Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
October 2018 - United Kingdom Special Weapons News
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- Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 30 Oct 2018 -- The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Syria.
- Historic day for the military as all roles are opened to women UK MOD 25 Oct 2018 -- Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has today announced that all roles in the military are now open to women.
- £93 million missile project secures over 100 Belfast jobs UK MOD 25 Oct 2018 -- Defence Minister Stuart Andrew has announced a multi-million-pound deal to modernise and boost the British Army and Royal Marines' very short-range air defence capability.
- London to Prevent All Khashoggi Case Suspects From Entering UK - May Sputnik 24 Oct 2018 -- The UK authorities will prevent any suspects in the alleged murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi from entering the country and will revoke their UK visas if they have any, UK Prime Minister Theresa May said Wednesday.
- Iranian Attack Boats Reportedly Confront UK Destroyer in the Persian Gulf Sputnik 23 Oct 2018 -- The incident came after Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri pledged in late August that the ships of "hostile countries" will be confronted when crossing through the Strait of Hormuz.
- UK starts manufacturing warplanes for Qatar Press TV 20 Oct 2018 -- A production line has been inaugurated in the UK for manufacturing 24 warplanes and nine trainer aircraft that Qatar had contracted Britain to build for it last year.
- F-35B Finishes Initial Testing aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth NNS 19 Oct 2018 -- On Oct. 16, British sailors and members of the F-35 Integrated Test Force (ITF) at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland, completed a successful opening phase of the First of Class Flight Trials (FOCFT) being conducted this fall aboard the United Kingdom's new aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, near the U.S. eastern seaboard.
- United Kingdom - H-47 Chinook (Extended Range) Helicopters and Accessories DSCA 19 Oct 2018 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the United Kingdom of sixteen (16) H-47 Chinook (Extended Range) helicopters for an estimated cost of $3.5 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
- UK troops touch down in Norway following epic road move UK MOD 19 Oct 2018 -- Hundreds of British Army troops have successfully completed an epic road move to Norway
- UK increased weapons sales to Saudi Arabia by two thirds: Report Press TV 19 Oct 2018 -- UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia had increased in 2017 by two thirds, according to British media reports.
- Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 16 Oct 2018 -- The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Syria.
- F-35 ITF conducts first Shipborne Rolling Vertical Landing on HMS Queen Elizabeth NNS 15 Oct 2018 -- The first ever Shipborne Rolling Vertical Landing (SRVL) was carried out Saturday with an F-35B conducting trials onboard the new British aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth. The UK is the only nation currently planning to use the maneuver, which will allow jets to land onboard with heavier loads, meaning they won't need to jettison expensive fuel and weapons before landing.
- 'UK's top spy agency viewed blacks as threat' Press TV 15 Oct 2018 -- Britain's internal spying apparatus, the MI5, viewed black people as security risk and refused to give them sensitive positions, the agency's declassified documents have revealed.
- MI5 Avoided Recruiting Black Spies in the 60s, Citing 'Security Risk' - Reports Sputnik 15 Oct 2018 -- The head of MI5 at the time is said to have remarked that the risks of employing "coloured staff" originated "simply from the colour of a man's skin, which gives him a chip on his shoulder," adding that "It would be a long time before this chip is removed."
- In US' Footsteps: Britain Grounds Entire F-35 Fighter Jet Fleet Sputnik 12 Oct 2018 -- The most expensive weapons system around, the F-35 has been plagued by a flurry of problems which have sent the costs spiraling upward.
- Armed Forces Minister bolsters UK-Italy defence partnership UK MOD 12 Oct 2018 -- Minister for the Armed Forces Mark Lancaster bolstered the strong defence relationship between the UK and Italy on a visit to Rome.
- UK Refuses to Comment on Reports About Increased Intel Exchange on Russia, China Sputnik 12 Oct 2018 -- The UK Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) on Friday refused to comment to Sputnik on reports that the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which London is a member of, has been exchanging classified information on China's foreign activities with like-minded states since the beginning of the year.
- UK National Detained in UAE for 5 Months on Spying Charges - Reports Sputnik 11 Oct 2018 -- A UK citizen Matthew Hedges has been held in solitary confinement in the United Arab Emirates for five months because of spying accusations, The Times newspaper reported.
- UK and German forces test military mobility en route to NATO's biggest exercise in decades NATO 10 Oct 2018 -- UK troops landed at Rotterdam in the Netherlands on Wednesday (10 October 2018) as German tanks boarded a cargo ship on their way to Norway for Exercise Trident Juncture 2018 – NATO's largest since the Cold War.
- Argentina Slams British Military Exercises, Missile Launches in Falklands Sputnik 10 Oct 2018 -- The British embassy in Buenos Aires received a formal complaint by the Argentinian government on Tuesday.
- UK troops deploy on largest NATO exercise in a decade UK MOD 10 Oct 2018 -- NATO's flagship exercise in 2018, Exercise Trident Juncture, is underway
- Russian Novichok Suspects Shadowed Skripal In Prague, Report Says RFE/RL 10 Oct 2018 -- The two Russian men suspected by British intelligence of poisoning Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in England in March shadowed the former double agent in Prague in 2014, Czech Radio (CR) has cited sources as saying.
- Russian Website Names Third Person Allegedly Involved In Skripal Poisoning RFE/RL 10 Oct 2018 -- Russian website fontanka.ru says a GRU military intelligence operative whose name is Sergei Fedotov is allegedly the third Russian agent involved in trying to kill former spy Sergei Skripal in Britain earlier this year.
- Czech Media Claim Salisbury Case Suspects Spied on Skripal in Country in 2014 Sputnik 10 Oct 2018 -- Cesky Rozhlas media reported Wednesday, citing Czech intel sources, that Russian citizens Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov accused by London of poisoning ex-officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, visited the Czech Republic in October 2014, where Skripal himself was supposed to arrive at the same time.
- Defence Minister calls on 'unsung heroes' to help military respond to new threats UK MOD 09 Oct 2018 -- Defence Minister Stuart Andrew today called on hundreds of firms to help the military respond to emerging threats as quickly as possible, calling them the 'unsung heroes' behind the Armed Forces.
- UK Says Cyber Capabilities Would Be Used in 'Accordance With International Law' Sputnik 09 Oct 2018 -- The UK Foreign Office has declined to comment on media reports alleging that UK troops staged military exercises which included war-gaming a cyberattack to "black out Moscow" in response to "aggression," the Russia Embassy said late on Monday.
- Bellingcat: Second Novichok Suspect Also Honored By Putin As 'Hero Of Russia' RFE/RL 09 Oct 2018 -- Cybersleuthing group Bellingcat says it has found that two men that Britain suspects of poisoning former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were awarded Hero of the Russian Federation medals by President Vladimir Putin four years ago for conducting covert operations in Ukraine.
- Bellingcat Claims Alleged Salisbury Suspect Bestowed Hero of Russia in 2014 Sputnik 09 Oct 2018 -- UK-based investigative blogger group Bellingcat presented on Tuesday a report claiming that "trained military doctor" Alexander Mishkin, the alleged true identity of Skripal poisoning suspect Alexander Petrov, received the Hero of the Russian Federation Award in 2014.
- UK practicing major cyberattacks against Russia: Report Press TV 08 Oct 2018 -- The UK government has been practicing large-scale cyberattacks that could cause black outs across Russia, British officials say, amid an ongoing war of words between the two sides over a range of foreign policy issues.
- Bellingcat Names Second Skripal Poisoning Suspect As Russian GRU Agent RFE/RL 08 Oct 2018 -- Investigative website Bellingcat has identified the second suspect in the nerve-agent attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Britain as a military doctor employed by Russia's GRU military intelligence agency.
- BAE Systems Unveils Enhanced 'Night-Fighting' Battle Tank for UK Army Sputnik 04 Oct 2018 -- Defense contractor BAE Systems launched a new battle tank with enhanced night-vision features that will boost the British army's ability to conduct military operations in the dark, the company said in a press release on Wednesday.
- Defence Secretary announces Devonport will home all new Type 26 frigates UK MOD 08 Oct 2018 -- All of the Royal Navy's next-generation Type 26 frigates will be homed in Devonport, the Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson announced at the Naval Base today.
- UK aid arrives: Vital relief lands in Indonesia UK MOD 05 Oct 2018 -- An RAF aircraft has successfully delivered 17.5 tonnes of UK aid supplies to those affected by the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Indonesia.
- UK Intelligence May Have Given Agents Legal Immunity to Commit Torture - Reports Sputnik 04 Oct 2018 -- UK domestic intelligence agency MI5 may have given its agents legal immunity to commit torture and other criminal acts, The Guardian newspaper reported.
- UK Envoy Claims Russia Tried to Compromise Foreign Office After Salisbury Attack Sputnik 04 Oct 2018 -- UK Ambassador to the Netherlands Peter Wilson claimed on Thursday that the Main Directorate of the General Staff of Russia's Armed Forces (formerly known as the GRU) had allegedly tried to compromise the computer systems of the UK Foreign Office and the country's Defense Science and Technology Laboratory after the Salisbury case.
- Britain Accuses Russia's GRU Of 'Reckless' Cyberattacks On Western Targets RFE/RL 04 Oct 2018 -- Britain is accusing Russian military intelligence of being behind a host of recent cyberattacks seeking to undermine critical Western institutions from sports and transportation authorities to election processes.
- UK blames Russian military intel for cyber attacks Press TV 04 Oct 2018 -- The United Kingdom is pointing the finger at the Russian military intelligence for a number of "reckless" cyber attacks in recent years.
- UK accuses Russia of fostering instability throughout the world Press TV 04 Oct 2018 -- British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt has accused Russia of fostering instability around the world after allegations emerged showing that Russians were behind a hacking scheme that could affect the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
- UK to send transport aircraft to provide relief to Indonesia UK MOD 03 Oct 2018 -- Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has agreed to deploy an A400M transport aircraft and a team of military experts to Indonesia to help with the aftermath of the recent earthquake tsunami.
- Wedgetail is on the radar, Defence Secretary announces ahead of NATO conference UK MOD 03 Oct 2018 -- Speaking ahead of this week's NATO conference, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced that the Ministry of Defence is in discussion with Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force about the potential for the E-7 Wedgetail radar aircraft to replace the current Sentry fleet.
- Russia Objects To British Plans To Boost Military Presence In Arctic RFE/RL 02 Oct 2018 -- The Russian Embassy in London is objecting to Britain's reported plans to boost its military presence in the Arctic next year to counter what London has called increasing Russian aggression.
- F-35B Jets Join Forces with British Aircraft Carrier to Make History NNS 02 Oct 2018 -- This week the first F-35 Lightning fighter jets landed on the deck of the United Kingdom's new aircraft carrier making history and marking the beginning of more than half-a-century of 'Carrier Strike' operations.
- Photo At Russian Military Academy Adds To Evidence About Skripal Poisoning Suspect RFE/RL 02 Oct 2018 -- A photograph on display at a Russian military academy is adding to the growing evidence identifying a Russian military intelligence officer who was allegedly involved in the poisoning of a former double agent in England.
- UK to keep forces in Germany after Brexit, plans to expand presence outside borders Press TV 01 Oct 2018 -- British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson says UK forces stationed in Germany will continue to stay in the country after Britain's pending exit from the European Union (EU).
- UK has fiscal capacity to cope with no-deal Brexit: Finance minister Press TV 01 Oct 2018 -- British Finance Minister Philip Hammond has claimed that his country has the fiscal capacity to cope with the divorce from the European Union without any agreement.
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