GR4 Crowd Pleaser!
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GR4 Crowd Pleaser!
(c/o BBC) Low-flying bomber disperses mob.
Tornado bombers came to the aid of Scottish troops surrounded by an angry mob in Iraq. One of the aircraft screamed just 250ft overhead to scare off the crowd beseiging three Warrior armoured vehicles in Al Amarah.
The two RAF Lossiemouth-based GR4 jets were on a routine sortie when the pilots were diverted to the city.
The mob fled and the detachment from the 1st Battalion The Highlanders were able to leave the scene.
RAF and Army officers revealed details of the incident on Friday. The aircraft from 12 (Bomber) Squadron are on a tour of the Gulf and are based in Al Udeid, Qatar.
The Highlanders were on a routine patrol in Al Amarah when a gunman opened fire on one of the Warriors. Several rounds hit the turret. Moments later a crowd of up to 50 people gathered around the vehicles and the detachment commander called for air support. The Highlanders were on patrol in Warrior vehicles.
Squadron Leader Jonny Moreton said: "After coordinating with the troops on the ground, it was decided that the best way to disperse the crowd and prevent the potential escalation of the incident was for the Tornados to demonstrate our presence in the area."
A Tornado flew 250ft over the crowd causing people to run for cover. Captain Alex Logie, the Warrior patrol commander, said the support from the RAF stopped the possibility further violence.
He said: "The support we got from the Tornados was excellent and their timely intervention was very effective in terms of preventing the situation escalating and allowed us to continue with our task."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4817582.stm
Tornado bombers came to the aid of Scottish troops surrounded by an angry mob in Iraq. One of the aircraft screamed just 250ft overhead to scare off the crowd beseiging three Warrior armoured vehicles in Al Amarah.
The two RAF Lossiemouth-based GR4 jets were on a routine sortie when the pilots were diverted to the city.
The mob fled and the detachment from the 1st Battalion The Highlanders were able to leave the scene.
RAF and Army officers revealed details of the incident on Friday. The aircraft from 12 (Bomber) Squadron are on a tour of the Gulf and are based in Al Udeid, Qatar.
The Highlanders were on a routine patrol in Al Amarah when a gunman opened fire on one of the Warriors. Several rounds hit the turret. Moments later a crowd of up to 50 people gathered around the vehicles and the detachment commander called for air support. The Highlanders were on patrol in Warrior vehicles.
Squadron Leader Jonny Moreton said: "After coordinating with the troops on the ground, it was decided that the best way to disperse the crowd and prevent the potential escalation of the incident was for the Tornados to demonstrate our presence in the area."
A Tornado flew 250ft over the crowd causing people to run for cover. Captain Alex Logie, the Warrior patrol commander, said the support from the RAF stopped the possibility further violence.
He said: "The support we got from the Tornados was excellent and their timely intervention was very effective in terms of preventing the situation escalating and allowed us to continue with our task."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4817582.stm
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Nice one 12
Spent a fair amount of time at AA last year (not many blue suiters up there) good that the lads were well supported by our own - it was usually the spams in their F15s that did the "show of force" stuff. Keep working hard in Al Udeid lads - you may be at a cushy base but you've got your work cut out!
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'The Died' may be a bit more comfortable and less dangerous than places up country. But being surrounded by 7000 spams with their silly rules and working 14 hr days in plus 40deg is definately not cushy!
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That said, I doubt if its cooler in country, I doubt if you can 'remove yourself' from enemy presence, and I doubt if there's less 'incoming'. Good work the GR4 boys, good work the PR boys for some good news in the papers at last, and damn good work the dudes on the ground sausage side.
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A very nice piece to present to the next bunch of NIMBY's who complain about the need to fly and train at low level in the UK
--this assumes the PR "persons" can actually grasp the idea of putting a positive spin on the event when presenting it to the public in the first place of course---
--this assumes the PR "persons" can actually grasp the idea of putting a positive spin on the event when presenting it to the public in the first place of course---
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Low Level - 250ft -are you 'avin a giraffe?
about time that you fast jet monkeys got down and dirty with it - the SH fraternity have been doing it for years without blowing their own trumpets (oo-er!).
does this merit a DFC for the crews involved?
about time that you fast jet monkeys got down and dirty with it - the SH fraternity have been doing it for years without blowing their own trumpets (oo-er!).
does this merit a DFC for the crews involved?
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Originally Posted by sooms
'The Died' may be a bit more comfortable and less dangerous than places up country. But being surrounded by 7000 spams with their silly rules and working 14 hr days in plus 40deg is definately not cushy!
-Secondly, being surrounded by 7000 spams sounds better than being surrounded by millions of Iraqi insurgents trying to attack you in various ways, whilst you bake in your tent having worked a 16 hr day in 50 deg heat.
How is the swimming pool/air conditioned rooms/BX/R&R trips etc etc at the Deid these days? I dream of the day we get to join you there.
Same trick used years ago in Malaya using Javelins to help beseiged Ghurka's; they engaged afterburners to simulate bombs; the Ghurkas politely asked them not to drop the bombs so close next time!!
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Originally Posted by sooms
'The Died' may be a bit more comfortable and less dangerous than places up country. But being surrounded by 7000 spams with their silly rules and working 14 hr days in plus 40deg is definately not cushy!
I don't really want to get involved in a willy-waggling contest but I really don't think that you understood/read my post properly.
I was basically saying that the guys in Al Udeid do indeed (apologies for the alliteration) work bloomin' hard, however they have got some pretty nice facilities to boot.
However if you really want to take issue let's take a quick look at some of your statement a little deeper.
1. A bit more comfortable? Hmm, Al Udeid has 24 hr messing (and no limit on the amount of 'pop' or ice-cream etc {in fact each mess seems to employ a chap to dish out various flavours of Ben & Jerrys on demand}), an awesome gym, cinema, 3 (not 2) can rule (not that most people got the chance to make use of it due to shift times etc, ok - prob same for you guys), a massive BX/PX where even if you weren't satisfied with the 24 hr messing you can grab a snack. Shall I go on to mention the dunkin' donuts, pizza hut, subway and various other outlets (I'm sure I've forgotten them anyway).
2. Less dangerous. And them some - last reported attack on coalition troop in Qatar........?
3. Plus 40 deg? Well what do you think it's like up-country? Do you realise that the human body sweats alot more when having to wear body armour and helmet plus weapon, webbing/chest rig and ammunition PLUS and other required equipment. Oh, and the fact that there could be some nasties out there hoping to try and schwack you can add to the stress levels.
4. Silly rules. Well, let me tell you that they pervade absolutely everywhere, they vary from place to place and they are everywhere, but we all get on with them - it is, after all, our way of life in the military.
5. Spams. Well, I'll be honest - you've got me there
Don't get me wrong, as I said before the boys in the 'deid' (Mostly NBIW - yes that is the correct spelling) work bloody hard for the whole time they are out there (do the sqns do a full 4 month det BTW?) but they are in a different environment, I certainly wouldn't have a go at them for where they are detached to but please realise that there are many others who haven't got it quite as nice, and I do know what I'm talking about - 4 month det, 6 weeks Al Amarah, 10 weeks Basrah, 3 days Al Udeid.
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Originally Posted by sooms
'The Died' may be a bit more comfortable and less dangerous than places up country. But being surrounded by 7000 spams with their silly rules and working 14 hr days in plus 40deg is definately not cushy!
(Still an outstanding bit of psyops flying, however!)
Why is that that when, for once, there's some excellent, positive publicity for a job well done, someone like laughingboy (aka ar#ehole) comes along with some 'I'm better than you / can piss up a rope better than you' comment?
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Anyone out there remember Buccaneers performing a similar public service in Beirut circa 80/81. If I remember correctly there's TV news footage of them hammering in LL between what buildings were left standing at the time.
Apparently on return one crew's quoted as saying if they don't start behaving themselves, next time we'll go in really low.
Apparently on return one crew's quoted as saying if they don't start behaving themselves, next time we'll go in really low.
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Why is that that when, for once, there's some excellent, positive publicity for a job well done, someone like laughingboy (aka ar#ehole) comes along with some 'I'm better than you / can piss up a rope better than you' comment?
I am, however, going to rise ever so slightly to ar#ehole's low average banter and ask him if he honestly believes the original 250ft statement could possibly have been made for legal reasons, with the reality being a tad lower...?!
Laughingboy... next time you're in your no doubt thrilling geometry sessions working out equivalent speeds and heights, could you compare 600kts @100ft to your (optimistic) 140kts @50ft?
Good girl.
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BH, brilliant. I google op pulsator and find that one of the six airframes deployed to Cyprus in 1983 is our old friend XW530, now doing sterling service as 'gate guard' at the Buccaneer Service Station, Elgin.
Read a really interesting entry for 530 at www.blackburn-buccaneer.co.uk. Perhaps fitting that such an airframe is still intact and didn't hit the knacker's yard as so many others did on demob.
Read a really interesting entry for 530 at www.blackburn-buccaneer.co.uk. Perhaps fitting that such an airframe is still intact and didn't hit the knacker's yard as so many others did on demob.