Operation Temperer

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Operation Temperer is a British government plan to deploy

Parsons Green bombing
.

HQ Standing Joint Commander (UK) is militarily responsible for directing the deployment, if ordered.[2]

Background

The plan provides for up to 5,100 service personnel from all 3 services to be deployed to "augment armed police officers engaged in protective security duties" at key sites in the United Kingdom.[1] In practice, troops and military police would replace some police officers particularly from the Metropolitan Police, Ministry of Defence Police and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary guarding sites of national interest or critical national infrastructure such as Nuclear power stations, military garrisons, Buckingham Palace and Parliament so they can be deployed on either armed or unarmed frontline operational duties.

According to government sources cited by the Daily Telegraph, it would only be triggered following a COBR meeting. The plan was put in place following the January 2015 Île-de-France attacks in France. It was intended to be kept secret, but was accidentally disclosed in July 2015 after being inadvertently uploaded to the website of the National Police Chiefs' Council.[3] It was said to have been contentious with the Army leadership, due to concerns about it causing overstretch, training given to troops, morale problems and difficulties with deciding when to end the operation.[4]

The British armed forces have previously deployed to

support the police, most notably during the Troubles in Northern Ireland when 21,000 troops were deployed to assist the Royal Ulster Constabulary in Operation Banner. In 2003, Tony Blair's government temporarily deployed 450 troops to Heathrow Airport and other London locations during a period of heightened terrorist threat.[4] Plans to support the police and increase the numbers of officers deployed on the streets began after the 2011 England riots.[citation needed
]

Other European countries have also deployed troops to guard against terrorist threats in cities; France has deployed over 10,000 troops under

Operation Sentinelle since the January 2015 attacks in the Paris region,[4] and Italy also deployed 4,800 troops in Rome and other cities in February 2015.[5]

Activation

Manchester Arena bombing

Operation Temperer
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The plan was activated for the first time on 23 May 2017 following the Manchester Arena bombing. Prime Minister Theresa May announced that the police had asked for military support and the request had been approved by Sir Michael Fallon, the Secretary of State for Defence.[6] The operation remained in force until the end of the bank holiday weekend, despite the threat level being reduced from critical to severe on 27 May.[7]

The website Warfare.Today identified the military deployment as involving units from the

RAF Police.[8]

Parsons Green bombing