Afghanistan Conflict Monitor

New Helicopters Delivered to UK Troops

New Helicopters Delivered to Troops, The Press Association, 25 May 2010

EXCERPT: "Beefed-up helicopters have taken to the skies in Afghanistan as part of efforts to give British troops more firepower on the frontline. Military chiefs welcomed the arrival of the Lynx Mk9As, which boast more powerful engines and the ability to operate all year round in the extreme weather over Helmand Province. The Lynx Mk9A is fitted with a more advanced communication system, improved surveillance equipment and the M3M machine gun, capable of firing more than 850 rounds a minute, the Ministry of Defence said. The announcement comes after grieving widow Christina Schmid questioned why no helicopters were made available after her husband Olaf, a bomb disposal expert, was blown up. Speaking to GMTV, Mrs Schmid said: 'There weren't any helicopters available. That begs the question, if he had just lost a limb would he have got out, would he have survived?'"

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Related articles:
Moving on from Afghanistan, The Independent, 24 May 2010
Fox vows to fully equip troops, The Press Association, 24 May 2010
Broke Britain "can no longer afford role in Afghanistan", The Independent, 23 May 2010
Britain considers policy shift on Afghanistan, ABC News, 23 May 2010
Liam Fox calls for faster UK troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, The Guardian, 22 May 2010

Related posts:
No "artificial timetable" for withdrawal from Afghanistan, 30 March 2010
UK military creaking under strain of Iraq and Afghanistan, 9 February 2010
UK armed forces face 20 percent cut in trained personnel, 13 January 2010
Operational challenges in supporting UK forces, 14 October 2009
MoD's £35 billion defence black hole is "lethal", 24 August 2009

NATO Seeks Russian Helicopters for Afghanistan

NATO Chief Seeks Russian Helicopters for Afghanistan, BBC News, 16 December 2009

EXCERPT: "Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has asked Russia to provide helicopters to Afghanistan to help win the war against the Taliban insurgency. During talks in Moscow he also asked Russia to help train Afghan forces. Russia said it would study the request. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov welcomed what he called a new 'readiness for dialogue' between Russia and Nato. Mr Rasmussen's visit is the first by a Nato chief since relations chilled after last year's Russian-Georgian war. The three-day visit, including talks with President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, signifies the alliance's determination to strengthen ties with Moscow, analysts say. Mr Rasmussen said he had presented Russian leaders with a list of 'concrete proposals' on helping Nato confront the Taliban insurgency. Helicopters are considered a crucial asset in the war against the Taliban, for their ability to move troops around and provide air support. Nato allies have found a shortage of helicopters one of the main handicaps in fighting the insurgency."

Read the full story.

Related articles:
Russia-NATO relations enter new stage: Medvedev, RIA Novosti, 16 December 2009
RF not dramatise disagreements with NATO: Lavrov, ITAR-TASS, 16 December 2009
Experts remain pessimistic over NATO chief's mission to Moscow, Deutsche Welle, 14 December 2009
Russia and Nato: A frozen conflict - Editorial, The Guardian, 14 December 2009

Related report:
Russia and NATO Explore the Limits of the "Agreeing to Disagree" Posture, The Jamestown Foundation, 14 December 2009

Related posts:
NATO urges Russia to help equip, train Afghan forces, 7 October 2009
Russia-NATO agree on Afghan routes, 30 January 2009
NATO, Russia mend relations as Afghan war heats up, 26 January 2009
NATO's Afghan mission in trouble: Brown, 29 April 2008
Helicopter shortage hurting Afghan mission, 27 November 2007

UK to Buy 22 Chinooks to Support Troops

UK to Buy 22 Chinooks to Support Afghan Troops, Financial Times, 15 December 2009

EXCERPT: "Britain said on Tuesday it was buying 22 Chinook military helicopters to increase air support for its troops in Afghanistan. The first 10 new Chinooks, made by Boeing, will be completed by 2013 and the order will increase the Chinook fleet size to 70 from 48, the ministry of defence said in a statement. Bob Ainsworth, defence secretary, is expected to outline cuts in other areas of military spending when he addresses parliament later on Tuesday, including the closure of a Royal Air Force base and more than 10,000 job losses across the armed forces. Mr Ainsworth will cast the sacrifices – amounting to about £1.5bn over three years – as necessary steps to balance an overheated defence budget and shift resources to support the campaign in Afghanistan."

Read the full story.

Related articles:
First of extra UK troops arrive in Afghanistan, BBC News, 15 December 2009
UK audit bodes cuts by military, The Wall Street Journal, 15 December 2009
D-day for defence cuts in £36bn crisis, Times Online, 15 December 2009
British mission in Afghanistan "has crept beyond original objectives", The Telegraph, 13 December 2009
MoD spent £149m on troop carriers unfit for service, Times Online, 23 November 2009

Related report:
Ministry of Defence: Major projects report 2009, National Audit Office, 15 December 2009

Related posts:
RAF Chinooks to get £400m upgrade, 24 September 2009
MoD's £35 billion defence black hole is "lethal", 24 August 2009
Helicopter shortage hurting British operations, 16 July 2009
Britain's war costs in Iraq and Afghanistan triple, 3 July 2009
Chopper delay puts UK troops "at risk": Lawmakers, 4 March 2009

RAF Chinooks To Get £400M Upgrade

'RAF Chinooks To Get £400M Upgrade', BBC News, 24 September 2009

EXCERPT: "RAF Chinook helicopters which are operating in Afghanistan are to get a £408m upgrade, the Ministry of Defence has announced. The work will include fitting a more powerful engine to help the aircraft fly in the country's harsh conditions. It aims to allow the 38-strong fleet to fly further without refuelling and go for longer without servicing. In July there were criticisms over the availability of helicopters for troops in Afghanistan. The aircraft will be fitted with more powerful Honeywell engines in a contract costing £128m, and more advanced digitised cockpits to be fitted by Thales in a contract that will cost £280m. The work is aimed at allowing the helicopters to operate more effectively in the high altitudes and hot summers of Afghanistan. Questions have been raised about the number and availability of UK military helicopters deployed in Afghanistan - with some commentators blaming the government for not providing enough."

To continue reading the article, click here.

See also:
'Redefining success in Afghanistan', Al Jazeera, 24 September 2009
'UK troop call', Financial Times, 22 September 2009
'UK army chief: Afghan defeat would harm reputation', The Associated Press, 18 September 2009

Related posts:
'MoD's £35 billion defence black hole is "lethal"', 24 August 2009
'Helicopter shortage hurting British operations', 16 July 2009
'British govt criticised over equipment', 13 July 2009
'UK troops lacking essential supplies: Report', 14 May 2009
'Short of equipment and facing a more confident enemy', 22 August 2008

MoD's £35 Billion Defence Black Hole Is "Lethal"

'MoD's £35 Billion Defence Black Hole Is "Lethal"', The Independent, 24 August 2009

EXCERPT: "The Government's record on protecting British troops serving in Afghanistan has been called into question by a scathing leaked report revealing failures in buying defence equipment. An official inquiry found evidence of 'endemic' problems, with projects spiralling £35bn over budget and running five years late. It says that enemies such as the Taliban 'are unlikely to wait for our sclerotic acquisition systems to catch up'. The highly critical findings will fuel the controversy over whether British lives are being put at risk in Afghanistan by a lack of equipment. Ministers insist that adequate resources are reaching the front line. But Downing Street is believed to have shelved publication of the report last month in an attempt to limit the damage at a time when a shortage of helicopters was being partly blamed for the deaths of servicemen."

To continue reading the article, click here.

See also:
'MoD failings mean soldiers' equipment is five years late, £35 billion over budget - report', The Telegraph, 24 August 2009
'Poll shows most Britons oppose war in Afghanistan', Reuters India, 23 August 2009
'"Real risk" of UK Afghan defeat', BBC News, 22 August 2009
'British PM meets Petraeus for Afghanistan talks', AFP, 22 August 2009

Related posts:
'UK Commons report on Afghanistan and Pakistan', 5 August 2009
'Helicopter shortage hurting British operations', 16 July 2009
'Britain's war costs in Iraq and Afghanistan triple', 3 July 2009
'UK troops lacking essential supplies: Report', 14 May 2009
'Equipment shortages to blame for up to 60 British service deaths', 17 June 2008

Helicopter Shortage Hurting British Operations

'Helicopter Shortage Hurts UK In Afghanistan: Report', Reuters, 16 July 2009

EXCERPT: "A shortage of helicopters is hurting British operations in Afghanistan, a report by a parliamentary committee said on Thursday, adding to pressure on the government to increase resources in the war zone. In a report whose publication was timed to coincide with a debate about the quality of British frontline troops' equipment, the Defence Committee said there were concerns about the number of helicopters and the defence ministry's programme for procuring new ones. The report will fuel calls by opposition parties for Prime Minister Gordon Brown to send more helicopters and armoured vehicles to Afghanistan, where 15 British troops have been killed this month, most of them by roadside bombs planted by Taliban insurgents. There are less than a dozen heavy lift helicopters for the 9,000 British troops in Afghanistan, limiting the ability to fly people and equipment rapidly round the battlefield. As a result, more have to move by road, exposing them to roadside bombs."

To continue reading the article, click here.

To continue reading the House of Commons Defence Committee report on helicopter capability, click here [pdf].

See also:
'Brown denies troops are ill-equipped', BBC News, 16 July 2009
'Army leader forced to use US helicopter', The Independent, 16 July 2009
'MPs warn over helicopter shortage', The Press Association, 16 July 2009
'Losses in Afghanistan stir anxiety in Britain', Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2009

Related posts:
'British govt criticised over equipment', 13 July 2009
'UK troops lacking essential supplies: Report', 14 May 2009
'Short of equipment and facing a more confident enemy', 22 August 2008
'Equipment shortages to blame for up to 60 British service deaths', 17 June 2008

British Govt Criticised Over Equipment

'British Govt Criticised Over Afghanistan Equipment', Reuters, 13 July 2009

EXCERPT: "Britain's defence secretary faced angry questions in parliament on Monday over the shortage of vital military equipment in Afghanistan, where 15 British soldiers have been killed in the past two weeks. The death of eight soldiers in a single day has shocked and angered the public and led opposition politicians to demand the government say what it is doing to get more helicopters and well-armoured vehicles to stretched frontline forces. 'The government must explain why our armed forces are having to do so much with so little,' said Liam Fox, defence spokesman for the opposition Conservative party, emphasising Britain's lack of heavy-lift helicopters. 'If we cannot move our forces by air, they are more vulnerable on the ground. How on earth did we get into such an unacceptable position?' he asked. Britain has about 9,000 troops in Afghanistan, the vast majority of them in Helmand, a province in the south that has been a focus of fighting against Taliban insurgents. Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said helicopter flying hours had been increased and additional helicopters and vehicles with heavier armour would be sent to the war zone -- next year."

To continue reading the article, click here.

See also:
'Gordon Brown says troops in Afghanistan have right equipment', The Telegraph, 13 July 2009
'British govt defends its strategy and support in Afghanistan', VOA News, 13 July 2009
'UK dilemma as cash plays part in power game', Financial Times, 13 July 2009
'Troop deaths in Afghanistan rattle Britain', The Christian Science Monitor, 13 July 2009
'More troops set for Afghanistan', The Sun, 13 July 2009

Related posts:
'"British Treasury is crippling war": Former commander', 9 June 2009
'UK troops lacking essential supplies: Report', 14 May 2009
'Chopper delay puts UK troops "at risk": Lawmakers', 4 March 2009
'Equipment shortages to blame for up to 60 British service deaths', 17 June 2008
'"Gold standard cock-up" over grounded helicopters', 4 June 2008

"British Treasury Is Crippling War": Former Commander

'Former British Commander In Afghanistan Says Treasury Is Crippling War', Times Online, 9 June 2009

EXCERPT: "The British campaign in Afghanistan has been crippled by a spending cap imposed by the Treasury, a former senior soldier said today. Brigadier Ed Butler, who commanded 16 Air Assault Brigade when it was sent to Helmand province in 2006, resigned his commission last year in protest at the handling of operations there. The financial constraints resulted in a severe shortage of helicopters in the field and seriously hampered the ability of British forces to cover the ground. Speaking to the Commons Defence Committee, Brigadier Butler pointed out that in Northern Ireland there were 70 helicopters for 10,000 to 15,000 troops but in Afghanistan, with casualties rising steeply in a fierce insurgency, there were far fewer. Brigadier Butler's devastating exposé of the restrictions he had to deal with as he commanded 3,300 troops appeared to contradict the public pledge made by Tony Blair when he was Prime Minster that the troops in Afghanistan could have whatever they wanted. Gordon Brown was Chancellor at the time."

To continue reading the article, click here.

See also:
'UK objectives in Islamabad, Kabul to stabilise borders', Daily Times, 9 June 2009
'Gates to meet with Allies on Afghanistan, wants progress within a year', VOA News, 9 June 2009
'NATO calls for more European troops in Afghanistan', Taiwan News, 9 June 2009
'The Taliban will "never be defeated"', Times Online, 7 June 2009

Related posts:
'UK troops lacking essential supplies: Report', 14 May 2009
'Britain "cannot afford to send more troops"', 24 April 2009
'Chopper delay puts UK troops "at risk": Lawmakers', 4 March 2009
'Short of equipment and facing a more confident enemy', 22 August 2008
'Equipment shortages to blame for up to 60 British service deaths', 17 June 2008

Chopper Delay Puts UK Troops "At Risk": Lawmakers

'Chopper Delay Puts UK Troops "At Risk": Lawmakers', Reuters, 4 March 2009

EXCERPT: "A failure by Britain's Ministry of Defence to get new transport helicopters into service has put the lives of soldiers on the frontlines in Afghanistan at greater risk, British lawmakers said on Thursday. In a damning report on procurement, a leading parliamentary committee accused the defence ministry of bad decision-making bordering on 'irresponsibility' in the purchase of 14 U.S.-built helicopters, ordered more than a decade ago. Manufacturer Boeing (BA.N) delivered the Chinook choppers in 2001, but eight of them could not be put into service because software needed to modify them for special operations was not supplied since it was not specified in the contract. Eight years on, the helicopters remain under wraps in hangars, unfit to be flown at a time of ever-increasing demand from military commanders in Afghanistan for airlifts."

To continue reading the article, click here.

See also:
'UK Chinook crashes linked to night flight kit, lawmakers say', Bloomberg, 5 March 2009
'Europe's military injustice', Daily Times, 5 March 2009
'UK urged to consider abandoning Airbus A400M', Reuters, 26 February 2009
'British forces in Afghanistan "could learn lessons", says Canada's DM', The Telegraph, 26 February 2009

Related posts:
'Short of equipment and facing a more confident enemy', 22 August 2008
'Equipment shortages to blame for up to 60 British service deaths', 17 June 2008
'"Gold standard cock-up" over grounded helicopters', 4 June 2008
'Faulty Army gear may breach human rights, court rules', 11 April 2008
'Helicopter shortage hurting Afghan mission', 27 November 2007

Kandahar Air Wing First For Canada Since Korean War

'Kandahar Air Wing First For Canada Since Korean War', The Chronicle Herald, 8 December 2008

EXCERPT: "Canada has added another set of weapons to its arsenal in Afghanistan with a new air wing that broadens efforts to combat the Taliban in volatile Kandahar province. When Canada’s battle group moved into southern Afghanistan in 2006 — unlike the U.S., British and Dutch forces — it did so without any helicopters. The lack of air assets forced the Canadians to rely heavily on road convoys, which has proven dangerous for the troops because of improvised explosive devices and suicide bombers. The new air wing will change that. The new air arm — called Joint Task Force (Afghanistan) Air Wing — is comprised of four units and approximately 450 personnel. It was among recommendations in the Manley Report released earlier this year and part of the conditions set out in the parliamentary motion to extend Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan until 2011."

To continue reading the article, click here.

See also:
'Air support to bolster mission in Afghanistan', The National Post, 9 December 2008
'Kandahar base braces for wave of US troops', The Globe and Mail, 9 December 2008
'Kandahar memorial honours the fallen', Edmonton Sun, 8 December 2008
'Afghanistan debate rages on for Canada', Metro, 7 December 2008

Related posts:
'Ottawa to send attack helicopters to Afghanistan', 26 November 2008
'Canadian military acquiring new helicopters, drones', 7 August 2008
'Canada's engagement in Afghanistan - Setting a course to 2011', 16 June 2008
'1,000 more NATO troops "bare minimum" for Canada to extend mission', 11 March 2008
'Panel ties Canadian presence to troops, equipment', 22 January 2008