Damn! Walked into that one didn't I? :(

Couldn't resist. Made things a little more cheery after an otherwise dull day. I would have thought that the AAC chose something a little more upmarket than Trebor Extra Strongs, but then again, isn't there enough hot air in the cockpit?

That has to be proven yet.............until then

Back to the mints then...will there be a selection?? I do hope so. Are the night-time mission mints NVS compatible?

''Not easy, but at the end of the day we will have the best trained attack helicopter force in the world."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That'll have to be a bloody long day then!!
I figure about 16 hrs merely for @rse/elbow recognition training!
How many hours it'll take to surpass 847 NAS standard I cannot imagine, especially at night.



:E

Kettle, pot, black.

Nothing changes.

Good luck 9 Regt, in all your endeavours. Sometimes I wish I was still there. Still enjoying the mission mints BTW.

Tourist
It would appear that your elbow points down and like your post is strangely brown!!;)
I would be very suprised if you've sat in an Attack helicopter let alone flown and operated one.
Correct me if I am wrong but I thought 847 is equipped with the Lynx in an armed utility role with NVG as the sole night flying capability. It's not difficult operating at this level as the Army have been doing that for years. The real challenge is Attack Aviation with all that comes with it... no comparison, it's a new standard.
Back in yer box sailor
:{

They may get their chance sooner than they think....

Financial Times - Blair set to send 2,000 troops to Kabul

Tony Blair is preparing to send up to 2,000 troops to Afghanistan next year when Britain takes over control of the Nato peacekeeping mission in the country.

The Ministry of Defence yesterday confirmed that plans were being made for a deployment in the spring but said a final announcement was unlikely before the autumn. The Conservatives pressed the government to provide further details of the size and nature of the force and requested assurances that the deployment would not affect UK counter-insurgency efforts in Iraq.

The MoD dismissed as "speculation" reports that as many as 5,000 troops would be sent to the south of Afghanistan, one of the main areas for opium cultivation and a frontline in the fight against insurgents linked to the former Taliban regime. A British official said no firm decision had been taken beyond deploying the headquarters of the British-led Allied Rapid Reaction Force. But the MoD is looking at a force of between 1,500 and 2,000 troops. The final figure will depend on their location, the extent of their responsibilities in backing up local security forces and whether they need communications support if spread across inhospitable territory. The UK already has 500 troops attached to the international force in Afghanistan.....

Correct me if I am mistaken, but is the lynx nvg/thermal sight combination not far better at night than the Apache system?
I was under the impression that the Amatuer Air Corps was intending to talk the Apache onto targets with the Lynx?

We used MH-53's to guide the Apaches to the radar station hit on the opening of Gulf One as I recall. Wonder if it was the lack of the right kit....or the lack of Nav ability? But those were older model Apaches. So much for the amazing GPS nav systems in use today....

Tourist,

Consider yourself mistaken and corrected!

Lynx is not a better system by any stretch of the imagination.

However; it doesn't stop an already better system being further upgraded. The upgrade has been procured post US development therefore minimising R & D costs.

Regards

HEDP

Sasless,

The MH53's had GPS, the Alpha model AH didn't.

All AH now have, no issue!

Regards

HEDP

IIRC, the Apache US, UK, Dutch etc, has been waiting for this upgrade for some years now.