Latest news with #Dannatt
Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
Trump renames VE Day and is accused of ‘rewriting history'
President Trump has been accused of 'rewriting history' after he said the United States 'did more than any other country by far' to win the Second World War. General Lord Dannatt, the former chief of the general staff, said his remarks were 'extraordinary' as he made the point the US only joined the war after the attack on Pearl Harbour. In a post on his Truth Social platform, the president wrote that 'many of our allies and friends are celebrating May 8th as Victory Day, but we did more than any other Country, by far, in producing a victorious result on World War II'. He said he was renaming May 8 as Victory Day for the Second World War and November 11, currently celebrated as
Telegraph
08-04-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Hi-tech battlefield robots to be built in Britain for the first time
The latest AI-powered battlefield robots are set to be manufactured in Britain for the first time. A leading German military hardware manufacturer is building a new facility in south-west England that will develop unmanned armoured vehicles that can be used on the battlefield. Drones and AI are expected to feature significantly in this year's strategic defence review, which will set out equipment and manpower priorities for the Armed Forces. ARX Robotics, a defence tech company, will build the first facility of its kind in the UK to manufacture drones that can be used for reconnaissance, casualty evacuation and transport. They can be controlled by a person using a tablet away from the battlefield, reducing the risk to troops, and connected to other vehicles and hardware. The company's Gereon land drone can carry 500kg up to 40km from its operator, and run for 72 hours on a single charge. They have already been deployed by Nato on the alliance's eastern flank, by the German military and in Ukraine. The new research and development and production plant will cost £45 million and create 90 jobs in the next two-and-a-half years, the company said. The facility will have capacity to produce 1,800 land drones each year, and will also work on upgrading existing armoured vehicles to operate autonomously, which could be cheaper than procuring entirely new drones. Drone technology has undergone major development since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, where both sides have used land, air and sea drones on the battlefield. Military chiefs have argued ahead of this year's defence review that the Army must become more 'lethal' and deploy more autonomous systems because of a shortage of manpower. Lord Dannatt, the former head of the Army, said: 'The Army is always looking at technology to improve things. We've seen how glide bombs and attack drones have changed the battlefield as opposed to conventional artillery and we have been using robotic mini tanks for years. 'The question is, why send a man where a machine can go? 'I would hope the tech world is looking at new and innovative ways to conduct warfare and preserving human life is an important part of that.' The Ministry of Defence (MoD) hopes to triple British fighting power with the use of drones, AI, and a secretive programme known as Project Asgard, which officials have said would 'utilise new and emerging tech to become more lethal and better able to defeat the enemy'. At least 10 per cent of the MoD's equipment budget will now be spent on novel technologies, ministers have said. A senior defence source said the expansion into hi-tech equipment had been launched because the defence review must 'avoid hard capability choices'. 'If you cannot fix the present, then best take refuge in the future,' Lord Dannatt said, adding that autonomous systems would be a theme in the highly anticipated report. Project Asgard has been described as a way of harnessing developing technologies, including artificial intelligence, drones, and advanced sensors, all of which 'will help more quickly discover and process information and strike enemies on the battlefield'. ARX's land drones have already undergone field tests with the British Army on Salisbury Plain to tailor them to UK-specific needs, although no contract has yet been signed to buy them. The company is supported by the Nato Innovation Fund, a venture capital fund operated by the alliance to boost the development of defence technology. The range of military robots it manufactures are designed to be taken apart and upgraded piece by piece, which could save the cost of developing entirely new technology in years to come. It is the first time modular, autonomous land drones have been made in the UK. Ministers have said they are concerned about the 'resilience' of British manufacturing, including in the defence sector, in the aftermath of blanket tariffs imposed on the UK by Donald Trump. John Healey, the Defence Secretary, said: 'ARX is driving defence-tech innovation and I warmly welcome their £45 million investment into the UK which will create highly skilled jobs and support European security. 'With our commitment to spend 2.5 per cent GDP on defence in 2027, this government is determined to make the UK a defence industrial superpower – supporting good jobs and driving growth as part of the Plan for Change.' David Roberts, CEO of ARX UK, said: 'It is a privilege to lead ARX's expansion in the UK. 'ARX's operationally proven autonomous vehicles deliver an immediate capability boost for the UK Armed Forces. 'Our technology will accelerate the delivery of capabilities to front-line units by providing scalable autonomy across both new unmanned systems and existing army vehicles and platforms.'
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
RAF pilots ‘put at risk' by White House chat leak
RAF pilots were put at risk when a White House group chat on Yemen was leaked, a former head of the Army has said. Precise plans for air strikes on Houthi rebels were discussed by senior US officials in a secret chat that was accidentally shared with a reporter before the strikes. Lord Dannatt, a former head of the Army, told The Telegraph that because the RAF provided routine support, the leak would 'undoubtedly' have put British personnel at 'higher risk'. A British Voyager plane was used to refuel the US jets defending the aircraft carrier that launched the strikes, in which more than 50 people died, on March 15. The plane flew from the RAF airbase in Akritori, Cyprus, to assist aircraft protecting the USS Truman in the Red Sea. Lord Dannatt said: 'As US officials gave away classified information about future operations in which the RAF were involved, this undoubtedly placed British personnel at higher risk. 'I hope the White House will tighten its security rapidly and considerably. We will continue to operate with the US, but need to be confident about their operational security.' Members of the group chat included JD Vance, the vice-president, Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary, Mike Waltz, the national security adviser, and Susie Wiles, Donald Trump's chief of staff. The leak has raised questions on intelligence-sharing and what might have happened if the plans had fallen into the wrong hands. The Trump administration downplayed the severity of the leak and insisted it did not endanger the lives of US military personnel. Greg Bagwell, a former RAF senior commander, said while it was 'not new' that British jets took part in air-to-air refuelling, in this case it was done 'in the context of a breach in national security'. He wrote on X: 'As the tankers would have been kept out of harm's way, they were not overly compromised by the release of launch and strike times. However … it means the release may not just be a compromise of a US mission. 'It's worth noting that if any of the strike packages had been made aware that timings had been compromised they would have, in all likelihood, delayed their attack to maintain what element of surprise they could salvage.' An RAF source said: 'Our asset wasn't anywhere near the striking so, from the RAF perspective, this is a political storm, not an operational one.' A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'The UK did not participate in the March 15 US strikes against Houthi targets but provided routine allied air-to-air refuelling support to aid the self-defence of a US aircraft carrier in the region. 'The US is our closest ally, and we will continue to cooperate closely on defence, intelligence and security.' RAF jets took part in air strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen last year. Commenting on the leak on Wednesday, Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, admitted that 'someone made a big mistake' by adding the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine to the 'Houthi PC small group' chat on the Signal messaging app. In the group, Mr Vance raised objections to plans to bomb Yemen, arguing that they were not in American interests. 'I just hate bailing Europe out again,' he wrote. 'Three per cent of US trade runs through the Suez. Forty per cent of European trade does. There is a real risk that the public doesn't understand this or why it's necessary. The strongest reason to do this is, as [the president] said, to send a message.' Mr Hegseth responded, saying: 'VP: I fully share your loathing of European freeloading. It's pathetic. But Mike is correct, we are the only ones on the planet (on our side of the ledger) who can do this. Nobody else even close.' The Trump administration has berated Europe on defence, saying it does not spend enough, and has criticised countries including Britain and Germany, claiming they were stifling free speech. Publicly, Mr Trump has said he has confidence in his beleaguered national security team. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
RAF pilots ‘put at risk' by White House chat leak
RAF pilots were put at risk when a White House group chat on Yemen was leaked, a former head of the Army has said. Precise plans for air strikes on Houthi rebels were discussed by senior US officials in a secret chat that was accidentally shared with a reporter before the attack. Lord Dannatt, a former head of the Army, told The Telegraph that because the RAF provided routine support, the leak would 'undoubtedly' have put British personnel at 'higher risk'. A British Voyager plane was used to refuel the US jets defending the aircraft carrier that launched the strikes, in which more than 50 people died, on March 15. The plane flew from the RAF airbase in Akritori, Cyprus, to assist aircraft protecting the USS Truman in the Red Sea. Lord Dannatt said: 'As US officials gave away classified information about future operations in which the RAF were involved, this undoubtedly placed British personnel at higher risk. 'I hope the White House will tighten its security rapidly and considerably. We will continue to operate with the US but need to be confident about their operational security.' Members of the group chat included JD Vance, the vice-president, Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary, Mike Waltz, the national security adviser, and Susie Wiles, Donald Trump's chief of staff. The leak has raised questions on intelligence-sharing and what might have happened if the plans had fallen into the wrong hands. The Trump administration downplayed the severity of the leak and insisted it did not endanger the lives of US military personnel. Greg Bagwell, a former RAF senior commander, said while it was 'not new' that British jets took part in air-to-air refuelling, in this case it was done 'in the context of a breach in national security'. He wrote on X, formerly Twitter: 'As the tankers would have been kept out of harm's way, they were not overly compromised by the release of launch and strike times. However … it means the release may not just be a compromise of a US mission. 'It's worth noting that if any of the strike packages had been made aware that timings had been compromised they would have, in all likelihood, delayed their attack to maintain what element of surprise they could salvage.' An RAF source said: 'Our asset wasn't anywhere near the striking so, from the RAF perspective, this is a political storm not an operational one.' A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'The UK did not participate in the March 15 US strikes against Houthi targets but provided routine allied air-to-air refuelling support to aid the self-defence of a US aircraft carrier in the region. 'The US is our closest ally, and we will continue to cooperate closely on defence, intelligence and security.' RAF jets took part in air strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen last year. Commenting on the leak on Wednesday, Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, admitted that 'someone made a big mistake' by adding the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine to the 'Houthi PC small group' chat on the Signal messaging app. In the group, Mr Vance, the vice-president, raised objections to plans to bomb Yemen, arguing that they were not in American interests. 'I just hate bailing Europe out again,' he wrote. 'Three per cent of US trade runs through the Suez. Forty per cent of European trade does. There is a real risk that the public doesn't understand this or why it's necessary. The strongest reason to do this is, as [the president] said, to send a message.' Mr Hegseth responded, saying: 'VP: I fully share your loathing of European freeloading. It's pathetic. But Mike is correct, we are the only ones on the planet (on our side of the ledger) who can do this. Nobody else even close.' The Trump administration has berated Europe on defence, claiming it does not spend enough, and has criticised countries including Britain and Germany, claiming they were stifling free speech. Publicly, Mr Trump, the US president, has said he has confidence in his beleaguered national security team.
The Guardian
15-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Five key takeaways from the Guardian's House of Lords series
'Indefensible' was how Keir Starmer described the House of Lords three years ago when he proposed ambitious changes that would replace it with an elected second chamber drawn from the nations and the regions. Now in power, Labour's plans are somewhat watered down, and even the first step, abolishing hereditary peers, is being challenged. But Starmer is under pressure to do more: two peers are now the subject of inquiries by a parliamentary watchdog following revelations in the Lords debate, a months-long investigation by the Guardian. Here are some key takeaways from our reporting on peers and their commercial interests: Undercover filming by the Guardian revealed the involvement of Lord Evans of Watford, a longstanding Labour peer, in an apparent cash-for-access venture. David Evans was recorded offering access to ministers during discussions about the sponsorship of a commercial event in parliament, a deal worth £25,000. The event was organised by his son's company and hosted by Evans. Speaking with what he believed to be property developers wanting to lobby the government, he said: 'It's great being a Labour peer at the moment because we've got our mates who now have senior jobs, which is wonderful.' Evans is now under investigation by the Lords standards watchdog for potential breaches of the House of Lords code of conduct. Evans has said he has not broken the rules, and has denied any wrongdoing. Evans said he had never taken payment or benefits from his son's company. The story was covered in an episode of the Today in Focus podcast. Richard Dannatt, a former head of the British army, was secretly filmed by the Guardian telling undercover reporters he could make introductions within the government and that he would 'make a point of getting to know' the best-placed minister, despite rules prohibiting peers from lobbying. He said he could easily 'rub shoulders' with the right people in the Lords if he needed to approach a minister in order to promote the potential client. Lord Dannatt also said he had previously introduced a company, in which he was given a shareholding, to a minister and civil servants. On Friday, the Lords commissioners opened an investigation into Dannatt for potential breaches of the code. He is one of three peers whose conduct is currently under scrutiny. The others are Evans and Michelle Mone. All three inquiries were opened as the result of questions raised by reporting in the Guardian. The Lady Mone inquiry was launched in 2022 after a separate investigation into Covid procurement contracts. The fact that an investigation is taking place does not mean that the rules have been broken. An expert who reviewed the material said he felt Dannatt's comments represented a 'clear breach' of the rules. Dannatt said he did not agree his conduct had broken Lords rules. This was not the first time undercover reporters had filmed Dannatt. During his meeting with the reporters, Dannatt said he was 'very wary and nervous' because he had been the target of an undercover sting by the Sunday Times more than a decade ago. Dannatt was cleared of any wrongdoing on the previous occasion. More broadly, campaigners and professional lobbyists have called for a tightening of the rules on peers, which are explained here. The rules are less stringent than the equivalent rules for MPs, who are no longer allowed to take paid consultancies to give political advice. In contrast, Guardian analysis found more than one in 10 peers are paid for political or policy advice. Sue Hawley, the director of the transparency group Spotlight on Corruption, said there was a risk that peers, who have special access to ministers and officials, were perceived by the public 'to be using their privileged position to obtain political consultancies of this kind'. The series has brought to light a number of cases which raise questions about how peers balance the public interest with their commercial interests. They include: Iain McNicol, a Labour peer who wrote to the Treasury on behalf of a cryptocurrency firm that was paying him as an adviser. Philip Hammond, the former chancellor, who has made millions from 30 directorships and consultancy jobs since becoming a peer. A select committee that scrutinises the Financial Conduct Authority, on which a majority of members have current or recent interests in the financial sector. The Lords continues various traditions, from seating arrangements dating back to the reign of Henry VIII, to its insistence that it is the morning until the house sits, even if that is at 2.30pm. An explainer on the upper chamber gives more detail on the role of Norman French (old language, not a person) in ping-pong (parliamentary procedure, not a game) and what 'bottom boy' and ferrets (silk ribbons, not a weasel) have to do with it all. It also explains how peers can claim a daily allowance of £361 for simply turning Guardian found 15 peers who claimed more than £500,000 in allowances despite not saying a word in the chamber, sitting on a committee, or holding any government post during the last parliament. The Guardian also found that members have been paid more than £3m in the last two years by foreign governments, including repressive Middle Eastern regimes. The question of reforming the red benches is not a new one. A government bill, outlined in Labour's manifesto, seeks to remove the remaining rump of hereditary peers left over in 1999 changes and is destined for the statute book. But the other changes mooted by Labour, including an age limit of 80 that would force peers to retire, have no clear schedule. Analysis by the Guardian, which was cited by one peer in the chamber, found that such a change would affect Labour's seats vastly more than Conservatives'. Some calls are coming from inside the house. Carmen Smith, a Plaid Cymru peer and the youngest member, pledged to campaign for the abolition of the Lords. Smith wrote that the bill was 'a minimal reform'. She said: 'It falls far short of what was outlined in the Labour party's manifesto, and does nothing to stem the jobs-for-life handed out by prime ministers to their party donors and friends.' Concerns over how party donors have ended up in the Lords are longstanding. Analysis by the Guardian found that peers who sat in the last parliament have given a combined £109m in political donations, almost £50m of which was contributed before they secured their seats. Further analysis found that just 10% of peers made more than half of all debate contributions. David Cameron once described the houses of parliament as looking 'half like a museum, half like a church, half like a school'. No ordinary school, though; the Lords is more Eton college than Grange Hill. Lord Cameron and more than half of the upper chamber are alumni of private secondary schools.
