Our bluff has been called: Colonel Tim Collins on UK's ability to protect overseas bases
Colonel Tim Collins, famous for the inspirational speech he gave to his men on the eve of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, has levelled significant criticism at the Government for the way it has responded to the unfolding conflict in the Middle East.
While claiming the UK had let down its allies in the region, Col Collins also said the Government had failed to protect its overseas sovereign bases, adding that "our bluff has been called" with respect to the defence of locations such as RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
On the second day of the joint US-Israeli operation against Iran, the UK base was successfully hit by a drone, believed to have been launched from Lebanon.
The myth of Britain has gone
Col Collins, who led 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment into Iraq in March 2003, said he feared UK sovereign bases were at risk of being lost, likening the situation politically to the fall of Singapore in 1942, which marked the beginning of the British Empire's decline in the Far East.
"I don't know if we're going to be able to keep our sovereign bases because our bluff has been called," the retired colonel said.
"For the Gulf States and the Cypriots, the myth of the British has gone… and it's never coming back again."
Since the beginning of operations on 28 February, the Government's position on the conflict has been attacked, initially over its refusal to allow American aircraft to launch attacks from British bases.
The Ministry of Defence has also faced questions over the defence of locations across the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean, in the wake of attacks on the likes of RAF Akrotiri and a US base in Bahrain, where British personnel were located.
The UK sent a destroyer, HMS Dragon, to the region on 10 March, 11 days into the conflict, and has also ordered a support vessel in the shape of RFA Lyme Bay to a higher state of readiness for potential operations. This is in addition to other military assets in the region, including fighter jets and counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) specialists.
Defence Secretary John Healey previously told BFBS Forces News that the Government was "doing everything" it could with respect to protecting bases. Since the 1 March strike on Akrotiri, further attempts to hit the base have been thwarted.
We've let down our Middle Eastern allies
But it's not just the protection of sovereign bases that Col Collins says ought to be in the minds of ministers.
"We've let down our Middle Eastern allies and partners there, and many of the [Gulf Cooperation Council] countries where we've had a presence," he said.
"These are people who go to Sandhurst, and the understanding is that when the balloon goes up, we'd have their back. We'd be stood beside them."
The former 1 Royal Irish CO also took aim at the general readiness of the British Army, arguing that it was currently under-manned and not in possession of the appropriate kit it would depend on in battle.
"We're not in a good place," he explained.
"The whole logistical backup has been allowed to wither on the vine, and now when we go to get the stuff, the batteries are dead, or it's not even there."
He added: "I don't think the country has any intention or desire to defend itself."
Safety of personnel and families is a priority, MOD says
The MOD has previously said the safety of its personnel and their families is "our absolute priority".
Marking HMS Dragon's departure from Portsmouth, Mr Healey praised the Royal Navy personnel and civilian teams who had worked "flat out" to prepare the Type 45 destroyer for her deployment.
The Defence Secretary added: "What is normally six weeks of work was completed in just six days – a remarkable effort delivered around the clock. They are the very best of Britain in action."
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