Here is Global Brexit Britain, projecting its power in the EU in the cause of peace
CIBUK.org
Posted On May 26, 2022
This report has been co-published with our affiliated organisation, Brexit Facts4EU.Org. We are most grateful for their original research into the raw data which backs what follows.
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Special report on Brexit Britain’s contribution to peace, without EU interference
On Friday (13 May 2022) the Ministry of Defence announced the deployment of 2,000 British troops to the wannabe EU member state of North Macedonia. A very significant deployment, but the projection of the UK’s power does not stop there.
We reveal the significant military involvement of the UK in continuing to defend the EU – and in the UK’s further capabilities and activities around the world.
This report is the first part of a three part series and focuses on the UK defending the EU on the ground. Subsequent parts will cover defending the EU in the air and by sea, and keeping the peace globally on the ground, by air, and on the seas.
The map below ONLY shows Army deployments
Royal Navy and RAF deployments will be in Parts Two and Three
Map credit MoD 2022 – click to enlarge
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The true strengths of Global Brexit Britain
For decades of EU membership, readers have experienced the continued belittling of the United Kingdom, principally by those favouring the subsuming of the UK into a ‘United States of Europe’.
Facts4EU.Org now sets the record straight by revealing the facts on the ground, in the air, and on the seas, and compares these to the lamentable performance by the EU Commission in its attempts to present itself as a credible power.
1. Exercise Swift Response – the UK protecting the EU’s eastern flank
The latest UK deployment of 2,000 British troops to EU accession country North Macedonia is only part of the story, but we start with that.
More than 2,000 members of the British Army’s Global Response Force have just demonstrated their ability to react to global crises during an exercise with NATO allies. They are acting under the command of 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, as announced by the MoD on Friday.
Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment load onto the back of a Chinook during Exercise Swift Response 2022.
Photo credit MoD 2022 – click to enlarge
Exercise Swift Response is being held across 16 European countries, it is designed to showcase the ability of NATO to carry out large ground combat operations in support of its members and allies.
The purpose is to present combat credible Army forces in Europe and Africa and enhance readiness by building airborne operations with Allies and partners.
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British forces from across 16 Air Assault Brigade have deployed to North Macedonia. CH47 Chinook helicopters from the Royal Air Force have also deployed to North Macedonia as part of 16 Air Assault Brigade.
The UK contingent is made up of the 2 PARA Battlegroup, built around the airborne infantry of 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment. They have been supported by artillery, engineers, logisticians, medics, and signallers from 16 Air Assault BCT, and Aviation Task Force 1 with Apache attack helicopters and Chinook support helicopters.
Photo credit MoD 2022 – click to enlarge
Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey MP said:
“Exercise Swift Response shows how the British Army is transforming to become more lethal, agile, and expeditionary. Exercises alongside our partners and Allies are necessary to maintain our advantage in a complex and ever-changing world.”
“Travelling by road, rail, sea and air to North Macedonia – NATO’s newest member since joining in 2020… soldiers then deployed onto the rugged Krivolak training range by parachute and helicopter to secure and defend a foothold in simulated hostile territory, and then take the offensive.”
– James Heappey MP, 13 May 2022 (Mr Heappey retired as a Major from the Army, having served in Kabul in 2005, Northern Ireland in 2006, Basra Iraq in 2007. and Helmand Province Afghanistan in 2009.)
Commander of 16 Air Assault BCT Brigadier Nick Cowley said:
“On Exercise Swift Response, 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, alongside multiple Army and RAF units, has truly demonstrated the lethality, agility and expeditionary capabilities of the Global Response Force.“We have deployed thousands of miles across Europe to link up with our NATO allies to conduct arduous training in a challenging environment to make sure that we are ready to deploy on the most demanding missions, at short notice…. This exercise has absolutely showed me that we are ready for anything.”
2. Exercise Arrow – the UK protecting the EU’s northern flank
The Army’s main battle tank – the Challenger 2 – on Operation Arrow. Photo credit MoD 2022.
Earlier this month the British Army deployed to Finland to take part in Exercise Arrow. The exercise has improved the ability of UK and Finnish troops to work alongside each other as part of the Joint Expeditionary Force, an 8 year military alliance of 10 ‘like-minded’ nations.
There are still mounds of winter snow near the banks of the frozen Lake Valkiajarvi at the Niinisalo Training Camp in the west of Finland. But as the white dissipates into grit and dirt in the slightly rising temperatures, the UK has deployed its Challenger 2 main battle tanks, belonging to the Queen’s Royal Hussars.
Photo credit MoD 2022 – click to enlarge
3. Exercise Defender – the UK protecting the EU from top to bottom
Exercise Defender is a NATO exercise which sees 1,000 British soldiers alongside troops from 11 partner nations including Poland and Denmark. The exercise involves tanks and other armoured vehicles deploying from the NATO Forward Holding Base in Sennelager, Germany.
Photo credit MoD 2022 – click to enlarge
“Exercise Steadfast Defender will test
NATO’s readiness and military mobility with forces deploying across land and sea, all the way from North America to the Black Sea region and off the coast of Portugal,” said the NATO Secretary General.
British forces will exercise across Poland, integrating with forces from across the alliance to put NATO’s international communication and collaboration to the test.
Photo credit MoD 2022 – click to enlarge
4. ‘Enhanced Forward Presence’ – the UK protecting the EU from Estonia to Poland
In 2017 around 4,000 troops were deployed to Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Estonia as part of NATO’s ‘Enhanced Forward Presence’. As a founding member of NATO, the UK has played a key role, leading one of the four multinational battlegroups.
In Poland, a Light Cavalry Squadron from the Royal Dragoon Guards has been deployed as part of a US-led battlegroup composed of a battalion of the California National Guard as well as Romanian and Croatian contributions.
One of the Army’s Scimitars. Photo credit MoD 2022
Additional units include elements from the Adjutant General’s Corps, Intelligence Corps, Royal Artillery, Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers, Royal Engineers, Royal Logistics Corps, Royal Military Police, and Royal Signals. The enhanced Forward Presence is just one aspect of a wide range of UK support to NATO.
5. Exercise Hedgehog – Estonia/Latvia
Exercise Hedgehog sees troops from the Royal Welsh Battlegroup and the Royal Tank Regiment exercising on the Estonia-Latvia border alongside 18,000 NATO troops.
Photo credit MoD 2022 – click to enlarge
Photo credit MoD 2022 – click to enlarge
A wide range of units from the Field Army are involved, from airborne forces, to helicopters, to tanks and armoured forces, supported by artillery, electronic warfare, air defence, surveillance drones, and engineers.
Key international partnerships
These examples showcase the scale and significance of the UK Armed Forces’ contribution to the security of the EU, Europe, and the North Atlantic. They highlight the continued importance of the leadership role which the UK plays as a member of NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).
In addition to the Army’s programme, the UK has deployed a major headquarters to the Baltic region, in support of the JEF. The UK is the framework nation for the Joint Expeditionary Force, a coalition of like-minded partners, able to respond rapidly to crises in the High North, North Atlantic, Baltic Sea region and further afield.
