Withdrawal of RAF Harrier jets from Afghanistan 'will threaten' troops
British troops serving in Afghanistan will be put at risk by the withdrawal of RAF Harrier jets, it has been claimed.
By James Kirkup
Political Correspondent
Last Updated: 3:44PM GMT 21 Nov 2008
The Harriers, which provide vital air support to British ground forces fighting the Taliban will be replaced with Tornadoes in April next year.
The Ministry of Defence insists the decision will not change the military capabilities available to Armed Forces in Afghanistan, but some Army commanders are privately concerned the new aircraft will be less useful than those they will replace.
Those fears have been heightened by leaked internal MoD figures showing that Tornadoes regularly fail to take off because of technical problems.
The figures, which were disclosed in Parliament this week, suggest that the Tornado suffers from regular technical failures when operating in hot, dusty conditions like those in Afghanistan.
The MoD figures were passed to Mark Lancaster, a Conservative frontbencher, who said they show the decision to withdraw the Harriers is dangerous and mistaken.
More on the link
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...ts-from-Afghanistan-will-threaten-troops.html
British troops serving in Afghanistan will be put at risk by the withdrawal of RAF Harrier jets, it has been claimed.
By James Kirkup
Political Correspondent
Last Updated: 3:44PM GMT 21 Nov 2008
The Harriers, which provide vital air support to British ground forces fighting the Taliban will be replaced with Tornadoes in April next year.
The Ministry of Defence insists the decision will not change the military capabilities available to Armed Forces in Afghanistan, but some Army commanders are privately concerned the new aircraft will be less useful than those they will replace.
Those fears have been heightened by leaked internal MoD figures showing that Tornadoes regularly fail to take off because of technical problems.
The figures, which were disclosed in Parliament this week, suggest that the Tornado suffers from regular technical failures when operating in hot, dusty conditions like those in Afghanistan.
The MoD figures were passed to Mark Lancaster, a Conservative frontbencher, who said they show the decision to withdraw the Harriers is dangerous and mistaken.
More on the link
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...ts-from-Afghanistan-will-threaten-troops.html