They are believed to be the first legal claims over the fatal collision of a Black Hawk and a passenger jet near Ronald Reagan National Airport.

The filings over the collision of an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter last month appear to be the first such claim and signal the start of a long legal fight.

Although mobile phones have been banned on the exercise, most soldiers are aware that there are now initial discussions to send troops to Ukraine itself. Brigadier Andy Watson, who is commanding the British contribution to the Nato exercise,

With the world watching, UK troops in Romania are on the brink of a mission that could alter international dynamics.

Years of spending cuts have removed the ability of British forces to prosecute a war against a peer adversary for an extended time.