RAF Sidearms
Living out in the Sonoran Desert requires a slightly different mindset, and I'm sure it sounds very strange for me to say that I sit surrounded by an array of Heckler & Koch's finest and about 50,000 rounds of assorted ammunition as I type this, but America does afford ex-pats some wonderful firearm related opportunities including the ability to ensure that at least a few Enfields and Webleys remain under British civilian ownership, not to mention the fun of plinking away at targets in the open desert. All of which got me to thinking - what does the RAF issue to pilots by way of sidearms these days ?
I recall the Tornado shootdown during GW1 when Nicholls and his driver were shot down, they were issued with Walther PPKs as I recall. There was a brief conversation about "going for it" as the Iraqis approached, but discretion proved to be the better part of valour and they surrendered. One Iraqi soldier wielded one of the PPKs and attempted to fire it into the air by way of celebration - and it jammed. Not entirely uncommon for PPKs, as Princess Anne's bodyguard also discovered.
So what do the lads go into combat with these days, anyone know ?