Foreign Service personnel filling 'gaps'

The request was partially successful.

Dear Ministry of Defence,

It has been widely reported recently that the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force would be unable to mount certain operations due to shortages of manpower.

In particular, it has been reported that specialist trades, such as engineers who are responsible for mending and maintaining aircraft and ships, are undermanned to the point where operational effectiveness may be compromised.

Recent stories in the press have reported that the UK may have to borrow service personnel from abroad and this may be exacerbated when new aircraft carriers and aircraft come into service. Some stories indicate that we are already 'borrowing' United States service personnel to maintain the Naval fleet.

1. What is the current manpower strength in numbers of personnel for a) Army b) RAF and c) Navy?

2. How many positions are currently unfilled / vacant for the three services (ab+c)

3. How many of these positions currently have staff in training?

4. How many foreign armed forces personnel are currently filling vacant positions?

5. How many foreign service personnel are attached to UK forces as 'additional' personnel?

6. How many additional personnel will we require in order to operate new navy aircraft carriers and their aircraft?

7. What are the projected manpower numbers for (ab+c) in 2020?

Yours faithfully,

Dale Ricketts

CIO-FOI (MULTIUSER),

Dear Mr Ricketts,

Your request has been logged under our reference 2015/09023 and the target date for response is 12 Nov 2015

Yours sincerely

Information Rights team

Ministry of Defence

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People-Sec-FOI Mailbox (MULTIUSER),

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Ricketts,

 

Please find attached a response to your FOI request dated 15 October.

 

Regards

 

Defence People Secretariat