RAF and Joint Helicopter Force (Afghanistan) Weekly Ops Update 30 Oct – 5 Nov 11

Air Mobility and Lift

This week has seen the VC10s of 101 Sqn provide the majority of their 167 tonnes of delivered fuel to US F18 Hornets and EA-6B Prowlers. This was critical to the delivery of coalition airpower delivering armed recce and overwatch to troops on the ground across southern Afghanistan.

ISTAR

Intelligence and Situational Awareness

This has been an exceptionally busy week for the Reaper aircraft of 39 Sqn operating out of Kandahar. Not only have they provided almost 300 hours of full motion video, they have also undertaken kinetics strikes in support of Task Force Helmand and Leatherneck. The persistence provided by Reaper combined with great tactical patience by the crews has ensured that a number of insurgents have been prevented from engaging coalition forces with a variety of weapons including rifles, grenade launchers and mortars. Remaining on task following kinetic engagements the crew have worked with Apache attack helicopters to ensure that a weapons cache was put beyond use. The Reaper crew also targeted 2 insurgents participating in the production and storage of home-made explosives destined for used in IEDs.

The Sentinel aircraft of V(AC) Sqn, also detached in the Middle East as part of 902 EAW have maintained their operational momentum this week. The Sentinel team made full use of the Airborne Stand-Off Radar system to relay near-real time information and subsequent detailed analysis to ground commanders operating in RC(South West). Several missions where in direct support of the 3rd Light Armoured Reconnaissance (3LAR) battalion of the US Marine Corps.

The capabilities of the SKASaCs helicopters operating as part of 903 EAW continue to be key enablers in allowing ground based troops to deny the freedom of movement so desired by the insurgents. Successfully completing all of their planned sorties their analysis team delivered a new high of 70 ISR (ISTAR Support Requests) products to ground force commanders. Working alongside other ISTAR assets and ground based coalition forces the SKASaCs played a vital role in the successful of 3 males with 570kg of opium.

Attack

The Tornado GR4s of 31 Sqn, operating from 904 EAW at Kandahar began their week with a request for support from Italian troops in a convoy in the vicinity of Morghab in RC(North). The convoy had come under small arms fire and a RPG. The Show of Force was sufficient to deter any further insurgent activity. The following day they were called upon to provide two Shows of Presence (SofP)in the area south west of Farah in RC(West). Both SofPs met with the ground commanders intent allowing the ground mission to be undertaken without any engagement by insurgents. This week has also seen the GR4s successfully undertake three reconnaissance missions using their RAPTOR pods, capturing over 400 of the tasked Points of Interest (POI) for detailed analysis by Tactical Imagery Wing and forward delivery to ground force commanders.

JHF(A)

Joint Helicopter Force (Afghanistan)

This week saw the current Lynx detachment from 1 AAC, hand over to a new detachment from 9 AAC. 9 AAC comprehensive pre-deployment training included exercises in California, developing specialised equipment which will improve the capability and flexibility of their aircraft.

Editor: Flt Lt E A Price

Photography: RAF/MOD Crown Copyright 2011.