These measures are part of prudent contingency planning
to respond in a timely way to any request from other
governments departments or civil authorities for
support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
So far, the military have assisted with repatriation
flights from China and Japan. They are also providing
specialist military planners to Local Resilience Forums
who are providing support to public services, local
authorities and emergency services in preparing their
response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Today,
the MOD can announce
further preparation ready to support public services if
required:
- up to 10,000 personnel will be placed at a higher
readiness, so they are able to assist with supporting
public services. This is on top of the 10,000 already
held at higher readiness.
- 150 military personnel will be trained to drive
oxygen tankers in order to support
the NHS if
required. They will begin training on Monday.
- measures have been taken to enable the call out of
Reservists, should they be required to join the
response effort
- scientists from the Defence Science and Technology
Laboratory (Dstl)
are supporting Public Health England’s effort to
understand the virus and tackle the spread.
Defence Secretary said:
The men and women of our armed forces stand ready to
protect Britain and her citizens from all threats,
including COVID-19. The unique flexibility and
dedication of the services means that we are able to
provide assistance across the whole of society in
this time of need.
From me downwards the entirety of the Ministry of
Defence and the armed forces are dedicated to getting
the nation through this global pandemic.
There are well-rehearsed mechanisms in place for the
military to provide support to civil authorities in
times of need. Most recently the military has been
called on to support the government’s response to
flooding.
Defence is fully engaged with other government
departments, the devolved administrations and local
authorities to establish how best it can support over
the coming weeks and months.
The Standing Joint Command will be the Command and
Control Structure for the COVID Support Force, which
represents the MOD’s contribution to the
government response.
Major General Charlie Stickland Assistance Chief of the
Defence Staff Operations and Commitments said:
Putting more personnel at a higher state of readiness
and having our Reserves on standby gives us greater
flexibility to support public services as and when
they require our assistance.
The COVID Support Force, potentially drawing upon our
highly skilled scientists at Defence Science and
Technology and Laboratory or oxygen tanker drivers,
will form part of a whole force effort to support the
country during its time of need. Our servicemen and
women are committed to maintain our operational
output and delivering any support the government
requires.
