UK preparing to deploy army to fight Coronavirus outbreak
Even as Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, held his first daily briefing on the coronavirus outbreak, there are credible reports the British military is preparing to intervene in the battle against the deadly COVID-19 disease.
Earlier today, Sky News reported that 10,000 British soldiers, sailors and airmen could be placed on “standby” in the “coming weeks” as the coronavirus outbreak worsens.
Operation Broadshare, the UK military plans to help with the Coronavirus crisis: https://t.co/aePyWzdR0w pic.twitter.com/CVLSb9HG5K
— Alistair Bunkall (@AliBunkallSKY) March 16, 2020
According to Sky News, the military plans, codenamed Operation Broadshare, were drawn up “weeks ago” but have only come to light as the coronavirus outbreak enters crisis phase.
Operation Broadshare is loosely modeled on Operation Temperer, the military plan that is enacted following a major terrorist attack on British soil.
The contents of Operation Broadshare envisage a wide range of scenarios, including plans to cope with the “breakdown of civil society”.
Less extreme scenarios include army personnel supporting the police force, protecting major buildings and locations and staffing morgues.
There are even provisions for helping “older people” with shopping and transport. However, British defence journalists have pointed out – tongue in cheek perhaps - that the army is not expected to "guard supermarkets".
Ben Wallace says personnel "stand ready to work with other government departments" to combat coronavirus, and will bring "calmness & resilience to any task".
— Lucy Fisher (@LOS_Fisher) March 16, 2020
However, says: "There are absolutely no plans to send military personnel to guard supermarkets."
Following on that theme, another leading British national security journalist tweeted half-jokingly that troops are not expected to protect "toilet roll supplies".
For the avoidance of doubt, the UK’s @DefenceHQ Secretary denies any suggestion @BritishArmy troops could be deployed to protect toilet roll supplies: “There are absolutely no plans to send military personnel to guard supermarkets” - @BWallaceMP
— Deborah Haynes (@haynesdeborah) March 16, 2020
Frivolity aside, the British military is under no illusions about the gravity of the situation.
As part of Operation Broadshare, the army is expected to move quickly to secure sites and infrastructure of “extreme” national security importance, notably Britain’s nuclear weapons facilities and the Air Command operation in Buckinghamshire which is tasked with protecting UK airspace.
“It feels like we’re getting ready for war, but this time at home”, one senior military source told Sky News.
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