Latest news with #DefenceCommittee
Daily Mirror
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Brit kids 'must do their bit' amid threat of war in UK, government report warns
Chilling escalation in "grey zone' warfare against the UK by Russia and its allies means every one of us Britons needs to do our bit to allow the military to prepare for war Britain has been plunged into a dangerous crisis zone 'between peace and war' with increasing attacks from hostile states led by Russia, an alarming new report reveals. And the cross-party Defence Committee has called upon Britons - including even children - to be taught measures to combat the threat, which is just below the 'threshold for war.' Called Defence in the Grey Zone it warns we need a 'whole of society' approach to beat attacks from countries such as Russia. It warns the UK is being targeted in the 'Grey Zone' between peace and war and it is worsening daily with attacks of sabotage, espionage, cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns. One of the biggest threats that may still be below the threshold for all-out war, it to the UK's undersea cables linking Britain and Europe's communications to the US. And chillingly the report, out today but launched two years ago, said that: 'Recently, the speed, scale and intensity of grey zone threats in the UK has increased.' It identifies the main and immediate threat as Russia, which has become alarmingly aggressive since the Ukraine invasion and the UK's support for Kyiv. The report reads: 'Russia's hostility has long been evident.' 'Witness the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 and the assassination attempt on Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury in 2018 using the Novichok nerve agent, but has accelerated significantly since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It argues that the MoD must help spread awareness of the threat to wider society, even dumping some responsibility for the battle on schoolchildren. And once society has become used to the precautions it must take against hostile threats, that will leave the military to prepare for the possibility of going to war. The report says: 'Defence in the Grey Zone' urges the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to proactively engage with wider society – including businesses, schools and communities – to help generate an informed dialogue around grey zone threats to the UK and build consensus around a common response. 'The MOD could pitch this 'offer' to society, in conjunction with building cyber skills and awareness – from protecting critical national industries, and preventing ransomware attacks, to teaching school children to stay safe online. 'By sharing its crisis management expertise with other departments and wider society, the MOD can help strengthen long-term resilience planning and preparedness across the UK. 'This would also allow the Armed Forces to focus on their primary responsibility during any serious international conflict, deterring or defeating military threats. . .' The Committee argues that nobody in the UK is excluded from the daily threat which chairman, Labour MP Tan Dhesi says helps 'unsettle the fabric of our day-to-day lives.' He added: 'Grey zone threats bring war to the doorstep of each and every one of us. These attacks do not discriminate; they target the whole of our society and so demand a whole of society response, in which we all must play our part.' And he said the nature of this new Cold War - often called a 'hybrid war ' means the responsibility of fighting it does not just fall on the MoD. He said: 'The MOD plays an important part in defending the nation from grey zone attacks, but it is only a part. 'We must now assume that any vulnerability will be exploited against us. The industries and technologies we rely on most are clear targets for hostile states. This is why, in today's report, we are calling for a shoring up of our digital and cyber skills and protections. The report argues that often hostile states disguise the source of the attack by using proxies, such as extremist sympathisers, 'hacktivists' or criminal gangs. These can launch cyber or sabotage attacks leaving the enemy state at arm's length.
United News of India
31-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Russia to continue military campaign in Ukraine until resolution of core causes
Moscow, May 31 (UNI) Russia will not halt its military campaign in Ukraine until the underlying causes of the conflict are resolved and peace agreements are formally ratified, senior Russian officials have said. Andrey Kartapolov, chairman of the Russian State Duma's Defence Committee, ruled out any unconditional ceasefire, stating that Moscow would continue its assault unless things are not 'put into writing'. 'We will not agree to a ceasefire just for the sake of it,' he said on the country's federal TV agency Channel One, according to Russian-state-media-TASS. 'Only if everything is put in writing, passed into law, ratified by parliaments, and becomes part of a genuine, lasting agreement—only then can peace be considered. Until then, the special military operation will continue.' Stating that the Kremlin won't be deterred by any "false assurances", he referenced the West's 'empty promises' to Moscow in prior negotiations, and said Russia would not be 'deceived again by golden illusions". At the United Nations, Russia's ambassador Vassily Nebenzia echoed the same stance, stating that Moscow is willing to consider a ceasefire 'in principle", but only if Kyiv takes tangible steps toward a long-term settlement. 'A simple ceasefire is not enough,' he told the UN Security Council, reports Sputnik. 'We stood at this crossroads before with the Minsk agreements, which were consistently violated by Western-backed Ukraine.' Nebenzia added that Russia's military is capable of escalating operations if necessary. 'The Russian Armed Forces can continue and ramp up military operations for as long as it takes,' he said. Accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of deliberately prolonging the conflict to avoid facing democratic accountability and corruption allegations, Nebenzia said, 'Ending the war means elections, scrutiny, and questions about where the money went.' He also accused some 'warmongers' in Europe of stalling any peace talks, misleading the US and forcing them to stay engaged. 'European warmongers are determined to keep America in this,' he said. UNI ANV RN
Reuters
30-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Britain to spend an extra $2 billion on armed forces' housing
LONDON, May 31 (Reuters) - Britain said on Saturday it would spend an extra 1.5 billion pounds ($2 billion) to tackle the poor state of housing for the country's armed forces, helping to support recruitment, retention and morale. The spending will be included in the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), a 10-year plan to transform Britain's defences, the government said on Saturday. The SDR is expected to be published on Monday. The money will fund urgent repairs and maintenance, from fixing boilers to tackling damp and mould in service family accommodation, alongside developing new housing, the government said. A report by parliament's Defence Committee last December concluded that the accommodation was "shocking" and could result in service personnel quitting the forces. "For too long, many military families have lived in sub-standard homes, but this government is taking decisive action to fix the dire state of military accommodation and ensure that our heroes and their loved ones live in the homes they deserve," Defence Secretary John Healey said in a statement. The extra funds mean more than 7 billion pounds will be spent on service family accommodation and new-build single accommodation during the period to 2029, the government said. ($1 = 0.7422 pounds)
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
HII Hosts United Kingdom House of Commons Defence Committee Members at Newport News Shipbuilding
NEWPORT NEWS, Va., May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HII (NYSE: HII) hosted members of the United Kingdom House of Commons Defence Committee at its Newport News Shipbuilding division last week. The visit was held in support of the trilateral Australia, United Kingdom and United States (AUKUS) partnership. HII continues its commitment to supporting AUKUS, which set in motion tasking across all three countries to determine the optimal pathway to provide Australia with conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines and a broader partnership on advanced capabilities. 'The Committee were delighted to visit the HII yard and see the skill and endeavour on display,' said Tan Dhesi, chairman of House of Commons Defence Committee. 'The AUKUS agreement is a vital tool for the strategic advantage of all three countries and the Committee is pleased to support it with our recently launched inquiry, ensuring it achieves its maximum potential.' Defence Committee members met with company leadership and saw facilities that support construction of Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines. Additionally, they participated in a tour of the Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School that focused on HII's workforce development expertise. Photos accompanying this release are available at: 'We greatly appreciate the Defence Committee's engagement and the opportunity to showcase how HII's decades of expertise directly support AUKUS objectives,' said Michael Lempke, president of the HII Mission Technologies division Global Security group and the leader of HII's Australia and U.K. operations. 'From building nuclear-powered submarines to fortifying industrial capacity across the U.S., U.K. and Australia, our efforts are closely aligned with the trilateral vision. These discussions are vital to strengthening the collaboration and driving the innovation that underpins AUKUS.' Industrial integration of submarine and shipbuilding capabilities between the U.S., U.K. and Australia is a critical component of the AUKUS partnership, enabling aligned defense production, workforce development, and supply chain collaboration to support shared security objectives. NNS is one of only two shipyards capable of designing and building nuclear-powered submarines for the U.S. Navy. HII is the founding member of the AUKUS Workforce Alliance (AWA), a dedicated partnership committed to preparing a skilled workforce in support of all steps of Australia's optimal pathway to sovereign nuclear-powered submarines. The company was awarded a contract for the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification (AUSSQ) pilot program to accelerate the identification and qualification of Australian suppliers and products into the United States submarine industrial base. About Defence Committee's inquiry: About HII HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HII's mission is to deliver the world's most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world. As the nation's largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII's workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit: HII on the web: HII on Facebook: HII on X: HII on Instagram: Contact: Todd 688-3220 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
HII Hosts United Kingdom House of Commons Defence Committee Members at Newport News Shipbuilding
NEWPORT NEWS, Va., May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HII (NYSE: HII) hosted members of the United Kingdom House of Commons Defence Committee at its Newport News Shipbuilding division last week. The visit was held in support of the trilateral Australia, United Kingdom and United States (AUKUS) partnership. HII continues its commitment to supporting AUKUS, which set in motion tasking across all three countries to determine the optimal pathway to provide Australia with conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines and a broader partnership on advanced capabilities. 'The Committee were delighted to visit the HII yard and see the skill and endeavour on display,' said Tan Dhesi, chairman of House of Commons Defence Committee. 'The AUKUS agreement is a vital tool for the strategic advantage of all three countries and the Committee is pleased to support it with our recently launched inquiry, ensuring it achieves its maximum potential.' Defence Committee members met with company leadership and saw facilities that support construction of Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines. Additionally, they participated in a tour of the Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School that focused on HII's workforce development expertise. Photos accompanying this release are available at: 'We greatly appreciate the Defence Committee's engagement and the opportunity to showcase how HII's decades of expertise directly support AUKUS objectives,' said Michael Lempke, president of the HII Mission Technologies division Global Security group and the leader of HII's Australia and U.K. operations. 'From building nuclear-powered submarines to fortifying industrial capacity across the U.S., U.K. and Australia, our efforts are closely aligned with the trilateral vision. These discussions are vital to strengthening the collaboration and driving the innovation that underpins AUKUS.' Industrial integration of submarine and shipbuilding capabilities between the U.S., U.K. and Australia is a critical component of the AUKUS partnership, enabling aligned defense production, workforce development, and supply chain collaboration to support shared security objectives. NNS is one of only two shipyards capable of designing and building nuclear-powered submarines for the U.S. Navy. HII is the founding member of the AUKUS Workforce Alliance (AWA), a dedicated partnership committed to preparing a skilled workforce in support of all steps of Australia's optimal pathway to sovereign nuclear-powered submarines. The company was awarded a contract for the Australian Submarine Supplier Qualification (AUSSQ) pilot program to accelerate the identification and qualification of Australian suppliers and products into the United States submarine industrial base. About Defence Committee's inquiry: About HII HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HII's mission is to deliver the world's most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world. As the nation's largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII's workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit: HII on the web: HII on Facebook: HII on X: HII on Instagram: Contact: Todd 688-3220 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at in to access your portfolio
