The last Op HERRICK Nimrod R1 sortie took place this week. In a combined operation, the trio of Nimrod R1, Sentinel and VC10 have been supporting Counter-Insurgency and Counter-Narcotics ops close to the Afghanistan/Pakistan border. In support of the USMC, the R1 provided vital SIGINT, whilst the Sentinel provided near real time Ground Mapping Target Information (GMTI); ASTOR’s cross-cueing ability with other air assets allowing the close analysis of vehicle activity and the subsequent seizure of significant amounts of narcotics and criminals. During these sustained ops, the VC10 fleet provided Air-to-Air Refuelling support to the USMC F18 carrier-borne fleet.

Photography:RAF/MOD Crown Copyright 2011