RAF Flying On A Knife-Edge In Afghanistan

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Sky News has obtained video of one of the RAF's most daring missions in Afghanistan, showing a top secret operation to airlift a reconnaissance team from a 1,200ft mountain top.

This is quite an interesting article to read. Gives you an idea of just how much strain is being put on the RAF helicopter fleet as well as talking about Chinook 704 which is a British/Argentinean hybrid and a result of the Falklands war.

While on the subject of helicopters does anyone know how many Chinooks are currently deployed in Afghanistan?

Also would you say it's safe to assume that like the article states thanks to Afghanistan the RAF helicopter pilots are probably the best in the world? Just look at the external image which shows a RAF Chinook on the side of a mountain!


[edit on 19-6-2008 by Thirst]

I'd be more bothered if they couldn't do a two down lip and go.



From a US team taking captured militants off a fire base to khandahar for questioning.


Thanks for that video though - Good to see Sky is putting people back in afghanistan and doing some good solid coverage.

[edit on 19-6-2008 by Dan Tanna]

Why is it though that Britain only have 8 Chinooks based in Afghanistan when Britain has the second biggest Chinook fleet in the world? Surly we should have about 20 out there ready to be used at a moments notice.

Originally posted by Thirst
Why is it though that Britain only have 8 Chinooks based in Afghanistan when Britain has the second biggest Chinook fleet in the world? Surly we should have about 20 out there ready to be used at a moments notice.

The RAF is not made of money...

half in Iraq, half in Afghanistan...

Training is spares at the moment in the Uk and thats going to cause future problems.

The RAF is well skint.

Originally posted by RichardPrice

Originally posted by Thirst
Why is it though that Britain only have 8 Chinooks based in Afghanistan when Britain has the second biggest Chinook fleet in the world? Surly we should have about 20 out there ready to be used at a moments notice.

The RAF is not made of money...

But the British Government have stated they will cough up the money for any equipment if it is an urgent requirement. Hence the purchase of the Reapers.

Originally posted by Thirst
But the British Government have stated they will cough up the money for any equipment if it is an urgent requirement. Hence the purchase of the Reapers.

Don't trust pollyticians.... ever!

Dont forget about the ones with the software problem, the problem of them not paying for the software as a package with the heli's, so they are grounded bcuz noone has the passwords!

thats incredible... i've never heard of them doing it, those pilots are pretty darn good. thanks thirst for the post

raptor1

reply to post by Anonymous ATS


LOL

lets have a small look at the truth this time - those chinooks were and still are the subject of an ever expanding rift between the UK and US governments - since the codes to allow intergration of the said software arn`t being supplied.

Originally posted by Thirst

But the British Government have stated they will cough up the money for any equipment if it is an urgent requirement. Hence the purchase of the Reapers.

And is deploying more Chinooks to Afghanistan because someone thinks they should actually an 'urgent requirement'?

Originally posted by Anonymous ATS
Dont forget about the ones with the software problem, the problem of them not paying for the software as a package with the heli's, so they are grounded bcuz noone has the passwords!

Its got nothing to do with passwords (god, I hate it when people get a vague idea of whats wrong and run with it, including the media), and its got nothing to do with 'paying for the software as a package'.

Boeing could not supply the avionics package that the RAF required for the original operational requirements that they bought the HC3 under, so the RAF bought a bespoke package off several suppliers, including Thales.

This bespoke package was later ruled to not meet required airworthiness standards, and the aircraft were limited to daytime flying above 500ft.

The RAF instigated a 'fix-to-field' program in 2004 to bring the aircraft up to the necessary standard, but this was canceled in 2007 due to high cost.

The aircraft are currently being reverted to the HC2 standard where required to meet airworthiness requirements and should be flying by 2011.

2011..... 20 sodding 11.....

Yeah thats rushing them out as quick as they can...


Right lets be honest here. 160th SOAR use Chinooks - day, night, snow, fog, sand storms... nothing but nothiong stops them from flying...


So why the hell did the UK not just roll up the whole deal and say 'we want 160th SOAR versions for our Special Forces ' ???

It would of saved hundreds of milllions and what.... 10 YEARS of wasted time.

Originally posted by Dan Tanna
2011.....

20 sodding 11.....

Yeah thats rushing them out as quick as they can...


Right lets be honest here. 160th SOAR use Chinooks - day, night, snow, fog, sand storms... nothing but nothiong stops them from flying...


So why the hell did the UK not just roll up the whole deal and say 'we want 160th SOAR versions for our Special Forces ' ???

It would of saved hundreds of milllions and what.... 10 YEARS of wasted time.

Hindsight is such a bonus, isn't it....

The HC3 variant that the RAF ordered is infact the MH-47E (the variant that the 160th flies, along with the MH-47G which was not available until 2001) with upgraded capabilities - at the time of the purchase, the capabilities of the HC3s were supposed to exceed what the 160th were flying at the time.

Except, as I said earlier, the modifications were not deemed airworthy in the UK, and so the aircraft have remained unused since.

Dont forget the chinooks used by the RAF for training purposes or for the members of the royal family training with the RAF to go visit they're girlfiends.

Originally posted by DataWraith
Dont forget the chinooks used by the RAF for training purposes or for the members of the royal family training with the RAF to go visit they're girlfiends.

Another thing blown out of all proportion... William was not the first Chinook pilot to land in that field.

Let's get back to the RAF helo pilots being the "best in the world". Are you kidding me??? You're making that claim based on one picture? Actually, I would say that the French AF or US Navy helo pilots are the best from what I've seen.

I was in the US Army for 10 years as a crew chief - I've seen my share of piss poor pilots. I honestly wondered if I would see the next sunrise on several missions. The warrant officers were always the best because they had the most stick time.