RAF reduces Helicopter cover in UK to send one to Afghanistan
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RAF reduces Helicopter cover in UK to send one to Afghanistan
The RAF is being forced to pull a fifth of its helicopter crews out of Britain’s search and rescue service and send them to Afghanistan in an attempt to stop soldiers being killed by roadside bombs.
The move will drastically reduce the number of RAF Sea King helicopters available to rescue people in trouble at sea or caught in disasters such as last year’s floods.
The RAF crews respond to an average of 1,000 emergency calls a year, varying from rescuing holidaymakers in difficulties to the 2004 floods that devastated the Cornish village of Boscastle.
Cutting one of the five crews from each of the six RAF search and rescue stations around Britain will put at risk the current ability to respond to any emergency within an hour.
The cuts, due to come into effect over the next few months, will leave most RAF search and rescue stations with only one helicopter on call instead of two, leaving no back-up for big incidents.
Nick Harvey, the Liberal Democrat defence spokesman, whose North Devon constituency includes the RAF’s Chivenor search and rescue base, said: “There have to be grave concerns they will be left shorthanded.”
It is the first time search and rescue crews have been cut to help frontline forces.
The move will drastically reduce the number of RAF Sea King helicopters available to rescue people in trouble at sea or caught in disasters such as last year’s floods.
The RAF crews respond to an average of 1,000 emergency calls a year, varying from rescuing holidaymakers in difficulties to the 2004 floods that devastated the Cornish village of Boscastle.
Cutting one of the five crews from each of the six RAF search and rescue stations around Britain will put at risk the current ability to respond to any emergency within an hour.
The cuts, due to come into effect over the next few months, will leave most RAF search and rescue stations with only one helicopter on call instead of two, leaving no back-up for big incidents.
Nick Harvey, the Liberal Democrat defence spokesman, whose North Devon constituency includes the RAF’s Chivenor search and rescue base, said: “There have to be grave concerns they will be left shorthanded.”
It is the first time search and rescue crews have been cut to help frontline forces.
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Without being or seeming to be nieve, I have often wondered why they do not mount a simple wide roller on a freely pivoting frame in front of some of the vehicles used cross country such as the Volvo BV202's, as was used by the crab in the other war...... I realise it will not take out remote devices, but it would work against some of the less sophisticated weapons... and be a cheap fix, could possibly be done in field, but knowing the MOD it would involve 10 years of work, cost millions and not fit when it arrives..
. If it saved one life it would be money well spent.
Sometimes the unsophisticated can beat technology..
OK flame on..... I can stand the heat.
. If it saved one life it would be money well spent.Sometimes the unsophisticated can beat technology..
OK flame on..... I can stand the heat.
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Red On, Green On
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Nut - any surface convoy is vulnerable to land-mines, IEDs and also ambushes which may be used in conjunction with the above. The kind of kit you refer to is slow and thus vulnerable in itself.
Add in some quite long distances, the need for speed for some missions (MERT etc) plus general battlefield mobility and you can not avoid large amounts of SH and AH.
The UK's forces probably went in under-equipped with SH at the outset (not going to fire a shot, according to the then DefSec) as they were expecting to be handing out lollies and flushing loos. Since then they've been playing catch-up.
Add in some quite long distances, the need for speed for some missions (MERT etc) plus general battlefield mobility and you can not avoid large amounts of SH and AH.
The UK's forces probably went in under-equipped with SH at the outset (not going to fire a shot, according to the then DefSec) as they were expecting to be handing out lollies and flushing loos. Since then they've been playing catch-up.
