Afghanistan: Choppers 3 year delay
HELICOPTERS desperately needed in Afghanistan will not reach the frontline for THREE YEARS, we can reveal.
Thirty-three battlefield Pumas will be adapted to achieve the required standard for "hot and high" conditions in Helmand Province.
And despite a shortage of work for defence firms in Britain, MoD chiefs have decided much of the work will take place in Romania and France.
The refurbishment will also allow the aging Pumas - recently returned from Iraq - to stay in service until 2022.
But it means troops tackling the Taliban in Afghanistan - who are woefully short of helicopter cover - will have to wait until 2012 for the refurbished choppers to arrive.
A military expert said: "They will have to be stripped out and given the equivalent of a super MOT." The source added it would be two to three years before they would be ready.
The MoD said: "Decisions on where work would be carried out were based on where expertise is and getting the best value for money for the taxpayer."
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This article has 4 comments
I would like to see the MoD staff use these ageing aircraft! I am so fed up with this country, I am leaving to find a better standard of living and prosperity, which shouldn't be too hard to find.
By United Communist Kingdom. Posted October 4 2009 at 4:35 PM.
The location of the upgrades tells the tale. There is not sufficient expertise in the UK, to maintain them for Afghanistan!
It will take a minimum of 3 years, to put together a viable support network for in-theatre operations.
This is THE issue with helicopter deployments!
By Olnik. Posted August 16 2009 at 1:04 PM.
Well said Stu, our pathetic Government should be ashamed. While they are there sitting in their comfy desk talking about how to raise tax, good, decent british soldiers are dying...FOR WHAT? For Queen and Country? No, so can hold are hands up and say "We helped America". Absolutely pathetic. Furthermore, they are not supported with lifesaving equipment. All this money out robbing Government has and they do not have the decency to look after the men and women who 'Supposedly' fight for them.
I would pay to see Gordon Brown and his Pathetic party to do what our boys do. They would not last 3 days.
By WHL_Reece. Posted August 16 2009 at 8:52 AM.
this goverment should be ashamed of the themselves. i've just spent over 2 years working in iraq with the US military. they get 100% support from there goverment in every aspect from equipment to post tour medical care, the US goverment put gordon brown to shame there is no reason in this world we cannot provide our troops with the same.
By stu. Posted August 16 2009 at 7:48 AM.