Joint Press Conference by Secretary Carter and Secretary Michael Fallon > U.S. Department o...
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welcome on the American carriers in -- in -- like for like.
We've also looked at the opportunities for more collaboration on cyber, where we have signed today a joint
memorandum of understanding enhancing an unparalleled relationship by sharing more information,
carrying out joint research into offensive and defensive cyber and sending together a very powerful signal
to our enemies that the United States and the United Kingdom will always stay one step ahead.
And we've also reviewed innovation where we collaborate on everything from quantum clocks to robotics,
and where next week, we here in the United Kingdom will be launching our own new innovation drive to
increase our investment in disruptive technologies to augment our skills base and to bolster our leading
edge partnership with the United States.
Secondly, we've today reviewed progress on joint operations, notably against the Daesh. We -- in recent
times, we have both felt the devastating effects of totalitarian terror, our own innocent citizens attacked
and slaughtered on a beach in Tunisia or in a nightclub in Orlando. So we are determined together to
defeat this extremist enemy.
Since the beginning of the year, the United Kingdom has upped its game in Iraq and Syria. The Royal Air
Force is now operating at a sustained operational tempo in single theater that it hasn't done for a quarter
of a century. We have now deployed some 1,100 military personnel to the region.
At the end of June, I announced a further 250 would be added to that training effort and I can confirm
today that the first of those 250 additional troops have now started to deploy in Iraq.
Those joint efforts and those of the rest of the coalition are now having an effect. Daesh is clearly on the
backfoot, now lost some 40 percent of its territory. And following the Washington conference hosted by
Secretary Carter, we are now pressing home our advantage, pushing Daesh back to Raqqah and Mosul,
21.02.23, 14:13