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☆ Japan, Britain, Italy defence ministers to meet in Tokyo this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, March 14 (Reuters) - Britain and Italy's defence chiefs will visit Japan this week to hold meetings with their local counterpart, Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada, Japan said on Tuesday. Hamada will host a trilateral meeting with British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto on Thursday, Japan's defence ministry said. He will also hold bilateral meetings with them. The three nations will discuss the jet fighter project, which marks Japan's first major industrial defence collaboration beyond the United States since World War Two. Reporting by Kaori Kaneko Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Two lawmakers with knowledge of the exports and two former officials said the approvals reflected Britain’s increased willingness to support Taiwan. One of the lawmakers, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, said authorising the export licences amounted to giving a "green light" to better equip Taiwan. It shows the government authorised 25 export licences to Taiwan during the first nine months of 2022 under the categories "components for submarines" and "technology for submarines." Taiwan has for decades been unable to buy conventional submarines from other countries because of their concerns of angering China. Asked about the decision to approve the increase in export licences, the official said: "You just don't do something like this without thinking through the implications very carefully."

☆ Britain's Sunak boosts defence spending to try to silence critics
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Elizabeth Piper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

With his government unveiling the update to Britain's national security and international policy, Sunak, on a visit to the U.S., will also set out an "ambition" to increase defence spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product in the longer term. He said his previous increases to defence spending showed he was a man of his word, and described the new commitments as a "strong and positive statement". COUNTERING CHINAMeeting U.S. President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Sunak will want to underline that the increase in spending will only bolster the AUKUS pact. Instead, Britain will seek to engage China and be robust in defending the things it cares about, he said. The island, increasingly concerned about the threat from China, was left out of the earlier document which was published in 2021.

☆ British Navy says it has seized smuggled Iranian weapons in Gulf
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, March 2 (Reuters) - Britain's Royal Navy said on Thursday it had seized Iranian weapons, including anti-tank guided missiles, last month from a smugglers vessel in international waters in the Gulf of Oman. When hailed by the Royal Navy, the vessel initially attempted to navigate to Iranian territorial waters but was stopped by a team of Royal Marines, who then boarded the small boat and recovered the suspicious packages, Britain's Ministry of Defence said. "This seizure by HMS Lancaster and the permanent presence of the Royal Navy in the Gulf region supports our commitment to uphold international law and tackle activity that threatens peace and security around the world," British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement. Initial inspection suggested the packages included Iranian anti-tank guided missiles and medium-range ballistic missile components, Britain said, adding that it had informed the United Nations about the seizure. It follows two previous Royal Navy seizures of Iranian weapons in the region early last year.

☆ Saudi, UK ministers agree to study combat air cooperation -Saudi agency
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 1 (Reuters) - Saudi and British defence ministers have agreed to study future co-operation on combat air capabilities and potential industrial projects, the Saudi state news agency reported. Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace met in Riyadh on Wednesday and signed a "declaration of intent regarding the participation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Future Air Capabilities Program (FCAS)", it said. FCAS is an acronym widely used for next-generation fighter projects known as Future Combat Air Systems, including the British-led Tempest programme which was recently expanded to include Japan under a new framework called Global Air Combat Programme. It said identifying industrial participation projects and joint research and development projects were also included. The British Defence ministry said the statement of intent signed in Riyadh would initiate a "Partnering Feasibility Study to explore how we can best position our decades long combat air relationship for the future".

☆ Key Putin ally claims Russia is dismantling seized western weapons to turn 'the enemy's experience to our advantage' in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Dmitry Medvedev has hit back at Western reports that Russia is running short of weapons in Ukraine. He said Russian factories were working "around the clock" to produce the "latest technologies." Researchers study high-tech Western weapons seized in Ukraine to improve Russian kit, said Medvedev. He also said that Russia was improving its arsenal by studying high-tech Western weapons seized on the battlefield. By dismantling them "piece by piece," Medvedev said Russia had "turned the enemy's experience to our advantage."

☆ Britain is confident China wants Ukraine conflict resolved - defence secretary
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the notion that China could supply arms to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine would not help resolve the conflict, an outcome he was confident China wanted. "It can't help the peace if China effectively supplies the one nation that has broken the international law on the sovereignty of Ukraine and been inflicting war crimes," Wallace told Sky News on Friday when asked about reports China could supply weapons to Russia. "But I'm also confident that China is pretty clear that it wants this (war) to stop," he added. Reporting by Farouq Suleiman, writing by Paul Sandle; Editing by Kate HoltonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Britain 'warming up' weapon output to help Ukraine, says defence minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Elizabeth Piper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is helped off a tank during a visit to Bovington Camp, a British Army military base in Dorset, to view Ukrainian soldiers training on Challenger 2 tanks, Britain February 22, 2023. In an interview with Reuters in southwest England where officers are training Ukrainian crews on Challenger-2 tanks, Wallace said he believed Britain was in a good place to help Ukraine but needed to sustain the provision of weapons. 'REASSURED'Standing at a tank training ground surrounded by armoured fighting vehicles and tanks, Wallace spoke to Ukrainian soldiers who were training to use Britain's Challenger tanks which the defence minister said would arrive in Ukraine in "the spring". London has also offered to train Ukrainian soldiers on war planes rather than delivering fighter jets as yet. Wallace said Britain could offer additional Challenger tanks to the 14 already promised, but that it would depend on the threat level and also the country's defence needs.

☆ A bizarre video shows Russians in swimwear dousing themselves in buckets of cold water to show solidarity with soldiers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russians supported Putin's invasion of Ukraine by pouring icy water on themselves. A video shared on Twitter by a BBC journalist shows the event in Blagoveshchensk, Siberia. "Today, we're going to support them with our heroic act by pouring cold water on ourselves." After the speech, about 150 people, ranging from teenagers to pensioners, proceeded to dump buckets of cold water on their heads. In short, Russia has lost — they've lost strategically, operationally, and tactically."

☆ How many Chinese spy balloons did we miss and when did they start flying above the U.S.?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Dan De Luce | Ken Dilanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

There are currently five known Chinese balloon flights into U.S. territory, including two during the Biden administration and three during Donald Trump's presidency, according to the Biden administration's public statement. The congressman said he expected more Chinese balloon flights to be identified. Other countries are also examining whether Chinese balloon flights over their territory went undetected. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said his government will review the country's security in light of the Chinese balloon flight over the U.S.Australia was not aware of any Chinese surveillance balloons flying over its territory, an Australian official said. It remains unclear if new information could indicate that those balloon sightings were in fact Chinese surveillance airships.

☆ In England's north, Ukraine's civilians become soldiers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Andy Bruce | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Ukrainian civilians receive urban warfare training at a military installation in the north of England, part of a program that has so far trained more than 10,000 volunteers, February 16, 2023. Kyiv and its Western allies, including Britain, say these are baseless pretexts for an unprovoked war of acquisition. On Wednesday, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said Britain is training Ukrainian soldiers to fight in a more "Western way" and use less ammunition than the traditional Soviet way of fighting. The programme also includes urban warfare, where men train how to fight in ordinary houses and civilian structures, and shooting practice. "I think that all of us will be ready to come back, because Ukraine really needs us, the soldiers who will stand for Ukraine," he said.

☆ 97% of Russia's army is now in Ukraine, claims UK intel, meaning Putin may struggle to have enough trained troops to throw at the war
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

97% of Russia's army is now in Ukraine, the UK's defense minister said. "That has come at a huge cost to the Russian army. We now estimate 97% of the Russian army, the whole Russian army, is in Ukraine." Wallace also compared Russia's efforts to advance to "almost First World War levels of attrition and with success rates of a matter of metres rather than kilometres." Russian defectors and Western intelligence have repeatedly highlighted that many Russian troops received almost no training before being sent to Ukraine.

☆ UK training Ukrainians to fight in 'Western way' with less ammunition - minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Britain is training Ukrainian soldiers to fight in a more "Western way" and use less ammunition than the traditional Soviet way of fighting, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Wednesday. Britain along with other Western allies has been training Ukrainian soldiers and providing weapons and ammunition to support Kyiv in its battle with Russia. "Ukraine uses huge amounts of ammunition to defend itself, partly that's why we're training them to fight in a Western way," Wallace told Times Radio. "At the same time we're training to make sure it's used in a way that's very productive and accurate," he said. "The Russian or the Soviet way of fighting is very ammunition heavy, massive artillery barrages, and that's never how we have organised ourselves to fight in NATO," he said.

☆ NATO's Stoltenberg will not seek another extension of his term, spokesperson says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Feb 12 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will end his term as planned in October, a spokesperson for the alliance said, after a newspaper reported a further extension was in the works. "The mandate of Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has been extended three times, and he has served for a total of almost nine years," NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said late on Saturday. "The Secretary-General's term comes to an end in October of this year and he has no intention to seek another extension of his mandate." Stoltenberg, an economist by training and a former leader of Norway's Labour Party, had his NATO term extended last year. Welt said alliance members wanted to give Stoltenberg the opportunity to chair the organisation's 75th anniversary summit in Washington in April 2024.

☆ NATO to extend Stoltenberg's term to April 2024, Welt am Sonntag reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Feb 12 (Reuters) - NATO will extend again the term of Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Welt am Sonntag reported on Sunday, citing unidentified diplomatic sources, as the alliance seeks to maintain stability during the war in Ukraine. Members will extend Stoltenberg's term until April 2024 due to his "outstanding achievements" and to guarantee the military alliance's stability during the ongoing war in Ukraine, the newspaper said. Stoltenberg, an economist by training and a former leader of Norway's Labour Party, had his original NATO term extended last year. He was prime minister of Norway from 2000-01 and 2005-13 before becoming NATO chief the following year. Welt said alliance members want to give Stoltenberg the opportunity to chair the organisation's 75th anniversary summit in Washington in April 2024.

☆ Factbox: Will Ukraine get Western fighter jets and what are the challenges?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday several Western countries were ready to provide Kyiv with aircraft to defeat Russia's invasion. Ukraine has been asking allies to provide modern fighter jets - dubbed "wings for freedom" in Zelenskiy's speech to British lawmakers this week - to replace its ageing fleet of Soviet MiG and Sukhoi planes. WILL UKRAINE GET THE FIGHTER JETS? Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson did not rule out sending fighter jets but played down expectations, saying the issue was not on Stockholm's agenda at the moment. The Kremlin has said that Western countries would be moving towards direct conflict with Russia if they send jets.

Zelenskiy will arrive in London for only his second foreign visit since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, after Sunak pledged to expand the training of Ukrainian troops to include fighter jet pilots and marines. Britain said the training would ensure Ukrainian pilots were able to fly "sophisticated NATO-standard fighter jets in the future". In London, he is expected to tell Zelenskiy he will accelerate the delivery of military equipment to Ukraine. Britain has trained 10,000 Ukrainian troops brought to battle readiness in the last six months and will upskill a further 20,000 soldiers this year, the government said. London has so far refused to deliver fighter jets, saying it was not "the right approach" for now.

☆ 'No magic wand' in Ukraine war, says UK's Wallace on question of supplying jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Elizabeth Piper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PORTSMOUTH, England, Feb 2 (Reuters) - British defence minister Ben Wallace said there was "no magic wand" that could help Ukraine in its fight against Russia, when asked on Thursday about the possibility of supplying British fighter jets to be used by Ukrainian forces. "There is no magic wand in this horrendous conflict," Wallace told reporters at Portsmouth in southern England, home to a naval base. Earlier on Thursday, Sunak's spokesman said the quickest a pilot could learn to fly a British fighter jet was 35 months. "Even if tomorrow morning we announce that we were going to put them in fast jets, that would take months," Wallace said. On Wednesday, Wallace said Britain had not made a "solid decision" not to send its fighter jets to Ukraine but does not think it is the right approach at the moment.

☆ US taps its munitions stockpile in Israel to send 300,000 artillery shells to Ukraine, says report, as Russia announce new offensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US stockpile in Israel has been tapped for 155mm shells destined for Ukraine, the New York Times reported. The US is also buying 100,000 155 mm shells from South Korea that will be sent to Ukraine, Insider reported. Photo by IHOR THACHEV/AFP via Getty ImagesIn addition, Pakistan is sending 159 containers of artillery ammunition to Ukraine, according to India's Economic Times. The US scrambles for more ammunition to send to Ukraine comes as Russia and Ukraine gear up for expected renewed fighting in the spring. In November, the Pentagon estimated that Russia fired 20,000 shells daily, while Ukraine fired 4,000 to 7,000.

☆ Eleven NATO countries pledge new military aid for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Andrius Sytas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] British NATO troops stand guard during a news conference of British Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace, Baltic defence ministers and representatives from other NATO members in Tapa Army Base, Estonia, January 19, 2023. REUTERS/Ints KalninsTAPA MILITARY BASE, Estonia, Jan 19 (Reuters) - A group of 11 NATO countries, including Britain and Poland, pledged a raft of new military aid to support Ukraine's war with Russia on Thursday ahead of a crunch meeting on arms for Kyiv scheduled to take place in Germany on Friday. "The West must stay united and continue to support Ukraine with military aid," Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur told a news conference in his home country, held jointly with his British counterpart and other officials. Gathering at a military base, the officials pledged missiles, stinger air defence systems, anti-aircraft guns, machine guns, training, and other equipment and services. Britain, which has already announced plans to send tanks to Ukraine, will also send 600 Brimstone missiles, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said as he outlined details.

☆ Poland says it might go rogue and send German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine without Berlin's approval
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Poland wants to send German-made battle tanks to Ukraine. Poland's prime minister said his country may just send tanks without Berlin's permission. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Thursday that his country might send the German-made tanks to Kyiv without Berlin's approval on the transfer. Finland, an aspiring NATO member with Leopard tanks in its arsenal, has also indicated that it would send tanks as part of a coalition, but with German approval. NATO countries have put pressure on Germany to send or approve the transfer of Leopard tanks, but without any progress.

☆ Factbox: European states in Estonia pledge weapons for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Ints KalninsJan 19 (Reuters) - A group of 11 European states have pledged to deliver more arms to Ukraine in its war with Russia, saying they would send main battle tanks, heavy artillery, air defence, ammunition and infantry fighting vehicles. The 11 nations were Estonia, Britain, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Spain. Weapons donations and military support will continue in close cooperation with allies and in accordance with Ukrainian needs. Estonia will continue to provide both basic and specialist training to hundreds of Ukrainian Armed Forces members in 2023. Poland has already donated 42 infantry fighting vehicles along with training package for two mechanised battalions.

☆ UK to send 600 Brimstone missiles to Ukraine - Defence minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TAPA MILITARY BASE, Estonia, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Britain plans to send 600 Brimstone missiles to Ukraine to support the country in its fight against Russia, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Thursday. Wallace was meeting with other defence ministers at the Tapa army base in Estonia. He outlined a previously-announced package of military support for Ukraine, including sending Challenger tanks, and added detail on the types of missiles Britain would supply. "I can say we're also going to send another 600 Brimstone missiles into theatre which will be incredibly important in helping Ukraine dominate the battlefield," he said. Reporting by William James and Muvija M, Editing by Kylie MacLellanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ All eyes on Germany when defense leaders meet on arming Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Idrees Ali | Thomson Reuters | National Security Correspondent Focusing On The Pentagon In Washington D.C. Reports On U.S. Military Activity | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Ints KalninsWASHINGTON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - When dozens of defense ministers meet at an airbase in Germany on Friday, all eyes will be set on what Berlin is - and is not - willing to provide Ukraine. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had been set to meet German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht in Berlin before the Ramstein conference, but she resigned from her post on Monday. Instead, Germany's new Defense Minister Boris Pistorius will host Austin on Thursday. Some Eastern European officials have publicly called on Germany to allow the transfer of Leopard tanks to Ukraine. Well, they're not alone," British Defense minister Ben Wallace said on Monday.

☆ The UK says sending Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine is a potential 'game changer' in the war. This is how they could impact the conflict.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The UK confirmed it will send a small number of Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine. The powerful tank would easily outmatch any Russian battle tanks, an expert told Insider. Representatives for Poland said on Wednesday that the country plans to transfer Leopard tanks to Ukraine, but needs Berlin's permission to re-export them. The Challenger 2 is far superior to Russia's battle tanksThe powerful Challenger 2 tanks would easily outmatch Russia's battle tanks, mainly the Soviet-era T-72s, Crump said. In the first Gulf War in 1991, a British Challenger tank scored the longest tank-on-tank kill ever, according to reports, after knocking out an Iraqi tank three miles away.

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