Summary
On Saturday, various papers reported that the RAF helped emergency services in Wales rescue up to 1,000 people who found themselves stranded by floods near Aberystwyth. | The Guardian reported that General John Allen, the Commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, has visited Logar province where 18 civilians died in a NATO air strike. | The Independent reported that Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne has turned down an invitation from Argentina to attend talks over the Falkland Islands. | Various papers reported that UN observers described a Syrian farming village as 'the scene of a horrific crime' after they managed to visit the site in Mazraat al-Qubair in central Hama province where up to 78 people were reportedly killed last Wednesday. | The Daily Mirror reported that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has warned that Syria is in danger of all-out civil war. | On Sunday various papers reported that NATO will not conduct any more air strikes in residential areas, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said, after the deaths of 18 civilians, most of them women and children, in Logar province. | The Mail on Sunday reported that Helen Johnston, the aid worker who was rescued after being kidnapped in northern Afghanistan, has given an account of the 'daring Special Forces raid' that saved her. | The Daily Star Sunday reported that a British soldier has told of his lucky escape after his Mastiff was blown up in Afghanistan. | Various papers reported that former Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox is to launch a charity website that will provide free holiday accommodation for Service families. | The Sunday Telegraph reported that a group of injured British servicemen are attempting to cycle more than 3,000 miles (4,800km) across America. | The Independent on Sunday reported that the MOD plans to sell off Hyde Park Barracks, which has been home to the Household Cavalry for more than 200 years. | The Sunday Telegraph published a report from Somalia which says that the Islamist Al-Shabaab group, which has pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda, has been driven out of Mogadishu. | Today, the Daily Mirror reports that French President Francois Hollande yesterday said that his country's troops would start pulling out of Afghanistan after four soldiers were killed. | The Daily Mirror also reports that William Hague warned yesterday that Britain could be forced to send troops into Syria if the bloodshed escalates into all-out civil war.
Army redundancies
Today the Telegraph reports that the head of Army manning has infuriated troops by suggesting that sacked soldiers should apply for specialist jobs in the RAF or Navy.
Personnel selected for redundancy are chosen from roles where there is a surplus of manning. It is up to the individual to then decide what career they would like to pursue and there is a robust resettlement process in place for this. If individuals are eligible they may decide to apply to transfer between Services, or between specialisations within their own Service, into areas where there is a shortage.
Any personnel seeking a transfer still need to demonstrate appropriate skills, experience and/or quality for those areas. Consideration is also given to how long it would take to retrain any individual.
In January the MOD announced the maximum numbers that could be affected by the redundancies in Tranche 2 but final figures will not be made available until tomorrow once personnel themselves have been notified.
Navy missile system
The Daily Telegraph on Saturday reported that Royal Navy ships could be at risk after the MOD cut a missile system.
The Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC), which the paper was referring to, has not been cut; it was never in the committed core equipment programme.
The MOD's comprehensive assessment of the CEC informed the decision made during Planning Round 12 that it was not necessary to commit to purchasing the capability at this stage.
As the Defence Secretary made clear last month, the MOD budget has headroom of £8bn over the next 10 years for potential new programmes. The Armed Forces Committee will prioritise which projects to commit to when necessary, and not before.
The Type 45 destroyer provides a world-leading, state-of-the-art anti-air-warfare platform with a range of capabilities for defeating complex threats.
Service personnel data
The Sunday Times reported that the personal details of serving Service personnel have been leaked online after private hacking group Anonymous targeted the database of a private security firm called Ronin Concepts Security Elite.
Service personnel may have contacted the company to enquire about a possible career after service. The Ministry of Defence is aware of the incident and is offering advice and guidance to those employees who may have been affected.
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