Top Brass Absolutely Lose It

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Honestly I’ve no idea how Tim Shipman from The Spectator got this info but I’m here for it. Apparently on Tuesday there was a wild meeting where the chiefs of the three services - plus CGS - basically lost it, kicked all the civil servants and aides out of a meeting and started plotting drafting a strongly worded letter to Defence Sec Healey saying the Strategic Defence Review is basically unachievable.

The MOD (obviously) downplayed the incident saying it was blown out of proportion and everyone was behind the SDSR. Meanwhile a source close to proceedings calmed the situation by helpfully adding: “The Army has gone absolutely berserk. They’re in a terrible state” (I mean…see below…).

We’ve talked before about how comic military procurement is in the UK, so news this week that the AJAX was being taken out of service again has just added fuel to the fire. In short: during an AJAX exercise on the Plain last week, 31 soldiers went down with vibration-related injuries, with several ending up in hospital. Luke Pollard (the procurement minister) has paused use of AJAX for a few weeks while the MOD investigates.

Sky tells us that Pollard and Defence Sec John Healey will “surely be demanding answers from General Sir Roly Walker.”

France has announced voluntary military service for teenagers starting next year, part of a push to bolster their reserve forces to 100,000 by 2030. This follows Denmark’s move to allow women to be called up alongside their male counterparts, and Germany edging closer and closer to conscription as they bid to build a 500,000 strong army by 2035.

For context, the British Army is currently debating whether they can increase from 72,500 to 76,000 at some point “in the next parliament”.

Total embarrassment.

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

In 1095, Pope Urban II called on knights across Europe to mobilise and liberate Jerusalem. He could not have known it at the time, but echoes of his speech would still be felt a thousand years later. Notably, in 2001, President George W. Bush sparked controversy by using the term “crusade” in reference to Islamic terrorism after 9/11.

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