OPERATIONAL SUMMARY FOR WEEK ENDING 28 NOV 09

OPERATION HERRICK

Another busy week for the Tornado aircraft of 904 EAW. At the beginning of the week, aircraft were tasked with providing Armed Overwatch to ground forces conducting clearance operations and RAF Regiment patrols providing security to an airfield. The aircraft monitored movement of suspicious individuals and searched the areas surrounding Patrol Bases for potential Improvised Explosive Devoices (IEDs). Later, aircraft supported ground forces with tactical reconnaissance using the Tornado’s Litening 3 pod and feeding images back to ground commanders. They also provided observation of vehicles for ground forces. Also that day, a reconnaissance mission was flown using the acclaimed RAPTOR pod which provides very detailed imagery of wide areas in a very short period of time. During the reconnaissance sortie, the aircraft was called away to support troops under enemy fire. An aircraft conducted a Show of Force, which suppressed the enemy fire and allowed the ground forces to continue with their mission.

In the middle of the week, aircraft were tasked with conducting armed overwatch for ground forces conducting clear and hold operations, counter IED reconnaissance and tactical reconnaissance in direct support of ground forces. Aircraft were also tasked with searching the site of an IED strike to obtain any intelligence with respect to insurgent activity. When an aircraft detects something which might indiucate the location of an IED, the location is fed to ground forces who can mark and avoid the area or search and neutralise the device. Further reconnaissance activity was flown using RAPTOR as well in the week. The RAPTOR reconnaissance is in high demand because of the quality of the imagery and the analysis that can be provided by the Imagery Analysts of Tactical Imagery Intelligence Wing (TIW). TIW are a deployable imagery analysis detachment, who are based at RAF Marham.

Later in the week, aircraft conducted Armed Overwatch for coalition forces conducting clear and hold operations. They carried out detailed searches of compounds and pattern of life observation, providing the imagery and feedback directly to ground forces. Aircraft also conducted further Tactical Reconnaissance using the RAPTOR pod.

Towards the end of the week, aircraft supported ground forces by monitoring pattern of life and searching for possible IED emplacers. The Tornados also refueled from UK tristar aircraft.

At the end of the week, aircraft supported ground forces with searches of roads and compounds and also conducted further reconnaissance activity using RAPTOR. This wrapped up another busy week for the Tornado aircraft of 904 EAW.

The Hercules detachment of 904 EAW had a busy week and delivered over 210 tonnes of freight and approximately 2100 passengers.

HS 125 aircraft of 901 EAW were busy transporting 13 VIP passengers around the Operational Theatre.

Tristar aircraft of 902 EAW had a full week delivering over 200 tonnes of fuel to British and coalition fast jet aircraft.

OPERATION TELIC

The Hercules detachment of 901 EAW were busy this week moving over 40 tonnes of freight and more than 60 passengers. Despite unserviceability issues, the aircraft was able to meet the majority of its tasking and the engineers managed to recover the aircraft quickly with the minimum interruption to operations.