British Military Pictures & Videos

Typhoon jets with long-range strike capability

UK air strikes against Isis

Army's Next Generation Eye in the Sky Takes Flight in Afghanistan

The Ministry of Defence has announced that the Army’s next generation of Unmanned Air System (UAS), Watchkeeper, is now fully operational in Afghanistan. This new capability is providing force protection for British troops as they prepare to draw down from Afghanistan by the end of this year.Footage released today shows Watchkeeper carrying out surveillance tasks and gaining situational awareness via its cutting edge cameras and radar capability, a new asset for the UK’s Armed Forces.Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon, made the announcement on a visit to Kabul alongside Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nicholas Houghton – who also visited Camp Bastion where he met the Army personnel and saw Watchkeeper flying operationally.

CBRN training for troops on Exercise Poison Fist

An exercise using respirators has tested soldiers to the limit in Germany. Exercise Poison Fist saw eight teams from 20th Armoured Brigade take on four different drills around the Sennelager ranges. It’s all part of their Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) training, as well as learning key skills for future operations. 1 Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment delivered a progressive and challenging exercise to encourage CBRN skills and awareness.

With any military training, the operation and accuracy of shooting skills are always paramount.

During a simulated chemical attack, soldiers are tested as they are forced to run whilst wearing their protective gear.

A close up of the new respirator, which offers better visibility and with two canisters, more oxygen which enables better breathing capabilities during physical exercise.

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Royal Marine Commandos Practice Fighting Skills in Desert Heat

In the Mojave desert sands of California it isn’t the just the scorpions, spiders and snakes that can deliver a lethal bite.For it is here that for the last six weeks the Royal Marines of 45 Commando have been honing their skills alongside their Dutch and US counterparts.Based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Centre (MCAGCC) in 29 Palms, the Commandos have been living out of accommodation similar to air raid shelters while taking part in the annual exercise – Black Alligator.Sergeant Paul McShannon said: “Black Alligator is an annual exercise that the Royal Marines use to hone their basic section level tactics all the way up to a live firing exercise and then the final exercise where everything they have worked on is put to the test.”For the Combined Arms Live Firing Exercise (CALFEX) it was Yankee Company that, under cover of darkness, began a 12km 'yomp' over treacherous ground to form up by 5am and plan their assault. Then two hours later, 7 Battery of 29 Commando who are usually based in Arbroath, started engaging enemy positions with 105mm rounds. This was followed by 81mm mortar fire from the mortar line using both high explosive rounds and smoke rounds, while snipers were deployed to take up position and take out high value targets as required.The men of Y Company, who had stood poised and ready for the assault, made the 'break in' at 7.45am by placing an explosive charge. Using the ground to their advantage Y Company were able to put suppressing fire down onto the enemy position as a section of marines swept through, destroying all the enemy. And so, with typical Royal Marine determination, Y Company secured the first objective, leaving it to the Dutch Marines to secure the second.Finally with supporting firepower from M1A1 Abrams Tanks, the Vikings and marines from W Company took the final position as F16s dropped inert 500lb and a 2000lb bombs – their objective completed.

Royal Air Force Hand Over Merlin to Royal Navy

Today marked the end of an era for the Royal Air Force and the start of a new one for the Royal Navy as the official handover of the Merlin helicopter took place in a formal ceremony at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire. The formal Royal parade marked the next stage in the transition of the Merlin helicopter from the Support Helicopter Force to the Commando Helicopter Force, a move that was introduced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review. Since 2012, aircrew and engineers from the Commando Helicopter Force of the Royal Navy have been integrated into the Merlin Force at RAF Benson; working alongside their Royal Air Force counterparts to absorb over a decade of experience of operating and maintaining the technologically advanced aircraft.

The ceremony was attended by Their Royal Highnesses The Duke of York, the Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm, and Prince Michael of Kent, Honorary Air Marshal of Royal Air Force Benson. Having been successfully employed on RAF operations in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan and capable of carrying up to 24 fully equipped troops, the Merlin is ideally placed to transfer to the littoral role undertaken by the Commando Helicopter Force.

Today the transition programme saw 78 Squadron RAF disband and 846 Naval Air Squadron stand up. 846 NAS will remain at RAF Benson until Spring next year when they and several of the Merlin aircraft will return to the home of the Commando Helicopter Force, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset. Transition will continue at RAF Benson when 845 Naval Air Squadron will stand up in place of 28 (Army Cooperation) Squadron RAF later in 2015. When fully operational, 845 Squadron will also return home to Yeovilton to reunite the fleet. This incremental transition programme ensures that the capabilities the Joint Helicopter Command brings to Defence are fully maintained with the uplift of the Chinook, upgrade of the Puma, retirement of the Sea King and marinisation programme for the Merlin progress.




















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RAF Tornado Strike Jets continue striking at the heart of the ISIS in Iraq.

RAF Tornado GR4 Strike Aircraft Refuel Over Iraq During Operation Shader

A pair of Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 strike aircraft take on fuel from a Voyager tanker high in the skies over Iraq, during Operation Shader.


Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 aircraft have been in action over Iraq today in the fight against ISIL.This action is part of the international coalition’s operations to support the democratic Iraqi government.In the course of an armed reconnaissance mission from RAF Akrotiri, 2 Tornados were tasked to assist Kurdish troops in north west Iraq who were under attack from ISIL terrorists.On arriving overhead, the RAF patrol, using the Litening III targeting pod, identified an ISIL heavy weapon position which was engaging Kurdish ground forces.One Paveway IV guided bomb was used to attack the ISIL position.Following this engagement, the patrol identified an ISIL armed pick-up truck in the same area and conducted an attack on the vehicle using a Brimstone missile.An initial assessment indicates that both precision strikes were successful.






















HMS Defender Supports Operations Against ISIL in the Middle East

HMS Defender has arrived on station to provide vital support to a US Navy carrier task group in the Gulf, using her world-class air defence weapon systems to protect the US Navy aircraft carrier, USS George H W Bush and her aircraft as they launch airstrikes as part of the international coalition against ISIL.HMS Defender, one of the most advanced warships ever built for the Royal Navy, is operating as a fully integrated part of the carrier strike group. Using her air defence radar and Sea Viper missile system, the ship provides an ‘umbrella’ of air defence to the Nimitz class aircraft carrier and her escort ships while they patrol the Gulf and launch airstrikes against the terrorist group ISIL.

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Exercise Anakonda with 3PARA and 16th Polish Airborne Battalion

Paratroopers from 16 Air Assault Brigade have built bridges to their Polish counterparts as they train together on a NATO exercise in Poland to practise capturing bridges. Exercise Anakonda has seen A Company, 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (A Coy, 3 PARA) work with the Polish 16th Airborne Battalion, 16 Batalion Powietrznodsantowy. The troops have planned and carried out missions side by side, to improve their understanding of the similarities and differences between so that they are better prepared to operate together.The fortnight-long training at Drawsko Pomorski in north-west Poland is part of a programme of joint exercises and immediate assurance measures designed to reassure NATO allies in Eastern Europe. The exercise culminated in a joint parachute assault, with troops jumping from an RAF Hercules and Polish CASA C-295 to capture bridges on the training area.

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The Light Dragoons Train in Ukraine on Multi-National Exercise

The eyes of military personnel from across Europe were on the soldiers of B Squadron, The Light Dragoons this month, when they joined military personnel from around the world on a multi-national exercise.The Light Dragoons returned to their base in Robertson Barracks, Swanton Morley from the Ukraine where the two-week NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) led exercise: Exercise RAPID TRIDENT was held, at the weekend.The multi-national exercise led by the Ukrainian and United States Armies bought together more than 1300 personnel from the 12 nations including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Canada, Georgia, Germany, Moldova, Poland and Romania. Almost 1000 pieces of weaponry, hundreds of combat vehicles and several military aircraft were involved in the Exercise which developed multi-national interoperability as well as enhancing the soldiers’ individual skills by learning from their overseas counterparts.

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