Last week, no doubt was a hectic one for the Secretary of State for Defence, Philip Hammond MP, as he travelled to Bahrain to visit the United Kingdom’s Maritime Component Command (UKMCC) headquarters. During his visit, Secretary Hammond met the team at the UKMCC and found out first hand about the Royal Navy’s presence in the Gulf.
Undoubtedly, the UK has provided an enduring naval commitment to the region for more than 30 years, culminating in today’s presence which includes a frigate, destroyer and four Mine Counter Measures Vessels (MCMVs) as well as numerous personnel who are dedicated to reassuring our allies and protecting both UK interests and those of the wider international community.
A source at the MoD told Vigilance some of this valuable work includes providing support to Combined Maritime Forces, a multi-national partnership of 26 nations conducting a broad spectrum of maritime security operations in the area encompassing both counter-piracy and counter-terrorism duties.
After visiting the headquarters, Mr Hammond then called upon the ship’s company of HMS Ramsey, one of the MCMV’s based in Bahrain. On board, he told that the Royal Navy would join with forces from more than 20 nations spanning four continents for an International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX 12) taking place in the region from 16-27 September, 2012.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said: “I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet members of the Royal Navy in the Gulf and see first hand the excellent work they are doing in the region protecting the UK’s interests and those of the global maritime community.”
Secretary Hammond assured: The UK is committed to a standing presence in the Gulf to ensure freedom of navigation in international waters such as the Straits of Hormuz. International Mine Counter Measures Exercise 2012 is part of this work, and will allow the Royal Navy to showcase its cutting-edge mine counter measure experience, expertise and technology. It is also an excellent opportunity to work with other nations to enhance international cooperation and interoperability with others operating in this crucial field.”
Vigilance learnt that IMCMEX 12 will be hosted by US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) and will be a combination of an international symposium followed by an at-sea exercise of mine countermeasures, conducted across a number of locations in the Middle East ranging from the Red Sea to the Gulf.
Commodore Simon Ancona, United Kingdom Maritime Component Commander and head of UK naval forces in the region said: “As a professional naval force acting to protect legitimate maritime activities and secure the freedom of navigation for seafarers the Royal Navy is pleased to support this initiative and looks forward sharing experiences with all participating members.”
The Royal Navy has based a squadron of Sandown and Hunt class MCMV’s in the region since 2006 as the warm water and challenging local environmental conditions make it an ideal location to train and maintain MCM capabilities. They are currently supported by a Bay Class Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship which, when combined, makes theUK one of the few nations that can truly demonstrate an integrated and expeditionary MCM capability.
In a related development Secretary Hammond visited Afghanistan as changeover of British Brigades began,
PH in Afghanistan discussing with an officer
where he received an update on operations on the ground, as the UK prepares to reduce its force levels in the country by 500 troops.
As 12th Mechanized Brigade begin the process of heading home, to be replaced by 4th Mechanized Brigade as the lead UK military formation in Helmand, Mr Hammond met military personnel approaching the end of their six-month tours and listened to their views of progress on the ground.
The Defence Secretary also met troops from 4th Mechanized Brigade transiting through the Gulf on their way to deploy to Helmand. They will oversee the start of the British drawdown in Afghanistan, sending 500 personnel home by the end of the year, as announced by the Prime Minister in July 2011.
During his visit, Mr Hammond took the opportunity to discuss the issue of so-called “green on blue” or “insider threat” attacks with senior Afghan figures.
Beginning his visit in the capital city Kabul, Mr Hammond met with Afghan president Hamid Karzai and the country’s acting Defence Minister Enayatullah Nazari. As part of wide-ranging discussions about the UK’s ongoing role in Afghanistan and future relationship with the country, Mr Hammond sought and received assurances that the Afghan government and military are doing everything possible to tackle the issue.
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), to which the UK is the second-largest contributor, has itself taken a number of steps to mitigate the threat. And Mr Hammond was briefed on measures which the Afghans have adopted, including the:
- issue of a Presidential Decree by President Karzai mandating that Afghan National Army recruits are to be interviewed by a four-person council consisting of Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior, National Directorate of Security and medical department officials;
- doubling in size of the Afghan Ministry of Defence’s counterintelligence department;
- transfer of hundreds of agents from Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security to its Ministry of Defence to fill shortfalls and improve vetting;
- introduction of re-vetting procedures for Afghan National Army soldiers returning from leave;
- outlawing of the sale of military and police uniforms.
- establishment an anonymous reporting system across the Afghan forces;
- embedding of National Directorate of Security agents at recruiting centres and within various units;
- arrest of more than 100 Afghan National Army soldiers for holding false identification cards, of whom more than half have since been permanently removed from the ranks, plus additional arrests for “suspicion of support for the Taliban” or “working for the Taliban”;
- strengthening of Absence Without Leave (AWOL) policy, which can restrict soldiers from returning to duty.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said: “Operations in Afghanistan are our first priority and I always value the chance to see at first hand and hear directly from the troops in theatre about progress on the ground. I am in no doubt that we are firmly on the road to seeing Afghan forces assume full security control in their own country.
Hammond lamented: “The ‘green on blue’ threat and the tragic incidents we have seen are a very serious concern to me and the issue was at the top of my agenda in meetings with Afghan leaders. I recognise that we cannot eliminate the risk entirely but I was reassured that President Karzai and the rest of the Afghan government and military hierarchy clearly take this issue as seriously as I do and are taking real steps to tackle the threat. We are all united in the view that we cannot let these few terrible incidents derail the steady progress that is taking place.”
Secretary Hammond added: "Our servicemen and women are doing vital work protecting the UK from the threat of international terrorism. We have a clear strategy to bring our combat role to an end while protecting our national security by training and mentoring the Afghans to take over and we will not allow that strategy to be derailed."
As well as key Afghan figures, Vigilance learnt Mr Hammond met a number of senior British and ISAF officers, including the commander of the operation, General John Allen (USA), and deputy commander, Lieutenant General Adrian Bradshaw (UK).
Mr Hammond had the opportunity to meet a wide range of military personnel at CampBastion, the main military base in Helmand, where he also visited the Joint Aviation Group (JAG) and personnel working there