“If we go home, a lot of inexperienced soldiers will die”

New: Ukrainian frontline troops tell the BBC the army needs to rethink how it conscripts men to fight.

bbc.co.uk/news/world-eur…

Latest batch of U.K. military aid to #Ukraine will include Paveway IV bombs .

An Iranian intelligence ship that's been linked to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea has returned home to Iran amid threats from Israel bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via Bloomberg Politics

Highlights U.K. has inadequate numbers of GBAD ( 6 Sky Sabre - 2 of which are in Falklands) and lacks C2 , and sensors to deal with range of threats :

Immediate Action on Air Defense is a 🇩🇪 initiative to provide 🇺🇦 with more air defence equipment.

Ministers Außenministerin Annalena Baerbock & Pistorius are calling on partners to strengthen 🇺🇦's air defences as quickly as possible.

This weekend 🇩🇪 announced it will send 🇺🇦 another Patriot system.

Former 🇬🇧 DefSec Rt. Hon Ben Wallace MP asks PM to ask #Israel to help #Ukraine - just as U.K. helped Israel in its defence last night . Wallace says when he was in office he’d been pleading with Israel to help Ukraine with air defences

While Iran says its military action “can be deemed concluded,” it’s not talking about hijacking a Nato and EU member’s cargo ship on Saturday.

🇬🇧 PM goes no further than saying Royal Air Force Typhoons shot down “a number” of #Iran drones( is single figure) . Also says U.K. provided intelligence reconnaissance and surveillance assets

“Iran was testing the missile-defense system, the resolve of the regional countries, the resolve of the US. Out of all of this comes a great risk. When 2 powerful parties engage in direct hostility, no one knows where this thing goes.” -Jonathan Schanzer FDD wsj.com/world/middle-e…

Coordinated by Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧, Ukrainian soldiers have been training on live fire ranges during Op Interflex💪

Over 34,000 Ukrainian recruits have now been trained during the operation

Interflex continues to train more Defense of Ukraine recruits, and we continue to #StandWithUkraine 🇬🇧🤝🇺🇦

The 🇬🇧 Royal Navy’s HMS Lancaster, operating in support of the 🇨🇦 Canadian-led Combined Task Force 150, carried out its second successful drug seizure in as many days, seizing 2,000 kg of hashish from a dhow in the Arabian Sea, April 11.

Full story at the link below ⬇️…

The Earl of Minto admits in the Lords that Defence spending is significantly lower as a percentage of GDP than when the Tories came into power..

2.47% in 2010 down to 2.28% in 2023...

➡️2010: 2.47%
2011: 2.38%
2012: 2.16%
2013: 2.24%
2014: 2.14%
2015: 2.03%
2016: 2.09%
2017:…

It’s a reasonable question to ask whether Russia’s missile and drone attacks on Ukraine - and the limits of Western intervention- emboldened #Iran .

PM confirming that Royal Air Force Typhoons shot down an unspecified number of #Iran drones last night . No further detail from MOD

PM confirming Royal Air Force Typhoons shot down an unspecified number of #iran drones

Big loss - best for the future Mark.

Additional Royal Air Force jets and air refuelling tankers have deployed to the Middle East to bolster Op Shader, the UK’s existing counter-Daesh operation in Iraq & Syria.
 
In addition, the jets will intercept airborne attacks within range of our existing missions. My statement:

🔴 Who is arming Israel?

A new in-depth AOAV report analysing the key military supporters of Israel.

Find the full report in the link below⬇️
aoav.org.uk/2024/who-is-ar…

Sat down with Deborah Haynes for long chat on all I’ve been doing for last few years as MinAF. We’ve got to keep pushing boundaries of our support for Ukraine. We’ve got to fund defence better with 2.5% of GDP now & 3% by 2030. And we’ve got to improve our strategic resilience.

🇳🇴 #Norway to Transfer 22 #F16 Fighter Jets to #Ukraine .

The agreement includes not only the provision of fighter jets but also engines, auxiliary materials, simulators, spare parts, and other essential equipment, as reported by Norwegian news outlet Nettavisen.

📷: AFP