Roderick Williams

@Lucius_Winslow About 20% goes on the strategic deterrent; the French strategic deterrent is funded by central government. That extra £12B would go a long way to funding capability gaps.

Where does the UK defence budget go? We have a budget of £62.2 billion, which yields: an army of about 75,000 an air force of 30,000/670 aeroplanes a navy of about 35,000/about 24 ships (of which several are laid up). Genuinely, where does the money go?!

@PhilipIngMBE @DrChrisParry Think we call them command support now - along with Royal Signals. At least we did…no idea if it’s changed again.

@DrChrisParry Chris - Int Corps is a Combat Support Arm - like Engineers, Artillery etc - the there is Combat Service Support - the exact language is important and yours is misleading

Anyone would think that he was special forces. Int Corps is a support formation …

@AvantiWestCoast the 1240 from Glasgow to London is delayed over 2 hours, there is a carriage unusable as the AC isn’t working and in most carriages some seats are soaking wet due to leaking AC. People standing yet first class still not decertified…not really good enough.

@BootneckStuff The multiple packs of baby wipes would have told anyone serving that this was indeed a bootneck bed space!

Royal Marines bed space in Afghan. Delta Coy, 40 Commando on Herrick 7.

@thinkdefence So as I understand it the Strategic Deterrent was about 6% of the defence budget. It is now circa 20%. If correct, it’s no wonder we can’t afford the conventional forces we want/require.

The SDR to DIP pipeline is yet another example of the defence establishment being completely unable to see finance as a strategic constraint. They are the biggest proponents of the fantasy fleet

@austdef @WW2HQ Pretty sure he was actually in a Parachute Battalion where as Major John Howard and his company were Ox & Bucks LI. Clearly both incredibly brave men and lucky to live through events 82 years ago.

@WW2HQ Todd was actually one of Howard's platoon commanders.

A publicity photo from the film The Longest Day shows Peter Lawford (left) with his character, Lord Lovat, and Richard Todd (who was an actual veteran of the Normandy fighting) and his character, Major John Howard. Both Lovat and Howard were technical advisors on the film. #WWII

@alandete He is not bodyguard to anyone! He is HM The King’s senior Equerry. The King’s bodyguard is provided by the Royal Protection Group.

Me he cruzado hoy en la Casa Blanca con Johnny Thompson, el exguardaespaldas de Isabel II y hoy uno de los hombres más cercanos al rey Carlos III: oficial del Ejército, “equerry” del monarca y figura clave en su círculo más inmediato en actos oficiales.

@LizzieMoor37566 @Lisa9Sophia Not strictly correct I’m afraid. In Helmand, the UK had one CO killed and one CO VSI whilst leading BG operations. My own CO was regularly out on the ground on operations. Yes, the Rifle Companies were most often in the thick of it but most BG Comds (Lt Cols) were there too.

@Lisa9Sophia With the British in Helmand, the colonels were safely tucked away to the south while it was the majors up on the battlefield, right there with their men, when the bullets were whizzing past and the mines blowing up. Maybe this lady is a crash hot organiser with no need to fight?

Lt Gen Susan Coyle is Chief of the Australian Army Her official records show - -no combat arms service -no personal weapon use in defence -no instances of being under enemy small arms fire A Chief of the Army who has never experienced direct combat action. Let that sink in. She does however do a wicked Welcome to Country, very often

@JuristView @GuntherEagleman Just FYI I am not American; I’m British and I recognise the critical importance of NATO and how critical the US is to the Alliance.

Mam nadzieje, że moja odpowiedź pozwoli ci popatrzeć na niniejszy aspekt z szerszego horyzontu. Sugerowałbym aby rozróżniać dwie kategorie wydatków: tzw. „NATO common funding” oraz rzeczywiste nakłady na zdolności obronne państw członkowskich czyli to o co chodzi Trumpowi i innym żydowskim mącicielom czyli o art. 3 Traktat Północnoatlantycki (obowiązek rozwijania własnych zdolności obronnych). Finansowanie wspólnych struktur, takich jak dowództwa, systemy łączności czy administracja, ma charakter marginalny w stosunku do zasadniczego ciężaru obronności, który spoczywa na poszczególnych państwach (ok 2-5% PBK). Amerykanie na tym zarabiają bo tam jest sprzedawana ich US technologia, która jak widzi cały świat jest przereklamowana i ceny zawyżane kosmicznie. Kluczowe znaczenie ma tutaj Traktat Północnoatlantycki, który nie tworzy systemu „wspólnej armii”, lecz opiera się na zasadzie, że każde państwo samodzielnie utrzymuje i rozwija swoje zdolności obronne. NATO jest strukturą koordynacyjną i polityczno- quasi wojskową, a nie podmiotem przejmującym odpowiedzialność za obronę państw członkowskich. Czyli upraszczając to są tylko sekretarki. W szczególności Artykuł 5 Traktatu Północnoatlantyckiego nie ustanawia automatycznego obowiązku udzielenia pomocy w formie interwencji zbrojnej. Administracja Trumpa wie o tym więc nie ma w żadnej umowie międzynarodowej tego, że USA jest obrońcą wszystkich tylko robi presję aby sprzedawać swój szajs. I mój poprzedni komentarz dotyczył właśnie tych wydatków, które zupełnie błędnie interpretował twój kolega i robił to świadomie i z premedytacją ponieważ jego motywem było podjudzanie Europejczyków dla interesów żydów i Izraela. Suma Finalnie nie płacicie żadnych podatków tylko zarabiacie na tym i jesteście największym beneficjentem tego traktatu. To wasza amerykańska administracja, żeruje na was jak pasożyty wyłudzając od was podatki na cele waszego bezpieczeństwa.

I don’t want my taxpayer money going to NATO! It’s useless. Spain, England, France and Italy sold us out. Time to leave! Not another penny.

@JuristView @GuntherEagleman I’m no expert but all NATO Nations contribute to ‘NATO Common Funding’ to pay for NATO Command Structure and other NATO assets - such as CIS, HQs, training organisations, civilian staff etc, etc.

Posłuchaj mnie kretynie bardzo uważnie i zapamiętaj to sobie raz na zawsze. Nie będę dwa razy powtarzał. Nawet złamany cent nie idzie z twoich podatków na NATO ani od żadnego obywatela USA. NATO nie ma armii tylko zrzesza narodowe armie państw członkowskich. To co wy wydajecie na własną obronę i mówicie, że to na NATO to tak naprawdę jest to tylko roczny wasz budżet tylko i wyłącznie przeznaczany na Wasze własne uzbrojenie wewnętrzne. Wydajecie dużo ale prawdę mówiąc jesteście niegospodarni a wasze ceny są zawyżane 100000 krotnie jak nie więcej. I widzicie jak jesteście bici dronami za 2000 dolarów. Suma: Nawet jak wyjdziecie z NATO na co liczę to i tak będziecie płacić tyle samo a nawet z roku na rok będziecie zwiększać te wydatki. PS. Pamiętaj niczego nie daliście i nie dajecie nikomu w NATO. Natomiast ostatnie 30 lat pokazało, że to NATO pomaga nieudacznikom z USA niemalże na każdym kroku. Więc to wy jesteście dłużnikami NATO a nie na odwrót.

@gregbagwell Version 2 after some appalling lack of proof reading. So the Army and RAF have various elements @R, presumably the RN do too? If not, it’s no surprise that they can’t respond instantly. I suspect maintaining @R assets with small fleets is very challenging.

@RAD_Roddy I can live with NTM, as geography will dictate transit time, but what we can’t have is preparation time being added into readiness profiles. If you need more time to prepare once called upon add it to your readiness.

What early lessons does UK need to learn from the war in Iran? 1️⃣ We need to better adhere to readiness timelines, or change them to achievable targets - 7 days readiness means that you are ready for operational tasking in 7 days, not start getting ready in 7 days time. 1/6

@UnimportantO Personally I’d challenge ‘plenty’ of CSS Brigades - 2 really (104 do critical tasks but not a true CSS Bde) and they need to support 2 x Divs and a Corp. We need 3 CSS Bdes and 104 in my opinion.

@SamWatt8600 @PrinceOfFlint Along with those horrible MTP boots and some other things!

@PrinceOfFlint I had a collapsible 7 iron and a pocket full of those in Afghanistan. Brilliant.

Any ball knowers????

@FergusMason25 @AIAIreland Worked with the Irish Army in Kosovo too - great lads and always welcoming to UK personnel serving alongside them.

@AIAIreland "Irish Free State"? What fucking century is it inside your head, you thick cunt? I met the Irish Army in Kosovo. They invited my unit to their bar - because, unlike you, they're not bigoted commie twats.

Uniformed British Soldiers Parade in Roscommon The appearance of the uniformed members of the British Army in Roscommon today, at the funeral of an Irishman who decided to serve the occupation and became a British officer, is an insult to all Irish people a our history.

@the_mantress @pinstripedline But from what I’ve read of the Army’s experience on RN ships on Op CORPORATE they welcomed the senior service’s approach to things!

@RAD_Roddy @pinstripedline Have you served on a warship recently- if so, how often did you see someone unfit to do their duty due to alcohol?

Speaking as someone who did 'wet'and 'dry' optours ,this is right call. You dont want to go to emergency stations, only to find part of the Ships Company is not fit for duty. dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1…

@the_mantress @pinstripedline As I stated in my post, I’ve never served on a ship, I was just making an observation regarding different operational environments I’ve worked in and the related alcohol policies. I don’t think it’s a big deal to have ‘dry’ operations but I can’t speak for RN experience.

@MartinOgle1 @Mr_Andrew_Fox On this list how many are not NATO members and therefore had no responsibility at all to support Article 5? They chose to go to support the GWoT. In an asymmetric war there is no ‘front line’. I have huge respect for the sacrifice USA made for Europe: respect works both ways.

@Mr_Andrew_Fox I don't think he was referencing those countries that provided combat troops, but those Nations that provided troops but not in frontline combat roles, such as: Austria Finland Sweden Switzerland Ireland New Zealand Bosnia Iceland Belgium Portugal Romania

I always thought it was super nice of the Americans to give me that badge for “staying a little off” from the front lines. It’s nice to be appreciated! American friends, especially my former brothers in arms - I’m sorry your President shames you daily. You deserve better.

@mjm2255 @RDPHistory The Americans pursued a diplomatic solution but once Britain committed to force they did back us: intelligence, TACSAT and they backfilled our NATO war stocks so we could release ammunition - especially missiles for harriers. The time they really didn’t back us? Suez.

@RDPHistory This could get serious though. Milei is on the “Board of Peace” and I can see him whispering sweet nothings to Trump to sway the Americans on the Falklands. They barely backed us in 1982.

Nobody does petty quite like the Argies... Argentine envoy to France refuses to speak unless a post-it note is put over the Falklands on a world map, because it recognised that they were a UK Territory 🤣