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The EU is facing a dramatically aggravated security environment in the East and South of its borders. At the same time, the financial crisis has led to drastic uncoordinated cuts in the defence budgets of the EU Member States. The EU's ability to project power into its neighbourhood is weak, most of its CSDP (Common Security and Defence Policy) operations are just too little, too late. While territorial defence of Western Europe continues to depend heavily on the US, several consecutive American administrations have been urging Europeans to take more responsibility for their own security within NATO.
The European Council has so far taken only small steps to encourage greater cooperation among Member States – clearly insufficient, if one looks at the alarming and deteriorating circumstances.
On the eve of the European Council on Defence of 25th June, ALDE will present its 'Roadmap towards an Integrated EU Military' to show the way how to achieve more European defence for less money, essentially by building an integrated European pillar of NATO.
The event will see a presentation of the roadmap by ALDE President Guy Verhofstadt, followed by keynote speeches by two ALDE Ministers of Defence and their former Finnish counterpart.
Japanese Air Self Defence Boeing KC-767J arriving at the 2014 Royal International Air Tattoo Fairford.
During the 1930’s the Bawdsey peninsula became home to the first Chain Home Radar Station and training school for Britain’s new top secret weapon 'Radar Direction Finding' Equipment, this ground breaking installation required additional security and led to the development of a series of Defence improvements of which the Bawdsey Emergency Coastal Defence Battery was an integral part of the Emergency Coastal Defence Programme (ECDP) despite initial concerns that any ECDP Battery positioned at Bawdsey would be liable to flooding, the fact that the peninsulas coastline was so vulnerable led to a Battery being built and in use by February 1942 even though the threat of Invasion had now passed.
Two Naval BL 6in MkVII Guns on PVII Mountings, No.1 Gun manufactured in 1918 and No.2 Gun in 1918, which had a 180 degree firing arc able to be trained on any point at sea almost due North to due South. Both Guns were salvaged from World War One Battleships broken up on decommissioning after the war. The Emergency Coastal Defence Battery consised of two Gun Emplacements with reinforced concrete roofs (removed sometime after 1971) with attached Magazines and Machine Housing. On either side of the Coastal Battery were two Coastal Artillery Searchlights (CASL) with two Projectors MkV (AA) 90cn Reflectors and a 22kw Lister 38hp diesel engine, placed in concrete Emplacements, which have since been lost to coastal erosion.
The Coastal Battery followed the basic layout, an enclosed structure with concrete roofs which included Crew Shelters and Ammunition Stores all of which were connected by covered passages, the entire Emplacement was designed with Small Arms Loopholes to provide a 360° arc of Defensive Fire. The Coastal Battery Observation Post was a concrete Slit Trench between the two Guns probably with a buried Landline to the Fire Control Tower which was a four story building, the basement was prone to flooding, and appears not to have been used, the ground floor was used as the Armoury, this was Defended by all round Loopholes. The first floor was the Switch / Telephone Room, the top floor housed the Rangefinder Equipment (a Naval Barr and Stroud 9ft, Type FQ 11 No 1544, Magnification x 28) and also had a 360° field of view, which is covered by an Armoured Steel Roof that was originally supported by corner posts.
Gunners from 322 Battery Royal Artillery were transferred from other Defences at Foulness and once operational the Coastal Battery would have had at least 80 Gunners on duty at any one time. In December 1943 with the threat of Invasion now highly unlikely and with trained manpower being desperately needed elsewhere, the Gunners of 322 were transferred to other duties leaving only one Officer and seven Regular Gunners to run the Coastal Battery assisted by members of the Home Guard.
Geographically the Coastal Battery is very isolated which Military planners recognised, the Coastal Battery Gunners knew this and knew that in the case of an attack the expectation was that they should Defend the Coastal Battery to the last man.
The following Defence Mechanisms are known to have been in place in support of the Coastal Battery :-
> 2 x Unrotated Projectile (UP) Anti-Aircraft Rocket Projectors, an experimental Naval Weapon which had proved totally unreliable and ineffective in operation prompting its withdrawal from Royal Navy service. One was located to the South of the Coastal Battery with the second being located to the West
> Northwest of the Coastal Battery there were two Weapon Pits both designed to hold ten Men (one armed with a Bren Light Machine Gun) and a Spigot Mortar
> West of the Coastal Battery there was a single Weapon Pit also holding a ten Men Crewing another Spigot Mortar and a single MG-30 Solothurn Machine Gun (the predecessor to the German MG34)
> South of the Coastal Battery in the Martello Tower were a further 11 men one of whom was armed with a Bren LMG.
> A further 22 Personnel armed with Rifles and two more Bren Light Machine Guns formed a Mobile Reserve patrolling out of reserve Shelters
> The nearest significant number of men in support were based at Bawdsey Manor whilst all Defensive Posts were manned by volunteers from the 5th Battalion, the Suffolk Home Guard.
Within an area behind the Coastal Battery which was populated with trees there were a series of Nissen huts used as Barracks, a Mess, Storage Buildings and other Camp Buildings.
Geographically the Coastal Battery is very isolated which Military planners recognised.
Guatemala General Elections 2007
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the drake (male) is only spectator. Drakes don't help raising the ducklings, they leave after the fun part. (pretty smart huh?) Maybe is watching to see if the crow is winning, that would be the best outcome for him cause then the hen will want to mate again to start a new nest
Estonian Defence Force Soldiers serving with Estcoy-19 take part in live-fire tactical training while serving in Iraq as part of Operation Inherent Resolve
Photos: @kaitsevagi.edf
UK Defence Minister Harriett Baldwin attended a reception hosted by ADS Group ahead of Aero India 2017 in Bengaluru, Monday 13 February 2017. Follow us on Twitter @UKinIndia
After reports of heavy siege equipment and chariots being positioned for an attack on Eastgate, the city council has commissioned new defences.
Weary from the long siege and the conflict between the now reunited brothers Dugal and Petera, the citizens, craftsmen, and soldiers have flocked to help keep the new enemy at bay.
Here, soldiers are chugging away at the hard sandstone to create a ditch deep enough to stop or topple over any siege tower or similar equipment making it's way towards the tall walls of Eastgate.
Northernmost one. No earthbanking remaining on it. In good condition but full of mud and sheep shit!