Eastern Europe

Discuss current, historical or potential future deployments, as well the defence of the UK's overseas interests.
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The Armchair Soldier
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Eastern Europe

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A news and discussion thread for UK military activity in Eastern Europe.

UK to Step Up Training of Ukrainian Armed Forces
At today's NATO Ministerial meeting in Brussels, the Defence Secretary announced the UK will step up its programme of training the Ukrainian armed forces.

move will build on an existing programme of medical, infantry, logistics and tactical intelligence training which has benefited 650 Ukrainians since March. Now, around 250 personnel will be trained in August alone in additional infantry, medical, and survival skills.

Further, a UK led NATO Trust Fund, co-chaired with Germany and Canada, will provide around 200 secure communication devices worth nearly £3m to the Ukrainian Armed Forces to improve their situational awareness and reduce casualties. The Trust Fund will also provide finance for a Regional Airspace Security Programme (RASP) designed to enable Ukraine to share air traffic information with its neighbours.

This latest package of support comes just days after Defence Secretary Michael Fallon outlined plans for the UK to contribute 1,000 troops to NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) every year into the next decade. He also committed Royal Air Force Typhoon jets to the Baltic Air Policing next year for the third year running.
Read More: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-t ... med-forces

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Eastern Europe

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

Out of interest, where is Eastern Europe?

Northern, Central and Southern have the benefit of geographic delineators that do not move as politics change.
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
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SKB
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Re: Eastern Europe

Post by SKB »

Cultural regions of Europe map:
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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Eastern Europe

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

I love the German source, counters Czar Putin very nicely:

What the German Crusader Knights conquered and then held for abt 500 years has been moved back, also what was lost to France in WW1 has been taken, poor France has even lost the Chateau-neuf-du-Pape villages given to the hostage Pope for his upkeep.

Western Europe really seems to be the rump of forgotten overseas empires.

The heart of pan-Slavic movement, Serbia, belongs as much to Central Europe as elsewhere, and even Count Dracula with his followers has moved over the border from Romania. Only in Ukraine the cultural proximity seems to have been tilted the other way (the historically Litthuanian-Polish dominated agricultural areas counted in; and the rest = most counted out).

Interesting...

Outside the map, Georgia is in Europe, but other potential NATO members have been mentioned. Our self-declared czar definitely feels besieged, and as one would expect, someone forced into a corner (the foreign politics might force him into a domestic politics corner, too, or may have done so already) is bound to lash out?
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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The Armchair Soldier
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Re: Eastern Europe

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Royal Air Force Typhoons Intercept 10 Russian Aircraft in One Mission

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On Friday 24th July as part of NATO’s ongoing mission to police Baltic airspace, RAF Typhoons intercepted 10 Russian aircraft during a single Baltic Air Patrol, Quick Reaction Alert mission.

The Typhoon aircraft, from 6 (Fighter) Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth were launched after multiple groups of aircraft were detected by NATO air defences in international airspace near to the Baltic States. Once airborne, the RAF jets identified the aircraft as 4 x FULLBACKS Sukhoi Su-34 fighters, 4 x FOXHOUNDS Mikoyan MiG-31 fighters and 2 x Antonov An26 ‘CURL’ transport aircraft who appeared to be carrying out a variety of routine training. The Russian aircraft were monitored by the RAF Typhoons and escorted on their way.
Read More: http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive/roya ... n-30072015

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The Armchair Soldier
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Re: Eastern Europe

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Defence Secretary Meets the UK Short Term Training Team in Ukraine

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The Defence Secretary has visited British soldiers currently serving in the Ukraine, to see the work they are doing with the Ukrainian Armed Forces for himself.

In a flying visit, the Secretary of State for Defence, the Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP, landed at a Ukrainian military training area west of Kyiv and was met by the head of the Short Term Training Team formed from soldiers of from the 1st Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment and 4 Armoured Medical Regiment. Ukrainian soldiers then demonstrated some of the skills they had recently been taught by the British soldiers.

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Re: Eastern Europe

Post by The Armchair Soldier »

The Defence Secretary has announced further enhancements of the UK training programme for Ukrainian armed forces while visiting the country. The latest additions to the UK training programme will see an increase the skills being provided, to include ground threat awareness, for example identifying mines and IEDs, defensive operations in an urban environment, operational planning, and engineering expertise.

The move will build on the existing medical, infantry, logistics and tactical intelligence training which has benefitted 1000 Ukrainian troops since March, and the UK aims to train another 1000 by the end of the financial year.


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Re: Eastern Europe

Post by The Armchair Soldier »

Some shots of UK kit involved in Exercise Dragon 15 in Poland:

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Re: Eastern Europe

Post by The Armchair Soldier »



I love seeing Challenger 2s and Leopard 2s on the same battlefield. :twisted:



JayDee
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Re: Eastern Europe

Post by JayDee »

UK to send 1,000 troops to Poland: Move is a show of solidarity in the face of Russian aggression

Britain is to send 1,000 troops to Poland in a show of solidarity against Russian aggression.

Defence secretary Michael Fallon will announce the commitment to NATO exercises in the country today following talks with his Polish counterpart at a military summit in Paris.

We think it would lead to a big crisis and even a collapse if the UK left the EU.’

Mr Fallon will say: ‘The long history between our countries is deeply rooted.

‘This troop commitment demonstrates the UK’s vital work with Nato allies, including Poland, to ensure our collective forces are primed and ready, and sends a clear message to our allies that we are ready to respond to any threat.’

The defence secretary will also reveal that RAF jets have nearly trebled their strikes against Islamic State (IS) in recent weeks.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ssion.html

Dailyfail i know..

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Eastern Europe

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

Litthuania gets the same number of Strykers (with induction support thrown in) as what the US bde stationed in Europe will get upgraded to a 30mm gun. Nothing to it, exc. that
1 Lithuania will get their Strykers with the same gun, and
2 for brand new they are paying only twice what the mere turret/ gun upgrade will cost.

DID of today reports:
"November 6/15: Lithuania has requested external link 84 Stryker Infantry Combat Vehicles from the US, with the State Department approving the potential Foreign Military Sale. The request also includes 30mm cannons – recently approved as an upgrade for some US Strykers stationed in Europe – and Remote Weapons Stations, as well as machine guns, communications systems and auxiliary equipment. The potential deal is estimated to value $599 million, with 30 US government or contractor personnel required to travel to Lithuania to help implement the introduction and sustainment of the Strykers.

October 6/15: The Army’s Stryker vehicles will benefit from a $411 million upgrade program for the vehicles’ main armament, with the 2016 NDAA bill including $314 million for modification work to the fleet to up-gun their 12.7mm cannons to 30mm guns. The remaining $97 million is earmarked for R&D, with the House and Senate Armed Service Committees criticizing external link the Army for an increasingly unacceptable per-vehicle cost to upgrade the Stryker fleet."
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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The Armchair Soldier
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Re: Eastern Europe

Post by The Armchair Soldier »

JayDee wrote:UK to send 1,000 troops to Poland: Move is a show of solidarity in the face of Russian aggression
According to the Polish Defence Secretary, this is a permanent stationing of troops:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016 ... are_btn_tw

Edit:
The Polish Defence Secretary (or The Guardian) got it wrong:
MOD Statement wrote:There are some reports that the UK will permanently deploy 1,000 military personnel to Poland. In fact, we will deploy 1,000 personnel over the course of this year on a persistent rather than a permanent basis. Read about our commitment to Poland, made in Edinburgh with the Polish Foreign and Defence Ministers and alongside the Foreign Secretary, here.
https://modmedia.blog.gov.uk/2016/01/22 ... y-22-2016/

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Re: Eastern Europe

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Britain Signs New Defence Pact to Help Ukraine in Russia Confrontation
Britain is to sign a new defence pact with Ukraine pledging to help the country with more military training and intelligence amid its confrontation with Russia.

Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, said the new agreement was a signal Britain would “stand firm” with the beleaguered eastern European nation.

The 15-year-long agreement will see British troops take part in more joint exercises and carry out more training with Ukrainian forces who have been battling Russian-backed separatists for two years.

The countries will also cooperate on sharing military intelligence and expertise.
Read More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... ation.html

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Re: Eastern Europe

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UK Jets and Warship to Bolster Baltic Security
Royal Air Force Typhoon jets and the Royal Navy warship HMS Iron Duke will deploy to the Baltic this month as part of the UK’s commitment to eastern European allies.

Four Typhoons will take the lead role of the Baltic Air Policing mission which aims to safeguard the safety of NATO partners and wider Europe.

[...]
Later this year Iron Duke is due to operate in the Baltic region with up to four other Royal Navy ships, including HMS Ocean and HMS Pembroke, in the maritime exercise Baltops 16.
Read More: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-j ... c-security

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Re: Eastern Europe

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GibMariner
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Re: Eastern Europe

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Re: Eastern Europe

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HMS Iron Duke plays ‘Bad Guy’ in Baltops 2016
Having been deployed to as part of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 for five months, HMS Iron Duke’s story has taken a twist in the multi-national BALTOPS 2016 exercise.

The Ship is playing the role of opposing (enemy) forces to give the rest of the NATO participants and partner nations a realistic and complex threat which it must try to counter in the exercise scenario.

Having worked as part of a NATO Task Group for the whole of its deployment so far, Iron Duke’s Commanding Officer becomes Commander of his own Task Group comprising Iron Duke as Flagship, 4 German Patrol boats, a Lithuanian warship and a support tender.

The role of the opposing forces is to simulate a threat, and Iron Duke along with her attached patrol boats have been injecting increasingly threatening behaviour towards their real-life NATO Allies to force them to react and train together.
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http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-la ... ltops-2016

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Re: Eastern Europe

Post by The Armchair Soldier »

2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment urban training in Poland:

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GibMariner
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Re: Eastern Europe

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Osprey taking off from HMS Ocean during BALTOPS:

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Re: Eastern Europe

Post by GibMariner »

HMS Ocean/BALTOPS videos:





marktigger
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Re: Eastern Europe

Post by marktigger »

looks like we're deploying troops to Poland long term

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