With party leaders agreeing that big defence cuts are inevitable, senior military figures are already defending their share.

While party leaders argue about where and how to save money, they have so far avoided one area where all agree huge cuts are inevitable.

They have an opportunity to make up for it during tomorrow’s television debate devoted to defence and foreign affairs. With the single, albeit important, exception of Trident – and that’s because the Liberal Democrats are opposed to an identical Conservative/Labour position – they have up to now shunned the issue.  Read more... (668 words, 1 image, estimated 2:40 mins reading time)

Inquest told of 500lb bomb dropped on wrong target in Afghanistan ‘friendly fire‘ incident.

A commanding officer today relived the “grim” moment a US aircraft dropped a 500lb bomb on a position held by British troops, killing three soldiers.

Privates Aaron McClure, Robert Foster, both 19, and John Thrumble, 21, were under intense fire in Afghanistan’s Helmand province when the F15 fighter jet, called in to help, dropped the bomb on them instead of a Taliban position a kilometre further north.

The inquest had previously heard that grid co-ordinates communicated between an air controller and an American weapons officer “did not marry up”.  Read more... (537 words, 1 image, estimated 2:09 mins reading time)

Family and comrades of Lance Sergeant David Walker honour the memory of a ‘terrific’ family man and ‘rock-hard’ soldier

Tributes have been paid to Lance Sergeant David Walker, of 1st Battalion Scots Guards, who was killed in Afghanistan while fighting the Taliban.

Walker, 36, died on Thursday in Nad-e-Ali, an insurgent stronghold in Helmand province. He was the third British solder killed while taking part in Operation Moshtarak – a joint UK, US and Afghan assault against the Taliban.

His family released a statement which read: “We are devastated by the loss of David, who was a terrific husband and father.  Read more... (496 words, 1 image, estimated 1:59 mins reading time)

The Ministry of Defence is “institutionally incapable” of running a successful campaign in Afghanistan, a top Army commander has claimed in a critical assessment of the operation in Helmand province.

Major-General Andrew Mackay, who commanded 52 Infantry Brigade in Helmand when he was a brigadier, resigned in September after voicing personal doubts about the way the campaign was being run.

In a paper published by the MoD’s Defence Academy at Shrivenham, in Oxfordshire, General Mackay says that messages from London often had “no relevance at ground level” to troops engaged in contact with the Taleban. He described the messages from the MoD as “a diluted and distant memory” by the time that they reached the front line.  Read more... (573 words, 1 image, estimated 2:18 mins reading time)

A SOLDIER from 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment has died after an explosion in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said today, marking the first fatality in 2010.

The soldier, who has not yet been named, was killed on foot patrol in the Nad-e Ali area, Helmand Province, Afghanistan yesterday afternoon.

Next of kin have been informed.

His death – which is the first British fatality in Afghanistan since the turn of the New Year – takes the number of British service personnel who have died since the start of operations in the war-torn country in 2001 to 246.  Read more... (204 words, 1 image, estimated 49 secs reading time)

More than half of the Army’s armoured vehicles in Afghanistan are not “fit for purpose”, new figures have shown.

Many are out of action being repaired or refurbished after spending time in the punishing desert conditions.

The stock of unuseable vehicles include 180 Mastiffs and Ridgbacks which were sent to the country to protect servicemen and women from the growing threat of sophisticated improvised explosive devices (IEDs). There are just 358 of a total 653 Snatch Land Rovers in working condition. They were previously used on patrols around Helmand Province but were confined to use on military bases after a public outcry over IED deaths of those travelling in them.  Read more... (336 words, 1 image, estimated 1:21 mins reading time)

Royal Military Police investigating two cases since Sunday in Helmand province

A second British soldier in two days has been killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

The serviceman, from 3rd Battalion the Rifles, died today from wounds sustained in a gun battle near Sangin in Helmand province last night.

The death follows that of Lance Corporal Michael David Pritchard, 22, of 4th Regiment Royal Military Police, who has been named as the victim of a separate incident in Sangin on Sunday.  Read more... (213 words, 1 image, estimated 51 secs reading time)

A shortage of night vision goggles and body armour for servicemen and women to train with before deploying to Afghanistan will increase the risk to their lives, it has been warned.

In some cases only half the required numbers are available, meaning the first time troops ever use the kit is once they are in the warzone.

Critics said that their subsequent lack of experience in using the equipment could put them in increased danger. Figures obtained by the Conservatives showed that there were just 4,477 of the helmet-mounted night vision system compared to the 7,168 required for troops to train with, and only 762 sets of the 971 rifle-mounted thermal image sights required.  Read more... (562 words, 1 image, estimated 2:15 mins reading time)

Friday 1 January 2010

The number of British soldiers killed in the conflict since 2001 now stands at 245, including 108 in 2009

A British soldier has been killed after an explosion in Afghanistan‘s Helmand province, the Ministry of Defence said today.

The soldier, who has not yet been named, was from 33 Engineer Regiment and part of a taskforce working to counter improvised explosive devices (IED). He died yesterday from wounds sustained in a blast close to Patrol Base Blenheim, near Sangin.  Read more... (228 words, 1 image, estimated 55 secs reading time)

A British soldier has been killed in an explosion in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

The soldier, from 3rd Battalion, The Rifles, was killed while on patrol in the Kajaki area of Helmand province during Monday afternoon.

His next of kin have been informed of his death, which brings the number of UK soldiers killed in the conflict since 2001 to 244.

A spokesman said: “His courage and his sacrifice will not be forgotten.”

Of the 244 deaths since the war began, 107 have happened in 2009 alone.  Read more... (129 words, 1 image, estimated 31 secs reading time)