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Hundreds of British troops will be deployed to Mali and West Africa, Number 10 has now confirmed. According to reports, approximately 350 personnel will be deployed. 200 British soldiers are expected to train soldiers in African countries outside of Mali, whilst 40 advisers are to be sent into the country to train troops. The UK would be "contributing to both Malian training and training forces that are involved in providing a regionally-led approach", a Number 10 spokesman was quoted as saying by the BBC. 70 Royal Air Force personnel are also to be used for the operation of Sentinel surveillance...

<p>Argentina’s defense chief expressed shame Wednesday after a Navy destroyer sank at its moorings, putting on display the declining fortunes of a once-proud fleet.</p> <p>The ARA Trinidad led Argentina’s 1982 sea war against Britain, but has long been mothballed and used for spare parts to sustain what’s left of Argentina’s Navy.</p>

The Prince, 28, has made it clear in interviews that he would love to get the chance of a third tour of duty, but his Apache squadron is not due to return before the scheduled pull-out of combat troops at the end of 2014. It is almost inconceivable that the Prince would be allowed to return as a foot soldier, his preferred option, meaning that unless the Nato withdrawal deadline overruns, he will not be going back to Helmand. The Prince is currently enjoying a month-long break from his Army duties following the end of his 20-week posting to Camp...

'Five thousand Irish soldiers who swapped uniforms to fight for the British against Hitler went on to suffer years of persecution. One of them, 92-year-old Phil Farrington, took part in the D-Day landings and helped liberate the German death camp at Bergen-Belsen - but he wears his medals in secret. Even to this day, he has nightmares that he will be arrested by the authorities and imprisoned for his wartime service. "They would come and get me, yes they would," he said in a frail voice at his home in the docks area of Dublin. And his 25-year-old grandson, Patrick,...

The Ministry of Defence is investigating claims that a soldier sliced fingers off dead Taliban fighters to keep as souvenirs.

A war of words has erupted between the U.S. and Britain after the U.K. government claimed Muammar Gaddafi is a legitimate target for assassination. U.K. government officials said killing the Libyan leader would be legal if it prevented civilian deaths as laid out in a U.N. resolution. But U.S. defence secretary Robert Gates hit back at the suggestion, saying it would be 'unwise' to target the Libyan leader and that the bombing campaign should stick to the 'U.N. mandate'. The infighting comes as a heated meeting of NATO ambassadors yesterday failed to resolve whether the 28-nation alliance should run the...

The royal is off to a secret US experimental combat weapons base where he will learn how to hunt the Taliban in his attack helicopter. The 26-year-old has been selected for special training at the American Army's Yuma proving ground in Arizona, where he will be taught how to use the gunship's awesome firepower.

UK Defense Review - Harriers Out, Tornado Survives? Posted by Bill Sweetman at 10/18/2010 1:00 AM CDT UK Prime Minister David Cameron is due to announce the results of the nation's strategic defense and security review on Tuesday afternoon. After performing twists and gyrations that would have put Strictly Come Dancing's Flexible Felicity to shame, much of the media had settled last week on a common narrative. Either it's right or the Ministry of Defence's department of obfuscation will pull down the OBEs and MBEs big-time in the next honours list. If the speculation and leaks are correct, these are...

A fighter falls prey to politics The Coalition is to scrap the Harrier jump jet, while sparing the less effective Tornado. Little wonder the pilots are up in arms, says Con Coughlin. By Con Coughlin They have dedicated their careers to flying one of the world’s most iconic jet fighters. They have flown hundreds of combat missions in Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Iraq and Afghanistan again. But from now on the elite group of pilots that flew the Harrier jump jet find themselves kicking their heels on the tarmac with no planes to fly. Of all the painful decisions announced...

A message in a bottle written by the mother of a British soldier killed in Afghanistan has been found by workers cleaning up the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Sarah Adams, 43, was on holiday in Barbados when she wrote the loving message about her son Private James Prosser, 21, who was killed by a roadside bomb. She threw it into the sea and after floating 1,300 miles it was fished out of the water by workers cleaning up the oil leak from the BP pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico. The workers were so moved by Mrs Adams' message...

Last week the British Embassy announced that British, French and American troops would march with Russian soldiers on Red Square to mark the 65th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. The Brits said in a statement that the parade may mark the first time British troops have marched in Red Square. The AP helpfully explains that Victory Day is Russia's most important secular holiday. It adds that the Kremlin plans a larger parade than usual this year, with good reason. The Kremlin will be celebrating the addition of the British, French and American troops.

It was an experience his youngest son has already been through. But yesterday the Prince of Wales was able to witness for himself the badlands of Afghanistan. Pictures of Charles donning full combat gear while inspecting a machine gun at a British camp bore a striking resemblance to those taken of Prince Harry in similar poses two years earlier. The key difference was that for Harry it was all for real. Charles was paying an unprecedented and surprise fact-finding visit to the UK's frontline troops. It is a trip the prince, the Commander in Chief of ten regiments, had wanted...

<p>The Sun reports that Flight Lieutenant Ian Fortune, 28, had flown in to pick up casualties as a firefight raged between American and Afghan forces and heavily-armed rebels near Garmsir in Helmand Province.</p> <p>Flt-Lt Fortune - who had TV presenter Mike Brewer on the aircraft filming a documentary - was advised to hold off on approach to the battle as it was "too hot" on the ground. He circled until troops reported incoming fire had calmed down.</p>

British troops will remain in Afghanistan for the next five years, according to the head of the Army. General Sir David Richard expects combat in the country to “trail off in 2011” but said the military would stay to provide training and support for Afghan troops. His comments come as Operation Moshtarak, a major joint offensive against Taliban strongholds, appears to be drawing to an end.

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The head of the UK's armed forces, Sir Jock Stirrup, has said the killing of 12 civilians during Operation Moshtarak in Afghanistan was a "serious setback".No British troops were involved when two rockets fired by coalition forces missed its target in Marjah. Sir Jock said the British had to focus on regaining the trust of the Afghan population but accidents were "inevitable". Up to 15,000 Nato troops are searching for the Taliban in Marjah and Nad Ali.

'The secret role of the SAS in Iraq is revealed for the first time today by the Daily Mail. As the first part of our adaptation of an explosive new book by BBC reporter Mark Urban shows, the SAS - sent to find non-existent WMDs - instead took inspiration from U.S. secret forces and set about tracking down Al Qaeda. Their secret war sparked a furious row between Whitehall and the SAS's commander - but their extraordinary bravery and daring resulted in the capture or death of almost 4,000 terrorists.'

MARJAH, Afghanistan -- U.S., Afghan and British troops were in the early stages of securing the town of Marjah Saturday, with thousands of infantrymen moving in on foot after helicopter-born soldiers seized two central shopping bazaars. The airborne troops landed before dawn, opening the first major military push in the latest surge of U.S. and allied forces into Afghanistan. So far, the troops have encountered only hit-and-run resistance from Taliban fighters, who have been taking potshots from compounds before moving out as the allied troops returned fire. Afghan officials said five Taliban had been killed; there was no word on...

Offensive Against Taliban Starts Assault ... helicopters fly troops in to start the offensive against the Taliban Andy Bush  A FORCE of more than 15,000 Allied troops stormed into Taliban strongholds early today as commanders heralded "the beginning of the end for the insurgency". Under cover of darkness, an awesome array of troops dropped into the badlands of the Helmand valley.A first wave of 1,200 British troops - out of a total of 4,000 in the operation - were involved as the mission started.Our Boys took off from Camp Bastion in a fleet of helicopters as Operation Moshtarak got underway...

It is among the U.S. Air Force’s most finite resources, but the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is still growing in capabilities, and it’s an aircraft America is happy to allow an ally to use. A long-standing exchange program that has seen USAF personnel trade places with those from the Royal Air Force was extended to the B-2 in 2004. The offer to open up the secretive B-2 mission to a key ally was made by then-President George W. Bush in an e-mail to then-Prime Minister Tony Blair. Among the achievements of the first British pilot, Sqn. Ldr. David Arthurton, was...