Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Military Aviation
Reload this Page >

RAF Pumas to Afghanistan

Wikiposts
Search
Military Aviation A forum for the professionals who fly military hardware. Also for the backroom boys and girls who support the flying and maintain the equipment, and without whom nothing would ever leave the ground. All armies, navies and air forces of the world equally welcome here.

RAF Pumas to Afghanistan

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 29th Jul 2014, 14:12
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Beyond the M25
Posts: 523
Received 49 Likes on 25 Posts
RAF Pumas to Afghanistan

An interesting development for the RAF's Puma force...


http://www.janes.com/article/41268/u...to-afghanistan
Mil-26Man is offline  
Old 29th Jul 2014, 17:35
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Hotel Gypsy
Posts: 2,821
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Not the first time.
Cows getting bigger is offline  
Old 29th Jul 2014, 17:41
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Canada
Posts: 2,895
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
With the usual FO/MoD delays, I should think the 'stan will be a failed state by then anyway, and the deployment moot.
Shouldn't be at all surprised if some were banking on that. Save a lot of cost/paperwork.
Fox3WheresMyBanana is offline  
Old 29th Jul 2014, 17:43
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: The back of beyond
Posts: 2,133
Received 173 Likes on 89 Posts

Not the first time
To Afghanistan it is.
melmothtw is offline  
Old 29th Jul 2014, 17:54
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Hotel Gypsy
Posts: 2,821
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well, I guess I must have had a four month hallucination in 2002.
Cows getting bigger is offline  
Old 29th Jul 2014, 18:01
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: The back of beyond
Posts: 2,133
Received 173 Likes on 89 Posts
Well, judging by your response you were there so will accept your word on the matter. Have to say though that I can't find any google reference to them ever having been there, do you care to elaborate on the nature of your deployment? Were the Pumas just there for 4 months, or was that just yourself?
melmothtw is offline  
Old 29th Jul 2014, 18:08
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 785
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Suppose its a good way of justifying the Puma 2's existence.

God forbid its a PR stunt from the RAF.......
wg13_dummy is offline  
Old 29th Jul 2014, 19:40
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: 119K East of SARDOT
Posts: 146
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well, I guess I must have had a four month hallucination in 2002.
Ah, but were you there, operating, during the summer months?
Sand4Gold is offline  
Old 29th Jul 2014, 23:17
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Darling - where are we?
Posts: 2,580
Received 7 Likes on 5 Posts
RAF Pumas to Afghanistan

Well, I guess we have to justify the upgrade when in 2015 the Army won't need the same level of RW support in country but there's also a spending cut, sorry, defence review looming

Last edited by Melchett01; 30th Jul 2014 at 12:12. Reason: Clear up confusion
Melchett01 is offline  
Old 30th Jul 2014, 03:29
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: UK
Age: 56
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Why won't they need the same level of RW support?
Odigron is offline  
Old 30th Jul 2014, 04:10
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 634
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts
Melmoth - Wrong, you will find Cows is correct!
Could be the last? is offline  
Old 30th Jul 2014, 06:14
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: The back of beyond
Posts: 2,133
Received 173 Likes on 89 Posts
Read my response Cbtl. I've already accepted Cows is correct. You seem to know a bit about it also, so perhaps you could fill in the details?
melmothtw is offline  
Old 30th Jul 2014, 09:16
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: nowhere special
Posts: 470
Received 9 Likes on 5 Posts
C'mon people. I think we're all adult enough here to know what it is likely Cows was doing there after the 'invasion' and before Telic 1 kicked off.

That there is little about in the internet should tell you all you need to know and thus Cows is unlikely to share his experience.
nowherespecial is offline  
Old 30th Jul 2014, 09:56
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: The back of beyond
Posts: 2,133
Received 173 Likes on 89 Posts
Ha, fair point nowherespecial. Ok then, question rescinded.
melmothtw is offline  
Old 30th Jul 2014, 11:02
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Darling - where are we?
Posts: 2,580
Received 7 Likes on 5 Posts
Why won't they need the same level of RW support?
Quite simple Odigron - they won't be there in 2015. Do you really think we are going to leave X numbers of heavy lift and AH just to support a few individuals working at the Afghan Sandhurst?
Melchett01 is offline  
Old 30th Jul 2014, 11:09
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Midlands
Posts: 745
Received 25 Likes on 8 Posts
You ain't seen me...Right?

Stitchbitch is online now  
Old 30th Jul 2014, 11:39
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: England
Posts: 270
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
when in 2015 the Army won't need the same level of RW support
Given the fact that the NAO has been saying for years that RW lift has been approximately 33% under equiped, then perhaps the reduction of the Army may mean that RW lift will be correctly balanced.

Bearing in mind that there will be less Puma 2 than there were 1s. There will be fewer Wildcat than were were Lynx and the Sea King will also shortly retire.

Post Afghnistan JHC may be able to better support the many many tasks that have fallen by the wayside over the past 5-10 years due to too few assests.
Door Slider is offline  
Old 30th Jul 2014, 12:18
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Darling - where are we?
Posts: 2,580
Received 7 Likes on 5 Posts
Door Slider,

Agreed. However, I suspect my original post was unclear on my part, and I should have explicitly said support in country rather than in general and as such have amended my original post to reflect that.

I do wonder though, what exactly the Army will do with RW other than the odd large scale exercise and expensive taxi service in the post-HERRICK era, if as we are led to believe, the public appetite for boots on the ground no longer exists and the Army are going into a period of recuperation and regeneration.

Whilst on the one had, as you correctly suggest, a lower level of commitment will permit a sense of balance to be restored on the troops / task front, I also fear it will leave RW across the Services vulnerable to cuts. From my end of the trench, it does sadly appear that what Lord Dannett referred to as running hot those few years ago is now both the norm and the expectation from VSOs and politicians and any 'slacking off' - like giving people weekends and leave to spend with family - will leave those elements vulnerable for the chop. These days people are assets only in so much as they are a tool to be sweated until broken rather than a treasured capability than should be looked after.
Melchett01 is offline  
Old 30th Jul 2014, 12:34
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: England
Posts: 270
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Melchett,

I share your fears and sadly I agree that RW maybe vulnerable to 'Salami Slicing' in the next few years, especially the Ch Fce.

Time will tell.
Door Slider is offline  
Old 30th Jul 2014, 14:03
  #20 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: UK
Age: 56
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Melchett, thanks for clarifying. There are plenty of opportunities to use the slightly bigger RW lift capability we now have. Could go back down to the FI with Chinook to name but one or BATUS support as another; the key driver will be AFT.
Odigron is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.