So........we bomb and strafe the friendlies....the Harrier could not stay long enough due to a lack of fuel...the back up force flew in to the area on Sikorsky's....and Security was needed at the scene which was provided mostly by Air Force F-16's....organic infantry assets had been deployed to Afghanistan and replacements had to be flown in to replace them. The lead aircraft tasked to pick up the downed pilot missed the LZ and Chase landed. The aircraft started to leave with the pilot but not the Recon Marines who were doing the on-ground security task?
Did I get that right?
Important thing is both Air Force crew are back home safe and the Good Guys all got home unhurt!
Now....lessons learned from this?
One article noted seven Marine Aircraft involved....two each Harriers, Ospreys, and CH-53's, and one KC-130. In a previous post I suggested a KC-130 could serve as a FARP of sorts and that access to fuel would be of importance as would be shuttle time for the "Escorts" and "Airborne Security". If the Harriers operated as a pair....the Ospreys in a pair...and the helicopters also in a pair....then Time Over Target proves to be a problem for any aircraft that has to lead the parade and stay until everybody else departs. This proved to be the case here. Fortunately the Air Force was able to fill the gaps for the Marines this time.
The lack of coordination on the ground was complicated by the absence of liasion with friendly forces due to the half assed way this "Non-War" is being waged. This puts our guys and gals in harms way unnecessarily and also presents every opportunity for our attacking friendly ground forces by mistake.
Perhaps that Marine General I considered an idiot when he said "We are in and out so fast they don't even know we were there....." was referring to the Recon guys who almost got left in the LZ.
Where were the Air Force CSAR guys on this....I am sure they must have some of their own Ospreys in theater some where. Did they launch on this or was this a Navy only TARP task?
Last edited by SASless; 18th Jul 2011 at 01:42.