Download or read book UK land operations in Iraq 2007 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2007-12-03 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report considers recent developments in the political and security situation in Iraq, the prospects for political reconciliation at national and local level, the progress in implementing security sector reform, including the development of the Iraqi Army and Police as well as the transition of Basra to Provincial Iraqi control. It also examines the changing role of UK Forces in South Eastern Iraq as they prepare to hand over responsibility for security and assume the position of overwatch. The report therefore examines what overwatch means and whether the force levels proposed by the Government are sustainable. It concludes that the security situation continues to cause concern and that although there has been a decrease in attacks against UK and Coalition forces since the withdrawal from Basra Palace, there has been no reduction in attacks against the civilian population. The development of effective Iraqi Security Forces is fundamental and although there has been progress with the army, there are still murderous, corrupt, militia-infiltrated elements within the Police. It is unclear how the trainers will be supported when the UK force levels are further reduced. The plan is to reduce to 2,500 troops in Spring but there are questions about the sustainability of a force of this size and whether they will be able to do little more than protect themselves.

Download or read book Counterinsurgency in Crisis written by David H. Ucko and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2013-10-15 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The British military confronted significant challenges during the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. Adhering to the principles and doctrines of previous campaigns, they failed to prevent Basra and Helmand from descending into lawlessness, criminality, and violence. By juxtaposing the deterioration of these cities against Britain’s celebrated legacy of counterinsurgency, this investigation identifies both the contributions and limitations of traditional tactics in such settings, exposing the gap between the ambitions and resources, intent and commitment, that proved so disastrous to the operation. In its detailed account of the Basra and Helmand campaigns, this volume conducts an unprecedented assessment of British military institutional adaptation in response to operations gone awry. It calls attention to the effectiveness of insurgent tactics and the danger of ungoverned spaces shielding hostile groups and underscores the need for the British military to acquire new skills for meeting irregular threats in future wars.

Download or read book UK Operations in Iraq and the Gulf written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: UK operations in Iraq and the Gulf : Fifteenth report of session 2007-08, report, together with formal Minutes

Download or read book Operation Iraqi Freedom written by Walt L. Perry and published by Rand Corporation. This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Summarizes a report on the planning and execution of operations in Operation IRAQI FREEDOM through June 2004. Recommends changes to Army plans, operational concepts, doctrine, and Title 10 functions.

Download or read book Operational costs in Afghanistan and Iraq written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008-03-10 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Operational costs in Afghanistan and Iraq : Spring supplementary estimate 2007-08, eighth report of session 2007-08, report, together with formal minutes and written Evidence

Download or read book The work of the Committee in 2007 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008-01-31 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report sets out the work of the Committee during 2007. The report highlights aspects of the Committee's working practices which depart from previous practice or which may otherwise be of interest. In particular it draws attention to the webforum held during its inquiry into Medical Care for the Armed Forces; its taking of evidence outside Westminster, in Birmingham and Edinburgh; and the growing amount of informal activities of the Committee. It also underlines the importance of visits to the Armed Forces on operational deployments. Whilst the MoD was commended for overall timeliness in responding to the Committee's inquiries, in one inquiry: 'UK Defence: commitments and resources'; there was a delay which hindered the progress of the Committee

Download or read book The Counter Insurgency Myth written by Andrew Mumford and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-08-06 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the complex practice of counter-insurgency warfare through the prism of British military experiences in the post-war era and endeavours to unpack their performance. During the twentieth century counter-insurgency assumed the status of one of the British military’s fortes. A wealth of asymmetric warfare experience was accumulated after the Second World War as the small wars of decolonisation offered the army of a fading imperial power many opportunities to deploy against an irregular enemy. However, this quantity of experience does not translate into quality. This book argues that the British, far from being exemplars of counter-insurgency, have in fact consistently proved to be slow learners in counter-insurgency warfare. This book presents an analysis of the most significant British counter-insurgency campaigns of the past 60 years: Malaya (1948-60), Kenya (1952-60), South Arabia (1962-67), the first decade of the Northern Irish ‘Troubles’ (1969-79), and the recent British counter-insurgency campaign in southern Iraq (2003-09). Colonial history is used to contextualise the contemporary performance in Iraq and undermine the commonly held confidence in British counter-insurgency. Blending historical research with critical analysis, this book seeks to establish a new paradigm through which to interpret and analyse the British approach to counter-insurgency, as well as considering the mythology of inherent British competence in the realm of irregular warfare. It will be of interest to students of counter-insurgency, military history, strategic studies, security studies, and IR in general.

Download or read book Preparing and Training for the Full Spectrum of Military Challenges written by David E. Johnson and published by Rand Corporation. This book was released on 2009-12-23 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What can the United States learn from other militaries about how better to prepare for full-spectrum operations and deployments? The authors examine the militaries of China, France, the UK, India, and Israel to (1) identify different approaches to readiness, adaptability, and operational issues and (2) assess the ways in which units are trained both for specific and general deployments and for train, advise, and assist missions.

Download or read book The Defence Contribution to UK National Security and Resilience written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In March 2008 the Government published "The National Security Strategy of the United Kingdom: Security in an interdependent world" (NSS) (Cm. 7291, 2008, ISBN 9780101729123). Part dealt with the contribution of the armed forces to the overarching security policy of the UK, and the Defence Committee set out to examine "how the MoD and the Armed Forces interact with other departments and agencies to ensure the safety and security of the UK". The report looks at the developing area of Parliamentary scrutiny of national security, welcomes the proposed creation of a Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, but does question which minister will give evidence to that Committee. The vital role of the ministry of Defence is outlined, and the contribution must be appropriately understood, directed and resourced. The Committee recommends that the Government investigate how the Territorial Army could be used in civil emergencies, rather than always resorting to regular troops. It is essential that all activity relating to national security is appropriately funded from an indicative national security budget. The NSS should also make a clearer connection between the strategy and industry, and the Committee welcomes the Government's engagement with the UK Security and Resilience Industry Suppliers' Community. Current issues examined include: the London 2012 Olympic Games; maritime security - the Committee comments on only six Royal Navy ships being dedicated to this, and the level of action taken to address identified threats to aspects of critical infrastructure such as ports; the impact of current operations and the extent to which UK forces are stretched or overstretched.

Download or read book Ministry of Defence annual report and accounts 2006 07 written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008-01-28 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report analyses the Annual Report and Accounts 2006-07 of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) (published as HC 697, session 2006-07, ISBN 9780102946369). The MoD's assessment of its expected achievements against its six Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets, which run until the end of March 2008, has deteriorated since the previous year's Annual Report and Accounts. At the end of 2007, the MoD did not expect to meet the target relating to generating forces and expects "only partly" to meet targets relating to recruitment and retention, and defence equipment procurement. The failure to meet the target for generating forces is a consequence of the continuing high levels of deployment of the Armed Forces. The Committee is concerned that the Armed Forces have been operating at or above the level of concurrent operations they are resourced and structured to deliver for seven of the last eight years, and for every year since 2002. Achieving manning balance in all three Service continues to be a challenge. Shortages remain within many specialist trades in all three Armed Services, but especially in the Army Medical Service. The report notes the failure to meet harmony guidelines in the Army and the Royal Air Force - another indicator of the pressure on the Armed Forces from the continuing high level of operations - and another target missed by all three services is for ethnic minority recruitment. The MoD continues to experience substantial forecast cost increases on equipment programmes, and the report notes delays in delivering equipment programmes to the planned in-service dates. The MoD faces difficult choices in the face of expected cuts in the defence programme and the management of a streamlining exercise to reduce civilian posts in the headquarters.

Download or read book Private Contractors and the Reconstruction of Iraq written by Christopher Kinsey and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2009-09-10 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Private Contractors and the Reconstruction of Iraq examines the controversial role of military contractors in the reconstruction of Iraq. When 'Operation Iraqi Freedom' was launched in March 2003, few, if any, of the Coalition's political leaders could have envisaged that within a few months the number of private contractors engaged to keep the troops supplied would exceed their actual combat strength. This alternative 'army' was not only to become the largest assemblage of contractors in living memory to accompany a military force into a war zone, but was also responsible for a fundamental transformation of how military logistics were delivered. This book explains how and why the US and UK governments became so dependent upon military contractors during the war in Iraq. It also examines the ramifications this new dependency will have on future military operations, as the conflict in Iraq has shown that private contractors are now indispensable to the attainment of both the military and political objectives of war. Finally, the book discusses what advantages and disadvantages these companies have brought to the reconstruction of Iraq, and what lessons need to be learned from this experience. This book will be of great interest to students of military and strategic studies, Middle Eastern politics and international security, and as well as policymakers and military professionals. Christopher Kinsey is a lecturer in international security at King's College London, Defence Studies Department, at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham. His previous publications include Corporate Soldiers and International Security: The Rise of Private Military Companies (Routledge: 2006)

Download or read book UK US defence trade cooperation treaty written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2007-12-11 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At present arms and defence-related technologies cannot be exported from the US without an export licence. The system is burdensome and time consuming and discourages US/UK industrial collaboration. This report examines the UK/US Defence Trade Cooperation Treaty, which would seek to establish a new framework for arms trade and technology transfer between US and UK by removing the need for a licence in certain categories. Treaty is only a framework agreement as the detailed operation is still to be set out in Implementing Arrangements. In the expectation of satisfactory Implementing Arrangements the Committee endorse the Treaty.

Download or read book Defence Equipment 2009 written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The mission of the MoD's (Ministry of Defence's) Defence Equipment and Support (DE & S) organisation is to equip and support our Armed Forces for operations now and in the future. Support to current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq has taken priority and the organisation has performed well. The Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) system remains highly effective in enabling vital equipment to be provided quickly to the two theatres to meet rapidly changing threats, but there are concerns that UORs represent a partial failure to equip our forces for predicted expeditionary operations, and on their effects on the core budget in future years. DE & S' performance in procuring longer-term equipment declined significantly in 2007-08. The forecast costs for the 20 largest defence projects increased by £205 million and the forecast delays increased by some 100 months in the year. The improvements promised by both the long-standing application of the principles of 'smart procurement' and the more recent formation of the DE & S organisation appear not to have materialised. The FRES (Future Rapid Effect System) programme has been a fiasco, being poorly conceived and managed from the outset. The Committee condemns the failure to date to publish an updated version of the Defence Industrial Strategy and considers that its continuing absence increases the risk that the UK Defence Industrial Base will not be able to meet the future requirements of our Armed Forces. Finally, the UK's future military capability depends on the investment made today in Research and Development. Sufficient funding for defence research needs to be ring-fenced and the MoD must recognise the very high priority of research and reverse the recent cut in research spending.

Download or read book The contribution of ISTAR to operations written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2010-03-25 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report recognises the efforts of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to improve the methods by which intelligence is collected, interpreted and then disseminated over the battlefield, where it can be used to best effect - a process known as ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance). However there are fears that plans for the development of ISTAR capability might be put to one side or slowed during the process of the Strategic Defence Review, due largely to financial constraints. The report warns that control of such a vital resource as ISTAR needs to be clarified to ensure proper coordination and development across the Services. The Committee has been impressed by the commitment within the MoD, the Armed Forces and within industry to improve detection of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) as a priority, and to work creatively and co-operatively to that end. The technologies and techniques refined during the current campaign in Afghanistan must be mainstreamed into future UK ISTAR capability. However the theoretical expectations of what ISTAR can contribute to minimising civilian and UK military casualties must be kept in proportion. Realism about the nature of asymmetric warfare, and what ISTAR can contribute, is essential if current and future missions are to succeed.

Download or read book Recruiting and Retaining Armed Forces Personnel written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recruiting & retaining the right number of well-trained personnel is vital for the continuing success of the United Kingdom's Armed Forces. Yet recruitment and retention targets are not being met. There is particular concern about shortages in 'pinchpoint' trades - trades or areas of expertise where there is not enough trained strength to perform operational tasks without encroaching on the time provided between deployments for recuperation, training and leave. This report sets out to examine the factors which hamper recruitment and retention in the Armed Forces and reservists & identify what the MoD is doing to improve these. There is also concern and exmination of the issue of why ethnic minority personnel form such a low proportion of the Armed Forces.

Download or read book Service Complaints Commissioner for the Armed Forces written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2009-07 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this inquiry the Committee examines the effectiveness of the current Service complaints procedures based on the findings of the Service Complaints Commissioner, Dr Susan Atkins, in her first annual report. It also examines the Commissioner's evaluation of the support given to her by the Ministry of Defence during the year. The report sets out the background to the creation of the role and details the Service Complaints System that is explained to Service personnel in Joint Service Publication 831 (issued December 2008). Finally the Committee considers how the Commissioner has operated in her first year. The Commissioner has set clear aims, values and objectives for her office: understanding the environment of the three Services, delivering good customer service, ensuring widespread knowledge of the new system, establishing a reliable recording system for complaints, ensuring effective integration of the SCC and Tri-Service systems, establishing expectations and requirements, and delivering her annual report on time. The Committee commends Dr Atkins for her regular and frequent visits to military bases and to operational theatre to gain an understanding of the environment of the three Services, and how the complaints system operates in practice. Knowledge in the Services of the Commissioner and her role is patchy and more should be done by the Ministry to improve that. Staff resources should also be increased. It is still too early to decide whether the Commissioner has sufficient powers. The next annual report should be presented formally to Parliament.

Download or read book Detainee Abuse During Op TELIC written by Timothy Wood and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-11-12 with total page 131 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reviews the nature of the alleged abuse committed by the UK military forces, exploring the legal paradigm in which the abuse allegedly occurred; the morality of those accused; and the robustness of the accusation of a 'policy of abuse'.