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New satellite will support UK military operations

Communications on the UK's military operations are to be boosted thanks to a £400m contract for the use of a new satellite, the Minister for Defence Equipment and Support has announced this week.

The Skynet 5D is the fourth of its kind to be used by the MOD. The advanced satellite will be launched in 2013 and play a key role in gathering intelligence on operations.

This satellite will also be used to provide the telephone and internet welfare support facilities for Service personnel on operations.

Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Quentin Davies, said:

"Future operations require that our Armed Forces are given access to the best possible communications and this new satellite will go a long way to ensuring this.

"This value for money package not only builds upon a tried and tested capability for the Armed Forces, but also secures hundreds of jobs in a very important field of technology."

The building of Skynet 5D will directly create around 100 new jobs, mainly at EADS Astrium's sites in Portsmouth and Stevenage.

It will also sustain approximately 800 jobs at these sites and in Corsham, Wiltshire, at Paradigm's Hawthorn site.

Lord Drayson, Minister for Science and Innovation, said:

"The UK's thriving space and satellite industry has been a real recession-buster - creating jobs and achieving exceptional growth.

"This latest success cements the UK's position as a world leader in satellite technology, with the sector forecast to be worth £40bn to the UK by the year 2030."

Darrell Midgley, MOD Defence Equipment and Support's Information Systems and Services Networks Head, said:

"The demand for satellite communications is growing faster than originally predicted.

"To ensure that future operations will continue to have access to the vital communications they may need, the MOD has decided that it would be prudent to make arrangements to take advantage of the services that a fourth satellite in the Paradigm's Skynet constellation would provide."

Under the Private Finance Initiative deal, the MOD is buying satellite services, not the satellites. The overall programme is now worth about £3.5bn over its planned duration, which will be at least until 2022.


11/03/2010 12:05:11

Royal Navy bomb disposal experts deploy to Helmand

Four Royal Navy bomb disposal experts have set off for Afghanistan this week to play a part in the counter-explosives effort.

The quartet, from the Fleet Diving Squadron based at Horsea Island, Portsmouth, will be spending six months in Helmand province.

Predominantly based at Camp Bastion, they will work in support of the British Army's 21 Field Squadron, Royal Engineers, and also deploy to forward operating bases in Sangin, Banji and Kajaki.

There they will carry out offensive search and clearance operations of insurgent-laid improvised explosive devices and conventional munitions, and also accompany regular foot patrols.

They will also train the Afghan National Army in explosive ordnance recognition, search and disposal skills.

Heading the team is Petty Officer (Diver) Ward 'Sharky' Peers of Gosport. He will be joined by Leading Seaman (Diver) Lee Jackson of Paulsgrove, Able Seaman (Diver) Phil Brierley of Gosport, and Able Seaman (Diver) Ian Rowe of Portsmouth.

Petty Officer Peers said that they had just completed six months of pre-deployment training with the Royal Engineers, adding:

"We realise that training the Afghan Army is vital in helping the country get back on its feet so our presence will be worthwhile.

"Our operation is entirely land-based which will be somewhat unusual for us as a Royal Navy team, but it will be interesting for us working in a tri-Service environment.

"Now that we have completed our specialist training with the British Army we feel we are fully prepared and are now keen to get out there, complete our tasks to the best of our ability, and then return home to our usual duties with the Navy."

Once in theatre the team will replace four colleagues from the Fleet Diving Squadron who will return to the UK in April.

The Royal Navy Diving Branch is a small specialisation of the Mine Warfare Branch, dedicated to a wide range of underwater diving tasks and more specifically to mine and ordnance disposal underwater.


10/03/2010 14:27:32

Princess boosts morale at Camp Bastion

5 Mar 10

Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, The Princess Royal, made a morale-boosting visit to British troops at their base in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, this week.
Dog leaps out of water to greet Princess

Her Royal Highness Princess Anne met with members of The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, 9 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, the Household Cavalry Regiment, and 205 (Scottish) Field Hospital, and staff of the Joint Force Support Headquarters.

The Princess Royal, accompanied by her husband Vice Admiral Tim Laurence, spoke with dog handlers of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps and met the working dogs.

Her Royal Highness also spoke with officers and soldiers of The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment who received her with a traditional battle display.

Soldiers and officers of 9 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, the Coldstream Guards and Household Cavalry Regiment each explained the role of their units in theatre and showed her examples of the equipment currently in use.


Her Royal Highness later met with staff and patients of Camp Bastion Field Hospital.

The visit was the first of a two-day programme of visits to troops currently on operations.

Speaking after the visit, Captain Jo Barr, Adjutant of Bastion Joint Operating Base, said:

"This visit has been a great morale-boost for the troops. They see that dignitaries like The Princess Royal are genuinely interested in what we do out here."

Corporal Edward Kingsland, a dog handler in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, said:

"The importance of today's visit cannot be underestimated. The Princess Royal has taken a real interest in our work and experiences.

"I am personally delighted that the dog unit is getting the recognition it deserves. It will be the same for all of those units who don't necessarily make it into the headlines."

Picture: Princess Anne meets one of the sniffer dogs and his Royal Army Veterinary Corps handler during her visit to Camp Bastion
[Picture: Corporal Tim Hammond, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]


05/03/2010 15:23:50

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