Designed For A Maritime Environment, They Reportedly Perform
Just As Well Over Land
Sea King helicopter squadrons from Royal Naval Air Station
(RNAS) Culdrose have been operating from Camp Bastion since 2009
and have contributed to the confiscation of significant amounts of
IED-making equipment, arms and drugs, and the detainment of
suspected insurgents. With their help, on a recent vehicle
interdiction, ground forces seized over 2,600 pounds of unprocessed
wet opium with a street value of around $3 million.
Royal Navy Airborne Surveillance and Control helicopters operate
like 'flying radar stations', detecting enemy aircraft, ships and
even vehicle movements over land. Their job is primarily to provide
Royal Navy ships with protection against low-flying enemy aircraft
and missiles, using radar to detect enemy aircraft, feeding the
information back to the ship for investigation, and, if necessary,
directing the aircraft sent to intercept them.
However, the helicopters are currently proving equally effective
operating over land, providing wide area surveillance in
Afghanistan. Being based on-scene at Camp Bastion, aircrews are
able to react swiftly to events on the ground, directing coalition
aircraft and ground forces to investigate, and in some cases
destroy, suspected enemy targets. Two RNAS Culdrose-based squadrons
take rotating one-year tenures in theater. During their time in
theater, 854 and 857 Naval Air Squadrons have enabled the discovery
of significant amounts of IED-making equipment, arms, drugs and
suspected insurgents. They have regularly directed ground forces to
vehicles laden with fertiliser, electric wiring and batteries, all
of which are used to make explosives. Their actions have directly
helped to save the lives of Afghan citizens and coalition
troops.
Operating in desert conditions in temperatures ranging from 14
to 114 degrees (F), and, with the ever-present threat of enemy
action, the helicopters have had a number of enhancements fitted.
They have improved engines and different rotor blades, are
night-vision-capable, and carry a sophisticated defensive aids
suite. To maintain the core maritime skills of our Sea King crews,
the 'off watch' squadron embarks upon various Royal Navy warships
to hone their maritime skills, ensuring that they remain fully
capable of protecting UK forces at sea.
The Sea King Force Commander, Commander Pat Douglas, is very
proud of the achievements of the Sea King Force, who are fulfilling
a role quite different from their usual maritime one. "Since May
2009, Sea King helicopters from RNAS Culdrose have been operating
continuously in Afghanistan," he said. "Using the aircraft's
powerful radar by day and night, our aircrew are able to watch the
movements of vehicles and suspect targets over a wide area. Able to
search huge areas very swiftly, they are proving to be essential in
the ongoing fight against the insurgents."