Latest news with #HamishdeBretton-Gordon
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Flimsy fence protects air base set for Britain's new nuclear-armed jets
The flimsy barrier is 300 metres from the runway at RAF Marham, Norfolk. Our revelation comes just weeks after protesters were arrested for causing £7million of damage to aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire An airbase set to house the RAF's nuclear-armed jets is protected by a five-foot wooden fence. The flimsy barrier is 300 metres from the runway at RAF Marham, Norfolk. Our revelation comes just weeks after protesters were arrested for causing £7million of damage to aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The fence at RAF Marham can be accessed by five gaps in a hedge in a farmer's field. We visited the spot this week and stood there for 30 minutes but no security guard came to check on us. The rest of the base is surrounded by 18-foot barbed-wire fences. Last night Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former army colonel and nuclear weapons expert, said: 'It seems incongruous that at the base for our stealth fighters there is only a picket fence, which a small child could vault, as protection. When our new tactical nuclear bombers, the F-35As, arrive at RAF Marham, a wooden fence is almost encouraging terrorists to 'have a go'.' RAF Marham is the home of 617 Squadron 'The Dambusters' who fly the F-35B Lightning multi-role stealth fighter. A month ago Keir Starmer announced the government was buying at least 12 American-made F-35A fighter-bombers that can carry nuclear weapons as well as conventional ones at an estimated cost of around £700million. At a Nato summit in The Hague, the Prime Minister said the purchase was a 'response to a growing nuclear threat'. Downing Street said the move was 'the biggest strengthening of the UK's nuclear posture in a generation'. It is the first time the RAF will be able to carry nukes since the 1990s. The move comes at a time of growing global insecurity – and as the PM and his European and Canadian allies scramble to convince Donald Trump they are serious about defending Europe, rather than relying on the US. Colonel de Bretton-Gordon added: 'I applaud the design to get a tactical nuclear deterrent but the protection of these aircraft is as important as the aircraft themselves'. A government spokesperson said: ''We take security extremely seriously and operate a multi-layered approach to protect our sites, including fencing, patrols and CCTV monitoring. Following the incident at Brize Norton, we are urgently reviewing security and have implemented a series of enhanced security measures at all sites. After years of hollowing out and underfunding of the armed forces, the Strategic Defence Review concluded that we need to invest more, backed by the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian soldiers' ‘drone-proof' thermal coats actually mark them for attack
Credit: Telegram/ ombr_63 Russian soldiers are struggling to hide from Ukrainian drones, despite being given coats and blankets designed to hide them from thermal and night vision sensors. The garments are intended to mask body heat, making soldiers harder to detect with night-vision and infrared optics. However they are constructed with faulty technology, and troops are often given inadequate training in how to use them. Rather than concealing body heat, the coats create cold spots against a warmer natural environment, making bold black targets for Ukraine to strike. 'This is no invisibility cloak,' Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former British Army colonel and chemical weapons expert, told The Telegraph. 'In fact, because of the contrast, it makes them more acquirable than less.'Ukrainian drones, often operated by special forces or intelligence units, combine thermal imaging with real-time targeting technology allows Ukraine to conduct precise strikes even at night, taking out hidden or camouflaged Russian positions. Russian soldiers are now being sent towards the enemy believing the equipment will keep them safe from attacks. Credit: X/@FedorovMykhailo But video footage and photographs taken in Lyman earlier this week show soldiers standing out more than ever as Ukrainian drones hover low behind soldiers moved towards positions held by the Ukrainian army's 63rd Mechanised Brigade with coats draped over their shoulders before a barrage of first-person view (FPV) drones descended on 'funny occupiers in the Lyman region… put on anti-drone raincoats and thought that now they are safe,' the brigade said after the attack.A different Russian assault group used higher-quality thermal blankets but lacked proper training on how to use them could be seen with their legs, arms, or heads peeking out from the covers, suddenly highlighting where they were standing. Nick Reynolds, research fellow for land warfare at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), said that there have been 'instances of incompetence by Russian personnel who clearly do not understand how to use their equipment'. Mr de Bretton-Gordon added: 'It does highlight how difficult it is to hide on today's battlefield... They need to cover their whole bodies.' Details found online showed Russian versions of the suits on sale for just $47 USD. Improvements in Ukrainian technology are also making it even harder for Russians to hide.'Thermal cameras on drones are both improving and becoming cheaper as manufacturing processes improve,' explained Mr soldiers have previously used thermal camouflage suits, reportedly to much better effect than their Russian adversaries. The suits, which weigh 2.5 kilograms, are made by a variety of multilayer materials, in particular polymers, microfibres, and fabrics interspersed with metal particles. 'Our goal is to disguise the military and equipment from the enemy as reliably as possible,' Vitalii Polovenko, the deputy defence minister, said last year. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Threat of India and Pakistan nuclear war is real - but there's a silver lining
The threat of atomic war between bitter enemies Pakistan and India is real - but that alarm will likely prevent a major conflict breaking out between the two, declares a top UK military nuke expert One of the UK's leading military experts in atomic warfare has declared India and Pakistan's nuclear weapons will likely 'prevent a major war.' But more terror attacks or unconventional warfare backed or planned by Pakistan would herald an increase in conventional strikes by militarily superior India, he warned. Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon was talking as the world awaits Islamabad's threatened revenge move following India's strikes on Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir and the mainland. India has claimed it was striking Pakistan-backed terror camps in retaliation for an April 22 terror attack that killed 26 tourists, mostly Indians, in its part of Kashmir. And Pakistan claimed it has killed 'dozens' of Indian soldiers and that overnight it shot down 12 Indian drones. Delhi's military claimed in reply that it thwarted missile and drone attacks by Pakistan on Wednesday through to Thursday morning on 15 sites across the north and west. And Col De Bretton-Gordon added that although neither India or Pakistan owns so-called traditional chemical weapons made by countries such as Russia and in the past Syria, there is always that danger. The former Commanding Officer of the UK's Joint Chemical, Biological and Nuclear Regiment told the Mirror: 'In an odd way this means a future escalation is less likely. "The thing that both countries having nuclear weapons does is it creates balance, equilibrium and parity. Look at what's happening in Ukraine where there is no nuclear parity and Putin is able to make threats about nuclear weapons and gets away with it. 'When you have nuclear parity this almost cancels the two sides out and avoids a conventional escalation.' One problem may lie in Pakistan's complex relationships with terror groups, he added, saying: 'But at the same time it is true to say that Pakistan has had major problems with al-Qaeda, Islamic State and the Taliban. Pakistan must have some responsibility towards this. "Pakistan will retaliate in some way to India's recent strikes but unlikely with a full scale invasion as there is no conventional parity. India is a much more powerful military entity and Pakistan knows that. 'That said the links between the Pakistan Inter Service Intelligence agency, the ISI and these organisations in the past is pretty unpleasant and that has to be watched. This has been a complex relationship. "We could see more terror attacks and that could be met with a much more conventional response from India.' Both India and Pakistan are said not to own chemical and biological weapons - but de Bretton-Gordon warns that chemical weapons can easily be used by both. He said: 'Russia is daily using these kinds of weapons and they are very easily made, even though the thing being used might not be what people think of as chemical weapons. 'Putin's troops are using riot control agents, which technically are chemical weapons, on an industrial scale and they are very effective. I was with the Kurdish Peshmerga in Syria when ISIS were firing mortars full of Chlorine and you then see a brave fighter used to running into a hail of bullets looking terrified. "This is a very scary weapon and it can easily kill you. This stuff is called Chloropicrin and it can be deadly. Whilst India and Pakistan may not have what we usually think of as chemical weapons I am quite sure both do have these riot control agents. 'To summarise, if the situation worsens we may see an escalation of some kind , even perhaps more terror attacks - but this would not be in Pakistan's interest. Ultimately India is in a position of conventional military overmatch with Pakistan and a war could lead to the devastation of Pakistan.'
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Thousands of UK gas masks being sent to Ukraine
More than 65,000 gas masks made in Wiltshire are to be sent out to troops in Ukraine to help them defend their country. Avon Protection, in Melksham, has received two Nato orders to supply personal respirators as part of a multimillion-pound deal. The US has accused Russia of deploying chemical weapons on the battlefield, in violation of international laws. Justin Hine, director of strategy and product management at Avon Protection, said: "Because of the urgency we've immediately jumped on this requirement, the respirators are in production now and we will be supplying them imminently." More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire "These are desperately needed and they [Ukraine] need the most widely proven and easy to use product," he added. Former army chemical weapons commander, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, said the Russians have been using chemical weapons "almost continuously" over the last 18 months. "They send over [attack] drones with cannisters full of [gas] and drop it into the trenches," he said. "It's a riot control agent but it's illegal under the Chemical Weapons Convention. "So, the need for proper protection - good high quality gas masks - is absolutely essential." Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. British-made gas masks could help Ukraine soldiers Russia using choking agents in Ukraine, US says Safety equipment manufacturer gets new MoD contract
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Thousands of UK gas masks being sent to Ukraine
More than 65,000 gas masks made in Wiltshire are to be sent out to troops in Ukraine to help them defend their country. Avon Protection, in Melksham, has received two Nato orders to supply personal respirators as part of a multimillion-pound deal. The US has accused Russia of deploying chemical weapons on the battlefield, in violation of international laws. Justin Hine, director of strategy and product management at Avon Protection, said: "Because of the urgency we've immediately jumped on this requirement, the respirators are in production now and we will be supplying them imminently." More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire "These are desperately needed and they [Ukraine] need the most widely proven and easy to use product," he added. Former army chemical weapons commander, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, said the Russians have been using chemical weapons "almost continuously" over the last 18 months. "They send over [attack] drones with cannisters full of [gas] and drop it into the trenches," he said. "It's a riot control agent but it's illegal under the Chemical Weapons Convention. "So, the need for proper protection - good high quality gas masks - is absolutely essential." Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. British-made gas masks could help Ukraine soldiers Russia using choking agents in Ukraine, US says Safety equipment manufacturer gets new MoD contract
