News
British army is ‘laughing stock’ of NATO
The British army is said to be the ‘laughing stock’ of NATO because its outdated rifles wouldn’t be able to kill Russian or Chinese soldiers in advanced body armour.
The army still uses the L115A3 ‘sniper’ rifle, while other armed forces had updated to the same company’s AX models, which are lighter and enable soldiers to see further in the distance, according to a serving senior officer.
‘The Europeans used to love all of our kit but now laugh at it,’ the officer told the Times.
They said that snipers from a NATO ally in eastern Europe was ‘mind blown’ by the UK still using the old rifles.
About 500 snipers in the British army have a L115A3 rifle and they feel underfunded and neglected, according to the officer, who added that the UK had ‘fallen far behind the curve as far as capability goes’.
Units other than snipers face similar issues. The SA-80 standard infantry rifle, which has been used by British soldiers for four decades, has reportedly not changed much since the 1980s.
The SA-80 uses a 5.56mm round, which is the NATO standard, and the rifle was designed to pierce through old Russian helmets that are not in usage anymore, a second source said, adding that the rifle was ‘heavy and clunky’.
They also said the SA-80 – of which 150,000 are believed to be currently in service – was one of the ‘least updated’ rifles that wasn’t even made by others anymore.
Other allies like the US army were instead using a different ammunition calibre, a 6.8mm round – which is considered more lethal than the 5.56mm – in combination with XM7 and XM250 rifles by US firearms specialist Sig Sauer.
The army is reportedly using the L115A3 ‘sniper’ rifle (pictured), while other armed forces had updated to the same company’s AX models, which are lighter and enable soldiers to see further in the distance
The SA-80 standard infantry rifle (pictured), which has been used by British soldiers for four decades, has reportedly not changed much since the 1980s
Meanwhile, Russian body armour has improved and its latest kit for infantry soldiers includes ‘level 4’ armour designed to withstand fire from a Russian 7.62mm rifle
‘Your average [British] soldier wouldn’t be able to defeat it, not even close,’ the source told the Times.
The SA-80, which has been updated over the last four decades, including an update in 2020, is reportedly set to be replaced as part of Project Grayburn, which is currently still in the concept phase.
The 5.56mm round used in the SA-80 ‘can’t defeat Russian body armour, and it’s easily outranged by the latest Russian small arms,’ late US Major General Robert Scales told a Senate hearing in 2017.
In 2020, this was followed up by General Mark Milley, the US army’s chief of staff at the time.
He said that the 5.56mm was not able to penetrate ‘a type of body armour’, adding that ‘adversarial states’ were selling this online.
The Times’ source said that the US introducing the 6.8mm hybrid round could mean that NATO allies might struggle to share rounds on the battlefield in the future.
They said that even though this was known, the ammunition switch was made ‘for good reason’ as the 5.56mm was now ‘obsolete’ against modern body armour, according to the source.
The 5.56mm round (pictured) used in the SA-80 ‘can’t defeat Russian body armour, and it’s easily outranged by the latest Russian small arms,’ late US Major General Robert Scales told a Senate hearing in 2017
The Ministry of Defence was ‘behind the curve’ in terms of switching to better and more efficient rounds for battlefield rifles, according to Robert Clark, who works as a research fellow at the Yorktown Institute think tank in Washington DC (file image of the SA-80)
The Ministry of Defence was ‘behind the curve’ in terms of switching to better and more efficient rounds for battlefield rifles, according to Robert Clark, who works as a research fellow at the Yorktown Institute think tank in Washington DC.
Clark said the idea behind smaller ammunition had the advantage of being more likely to wound soldiers rather than kill them, which means that it would remove soldiers involved in casualty extraction.
But he added that in recent conflicts fighters like those from Russia have been ‘less concerned’ about saving the wounded, which would make smaller, less lethal rounds ‘less useful’.
The 5.56mm round was ‘almost useless’ against the Russians and Chinese, according to Clark.
The British army source told the Times that the issues UK soldiers were facing were ‘swept under the carpet’ while the MoD was portraying that the military was ready for war.
An MoD spokesperson said in a statement that the SA-80 had been upgraded ‘in recent years’, adding that it was ‘one of the most accurate service rifles’ currently in use all over the world.
The spokeswoman also said that the 5.56mm rounds were ‘tried and tested’ as well as the Nato standard, which ensured ‘interoperability among allied forces’.
The governor of Oyo state, Seyi Makinde, has approved a N10,000 transportation allowance as a palliative for the state workforce to cushion the effects of the increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oyo State chapter, Kayode Martins, in a statement released on Monday, March 23, disclosed that the governor has granted the request of the union on the issue of transportation allowance.
The statement read
“Following the intervention and formal request made by the State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) earlier this morning, the state government has approved a N10,000 transportation allowance for all workers in the state.
The newly approved allowance is set to take effect from April 2026, providing much-needed relief to workers grappling with rising transportation costs amid current economic challenges.
This development comes as a direct response to sustained advocacy by the state NLC, aimed at cushioning the impact of increased living expenses on the workforce.
Further details on implementation are expected to be communicated by the relevant government authorities in due course.”
News
Former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation bags 72years imprisonment for diverting N868.46 million security funds
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, March 23, convicted and sentenced Chukwunyere Nwabuoku, former acting Accountant-General of the Federation (AGoF), to a 72-year jail term without an option of fine.
DailyTrust reports that in the judgment delivered, Justice Omotosho held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had been able to prove the nine-count money laundering charge beyond reasonable doubt.
According to the judge, the defendant is hereby convicted as charged.
Justice Omotosho convicted Nwabuoku in all the nine counts and sentenced him to eight years imprisonment in each of the counts, making 72 years.
The judge, however, ordered that the counts shall run concurrently.
Justice Omotosho, who described Nwabuoku’s act of diverting funds meant for security and defence while he served as Director of Finance and Account in the Ministry of Defence as “appalling,” commended the EFCC for being detailed in its prosecution.
The judge observed that the evidence of the 9th prosecution witness that Nwabuoku voluntarily refunded part of the siphoned money of over N200 million during investigation was not controverted by the defence.
Nwabuoku served as the Director of Finance and Accounts in the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021. He became acting Accountant General of the Federation in May 2022.
The police in Delta state have arrested eleven more suspects over the sexu@l ass@ults recorded during what was described as a “r@ping festival” in Oramudu Quarters in Ozoro last Thursday, March 19.
In a statement released on Saturday, March 21, the spokesperson of the command, SP Bright Edafe, said the CP Special Assignment Team (CP-SAT) was tasked with conducting a detailed investigation into the incident.
Edafe said operatives of CP-SAT conducted a thorough analysis of available video evidence and intelligence, leading to the arrest of eleven additional suspects identified as Samson Atukpodo, Steven ovie, Ugbevo Samson, Afoke Akporobaro, Evidence Oguname, and six others. Edafe mentioned that these latest arrests bring the total number of suspects currently in police custody in connection with the incident to fifteen (15)
“The Command reiterates that preliminary findings indicate that the unfortunate incident was perpetrated by criminal elements who exploited the situation to engage in acts of sexu@l v!olence, which are in no way representative of any legitimate cultural practice.
The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Aina Adesola, condemns these acts in totality and reassures the public that the Command remains resolute in its determination to ensure that all those involved are identified, arrested, and prosecuted in accordance with the law. Members of the public, particularly victims and witnesses, are once again encouraged to come forward with credible information that will aid ongoing investigations. The Command assures that all information provided will be treated with strict confidentiality.”the statement in part reads
Fuel price hike: Gov Makinde announces N10,000 transport support for workers
Former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation bags 72years imprisonment for diverting N868.46 million security funds
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