OP HAVEN 2
 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2723010/Britain-considers-sending-Chinook-helicopters-aid-fleeing-Yazidi-refugees-Iraq-public-swings-air-strikes-rampaging-Islamic-State-fighters.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

You offering to show them how it was done last time Chinook240?!

Surely it's now "Operation ENDURING DISASTER"?

Or is that just the US title?

Doubt we will get to fly a Brit, Spanish, Italian and U.S 4 ship again somehow. I also remember running a Tac park trg session to let the yanks get up to speed using 3 hooks on their new D's lol. Soooo long ago.

It was 'Op Provide Comfort' post GW1 I seem to remember.

Wasn't that the US name? Wasn't the UK name Op Haven?

Think the politicians hols will be spoilt this week.:ooh:
However, not as completely as quite a few service hols!:uhoh:
Good luck to all involved.

OAP

I know which one I went on!

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Provide_Comfort

Presumably somebody has a plan as to where the Chinooks will operate from and how they will be protected whilst on their missions? Someone, anyone?

Me,too, and have a T-shirt bought at Incirlik before the Wokka effort moved to Diyarbakir.

That was part of my earlier post.
TBH, if the Turks would allow it - NATO, and all that - Diyarbakir would seem a good bet.

I was going to say Turkey but wasn't sure how they would like it.

What about staging from the US base on the gulf with a possible stop
somewhere in Iraq (the part still controlled by the Gov't) ?

the bit 'controlled' by the government seems about the least stable bit of Iraq - army falling apart, two people calling themselves PM...

the Turks look like the don't want to get involved in this one - unless the USN is flying 2000km+ missions for the good of its health - best bet is FOBing in the Kurdish state/region...

can't see how it will come off without a UK ground security force, and it'll take more than two C-130's in Cyprus to keep the Chinooks both flying and in stuff to deliver.

Tal Hafar, Mosul ? Both have airfields capable of a joint C130/ Chinook FARP operation assuming they are in friendly hands. I understand the thinking is evacuating as many as possible from the mountain. Obviously, the flight in could carry aid. The Hercules refuel the Chinooks, bring in aid and depart with evacuees for a safe destination. Properly done, it could turn out to be a worthwhile humanitarian operation. We surely have the capability to do it, do we have the political gumption ?

Smudge

The last maps I saw indicated

Mosul is ISIS controlled.

Tal Hafar had recent fighting around it.

Iraq crisis: Last government troops flee strategic town of Tal Afar - Telegraph

Not sure if the Iraqi army had retaken Tal Afar but if not, that would suggest that this is not the ideal place.

How about asking the Jordanians? They must be looking at the inexorable spread of ISIS and wondering if they were next.

This report also makes reference to the well armed Sunnis who appear to have taken the US-supplied arms from the Iraqi army. Lets hope they don't have Manpads, although I am not sure why the Iraqi amy would have been supplied with Manpads.

Also known as 'Op Provide Carpets' as everyone seemed to come back from Incirlik with at least one Turkish Rug.

Other alternative names:

Op 'This seems familiar'.

Op 'F#ck me - not again!'.

Op: 'Didn't we learn last time?'

Op: 'That's handy. The Turkish carpet I bought in 1995 is almost worn out'.

Etc. (Feel free to provide more).

Toad

Re AA missiles

"This contract, worth more than $4 billion, was signed during a visit by the president of Iraq to Moscow in October 2012. It involves the supply of 48 Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile gun systems, as well as 40 helicopters — Mi-35 and Mi-28NE."

Not man pads but ............

Told ya! DC returns, get the feeling a far bigger bust-up than so far promoted is coming.:uhoh:

OAP