RAF to be trained by Indian Air Force

Your weekly dose of defence news, biased opinions and poorly curated content. You’re welcome.

We haven’t got a manning problem, definitely not.

Last week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that, for the first time, Indian pilots will take on instructor roles in some RAF training establishments. The announcement comes as the bi-annual British-Indian naval Exercise Konkan comes to a close in the Arabian Sea. The success of the exercise and inclusion of Indian trainers is being touted as a major step forward in cooperation between the two allies and a sign of a strengthening defensive agreement.

We’ll quickly brush over the fact that India also sent soldiers on the Russian Zapad 25 Exercise a few weeks back. Shhhh.

If you’ve operated anywhere in England, Scotland or Wales, then your time has come. Since time immemorial, bogs have served as natural barriers against attack. As recently as 2022, their effectiveness was tested when Ukrainian forces blew up the Irpin Dam to flood the plains below and block the Russian advance from the north: it worked.

Why is this relevant? Well, NATO’s eastern flank (think Baltics etc.) happens to consist largely of drained wetlands, and there’s now a flurry of exploration into the viability of reinstating bogs and rebuilding them as natural defences against mechanised armies from the east.

It’s actually not a terrible idea, although there’s still quite a way to go, as some of the countries involved are understandably reluctant to flood thousands of hectares of farmland. Shock. The ever-impressive Poland, however, has brushed aside the naysayers across Europe and already launched its Eastern Shield defensive programme - part of which involves…”restoring wetlands.”

The British government has officially confirmed that it has wrapped up its aerial spying operations over the Gaza Strip, following the recent ceasefire agreement. Surveillance flights began in December 2023, shortly after the October 7 attacks on Israel, and have been operating ever since, supporting Israeli efforts to track and locate hostages. Defence Secretary John Healey said he was “proud of the UK’s efforts to support the safe return of the hostages, and the professionalism of our service personnel involved.”

Big events from the past, covered in brief and probably inaccurately.

On the 14th October 1066 one of history’s most famous invasions began at Hastings.

William of Normandy crossed the Channel with around 7,000 men - a mixed force of cavalry, infantry and archers - to challenge Harold Godwinson for the English crown. Harold had just fought off another invasion in the north at Stamford Bridge (not against Chelsea), and now dragged his exhausted army south to meet the Normans at Hastings.

The battle was a test of discipline and deception. Harold’s shield wall held firm for much of the day until a feigned Norman retreat - possibly accidental, possibly deliberate - drew parts of the English line downhill, breaking their defensive wall. William’s cavalry turned and cut them down. By nightfall, Harold was dead (arrow to the eye) and England’s last Anglo-Saxon army destroyed.

It wasn’t just a dynastic shift; it was a revolution in warfare. Norman cavalry tactics, castle-building and feudal organisation reshaped England’s military system for centuries.

In many ways, 1066 was less about a battle in East Sussex, but more about the dawn of professionalised, continental-style military power in Britain.

Changing things up? This is where we briefly look at career options from across the civvy world - everything goes here so expect some absolute drivel. Sometimes Forces Assist can help place you, sometimes we can’t. Either way we can offer advice.

Quite a few veterans (incredibly) leave the military with intact Security Clearance. If you manage to get that bumped up to DV then you’re really laughing, but there are still a lot of jobs out there that value people with the standard tier.

We talked about this in detail on our Insta:

Over at Forces Assist we’re always looking for qualled up drivers nationally. If you have driving qualifications and are looking for work then head to forcesassist.com to start conversations. If you have a mate who can drive, then ask them to give you a shout out on the application and we’ll give you cold, hard cash.

Cheers,

Team Forces Assist