News Centre
27/01/2012
Argentina 'incapable' of Falklands repeat
Argentina has "neither the capability nor the intention" to invade the Falkland Islands despite weeks of political rhetoric relating to the country's claim of sovereighty over the islands, defence minister Gerald Howarth has said. See report on line by defence management using the following link:
25/01/2012
RAF Northolt may be sold to raise defence funds
Ministry of Defence considering selling off all or parts of one of its oldest airfields, which could become heathrow satelite reports the Guardian. See full article by clicking following link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jan/25/raf-northolt-may-be-sold?newsfeed=true
UKNDA member Andrew Lambert included in the article as follows:
Air Commodore Andrew Lambert said the RAF had already lost bases of historic importance because of defence cuts, and questioned whether it was necessary to add Northolt to the list.
"It would be a great shame to lose RAF Northolt. I am sure that the site would make lots of money because it is just off the M25 and is a prime bit of real estate, and it is the nearest airport to London. But I'd want to know if the MoD has done its sums properly," he said.
"The MoD is in a position where it is saying, 'we are running out of money, so let's sell something off to raise money'. We might be in a position where it doesn't make sense over the long term. It would have quite a big impact because Northolt is where all the very senior people and the royals fly from."
25/01/2012
Britain ready to send more military to deter Iran
Britain increased the pressure on Iran yesterday by warning it is ready to send military reinforcements to the Gulf. See full report by Joh Ingham, Defence Editor of the Daily Express at:
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/297807/Britain-ready-to-send-more-military-forces-to-deter-Iran
18/01/2012
Defence Cuts
Read the article reported in the Daily Express today:
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/296352/Gurkhas-bear-brunt-of-new-cuts
18/01/2012
Defence Cuts
Interesting report in the Daily Mail:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2087787/MoD-cuts-Army-shrinks-smallest-size-Crimean-War.html
05/01/2012
US defence cuts threaten UK defence strategy
Channel 4 News report "President Obama singals a new direction for US defence strategy towards the Asia-Pacific and away from Europe - but will it delay the F-35 fighter planes destined for Britain's only aircraft carrier? Read full report by clicking here:http://www.channel4.com/news/new-us-defence-strategy-threatens-uk-f-35s
02/01/2012
TA can't go it alone
Members would wish to know that in today's Daily Telegraph Monday 2 January 2012, there was excellent coverage of the issues affecting the planned future of the Territorial Army. There was an introductory article on the front page, a comprehensive report on page 5, a long Editorial comment - and an excellent letter 'To the Editor' written by our acting CEO, Andy Smith with six co-signatories from the UKNDA - namely:
Col. David Benest, Col. Richard Kemp, Col. Tim Collins, Cdr. John Muxworthy and the renowned military historian - Andrew Roberts and Dr Peter Caddick-Adams.
To link to the Daily Telegraph article click here:
The text of the letter read as follows:
Sir,
The British Army will soon be smaller than at any time since the late nineteenth century (when the UK population was half what it is now). The rate of shrinkage under the current defence cuts means that the Army, already chronically under-manned, will have lost a fifth of its present strength by the end of this decade. That is equivalent to axing 64,000 of the NHS’s 320,000 nursing staff.
The Government’s intention is for the UK to rely increasingly on the Territorial Army and other Reservists, to “plug the gaps” in the nation’s defence. Indeed, the Reserve forces are to be expanded and investment made in training and equipment in order to raise the skill levels and capabilities of Reservists.
We welcome this commitment to the strengthening of the TA. The contribution of Territorials to military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan has been invaluable, and has demonstrated the vital role that Reserve forces can play in support of Regular troops. However, any further widening of the role of the TA should not be at the expense of the Regulars, and cannot be seen as a substitute for an adequately resourced Regular Army. Front-line operations require a level of fitness, experience, and training to Regular Army standards that cannot readily be matched by part-time soldiers. At present, barely 1,500 TA personnel (5% of Territorial strength) have sufficient training to be deployed in the way that the Government envisages.
We urge the Ministry of Defence to halt further cuts in Regular Army manpower and to review its current redundancy programme. We further call upon the Government to re-examine this aspect of the Strategic Defence & Security Review (SDSR 2010) and to recognise that the primary role of the TA and other Reserve forces is as a vital support to the full-time professionals of Britain’s Armed Forces, not as an alternative to them.
Co-signed by: Col. David Benest Col. Richard Kemp Col. Tim Collins Cdr. John Muxworthy Dr Peter Caddick-Adams and Andrew Roberts
23/12/2011
Falklands News
Argentina draws up top-secret plans to grab the Falklands - see report in the Express.
Diplomatic tension between Buenos Aires and London has been ramped up over the disputed territory. ARGENTINA has prepared top-secret war plans for a new invasion of the Falkland Islands, a senior security source claimed last night.
See:
22/12/2011
Falklands Latest
Read the article in the Daily Mail about the Falklands situation (based on Lord West's comments) and mentioning UKNDA's September report:
25/10/2011
UKNDA WELCOMES £1BN WARRIOR UPGRADE PROGRAMME
The UK National Defence Association (UKNDA) has welcomed the announcement by the Prime Minister and the new Defence Secretary Philip Hammond of a £1bn upgrade to the Warrior infantry fighting vehicle programme, that will enhance the capabilities of the Army’s Warrior armoured vehicles and extend their service life beyond 2040.
UKNDA Chief Executive Andy Smith commented: “We welcome the Government’s announcement on the £1bn upgrade to the Army’s Warrior infantry fighting vehicles. These vehicles are crucial to the Army’s operations, as has been shown in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and the news that there is a major new programme to fit them with an improved turret and a new stablised 40mm cannon, enabling them to fire on the move, is extremely welcome indeed. The upgrade will give the vehicles greater flexibility and firepower.
“As these vehicles are specifically designed to support Infantry units, we also call on the Government to maintain the current number of infantry regiments in the British Army, with a view over the longer term to increasing infantry numbers where possible and bringing all regiments back up to full strength. The Army as a whole is chronically over-stretched, and there are severe shortfalls in the infantry in particular. UKNDA hopes that the new Defence Secretary will address this issue over the coming months.
“With the advent of modern technology, we believe that the British Army has the opportunity to continue to re-shape itself into a highly advanced fighting force, should the Government put the correct planning and budget in place. UKNDA is pleased to see that the new Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond, has displayed a high degree of urgency since coming to office, and we welcome the impact that he is having on the Armed Forces thus far.”
-ENDS
For further information please contact Andy Smith on 07737 271676.
Editor’s note: The UK National Defence Association was formed in 2007 to campaign for more resources for Britain’s Armed Services. Its recent report, “Inconvenient Truths”, sets out the case for an increased Defence budget. For details go to www.uknda.org
28/09/2011
Defence cuts mean Britain could lose the Falkland Islands, warns thinktank
The UKNDA report says Defence Secretary Liam Fox's decision to scrap military resources demonstrated a "complete lack of understanding of the nature of risk"
For the full article in the Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2042770/Defence-cuts-mean-Britain-lose-Falkland-Islands-warns-thinktank.html#ixzz1ZF6mplXN
For the UKNDA report Inconvenient Truths click here
11/09/2011
Defence cuts diluting UK influence on global affairs, says former Naval leader
Ex-security adviser Lord West says ministers pretend Britain is big military player but see "no votes" in forces investment.
Nick Hopkins, defence editor reports The Guardian on line
Click here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/sep/11/admiral-lord-west-defence-cuts
10/09/2011
Morale in Armed Forces drops for first time in five years under Coalition
See The Mirror on line.
Massive Armed Forces cuts were announced in last year's strategic defence review. Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy said: “The scale of defence cuts is unfair and unwise and our Forces know it. I hope the Government will pause and think again.”
Click below:
Morale in Armed Forces drops for first time in five years under Coalition
02/09/2011
Patrick Mercer: Armed Forces cuts are an insult to our brave fighters
See Daily Mirror - on line History has a way of turning planned defence cuts on their head – just look at the Falklands, Northern Ireland and even the Arab Spring. And who knows what else lies around the corner. How are we going to exercise our influence when we have no troops ...
01/09/2011
Defence cuts: Gurkhas and RAF take brunt
Posted on line by the Guardian.
Air force personnel serving in Libya to be told they will lose their jobs as three services aim to cut 17,000 posts by 2015.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/sep/01/defence-cuts-gurkhas-raf
31/08/2011
RAF and Army personnel to receive redundancy notices
Report on BBC website.
Up to 1,000 RAF and 1,000 Army personnel will be told on Thursday whether they are being made redundant.
Link http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14725985
31/08/2011
Do defence cuts threaten Europe's post-Libya NATO role?
From Public Service Europe, by Daniel Mason.
When the LIbyan rebels fought their way into the capital Tripoli last week - sending Colonel Muammar Gaddafi into hiding, his regime into near collapse and his family into exile in Algeria - the six month conflict appeared to be nearing its inevitable endgame.
Read full story at:
http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/779/do-defence-cuts-threaten-europes-post-libya-nato-role
27/08/2011
MOD chiefs write off £6.5bn in military equipment
Daily Mail on line:
21/08/2011
Historic battalions culd be lost in cuts, warns general
See The Telegraph on line.
Up to a fifth of Britain's infantry battalions, including some of Army's most historic names, will be abolished under Government defence cuts, click here...Historic battalions could be lost in cuts, warns general
19/08/2011
Big British defense cuts weaken Pentagon's top military partner
As other European allies have dialed back military spending Britain has been America's most reliable and capable security partner. But the British defense cuts announced Tuesday will affect Britain's "long term ability to fight alongside the US."
See on line
23/07/2011
Coldstream Guards face the axe
The Goldstream Guards could face axe under sweeping defence cuts, the Sunday Express can reveal. See on-line:
www.express.co.uk/posts/view/260752/coldstream-guards-face-axe
Statement by the UK National Defence Association:
"That anyone in Whitehall should even be contemplating the disbandment of the Coldstream Guards beggars belief. It is barking mad.
"This could of course be ministerial kite-flying - testing what they can get away with, and how far public opinion will allow them to go. Or it could be another example of deliberate disinformation from within the MOD - so that once the next round of defence cuts are announced we are all supposed to breathe a collective sigh of relief that they are not as serious as we had anticipated. Either way it is cynical in the extreme and shows a complete lack of respect for British military tradition which is the essential underpinning of the efficiency and effectiveness of our Armed Forces.
"Many of our finest regiments have already been lost to us in recent decades, but the axing of the Coldstream Guards would be a step too far."
Andy Smith, Director, UK National Defence Association
21/07/2011
Defence cuts will leave China as the World's Policeman warns NATO chief
Warning reported in the Mirror - on line at
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19/07/2011
A cynical way to cut the Army down to size
Read the Telegraph on line with latest defence news.
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17/07/2011
Armed Forces too weak to defeat the Taliban
See full report The Sunday Telegraph on line.
12/07/2011
Britain needs a citizen army to fight its wars
The balance between regulars and reserves in our Armed Forces should be rethought says Lt Gen Sir Graeme Lamb. Read whole article with the Telegraph on line at:
07/07/2011
Defence review flawed by drive to a drive to cut costs
The Telegraph on line.
The defence review that will leave Britain without an aircraft carrier for a decade was flawed, driven by cost-cutting and may still fail to deliver a working carrier, an audit concluded.
05/07/2011
Defence of the realm is in the hands of political amateurs
The latest letter about Defence funding is in the Times together with an excellent letter from Correlli Barnett. We must keep up the bombardment of letters on this subject to the press and to Ministers, as these letters can somethimes help set the agenda for the day. Read the full letter attached. Times letter 
27/06/2011
Outspoken Forces chiefs risk lives, warns Liam Fox
By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent The Daily Telegraph.
Armed Forces chiefs who raise doubts about operations in Libya are putting lives at risk, the Defence Secretary said. Air Cdre Andrew lambert, of the UK National Defence Association, said that Dr Fox should be supporting his commanders rather than criticising them ...
27/06/2011
Government considering disbanding Royal Marines
Plymouth Herald.
The GOVERNMENT is considering axing warships and helicopters and disbanding the iconic 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, a highly-regarded military journal has claimed.
An armed forces campaign group claimed the UK is heading for “disarmament in all but name” following reports in Jane’s Defence Weekly.
The UK National Defence Association (UKNDA), which campaigns for the UK's military..
26/06/2011
Burnt-out soldiers quit the Army
Report in The Sunday Express.
By Marco Giannangeli
MORALE in the British Army is the lowest it has been in 20 years, senior officers have warned.
Factors such as “burn out”, cuts to schooling privileges, fewer opportunities for promotion and a widening rift between the military and civil service decision makers have all been blamed.
Almost twice the number of soldiers have applied for voluntary redundancy than are being sought by the Ministry of Defence in its first round of troop cuts.
See full report on line
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http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/255011/Burnt-out-soldiers-quit-the-Army |
23/06/2011
David Cameron should listen to the top brass
The Daily Telegraph.
David Cameron made no attempt to conceal his frustration yesterday over reports of deepening concerns among senior military figures about the impact of the Libyan and Afghan operations. Last week, we reported a warning from Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, the First Sea Lord, that if the Libyan operation continued into the autumn, ships would have to be taken away from other tasks. Full report -
23/06/2011
Forget the fighting talk.
Daily Mail report.
Forget the fighting talk. The Prime Minister will be dead meat if he loses
the ...
Daily Mail
Admiral Sir John 'Sandy' Woodward, who was the head of the Naval task force in the Falklands war, recently wrote in the Mail that as a result of defence cuts Britain could do nothing to defend the Falklands. We no longer have a single aircraft carrier ...
See Dail Mail website
www.dailymail.co.uk the debate section for the article on The Prime Minister dead meat loses Falklands.
22/06/2011
Military morass
BBC News
Downing Street would like defence chiefs and the MoD to get on with the business of implementing the strategic defence and security review (SDSR)- and the defence cuts within it - without a running commentary on the front pages about low morale or ...
See all stories on this topic »
22/06/2011
You do the fighting, I'll do the talking David Cameron tells Military
Express report by John Ingham Defence Editor.
19/06/2011
Defence Chiefs warn cuts threaten security
Reported by Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent, The Sunday Telegraph.
The former commanders, who are all members of the United Kingdom National Defence Association (UKNDA), the most high profile and powerful military pressure group, claimed that by adopting an "accountant's approach to strategy" the armed forces were now in a "parlous" state. ....
See full story at Defence chiefs warn cuts threaten security
19/06/2011
Anger over shameful sacking of Gurkhas
The Telegraph
Air Commodore Andrew Lambert, of the UK National Defence Association, said: “This is extremely debilitating for those in the service and it’s sure to have an impact on already fragile morale. Many of them have put their lives at great risk on operations for the last 20 years and this is their reward.”
Almost 150 Gurkhas are to be sacked due to defence cuts after only a handful volunteered for redundancy, figures obtained by The Daily Telegraph show.
18/06/2011
China's fortress on water
Defence and Security Article - Australasia Pacific
The grey hull of China’s first aircraft carrier loomed in plain sight of camera-toting warship fans and residents of northeast Dalian long before the military gave the first confirmation this month of its worst-kept 67,500-tonne secret. “There, hang kong mujian (aircraft carrier),” said a man in olive shirt peering from a third-floor glass door of the Ikea mall in Dalian, at the red cranes sticking out of China’s strategic shipyard.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/China-s-fortress-on-water/Article1-711053.aspx
18/06/2011
Britain must reverse the defence cuts before it is too late
See Telegraph.co.uk
SIR – Controversy is growing over whether we and the few active Nato European allies can sustain the Libyan operation and bring it to a successful conclusion. This, together with the parlous state of our Armed Forces, and the threats to their morale, ...
See all stories on this topic »
15/06/2011
A poignant symbol of Britain's rapid decline as a maritime power
Report by Cdr John Muxworthy RN for the Daily Mail.
As senior Naval officers back First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope's criticisms of the ability of the Navy to fight in Libya, Commander John Muxworthy, who sailed to the Falklands with the Royal Navy Task Force, looks at the ignominious end of a symbol of the once-mighty British fleet.
The image is a poignant symbol of Britain’s rapid decline as a maritime power. With her metallic carcass exposed, the once mighty aircraft carrier HMS Invincible languishes in a Turkish port, being broken up for scrap.
The ship was once the pride of the Royal Navy, a hero of the Falklands War and a veteran of other conflicts from Iraq to Yugoslavia. But now, as Britain’s naval heritage is obliterated by an irresponsible Coalition Government, she faces an utterly degrading end.
What makes the image all the more shaming is how it reflects the profound concerns of First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, who said this week that Britain’s defences will be at risk if the war in Libya drags on, because our naval fleet can operate there for only another 90 days before it has to make serious cuts in firepower elsewhere
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2003673/Falklands-War-hero-HMS-Invincible-more.html#ixzz1PKtXlBPf
14/06/2011
Together, we can rescue our troops and ensure the defence of the realm
Report by John Muxworthy for the Yorkshire Post:
FOR the past 50 years and more, our Armed Forces have, year after year, been reduced in size and funding. The Strategic Defence and Security Review completed in October last year was rushed through in unseemly haste and has again cut our forces in both personnel and material, thus reducing our defence capabilities significantly.
For the full report follow the link to the Yorkshire Post and search "Muxowrthy". Yorkshire Post link is http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news
The article is under the debate section.
14/06/2011
Task Force Chief warns we could lose Falklands
Report by John Ingham Defence Editor, Daily Express.
BRITAIN’S grip on the Falklands is under severe threat from defence cuts and United States pressure to strike a deal with Argentina, a former top commander claimed yesterday.
Admiral Sir John “Sandy” Woodward, who led the naval Task Force in the 1982 Falklands War, said Britain can do “precisely nothing” to prevent Argentina retaking the islands.
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The islands are already being called Malvinas by the United States |
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Admiral Woodward |
13/06/2011
Navy chief: Britain cannot keep up its role in Libya air war due to cuts
Telegraph report by James Kirkup, Political Correspondent.
Adml Sir Mark Stanhope said the campaign would have been more effective without the Government's defence cuts. Sir Mark warned that the Navy would not be able to sustain its operations in Libya for another three ...
12/06/2011
Britain can do nothing to prevent Argentina retaking Falkland Islands
Report from The Telegraph on line. See Telegraph.co.uk
The head of the Naval task force in the Falklands War has warned that defence cuts mean Britain can now do "precisely nothing" to prevent Argentina retaking the islands. By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent Admiral Sir John "Sandy" Woodward also ...
See all stories on this topic »
07/06/2011
Fox warns of more cuts to armed forces
By Oliver Duggan The Independent.
In his parting message to Tory MPs and party supporters worried about defence cuts, Mr Fox said: "If you want to spend more on defence, tell me which taxes you want to raise or which cuts you want to make to other programmes. See the full story in The Independent:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/fox-warns-of-more-cuts-to-armed-forces-2293869.html
04/06/2011
Defence review will boost TA reservists
BBC News UK Report.
A government report on Britain's reserve forces will recommend a U turn in plans to cut back the Territorial Army, it is believed.
It will warn against dramatic cuts in TA numbers as part of efforts to slash defence budgets, The Times reports.
See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13652143 for more details.
25/05/2011
Former First Sea Lord Fears for Britain's military capability with loss of ...
Daily Mirror article by Don Mackay. Defence cuts mean the UK risks losing global influence for years and may struggle to regain its position in the military premiership, a former Royal Navy head warned yesterday. Former First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathon Band told MPs he fears capability gaps left by the loss of aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and Harrier jump jets could be “destructive”.
Until the first of two new carriers comes into service in 2020, the Navy will not be a “full spectrum” force and will be unable to mount operations like the 2000 intervention in Sierra Leone without US or French help.
Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/05/25/former-first-sea-lord-fears-for-britain-s-military-capability-with-loss-of-aircraft-carrier-and-jump-jets-115875-23154772/#ixzz1NN2x7fjh
17/05/2011
Timing of Military Covenant
Claim made by former head of Navy.
Report by Ian Drury Daily Mail.
The Military Covenant was being used as a smokescreen by the Government to cover further defence cuts, it was suggested last night.
Lord West, the former head of the Royal Navy, cast doubt on the timing of Liam Fox’s pledge to give the covenant – which sets out the nation’s duty of care to the Armed Forces – legal standing for the first time.
17/05/2011
Military Covenant is a Smokescreen to hide Cutbacks
Daily Express, by John Ingham Defence Editor.
A TAX cut for servicemen and women on active duty was yesterday branded a “sop”. Commander John Muxworthy of the UK National Defence Association ...
See Express on line for the full article.
16/05/2011
Armed Forces face billions of pounds of further cuts
Report by The Daily Telegraph. With additional MoD cost review. The Armed Forces face another wave of cuts in the next financial year as the Ministry of Defence seeks to make billions of pounds in further savings.
A three-month study, reporting in July, will consider how more personnel and equipment programmes could be axed.
A defence industry source told The Times: “[The cuts are] going to be a bloodbath. The black hole is still there and billions more need to be cut. The Army has got to be where it comes from but that is political dynamite.”
16/05/2011
MoD cost reviews looks to find fresh cuts
BBC News: The Army is facing the loss of 7,000 posts by 2015 under the earlier plans. The Ministry of Defence is seeking to find more savings from the armed forces in the next financial year.
A three-month study, reporting in July, will consider which personnel and equipment programmes could be cut.
Strategic defence review
- Harrier jump jet retired
- Nimrod spy plane cancelled
- 5,000 RAF personnel axed over five years
- 5,000 Navy personnel cut
- 7,000 army personnel cut
- 25,000 civilian MoD staff axed
- Trident replaced but £750m savings from fewer warheads
- Two aircraft carriers saved, but one will not enter service
BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt said potential targets for spending cuts could include HMS Illustrious, the UK's last surviving aircraft carrier, which is due back from a refit next year, as well as plans for a new fleet of armoured vehicles.
Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13407736
Stop Press
Welcome
click here for more information.
Welcome to the website of the United Kingdom National Defence Association (UKNDA). The UKNDA has been formed to support our Armed Forces and to campaign for “sufficient, appropriate and fully funded Armed Forces to provide an effective defence of our country, its people, their security and vital interests wherever they may be.”
Britain's Armed Forces: Under-funded and overstretched
Britain’s Armed Forces are chronically under-funded and over-stretched. Not since the 1930s have our Navy, Army and Air Force been so starved of the resources they need. Our Forces have been slashed in half over the past two decades alone – yet in the same period our military commitments have vastly increased. This is a disaster for the men and women of our Armed Forces – and a catastrophe for our nation.
Inadequate equipment means that lives have been lost unnecessarily. Pay and conditions for our servicemen and women have fallen well below those of their civilian equivalents – to the point where a traffic warden or cleaner can earn more than a soldier. And due to funding cuts, long-overdue improvements to housing for service families have been delayed or cancelled. The nation’s Covenant with the Armed Forces has been broken....