Ukraine support and coronation among 2023 standouts for defence chiefs
The UK's defence chiefs have reflected on their key moments of 2023, with the support of Ukraine, the relief effort in Sudan and the King's coronation being the standouts.
In a message recorded by Forces News, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Ben Key, the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Patrick Sanders and the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton all spoke about their notable moments of the year.
"It's been another extraordinary year," said Adm Sir Tony.
The Chief of the Defence Staff added: "I suppose the three standouts for me, against a busy backdrop of where we continue to provide a nuclear deterrent, we continue to look after our air space with our Typhoons ready to respond at a moment's notice."
Ukraine
Adm Sir Tony continued: "But the big three things are our support for Ukraine, and particularly the British Army. We have now reached 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers that we have trained in total, that's over 50,000, when you add in those from 2014 that we've been training all the way through."
General Sir Patrick said: "Without the over £1bn of equipment, without all of the training that we have done, the advice we have provided, then Ukraine would not have been able to stay in the fight.
"We are the largest per capita contribution outside of Ukraine, but I think the most important thing is to talk about the personal impact that it has had."
Gen Sir Patrick added: "First of all, on the Ukrainians themselves, the bond we have forged with all those who have been volunteering and being prepared to sacrifice their lives for the defence of Ukraine is incredibly strong.
"We know how effective it is, the Ukrainian commanders look for and ask for those who have been training in the UK. And we know from intelligence that the Russians can tell when they've been training in the UK and have a great respect for it.
"But the most important thing I think is the bond that has been felt by those of us that have been training them.
"Because in many cases, they know that these are soldiers that may not come home, and that is quite personal."
Admiral Sir Ben, the head of the Royal Navy, also paid tribute to the efforts supporting Ukraine.
"I think all of them, to a person, have been moved by what it is to train, work alongside and just contribute a small amount to people who are fighting for their country's very freedom," he said.
The First Sea Lord added: "I think it pushes the sailors and marines of the Royal Navy to just go that extra yard to support them. It has been a deeply impressive process that we've been a part of.
"I think it sets quite an example for us, not only in the training we give them, but in the way we then see them respond operationally only and innovatively to the current challenges they face on the battlefield, and which they then share back with us for our own learning processes too."
Response to Sudan crisis
Adm Sir Tony also highlighted how proud he was of the way the Armed Forces responded to the crisis in Sudan.
"We were the lead nation, we rescued over 2,000 people and we rescued people from over 20 nations. And that was a great pan-defence effort," he explained.
The Chief of the Defence Staff also highlighted another "enormous pan-defence effort", this being the Armed Forces' role in the King's coronation.
"Our role in ... supporting the monarch, representing the country and being the best we possibly could be," he said.
Pride in military's role on coronation day
Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton echoed the opinions of Adm Sir Tony, highlighting the "pride" felt in the military's involvement in the coronation.
"All of the Armed Forces and the Air Force in particular performed with absolute precision and great pride," he said.
The Chief of the Air Staff added: "For me personally, I was lucky enough to be ... in London when we had the first flypast for the first King's birthday parade, and watching the flypast that was originally planned for the coronation, that was defeated by the weather on that day, it was really a proud moment for me."
General Sir Patrick also shared a moment of the King's coronation celebrations that was particularly poignant for him.
"A moment that would stay with me is the three cheers that we gave Their Majestys after the coronation in the gardens of Buckingham Palace," he said.
"It was a moment to put the hairs up on the back of your neck.
"The volume of the three cheers was so loud, so emphatic, that I swear the King almost visibly flinched and took a step back."
Adm Sir Tony reiterated the "big moment", adding: "Seeing the King's face, both when he came out and saw this spectacle, but it was the wall of noise, that was amazing.
"And a real privilege to be there, representing all of our Armed Forces, representing defence, our civil servants that enable all of this to happen.
"But that's probably the big moment."
Join Our Newsletter
