OP HAVEN 2

[chinook240]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2723010/Britain-considers-sending-Chinook-helicopters-aid-fleeing-Yazidi-refugees-Iraq-public-swings-air-strikes-rampaging-Islamic-State-fighters.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

[MG]

You offering to show them how it was done last time Chinook240?!

[MPN11]

Surely it's now "Operation ENDURING DISASTER"?

Or is that just the US title?

[rolandpull]

Doubt we will get to fly a Brit, Spanish, Italian and U.S 4 ship again somehow. I also remember running a Tac park trg session to let the yanks get up to speed using 3 hooks on their new D's lol. Soooo long ago.

[Motleycallsign]

It was 'Op Provide Comfort' post GW1 I seem to remember.

[Gerontocrat]

It was 'Op Provide Comfort' post GW1 I seem to remember.

Wasn't that the US name? Wasn't the UK name Op Haven?

[Onceapilot]

Think the politicians hols will be spoilt this week.:ooh:
However, not as completely as quite a few service hols!:uhoh:
Good luck to all involved.

OAP

[chinook240]

I know which one I went on!

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Provide_Comfort

[Lyneham Lad]

Presumably somebody has a plan as to where the Chinooks will operate from and how they will be protected whilst on their missions? Someone, anyone?

[Gerontocrat]

I know which one I went on!

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Provide_Comfort
Me,too, and have a T-shirt bought at Incirlik before the Wokka effort moved to Diyarbakir.

[Gerontocrat]

Presumably somebody has a plan as to where the Chinooks will operate from and how they will be protected whilst on their missions? Someone, anyone?
That was part of my earlier post.
TBH, if the Turks would allow it - NATO, and all that - Diyarbakir would seem a good bet.

[500N]

I was going to say Turkey but wasn't sure how they would like it.

What about staging from the US base on the gulf with a possible stop
somewhere in Iraq (the part still controlled by the Gov't) ?

[cokecan]

the bit 'controlled' by the government seems about the least stable bit of Iraq - army falling apart, two people calling themselves PM...

the Turks look like the don't want to get involved in this one - unless the USN is flying 2000km+ missions for the good of its health - best bet is FOBing in the Kurdish state/region...

can't see how it will come off without a UK ground security force, and it'll take more than two C-130's in Cyprus to keep the Chinooks both flying and in stuff to deliver.

[smujsmith]

Tal Hafar, Mosul ? Both have airfields capable of a joint C130/ Chinook FARP operation assuming they are in friendly hands. I understand the thinking is evacuating as many as possible from the mountain. Obviously, the flight in could carry aid. The Hercules refuel the Chinooks, bring in aid and depart with evacuees for a safe destination. Properly done, it could turn out to be a worthwhile humanitarian operation. We surely have the capability to do it, do we have the political gumption ?

Smudge

[500N]

The last maps I saw indicated

Mosul is ISIS controlled.

Tal Hafar had recent fighting around it.

[Toadstool]

Iraq crisis: Last government troops flee strategic town of Tal Afar - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10921117/Iraq-crisis-Last-government-troops-flee-strategic-town-of-Tal-Afar.html)

Not sure if the Iraqi army had retaken Tal Afar but if not, that would suggest that this is not the ideal place.

How about asking the Jordanians? They must be looking at the inexorable spread of ISIS and wondering if they were next.

This report also makes reference to the well armed Sunnis who appear to have taken the US-supplied arms from the Iraqi army. Lets hope they don't have Manpads, although I am not sure why the Iraqi amy would have been supplied with Manpads.

[Dan Winterland]

It was 'Op Provide Comfort' post GW1 I seem to remember

Also known as 'Op Provide Carpets' as everyone seemed to come back from Incirlik with at least one Turkish Rug.

[Dan Winterland]

Other alternative names:

Op 'This seems familiar'.

Op 'F#ck me - not again!'.

Op: 'Didn't we learn last time?'

Op: 'That's handy. The Turkish carpet I bought in 1995 is almost worn out'.

Etc. (Feel free to provide more).

[500N]

Toad

Re AA missiles

"This contract, worth more than $4 billion, was signed during a visit by the president of Iraq to Moscow in October 2012. It involves the supply of 48 Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile gun systems, as well as 40 helicopters — Mi-35 and Mi-28NE."

Not man pads but ............

[Onceapilot]

Told ya! DC returns, get the feeling a far bigger bust-up than so far promoted is coming.:uhoh:

OAP

[teeteringhead]

And it's only a few months 'til it's the next Op DENY CHRISTMAS ..... :(

[MPN11]

Whilst I'm pleased to see the RAF doing something to assist this humanitarian crisis...

Why is it always us????

Where are the Turks, Greeks, Gulf Arabs, Saudis? Or are the religious/sectarian issues too complex? Or is the geopolitical situation too difficult? Or are they all too far away from the crisis?

[500N]

MPN

I was thinking the same thing.

I notice France has called a meeting of EU people
and has armed the Kurds with arms and aid.

[melmothtw]

Why is it always us????

Where are the Turks, Greeks, Gulf Arabs,
Saudis? Or are the religious/sectarian issues too complex? Or is the
geopolitical situation too difficult? Or are they all too far away from the
crisis?


Funny you should say that, as only yesterday I lost my rag with someone who was moaning about 'the West being useless'. I had to ask him why doesn't he moan about the rest of the world (Russia, China, Saudi, etc) not getting involved. He didn't have an asnwer to that.

[Sandy Parts]

Reckon Dave popped back for the meeting so he didn't have to help the missus get the kids back from their hols! :p Good luck to the C130 and Chinook crews involved (will the AAC send a few Apache as escorts?...)

[Jollygreengiant64]

Sandy Parts, That sounds like a right waste of taxpayers money, can't they just catch an EasyJet flight like the rest of us? :}

Someone was gonna say it.

[Onceapilot]

The usual Guff from DC. How can we "play a role", undefined and not specific, and yet..."detailed plans are being drawn up"...defined and specific, by definition!? Are the majority of the population as stupid as he thinks? The UK role was defined as Obama requested last weekend. "Smiling knife" Hammond has merely administered the shop. Probably a good job they kept the Commons out of this one?:oh:

OAP

[glad rag]

kinda feeling unsettled about sending RW into that environment if I'm totally honest..

[NutLoose]

I know what you mean, you sort of then think, well you need troops to support the RW base and perhaps Apache to support and escort the Chinooks.... And it snowballs from that.

[Gerontocrat]

Compare and contrast with Provide Comfort and Haven - bearing in mind the 'opposition' was, effectively a beaten, demoralised army.
Provide Comfort drop flights were accompanied by A.10s in support.
Then the Wokkas arrived and set up, but only moved into N. Iraq post the arrival and deployment of a Commando (40?) plus elements of 29 Cdo Regt RA (initially minus their super-gats due to a nause with Turkish port authorities).
The ground force element was there to encourage, aid and protect the Kurds, to move out of the mountains and in to camps such as that in Silopi.
Meanwhile, the Wokkas went out into the mountains with supplies and aid to Civpop.
In other words the protection elements were in place for both air-drop and RW operations.

[chinook240]

What was the original force mix for Herrick?

[Sandy Parts]

JollyGreenGiant64 - I think Mrs Cameron and Dave juniors are flying back civvy air - I was merely (tongue in cheek) suggesting that Dave just jumped ship early to avoid the hassle of wheeling sprogs through a portugese airport :p
However, questions were asked (by the opposition) as to why, at the start of his hols, he flew out civvy with 'er indoors and then flew back to UK using RAFAIR for meetings before jumping back on RAFAIR to rejoin the family. As the Labour MP suggested, couldn't he just have delayed his departure by a day? Anyhoo, using the jet as his personal taxi hardly cost anything (according to his spin doctors).....:suspect:

[Thelma Viaduct]

If you can go to war based on a pack of blatant lies (even without retrospect), surely you can help the affected based on humanitarian requirements.

The politicians need to grow a pair of bollocks and do what's right for a change, not what's right for their pockets.