Extra Tornado’s for Afghanistan

Announced today is the deployment of an extra pair of Tornado’s to Afghanistan to join the 8 that are already there.

Using the latest figures from the UK Defence Statistics the RAF has 106 GR4′s in the Forward Available Fleet.

So with ten in theatre, that is less than 10% of the available fleet and if one included the Typhoons, Harriers of JFH and (rather unfairly) the Tornado F3′s that is less than 5% of the available fast jet fleet.

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David Cameron on Afghanistan

This is a hangover from the post before, not sure why only 1 video displayed

A Couple of Video Updates

Whilst I am still working on the Talisman post, a couple of interesting videos…

Change the Nameplate Above the Door

As we all know, General Stanley McChrystal has had his resignation accepted by President Obama for allowing the now infamous Rolling Stone article to go to print.

There are any number of theories floating around as to why he did this; vanity, a push for political power with an eye on the Presidency, a sneaky means of disentangling himself from the wreckage of his own/President Obama’s failed strategy or simply a good old fashioned cock up.

So depending on your point of view, the General is either relaxing today with a mission accomplished grin or packing up the wreckage of his career after the official ‘interview without coffee’

Of course he had to go but was he any more successful than his also sacked predecessor, General McKiernan, and will he be missed?

Apart from asking serious questions why a General in charge of something as serious as operations in Afghanistan has time for left leaning magazine interviews or why the cult of personality around an operational commander was allowed to grow, the real question is not why it happened but what happens now. Read more…

A Beautiful Strategy

As the new government finds it feet and starts looking at our involvement in Afghanistan it would seem a new strategy is in the offing.

That strategy comprises of two broad elements

1. Get the fuck out of dodge

2. Pretend it was a victory

After years of failure in Afghanistan the new strategy will be to come up with a sensible disengagement. Lets face facts, we have failed.

The government has failed, the MoD has failed and the senior military leadership has failed.

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Ministerial Statement on Afghanistan

The Secretary of State for Defence (The Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP):

The significant increase in the number of international troops in southern Afghanistan is enabling commanders to make improvements in the laydown and command arrangements of coalition forces in the region. The first of these was the handover of security responsibility for Musa Qaleh district in Helmand province from UK to US troops on 27 March. This transfer allowed UK troops in Musa Qaleh to be redeployed to the population centres of central Helmand where they have increased ISAF’s capacity to protect the Afghan civilian population from the threat posed by the insurgency, and to train and partner with the Afghan National Security Forces.

On 21 May, ISAF announced that Regional Command (South), the ISAF command responsible for overseeing the operational activity of international forces in southern Afghanistan, will be divided into two separate commands: Regional Command (South West), headquartered in Helmand and consisting of Helmand and Nimruz provinces; and, Regional Command (South), headquartered in Kandahar and consisting of Kandahar, Dai Kundi, Uruzgan and Zabol provinces. The division of responsibility for ISAF troops in southern Afghanistan into two regional commands will ensure that ISAF can continue to provide the optimal level of command and control over its forces as they increase in size from around 35,000 in October last year to over 50,000 troops this summer. Furthermore, the separation of the commands along regional boundaries will align the ISAF military structure in the south with the structure of the Afghan National Army, enabling a greater partnering capacity between ISAF and Afghan forces.

ISAF intends for Regional Command (South West) to become fully operational over the course of the summer. The first commander will be Major General Richard Mills of the US Marine Corps, and the US 1 Marine Expeditionary Force, (Forward) which is already based in Helmand, will provide the framework for Regional Command (South West)’s headquarters component. The UK-led Task Force Helmand will come under Major General Mills’ command from 1 June. Subject to final confirmation in due course, the UK and US have agreed in principle that command of Regional Command (South West) will be shared on a rotational basis.

As a further element of ISAF reorganisation in Helmand, and as announced by ISAF last week, the British battlegroup based in Sangin and Kajaki, which comprises in the order of 1,100 troops, will transfer from the UK-led Task Force Helmand to the US-led Regimental Combat Team that is taking on responsibility for the north of the province. Under this arrangement, the battlegroup will not be relocated but for operational purposes it will come under the command of the US. In common with the other changes to ISAF’s command structures, the transfer of command in Sangin is intended to optimise the command support available to the troops on the ground in the light of the increase in the number of ISAF troops and other operational assets. The transfer will occur on 1 June.

The UK has been consulted throughout ISAF’s decision making process and we welcome the changes to the command arrangements that will enable ISAF to make optimal use of the increased forces now deploying in southern Afghanistan.

H/T UK Defence Forum

First Aid Training for the Taleban

The International Committee of the Red Cross has issued an operational update for Afghanistan.

In addition to the numerous good works they have been carrying out, including mentoring the ANA/ANP,  food and seed distribution, water and sanitation projects , limb fitting and physical rehabilitation they have also reported on efforts to improve the care for the sick and wounded.

Nothing wrong with that you might say.

However, what about these

The ICRC also provided basic first-aid training and first-aid kits to arms carriers

That’s the people carrying weapons to kill ISAF personnel, Afghan Security Forces and civilians.

And,

In April, it reached over 100 Afghan security forces personnel, over 70 members of the armed opposition, taxi drivers involved in the transport of wounded people, first-aiders and its own staff.

Is there a precedent for this?

So we are training the Taleban and their weapons carriers to be more effective combatants.

It doesn’t sound like a very good idea to me, especially given that the UK taxpayer and public contribute a great deal to the ICRC. Their 2009 financial report lists the UK government contribution at over £50million and the ‘public’ via the national society, at over £5million.

Of course ISAF and the government are deafening in their silence, best stay neutral in case we upset anyone.

Off to Kandahar Then?

The MoD has just released a couple of choice quotes from Liam Fox about Afghanistan.

Speaking about the role of UK troops in Helmand, Dr Fox said:

“I think that we should be having our forces deployed where they are going to have the greatest effect in terms of the overall strategy of the coalition and I don’t think we should be precious about that.

“Our troops have done a wonderful job in Helmand, talking to American commanders there. They are extremely impressed now that they’re on the ground in Helmand and seeing the difficulty of the conditions. They’re very impressed about how bravely and professionally the British forces have operated.”

Reading between the lines (and possibly getting it hopelessly wrong!) that means UK forces are off to Kandahar Province to replace the Canadians who will be leaving in 2011 and the Dutch who will be leaving neighbouring Urōzgān this year.

Canadian Armour in Afghanistan

Some interesting footage of the Leopard main battle tank and Kodiak armoured engineer vehicle in Afghanistan.

The UK has deployed the Trojan combat engineering heavy armoured vehicle but not Challenger 2 citing terrain restrictions in the Green Zone as the main reason for not deploying them There was some talk of a request being turned down on cost grounds a few months ago.

If the UK area of operations does shift to replace the departing Canadians one wonders if the UK might emulate the success of he Canadians and others with the deployment of small numbers of main battle tanks.

They certainly have an intimidatory effect but perhaps our new ‘courageous restraint’ approach might not be compatible with 70 tonnes of mobile firepower.

Not So Quiet on the Westland Front

THE MOD has announced the contract to re-engine the remainder of the Army Air Corps (AAC) Lynx Mk 9 helicopters, to bring them up to Mk 9A standard.

The contract, worth £41.8milllion, has been awarded to AgustaWestland and will see the final 10 airframes upgraded. These are in addition to the previous 12 which began conversion at the end of last year. The out of service date for the Mk 9A has also been extended to 2016. The Minister for Defence Equipment and support, Quentin Davies said:

“This improved version of the very successful Lynx helicopter will greatly benefit our troops in Afghanistan when it deploys there for the first time next month. The enhancements will allow it to perform in the extremes of climate and geography that characterise that theatre of operations.”

Quentin Davies was right when he said it will greatly benefit our troops as operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq were severely limited by Lynx’s inability to operate in hot and high conditions, especially during the summer months. At times the troop carrying capability has been reduced to one, which makes something of a lonely patrol.

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Beers all round then

Great story from Sean Rayment in the Telegraph about the ‘battle of crossing point one’ in Afghanistan that pitted a platoon of Grenadier Guards against an unknown force of Taleban.

Excellent reporting, however, does anyone else here wonder about a few issues thrown up in the article; lack of Javelins, no close air support and no heliborne counter attack to block and encircle the Taleban.

Nevertheless, an inspiring story and yet another affirmation that the much maligned youth of today are still taking it to the Queen’s enemies, much like their forefathers.

Makes one very proud.

The Falklands and ISAF

In our previous post on the US reaction to the latest Falklands Islands we pondered on the fact that the UK has 10,000 service personnel in Afghanistan and this deployment has been ongoing for several years at a very high cost in blood and treasure.

And yet despite this, the State Department and Hilary Clinton could not have done more to cast this commitment aside in favour of a second rate tin pot government.

In comparison, there are no South or Central American  forces there.

Beyond the UK’s issues, how does this play out in the ISAF contributing nations?

If the US has such contempt for its major ally how will it treat me if I have a dispute

With lead nations like Canada and Holland leaving Afghanistan if the US does not start treating its friends with some loyalty they might find themselves in a coalition of one.

MSM – Great Article in the Mail

This is a fantastic article, excellent reporting and superb photography covering the work of the Medical Emergency Response Teams in Afghanistan.

Full credit must go to the journalist, Marco Di Lauro.

This is exactly the type of defence reporting we need more of

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1248526/The-flight-angels-saving-lives-Afghanistans-airborne-A-E.html

Who is the bigger security threat?

As we get ever close the the Green Paper and Future Security and Defence Review one of the key questions we have to ask ourselves is, who, where and when are the threats to the UK.

So in the rush to avoid buying those much maligned exquisite systems are we losing sight of a few painful lessons earned by the blood of service personnel.

In a shooting war with a serious military nation like Iran, would you rather have a top of the range piece of equipment that can over match your opponent or something that is 80%

Just a question for those advocating (us included) accepting ‘good enough’

Things aren’t always simple, are they?

Weight Pulling – A Response

Another contributor to our little blog, this time ripping one of my previous posts to pieces, the bloody cheek!

This is a riposte to my post about Afghanistan from Mark Nixon

I will drop my response (along with the dummy) in comments.

On December 9th, ADMIN posted Afghanistan, Who is Pulling Their Weight and concluded his piece with: “It is simply too easy a cop out, either NATO is a collective where all nations pull their weight in both blood and treasure or not.” Worryingly, the thrust of the argument is remarkably similar to the official UK approach to encouraging greater participation by European NATO allies.

As ADMIN points out, it is indeed “a widely help opinion that some NATO nations are not pulling their weight in Afghanistan”. But is there any solid basis for this opinion or is merely a UK-centric delusion that has only gained credibility through frequency of repetition. If you repeat a lie enough, it will become a truth, allegedly!

With this post, I hope to demonstrate that the (statistical) evidence produced to support this conclusion is beyond flimsy; and little more than UK-centric self-delusion of self-importance and self-righteousness. It’s an argument and approach that has proven to be more likely to dissuade than persuade our allies from greater participation. It is thus, counter-productive. Putting it bluntly, ‘we’ are simply demanding that more body bags leave Afghanistan with German, French, Greek etc bodies inside. Hardly the best way to encourage greater support, is it?
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