BREAKING: Up to 20,000 @BritishArmy, @RoyalNavy, @RoyalAirForce personnel will be put on standby to help combat the coronavirus, with troops gearing up to drive oxygen tankers, support the police and boost hospital capacity 1/
Reservists will on Thursday be put on notice to mobilise if required as part of a war-like effort to prepare the armed forces in case the government calls upon them in large numbers 2/
But @DefenceHQ must also deal with threat posed by #COVID19. Steps are being taken to isolate or quarantine personnel on UK’s most important missions – such as ability to respond to a terrorist attack or to protect UK skies from hostile aircraft – to ensure they are not sick. 3/
In addition, all holiday leave has been cancelled for troops deployed on operations overseas, while training exercises in Canada and Kenya have been postponed. 4/
Defence Secretary @BWallaceMP: “The men & women of our armed forces stand ready to protect Britain & her citizens from all threats, including #COVID19... Flexibility & dedication of services means we’re able to provide assistance across whole of society in this time of need” 5/
But the added demand from the coronavirus comes at a time when the military is already stretched following decades of cuts in manpower and equipment. 6/
Military chiefs must also deal with the expectation that they could lose up to 20 per cent of service personnel at peak periods of the pandemic due to illness, the need to care for family members or the need to self-isolate, according to defence sources. 7/
Codename for push to “deliver #COVID19 resilience” to military’s operations at home = Operation Rescript.
The effort to do the same for defence activities overseas = Operation Broadshare. This also includes support for UK’s overseas territories such as the Falkland Islands. 8/
The effort to do the same for defence activities overseas = Operation Broadshare. This also includes support for UK’s overseas territories such as the Falkland Islands. 8/
Both OP RESCRIPT & OP BROADSHARE involve giving military support to the rest of government if needed as part of #COVID19 response 9/
General Sir Richard Barrons, former top commander, said @DefenceHQ will have plans to ensure key tasks to protect UK can function even with virus making some troops sick. “The military is used to thinking about force protection. They know that the enemy has a vote,” he said. 10/
While military must build up resilience for tasks like nuclear deterrent & CT, it could reduce areas such as training. “But that has a knock-on effect on readiness of people to do things in future. Another thing you can’t stop is recruiting as military will empty out fast.” 11/11
