The British Royal Navy's new aircraft carrier will carry out operations against ISIS when it enters the Middle East, the head of the UK's armed forces has told a meeting of Gulf military leaders.
Gen Sir Nick Carter committed HMS Queen Elizabeth to live operations against the terrorists when he hosted the Dragon Group of generals in London.
The group, made up of military chiefs from the six GCC countries plus Egypt, Jordan and Iraq was holding its fourth annual meeting since it was set up in 2018 to assist security planning.
During discussions on defence co-operation and other issues at Lancaster House yesterday, the Chief of the Defence Staff told the assembled senior ranks that Britain would demonstrate its commitment to maintain security in the Middle East.
Part of that will come from the Navy’s 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier, the most modern in the world, that is anchored off Sicily after conducting strike missions against ISIS by F35 jets launched in the Eastern Mediterranean.
HMS Queen Elizabeth will soon head through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, placing its aircraft within range of targets in the region. It will also send a message to Iran on the extent of Britain’s naval strength.
“The UK’s Carrier Strike Group will soon enter the Middle East to further bolster our commitment to regional security, including carrying out operations against Daesh from Britain’s flagship aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth,” Gen Carter said.
He said the Dragon Group meeting was a “tremendous opportunity to discuss common challenges”, to learn from each other and to “take a view on how we chart a common approach to the future”.
With the US scaling down its military commitment in the Middle East as it meets the threat from China in the Pacific, there is an opportunity for the UK to show its resolve.
“The UK armed forces hugely value our partnerships in the Middle East and we stand with our friends in seeking to create a stable and prosperous region,” Gen Carter said. “Our security relationships in the Gulf run deep. We routinely have more than 1,000 military personnel in the region, in addition to aircraft and ships.”
The defence partnerships would help the nine countries of the Dragon Group mount counter-terrorism, anti-piracy and counter-smuggling operations, he said.
The UK's Ministry of Defence said Britain, "was ready to work with our allies around the world to secure a better, safer world”.
The meeting also focused on regional trends as well as new capabilities to combat shared threats, the MoD said.
The Dragon Group, named after its first meeting aboard the Type-45 destroyer HMS Dragon in 2018, is an annual conference of defence chiefs from the Middle East and Britain.
The event included a lunch attended by Prince Edward alongside military leaders from Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Gen Carter will this week host the inaugural bilateral Military Co-operation Committee meeting Saudi Arabian defence chiefs during which the two countries will discuss military co-operation.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20profile
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
RESULTS
6pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $40,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: AF Alajaj, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
6.35pm: Race of Future – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (Turf) 2,410m
Winner: Global Storm, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Azure Coast, Antonio Fresu, Pavel Vashchenko
7.45pm: Business Bay Challenge – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Storm Damage, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
20.20pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed (TB) $100,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Appreciated, Fernando Jara, Doug O’Neill
8.55pm: Singspiel Stakes – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O'Meara
9.30pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Meraas, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
SQUAD
Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammed Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Saeed Ahmed, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Muhammed Jumah, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
No_One Ever Really Dies
N*E*R*D
(I Am Other/Columbia)