and women found only a third were happy with the standard and quantity of vehicles and other equipment they are given. Daily Telegraph report - UKNDA quoted.~

06/05/2010 22:00:00
Gone in 28 seconds: Rapid-fire sniper takes out five Taliban from more than a mile away

A British sniper in Helmand shot dead five Taliban gunmen in just 28 seconds to save the lives of comrades walking into an ambush.~

A British sniper shot dead five Taliban gunmen in just 28 seconds to save the lives of comrades walking into an ambush. The marksman felled the rebels from more than a mile away as they prepared to attack troops on foot patrol in Afghanistan. The Corporal  -  whose identity cannot be revealed for security reasons  -  has killed a record 37 enemy fighters during a four-month tour of duty. But his most remarkable feat of arms came when he and the spotter who accompanies him saw the group of armed Taliban. They were taking up positions to fire on a patrol that included the platoon commander in Helmand Province. Click here for the full article.

06/05/2010 09:00:00
How to deal with pirates, Russian-style: Special forces storm tanker captured by Somali gang

Russian Special Forces abseiled from a helicopter to storm an oil tanker hijacked by Somali pirates in a dramatic rescue off the coast of Yemen. One pirate was shot dead and ten captured.~

05/05/2010
Cameron's carrier pledge

05/05/2010
Senior military figures join growing disquet over VE-Day anniversary

Politicians are under increasing pressure to ensure that the 65th anniversary of Victory in Europe - which falls this Saturday - is properly commemorated here in Britain, and that it does not become overshadowed by the General Election. Daily Telegraph report - UKNDA quoted.~

04/05/2010
Labour sinks Navy: Warships sold off to foreign powers in deals worth £580m
The Royal Navy has become a shadow of its former self, with dozens of warships and submarines falling victim to crippling spending cuts, and many sold off to foreign navies, leaving Britain's naval defences at critically low levels. Daily Mail report - UKNDA quoted.~ 

03/05/2010
Credibility and courage
The case for the UK offering up part or all of its nuclear weapons capability in the cause of "Strategic Arms Reductions" is flawed at best, and, until major reductions have actually been carried out by Russia and the USA, a pointless gesture, writes the UKNDA's Sqn Ldr Dave Tisdale.~

03/05/2010
A necessary war

Concluding the war in Afghanistan successfully will be among the greatest challenges facing the next Government, and the Conservatives show that they understand this and are up to the task, says The Times.~

Britain is at war in Afghanistan. It has almost 10,000 troops there, fighting with extraordinary courage to prevent the country from lapsing back into the hands of the Taleban and al-Qaeda. The war has featured only occasionally in an election campaign understandably dominated by the fate of the British economy. But it warrants greater attention — and it reinforces The Times’s argument for a change of government on Thursday. On this issue and others, we shall continue to examine the parties’ records and policies. Gordon Brown has barely mentioned Afghanistan, perhaps because his own role has been less than heroic. Concluding the war successfully will be among the greatest challenges facing the next Government. The Conservatives signal that they understand this and are up to the task. Click here for the full article.

03/05/2010
Clegg pledge to halve number of admirals

03/05/2010
Security chiefs condemn Lib Dem defence 'gamble'

Senior figures from the defence and intelligence communities, including the UKNDA's Lord Guthrie and Sir Richard Dearlove, say the Liberal Democrat policies on defence and national security risk leaving Britain exposed to terrorism and diminished on the world stage.~

30/04/2010
British officer's death forced MoD to addess kit shortage, says father

The father of Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe, the most senior British Army officer to be killed in Afghanistan, said it took his son’s death to convince the Ministry of Defence to give troops the equipment they required.~

The father of Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe, the most senior British Army officer to be killed in Afghanistan, said it took his son’s death to convince the Ministry of Defence to give troops the equipment they required. Major John Thorneloe was speaking after an inquest heard how his son, Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe, 39, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards, was killed after insisting on taking the most exposed position on a patrol to set an example to his men. Lt Col Thorneloe died in the blast from in a roadside bombing along with Trooper Joshua Hammond, 18, during Operation Panther’s Claw, the offensive against insurgent strongholds in Helmand. Click here for the full report.

29/04/2010
In the national interest: Time to rescue our Armed Forces
A new Defence Policy Statement from the UK Independence Party, drawing heavily on UKNDA research, calls for the Armed Forces budget to be increased by 40% (an extra £14.76bn this year) and for the expansion of all three Services.~

UKIP promises:

To defend our national interests, maintain the NATO alliance, support our traditional partners. We want to disentangle our forces from the EU and moves towards EU armed forces. UKIP will keep our independence by retaining – always – ultimate command and control over our national forces. 

To stop trying to buy defence on the cheap UKIP will spend an extra 1% GDP per year on defence – an increase of 40% on current budgets ( a £14.76 billion increase ). UKIP believes in establishing a defence budget which will properly sustain Britain’s defence commitments. To keep defence costs down by smarter defence procurement, and with more involvement of British industry wherever possible. 

To increase the Army to at least 125,000 personnel (trained requirement) in order to enable it to cope with its existing deployment and roles. To double the Territorial Army in size from 37,000 to 75,000 soldiers. 

To restore the Navy to its 2001 strength, with 3 new aircraft carriers (one extra), 4 assault ships, 30 destroyers and frigates, 12 Fleet Submarines, 25 coastal vessels and 50 Merlin helicopters, with around 7,000 extra personnel to 42,000 (2003–41,550). UKIP would guarantee the futures of naval ports Plymouth and Portsmouth and base ships permanently in Rosyth and so return it to a proper naval port status. 

To increase the Air Force’s capabilities by enlarging the tanker fleet, modernising the transport fleet, buying more helicopters and 50 extra JSF aircraft, and increasing RAF personnel to 50,000. 

To restore many traditional regiments, such as the Black Watch and Staffords, subsumed as battalions of EU-inspired ‘super-regional’ regiments such as the Royal Welsh, Royal Mercian and Royal Regiment of Scotland, in order to serve in EU battlegroups.

To renew the Covenant between the Country and those who are asked to risk their lives on its behalf: through better pay, generous compensation for injury, restoration of Crown immunity, private medical and dental care, reinstatement of military hospitals, decent accommodation, an offence of treason for those UK citizens who seriously attack serving personnel, and above all, respect and support.  We will also introduce a National Service Medal to be awarded to all servicemen and women to thank those who have seen combat, and those who have not, in their service of their country. 

To reappraise our operations in Afghanistan to a single clear and achievable mission or seek to negotiate a withdrawal with our NATO partners. 

To maintain Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent with existing Trident submarines, and then replace them with four British-built US missile armed submarines. 

To retain and increase Army and Territorial Army personnel through better pay, free medical and dental care for them and their families, retention ‘warrants’, school recruitment and other incentives. 

To introduce a National Defence Medal to recognise ‘Forgotten Heroes’.