Tim Ripley High-powered British sniper rifles made by a Portsmouth-based company, Accuracy International, are being used by marksmen loyal to the Syrian dictator, Bashar al-Assad, to attack opposition rebels. Footage of the regime’s marksmen using the weapons, which each cost £4,500 and have a range of just under a mile, appeared last week on Russian television as … Read more British sniper rifles used against Assad rebels
Defence officials are considering the appointment of an American contractor to run the construction of Britain’s four new nuclear missile submarines. The Ministry of Defence confirmed last week that it was looking to shake up the procurement process for the planned £20bn project, which is highly contentious politically. • Read my article on The Sunday … Read more Americans in frame to build new Trident submarines?
The number of fast-jet squadrons is expected to double, amid fears that years of deep cuts have left the RAF too small to tackle the twin threats of Isis and Russian aggression. Senior defence sources say the RAF’s senior commanders have made increasing the number of fighter and bomber squadrons from six to 12 a cornerstone … Read more RAF squadrons will double to face Isis and Russian threat
A mass formation of nearly 50 Spitfires and Hurricanes — about 70% of the iconic fighters still flying worldwide — will take to the skies over southern England next month to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Hundreds of thousands of people will see and hear the Second World War aircraft on September … Read more Battle of Britain scramble will be largest since 1945
A multi-billion pound deal to build a new generation of Royal Navy combat ships on the Clyde has hit stormy waters. Shipbuilders at Scotstoun and Govan yards are poised to begin work on 13 Type 26 frigates but the £4bn deal is mired in delays because of a dispute over costs between the Ministry of … Read more Dispute threatens to capsize £4bn Clyde warship deal
This month marks the twentieth anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, in which 8000 people were killed in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica. The mass killing was the single deadliest event of the Bosnian War, and the most recognized atrocity of the post–Cold War era. A number of reports about the anniversary have mentioned my research and … Read more Srebrenica, twenty years later
The 20th Anniversary edition of my book, Operation Deliberate Force is available now as an ebook from Amazon’s Kindle store. Operation Deliberate Force was the first authoritative account of the military events of 1995 that draws on the accounts of the key participants. Exclusive interviews with Lieutenant General Rupert Smith, the British commander of UN forces … Read more 20th Anniversary e-edition of Operation Deliberate Force on sale now
Operation Telic: The British Campaign in Iraq 2003-2009 by Tim Ripley is on sale now for mobile devices using Amazon’s Kindle platform, offering a revealing insight into what many regard as Britain’s Most Unpopular War. The campaign in Iraq between March 2003 and June 2009 deeply polarised British politics, contributing to the fall from power of Prime Minister … Read more Operation Telic: On Sale Now
Welcome to the timripley.co.uk home page. Please take the time to look through these web pages to find out more about how I can help you identify and understand key issues in the confusing and complex world of defence or enhance your existing coverage and content. You can also find out more about my books … Read more Welcome
The £125m Airbus A400M Atlas aircraft chosen by Britain’s Ministry of Defence to replace the war-hardened Hercules transport plane has an embarrassing flaw. It has failed tests to prove that it can safely carry out mass paratroop drops on the battlefield. • Read the full article on the Sunday Times web site (subscription required for full article)