Category Archives: Military

Government, Legal, Military

The release of Marine A

SERGEANT ALEXANDER BLACKMAN

WHEN the man known only as Marine A was jailed for life in 2013, having been convicted of murder for killing a mortally wounded Taliban insurgent, the Ministry of Defence and the military top brass saw his life sentence as a fitting punishment and were happy to see him rot behind bars.

Mr Blackman’s conviction was reduced following a lengthy High Court battle, and he is now free. The arguments presented at appeal was that the original sentence did not fit the crime committed by a soldier with an exemplary record, under unimaginable battlefield pressure on the Afghanistan ‘tour from hell’.

The lessons of this case must be learned. In particular, the actions of senior military figures who willingly and deliberately suppressed a report on mitigating factors to cover up their own incompetence and leadership failings.

We should now wish Mr Blackman all the best for the future.

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Britain, India, Military, NATO, Photography, Russia, United States

The T-50 and F-35 warplanes

RUSSIAN MILITARY

Sukhoi

T-50 is a joint military collaboration between Russia and India.

The Sukhoi aircraft have an impressive track record in Russian military history. The newest model, the T-50, is currently in joint development with India.

The aircraft is expertly equipped to sustain supersonic flight, better than any Russian plane built in years past. Its range at supersonic speeds is 930 miles. At subsonic speeds, it can go 2,175 miles.

It’s also deemed a versatile and aerobatic fighter jet. Its life-support system can sustain 9G manoeuvres for a period of up to 30 seconds. Meanwhile, a pilot ejection is possible from an altitude of 60,000 feet.

T 50 engine

A quarter of the aircraft’s body weight is made of composite materials that help reduce its overall weight.

Sharp angles help minimise its radar detection, making it tough to be spotted from far away distances.

The Saturn izdeliye 117 engines (pictured) provide vectored thrust for the plane. The engines originated as part of the original AL-41F program which was launched way back in 1982.

AMERICAN MILITARY

US F35

U.S. F-35 warplanes arrive at RAF Lakenheath, England.

A fleet of F-35 stealth fighter jets has arrived in Europe from the United States as part of a planned NATO exercise aimed at “deterring” Russia.

The F-35A Lightning II jets landed at RAF Lakenheath, England, having made the journey from Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

This deployment marks the first time American F-35A fighter jets have made an appearance in Europe, though a few countries already use them as part of their air fleet.

The deployment will last several weeks and is part of the European Reassurance Initiative, a US build-up of troops and weapons in Europe launched in 2014 to “deter Russian aggression.”

Though apparently scheduled months in advance, the deployment was announced as relations between Washington and Moscow have been described as “at an all-time low” by US President Donald Trump.

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Britain, Military, NATO

British Troops arrive in Estonia

BALTIC STATES

Brize Norton

British troops have arrived in Estonia as part of a major NATO mission in the Baltic states to deter Russian aggression.

Around 120 soldiers from the 5th Battalion The Rifles have landed at the Amari airbase, 25 miles south-west of the capital Tallinn.

They were welcomed by Estonia’s defence minister Margus Tsahkna on their arrival from RAF Brize Norton.

Eight hundred British troops are due to be stationed in the country as part of one of the biggest deployments to Eastern Europe in decades.

The first batch will set up a UK headquarters in the country before the rest arrive next month.

They will work alongside French and Danish forces to “provide a proportionate, defensive, and combat capable force to defend our NATO ally and deter any form of hostile activity against the Alliance”, the Ministry of Defence said.

Britain is taking a leading role in the Estonia Battlegroup, while other nations are deploying troops to Latvia, Lithuania and Poland as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence battalion.

Around 300 UK vehicles have also left the UK by ferry headed for Estonia, including Challenger 2 tanks, Warrior infantry fighting vehicles, and AS90 self-propelled artillery pieces.

NATO Enhanced Forward Presence

Multinational battlegroups of NATO in Baltic region.

Britain and Estonia have a long history of defence co-operation.

In November 1918 a Royal Navy squadron was deployed to the region to support the independence of the Baltic states.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said: “In the face of an increasingly assertive Russia, NATO is stepping up its commitment to collective defence.

“British troops will play a leading role in Estonia and support our US allies in Poland, as part of wider efforts to defend NATO.

“Our rising defence budget means we can support those deployments in the long-term and strengthen our commitment to European security.”

Lieutenant Colonel Mark Wilson, Commanding Officer of 5th Battalion The Rifles, said: “The UK and Estonia have a long and proud history of serving together, including in Afghanistan, so it is an honour to lead 5 RIFLES on this deployment as part of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence.

“My soldiers are looking forward to again be working, training and exercising alongside their Estonian counterparts.”

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