Soldiers from Catterick based 32 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers teach Kenyan Engineers how to prepare explosive charges during EX ASKARI STORM in Kenya, say the MoD.
According to a release:
“The Royal Engineers delivered a field lesson to the Kenyan Defense Force (KDF) troops on how the charge is constructed and safely detonated. The KDF then put this into practice by building their own confidence charges (comprising of a burning fuse and plastic explosives – PE8).
The Royal Engineers were on hand to give advice throughout, again demonstrating the close working relationship between the British Army and African partner nations.”
The Royal Engineers provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is headed by the Chief Royal Engineer. The Regimental Headquarters and the Royal School of Military Engineering are in Chatham in Kent, England. The corps is divided into several regiments, barracked at various places in the United Kingdom and around the world.
Britain seems to train a fair few nations, our 117,000 strong Army ( including regular reserves but excluding the 140,000 ex army reserves) Anyway my point is the British Army seems to be all over the place in exercises all over the globe and training various nations troops so I say increase the Army to 150,000 full time soldiers like it was before the cuts! and 50,000 reserves, and start to include the military’s other reservists that the government stoped adding to figures in 2013! That’s over 140,000+ ex Personel that have contracts to be called up if needed that… Read more »
I don’t think ex military personnel that the MOD can ‘send papers’ for actively take part in the reserves though do they?
When Iraq 2 kicked off the only ex personnel I know called up where all engineers so where called up more for their skill set than actual infantry tasks. While reservists called up for infantry roles where actual reservists. So while it would look better on paper having a large available reserve, it could also encourage the Government to think the reserve force is much larger than it is.
I wouldn’t increase the army myself.
Equip it better. Pay it better. House it better. Reward it better. Organise it better rather than the disjointed mess it’s in now.
Increase the RN, RM, RAF, Intelligence agencies and Cyber.
These are the power projection forces now.
Agreed, any major military intervention is going to require a huge coalition going forward from the US and or EU. Which is probably a good thing as it prevents an idiot in charge from commiting us to a war we cannot win.
I won’t bet on the last part. My money is on us entering another war without the decade, as the then PM tries to show Britain’s position in the world post brexit.
It would be interesting to know how many troops could realistically be deployed without needing UOR purchases for basic gear, based on a multi year deployment where purchased might be required after the first 6-12 months. In this respect I mean all the gear, ammo, armour and vehicles needed plus all the required spare parts etc. It’s clearly in no one’s interest to work this out. The government is clearly no interested, as it would mean they would need to spend a lot more on basics and less on trophy items and the MOD has no interest as it would… Read more »
Good work lads
Military knowledge and tactics seem to be thrown about recklessly, especially to unstable nations. I hope the British forces know the consequences.
I was in Kenya last year on holiday. There is a visible UK Army presence in country and especially around Nairobi. I say visible because short hair , chinos, polo shirts and dessert wellies kind of give you away. At least us aging matelots (current and ex) who where on holiday blended in with the other holiday makers with our bald heads, loud shirts, shorts and flip flops. I spoke and drank with a few of the army lads and they are busy . Exercises to conduct and prepare for, training with the Kenyan forces…its not all fun in the… Read more »