Latest news with #GenSirGwynJenkins
Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Picking a Marine to run Navy shows China that Britain is serious about amphibious warfare
The appointment of Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins, a Royal Marines officer, as head of the Royal Navy is a massive vote of confidence in the 'Future Commando Force' concept by the Prime Minister and Ministry of Defence (MoD) The First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, to give Gen Sir Gwyn his full title, is responsible for commanding the 'dark blue' part of the Navy – the ships, submarines and aircraft that project Britain's global maritime power (which has admittedly been eroded by decades of underfunding). But he also commands the 6,000 or so Royal Marines who are expected to storm enemy beaches once safely delivered to combat zones by their sister organisation. The problem in recent years has been twofold. First, that phrase, 'safely delivered'. With modern anti-ship missiles able to reach hundreds of miles out to sea and ubiquitous surveillance from satellites and drones, just getting to the fight has been seen in recent years as a huge problem, one which has focused the minds of those in the Ministry of Defence who wear Royal Navy uniforms. The second problem causing some angst to Britain's naval planners – and particularly those from the Royal Marines – has been how to fight in territory held (or dominated) by an enemy force, even if our own troops can make it safely to the shore. Future Commando Force concept These two issues have led to the development of the Future Commando Force concept: an amphibious group able to defend itself at sea, project force onto land and take the fight to the enemy once ashore. Finding a way to do this effectively in the face of fearsome (mainly Chinese) capabilities that can render such an outfit irrelevant has taken considerable teamwork from both sides of the Navy. Gen Sir Gwyn is seen as the perfect champion to lead this work, having a foot in both camps and a deep understanding of the capabilities of each in the face of a challenge that is worsening daily. Senior Royal Navy officers have already told The Telegraph that Gen Sir Gwyn's appointment is a positive endorsement of the Future Commando Force concept. It marks a significant uptick in the fortunes of the Royal Marines. With the UK re-focused on global conflict after the expeditionary years in Iraq and Afghanistan, some analysts had cautioned that the days of amphibious forces were over. Power projection, they argued, would come from the air, through long-range precision missiles and drones knocking out enemy defences. Regular infantry from the Army could then be dropped off by friendly naval ships to march into the newly-acquired territory. What would the point be of expensive specialised amphibious troops such as the Royal Marines, if the concept of surviving, let alone fighting one's way into such an environment had been rendered irrelevant by technology? To accept that maxim, however, would be an act of self-deterrence and an endorsement of one of the key theories of Sun Tzu as he wrote in The Art of War. The ancient Chinese philosopher theorised that the supreme art of war was to subdue the enemy without fighting. He advocated achieving victory through strategic manoeuvring, diplomacy and the display of military might to make an enemy force decide it was not worth fighting in the first place. The Future Commando Force has looked at this problem and decided against self-deterrence. It is believed that small, aggressive groups, highly supported by technology such as secure communications, drones and radars, and operating in concert when required can get inside an area dominated by an enemy force (under the somewhat clunkily titled Anti-Access/Area Denial, or A2AD, umbrella) and project sufficient power to hold on until heavier forces arrive. Such a force does not come cheap, however, and will require some reorganisation not just of the Navy and Marines, but also Britain's Army, which would be required to offer supporting functions. Cash and the desire for more tinkering with the organisation chart are currently in short supply. However, it is an idea very much in line with current thinking in the US Marine Corps (if not totally bought-into yet by the wider US Navy), the cousins alongside whom Britain's commando forces, based around a core of Royal Marines, might have to fight if China decided to test Taiwan's defences and the world's appetite to reject military conquest. Britain's maritime planners – both Navy and Marine – hope the 'Future' part of the concept will be jettisoned in the Government's long-delayed Strategic Defence Review, currently inching tortuously towards publication this summer. The endorsement of the Prime Minister, through the appointment of Gen Sir Gwyn, suggests that is a likely scenario. The US, and China, will have taken note.
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
General accused of locking away SAS war crimes evidence is made navy chief
A general accused of failing to report evidence of war crimes committed by the SAS in Afghanistan has been appointed as the new head of the Royal Navy. Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins – the first Royal Marine to become First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff – replaces Adm Sir Ben Key, who was removed from it last week while under investigation over allegations of misconduct. However, he has become the focus of controversy this week amid reports that he oversaw the rejection of resettlement claims made by Afghan troops who served with UK special forces. Jenkins also led UK Special Forces (UKSF) in Afghanistan when alleged war crimes were committed and which are the subject of a public inquiry looking specifically at the period between mid-2010 and mid-2013. The BBC's Panorama reported that he had appointed a UKSF officer under his command to assess the Afghan commando applications to resettle in Britain after special forces headquarters was given a controversial veto. Thousands of applications from individuals with credible evidence of service with Afghan special forces were then rejected, according to the investigative programme. It was also previously reported that Jenkins had been warned in writing in 2011 that SAS soldiers were claiming to have executed handcuffed detainees in Afghanistan. Instead of referring the details to military police, he was reported to have placed it in a classified dossier and locked it in a safe. The Ministry of Defence has been approached for comment. The general had been in line to become the UK's national security adviser until Keir Starmer last year cancelled the appointment made by his predecessor, Rishi Sunak. John Healey, the defence secretary, said on Thursday that Jenkins was 'a proven leader with a distinguished career in both the military and at the core of government'. 'I know he will deliver in this pivotal role, making Britain secure at home and strong abroad,' he added. In a statement, Jenkins said: 'Throughout my career, I have always been motivated by the vital role the Royal Navy has in keeping our nation safe. 'To do that now, we need to accelerate our return to a war fighting force that is ready for conflict, expand our modernisation efforts and deliver the Royal Navy our nation needs.' The Chief of the Defence Staff, Adm Sir Tony Radakin, described Jenkins as one of the outstanding Royal Marines of his generation, who brought 'a wealth of operational and organisational expertise'. 'In a more dangerous and demanding world, Gen Jenkins has the instincts and ambition needed to continue the modernisation of the Royal Navy, ensuring it can meet future threats and continue to safeguard our nation's security and prosperity,' Radakin said. Jenkins was commissioned into the Royal Marines in 1990. After becoming a colonel, he was deployed for 12 months to Afghanistan, for which he was awarded an OBE, and returned to the UK in 2012 as the military assistant to the prime minister, David Cameron. After two years, he was promoted to brigadier and took up a civilian appointment in the Cabinet Office as the deputy national security adviser for conflict. After returning to the military in 2017, he took command of 3 Commando Brigade, overseeing operational deployments around the world, and was promoted to major general in 2019. In August 2022 he was appointed Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff and promoted to general. Since August 2024, he has been the strategic adviser to the defence secretary. The appointment was made as the activities of UK special forces in Afghanistan came under the spotlight again this week, after former personnel accused colleagues of committing war crimes there and in Iraq, making the allegation that they executed civilians including a child. Members of the Special Boat Service (SBS), the Royal Navy's elite special forces regiment, are accused for the first time, along with soldiers from the SAS. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said the department was fully committed to supporting the independent inquiry relating to Afghanistan. 'It is not appropriate for the MoD to comment on allegations which may be within the scope of the statutory inquiry, or to speculate on outcomes,' they added.
