Deployments by the MDP Project Servator teams at these locations have continued throughout the year, and deployments are now being carried out in Whitehall by officers from the MDP station located in MOD Head Office. The Force is currently preparing to launch Project Servator on the Clyde in conjunction with Police Scotland.

Unpredictable and highly visible, Project Servator is designed to deter, detect and disrupt criminal activity.
Deployments can include armed officers, dogs, marine police units, vehicle checkpoints, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), CCTV, plain clothed officers, highly visible uniformed officers and others specially trained in behavioural analysis to help identify individuals who may have criminal intent. They can pop up anywhere, at any time.

Project Servator, which was introduced by City of London Police in 2014, was trialled by the MDP at Portsmouth Naval Base in 2016 and officially launched in January 2017. The launch of Project Servator at the AWE sites followed in February 2017.

Deployments take place within the AWE sites and Portsmouth Naval Base, as well as pushing out into the wider communities – including local railway stations, ferry ports and shopping centres. Project Servator was also used to support the MDP operations at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) 2017 and for HMS Queen Elizabeth’s first entry to Portsmouth and the subsequent commissioning ceremony.

Sir Ben Ainslie joined officers from the Portsmouth Naval Base Project Servator team and commented:

Nice to bump into these two coppers doing a great job keeping Britain safe.

Joint Project Servator operations are now taking place with our colleagues from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), British Transport Police (BTP) and City of London Police (CoLP) in the Whitehall area. If you visit Horse Guards Parade and the area surrounding Whitehall, you will see our officers with MPS Westminster and MPS Taskforce teams dispersed across the area, spreading the word about Project Servator and looking out for suspicious behaviour.

During July 2017, and in the wake of the London Bridge attack on 3 June, we deployed with CoLP and carried out examinations of vehicles and passengers at a check point operation at Tower Bridge where a suspected illegal immigrant was arrested. This operation focused on offering a hostile surveillance and security presence on the bridges over the River Thames, while the terror threat across the country was severe.

Although Project Servator’s primary function is to assist in the fight against terrorism, it has also proved to be an effective tool for detecting other criminal activity, including drug related offences and driving and vehicle offences.

Inspector Andy Ramsay, from AWE Aldermaston, comments:

We are working closely with our colleagues in Thames Valley Police, sharing information and intelligence, and our site security stakeholders value the contribution that the MDP is making to ensure that AWE remains safe and secure.

Reflecting on the past year, Assistant Chief Constable Paul McLaughlin said:

The threat of terrorism in the UK is ever present and Project Servator provides a valuable tool to help deter, detect and disrupt potential attacks.

We work closely with our security partners, including the Ministry of Defence Guard Service and Mitie Security at AWE, and the support of communities is key to the success of Project Servator. From the outset, we have actively engaged with people visiting and working in and around Portsmouth Naval Base and the AWE sites, encouraging them to report any suspicious behaviour. This helps to create a network of vigilance – with extra eyes and ears – to assist us and make it more difficult for criminals to succeed.

On behalf of the MDP Project Servator Team I would like to thank all of the staff, businesses and partners for their enthusiastic and proactive response – together we’ve got it covered.

Project Servator will continue to grow within the MDP, with the number of trained officers increasing and plans set to roll out across other sites that we police.

To find out more about Project Servator visit: Ministry of Defence Police: Project Servator

Keep up to date with our Servator deployments by following us on Twitter: @MODPolice and Facebook: @MinistryofDefencePolice

This includes access to £600 million from the Dreadnought contingency, announced in 2015, and will ensure that the UK’s new world-class nuclear submarines are delivered on time and within the £31 billion budget agreed at the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2015.

In addition £200 million was agreed at the Supplementary Estimates earlier in the year.

A Royal Navy submarine has always been on patrol, providing the continuous at sea deterrent for almost 50 years. And the next generation of submarines will ensure this can continue into the future, deterring conflict and protecting the nation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

This money funds a key government priority that has been the bedrock of defence policy for nearly 50 years.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, said:

Our commitment to defence and national security is unwavering. The UK’s defence budget is the highest in Europe and the second highest in NATO and ensures Britain can continue to respond effectively to the ever-changing threats we face.

We will continue to invest in our world-class Armed Forces and this additional investment of £600 million will ensure the UK is protected by the nuclear deterrent provided by the new Dreadnought fleet into the 2030s and beyond.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

This is a welcome boost to our Armed Forces, ensuring we can continue to back-up our national security with the ultimate capability. In a world of intensifying and evolving threats, we must strengthen and maintain our ability to seize opportunities and counter challenges as they emerge. I have launched the Modernising Defence Programme to ensure we have the capabilities we need to keep Britain safe in an increasingly dangerous world.

MOD’s Veterans UK organisation, part of Defence Business Services, have taken steps to simplify the Armed Forces Pension Schemes complaints process, known as the Internal Dispute Resolution Procedures.

Veterans UK have listened to and taken on board the advice from The Pensions Ombudsman that the complaints process should be accessible, simple and streamlined with the aim of achieving the right outcome at the earliest opportunity. Sharing that view Veterans UK have shortened the overall process so that they can provide a decision in a quicker timeframe. This change will come into effect from 01 April 2018.

The Pension Regulator expects that a decision will be made on a dispute within four months of receiving an application. The streamlined single stage IDRP process will reduce this further, with Veterans UK operating a 60 working days timeline after investigations concluded that this could reduce the time taken to process a complaint by 25%.

Any member of the AFPS has the right to raise a complaint using the IDRP process if they disagree with a decision or action taken by the scheme administrator. The single stage process will look at all aspects of the complaint along with any additional evidence or information provided. For detailed guidance and Frequently Asked Questions on the process an
Internal Dispute Resolution Procedures factsheet
(PDF, 110KB, 4 pages)

is available.

Elizabeth Phelan, Assistant Head of Veterans Pensions at Veterans UK, said:

At Veterans UK we strive to deliver the best service we can to all our customers so please remember that we will make every effort to resolve any disputes before turning to the IDRP process. However, we are confident that by moving to a more accessible and streamlined complaints process our commitment to excellent levels of customer service can be maintained and strengthened. Veterans UK are constantly looking at ways to improve the Customer Experience.

The Ministry of Defence is pleased to confirm details of the contribution of members of the Armed Forces to the wedding of HRH Prince Henry of Wales and Ms Meghan Markle on 19 May 2018.

Units that hold a special relationship with Prince Harry will provide ceremonial support at the wedding and during the carriage procession at the request of Kensington Palace. More than 250 members of the Armed Forces will perform ceremonial duties at the wedding.

Members of the Household Cavalry will form a staircase party at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle as part of the wedding. The State Trumpeters and a Captain’s Escort from the Household Cavalry will also provide ceremonial support.

Prince Harry joined The Blues and Royals in April 2016 and served with the Household Cavalry Regiment, undertaking two tours of Afghanistan and rising to the rank of Captain.

Streets within the precincts of Windsor Castle will be lined by members of the Windsor Castle Guard from 1st Battalion Irish Guards, and by Armed Forces personnel from the following units:

Royal Navy Small Ships and Diving

Prince Harry is Commodore-in-Chief, Small Ships and Diving.

Royal Marines

Prince Harry is Captain General Royal Marines, after succeeding the Duke of Edinburgh in the role in December 2017.

3 Regiment Army Air Corps

Prince Harry served as an Apache Pilot in Helmand Province, Afghanistan with 662 Squadron, 3 Regiment Army Air Corps.

The Royal Gurkha Rifles

Prince Harry served with the 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles in Afghanistan in 2007.

RAF Honington

Prince Harry is Honorary Air Commandant of RAF Honington.

Musical support to the street liners will be provided by the Band of the Irish Guards.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, Chief of the Defence Staff, said:

I am proud that members of the Armed Forces have been asked to take part in the ceremonial celebrations taking place on the royal couple’s wedding day. It is a happy occasion for the whole country and reminds us of the role the Armed Forces play in marking important events in the life of the nation.

I am particularly pleased to hear that members of the Armed Forces who have a close relationship with Prince Harry will be taking part. Servicemen and women from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force will all be honoured to offer their support.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson said:

Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle are pleased that members of the Armed Forces will play such a special role in their Wedding. The Military, and these units in particular, hold a great significance for Prince Harry and the couple are incredibly grateful for their support.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

I am delighted to offer my congratulations to General Sir Nicholas Carter on his appointment as Chief of the Defence Staff, a post he will take up in June of this year when Air Marshal Sir Stuart Peach becomes Chairman of the Military Committee at NATO.

General Carter has been an exceptional Chief of the General Staff, leading the Army at a time of rapid change, with troops deployed to deter Russian aggression and protect our NATO allies in the east. He has also overseen the delivery of vital training to help Iraqi Security Forces defeat Daesh.

At this crucial time for defence, as we look to strengthen our Armed Forces in the face of intensifying global threats, I’m confident General Carter will be an outstanding Chief of the Defence Staff.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

Air Chief Marshal Peach has served the UK with distinction throughout an exemplary career and his advice and professionalism have been invaluable to me and the other members of the National Security Council during his time as Chief of the Defence Staff. He has demonstrated incredible commitment to keeping the UK and its citizens safe and we owe him an enormous debt of gratitude for his service. It is entirely fitting that he is leaving to take up a new role with NATO, which has served as the bedrock of our defence for nearly six decades. He will be the first British Chairman of the NATO Military Committee for more than 20 years.

General Carter is a superb choice as the next Chief of the Defence Staff and will bring vast experience to the role having served as Chief of the General Staff for nearly four years. In that time I have been impressed not only by the reforms he has carried out with the British Army, but by the care he has demonstrated for the men and women under his command. It is also a testament to him that over his period of leadership the Army has become more reflective of the society it serves. I am confident General Carter will bring the same dynamism to his new role and I look forward to working with him.

A biography of Sir Nick can be found here.