No Parking

[Data-Lynx]

Tyres on the Ground

Hmm - has a thread de-materialised? Meanwhile, that'll be Air Cdre Simon Falla whose RAF Web CV includes FltCdr of 6 Chinooks on Op Granby and award of the DSO, command of 7 Sqn, Staish at St Mawgan and has been steeped in the JHC for at least five years. Perhaps, I'll listen more closely, especially when he is speaking plainly, AND I'll carefully extract his quotes from the Teleg' speculation.

Bastion is full: try a Google Map on Lashkar Gah 31° 35' 21" North, 64° 21' 48" East and head NW into the desert. Open sources acknowledge that the runway extension to take C17s is about 18 months old and that more work is needed. At least one US Congress-person has asked where a C5 can land in Helmand and I have not seen the answer.

The US statement in Feb 09 nominated 2 Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) and 5th Stryker Brigade. Take a look at what the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Afghanistan could bring as part of the Marine Aircraft Group. The 'capability bucket' could include 40 AV-8B, 24 F/A-18, 4 EA-6B, 6 KC-130, 32 CH-53D/E, 12 AH-1W, 48 CH-46E and 12 UH-1N. This is not precise and there have been changes, but you get a feel. Trust Simon Falla when he says they need space which = concrete. He proposed care - not can't.

There is pressure on space and you have to be careful in deploying extra helicopters