statement on ukraine"The UK Government is right to take a firm line with President Putin, and to warn against any possible Russian incursion onto Ukraine's sovereign territory. But our warnings need to be underpinned by a willingness to use British military force alongside NATO allies, in order to deter and if necessary resist Russians aggression. Any violation of Ukrainian sovereignty, and any threat to the security of any other European nation, must be met with a resolute response by NATO. The Prime Minister is right to seek to coordinate this Western response with Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of NATO and the President of the United States. Britain can and should play a major role in any NATO mission to support Ukraine but tough rhetoric must be matched by a readiness if necessary to deploy British troops and aircraft in conjunction with our NATO allies."
Andrew Smith, Director, Defence UK 25th January 2022 The "future soldier programme""Defence UK is not convinced that the 'Future Soldier' programme will deliver the breadth and depth of Army capabilities which it promises. Whilst we welcome the new investment in Army equipment, and the creation of the new Ranger Regiment for deployment in Africa and Asia, we remain extremely concerned about the overall reduction in Army manpower. Under the new plans, the British Army will shrink to just 73,000 full-time Regulars and fewer than 30,000 part-time Reservists. That will make it the smallest Army we have had at our disposal in more than two hundred years! As the world becomes a more dangerous place, with rogue states and terrorist networks posing ever greater threats to UK and Western security, and with the NATO alliance increasingly reliant on the UK contribution, now is not the time to risk weakening the British Army. We urge the Government to reconsider the scale of this reduction in overall personnel numbers."
Andrew Smith, Director, Defence UK 26th November 2021 If you find the articles here and on FaceBook of interest, please consider making a donation of, say, £5 to Defence UK, or even becoming a member.
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MISSION STATEMENT: “Defence UK is an independent pressure group that campaigns for a strong and well-resourced Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, to ensure the security of the United Kingdom, her Sovereign Territories, trade and commerce, and to protect her citizens wherever they may be. We also call for a greater commitment by the UK Government to the nation's defence industries, and to non-military services such as the Merchant Navy, Coastguard, Border Control and Homeland Security that are essential to the Defence of the Realm.” |
