Norfolk pilots' mission to keep the Taliban at bay

CHRIS BISHOP

27 January 2010

Ear-splitting shows of force and imaging techniques so advanced they can measure your front door from a mile away - flying at 600mph.

As world leaders prepared to meet in London tomorrow, to discuss an end-game in Afghanistan, RAF Marham's Tornado Force showcased its two main weapons in the war against the Taliban.

One of the air force's handful of female fast jet pilots told how she found herself racing to help ground troops within minutes of taking off on her first sortie, after her squadron was deployed to Kandahar last October.

“We'd been airborne for five minutes when we were called to help some Brits who were being fired upon,” said Flt Lt Jules Fleming, from Bury St Edmunds.

“Your heart just gets pumping; it's 'right, here we go'. They had been fired upon. When they are under attack, you can hear it on the radio and hear the guys running.

“You want to do your best to help them. As they came under fire again, we were then able to help direct an Apache helicopter to come to their aid.”

Flt Lt Fleming, 31, was among a 140-strong contingent from 31 Sqn, who returned from a three-month Afghan tour two weeks ago.

Tornado navigator Sqn Ldr Matt Bressani, whose wife Natalie and children Luca, five, and Anona, two, were among many whose loved ones were away, said: “It was an interesting three months, though obviously we were away for Christmas and New Year.

“We get fantastic support from the station, the squadron rear party left behind, so we got through it successfully.”

Flying more than 400 sorties during their three-month Afghan tour, a quarter of which involved contact with the enemy, the Tornadoes used their bombs and bullets on a handful of occasions.

Wing Cdr Ian Gale, commanding officer of 31 Sqn, said: “It's about de-escalating the situation; it's 'how can we go out there and do what we need to do without killing anyone in the process?'

“If you kill 10 insurgents, you haven't got 10 fewer insurgents; you've got 100 more enemies.”

Non-kinetic force in military-speak, literally the deafening noise of a jet flying low overhead, is the first line of attack, with the Tornadoes' arrival enough to remind would-be insurgents of the aircraft's destructive power if they do not vacate an area.

Group Capt Rocky Rochelle, station commander at Marham, said: “The Tornado Force is capable of increasing degrees of force depending upon the circumstances and, if required, offers a potent attack option, using a variety of state-of-the-art weapons.”

Along with bombs and cannon shells, the aircraft also bristle with a formidable array of imaging equipment, which can deliver high-resolution pictures to commanders on the ground.

As well as crack Tornado squadrons made up of the RAF's own top guns, Marham is also home to the Tactical Imagery Intelligence Wing, which analyses digital images taken by the aircraft's Raptor or Litening III pods, which can reveal whether soil has been disturbed, perhaps indicating the presence of an IED (improvised explosive device) or other enemy activity.

Yesterday, analysts showed pictures of Taliban compounds and suspected insurgents. Sgt Richard Greville said heights of walls, doors and windows had been marked on before the pictures were sent, to help ground troops tasked with securing them.

“They need to know if the walls are high so they need to take ladders,” he said. “Are there trip hazards on top of the roof if they're going in by helicopter?”

Tornadoes will fly over roads and tracks used by ground convoys at intervals before allied vehicles arrive. Analysing pictures of the same area of ground or road surface a day or two apart, discoloration could indicate the presence of an IED or control wire.

Aircraft will overfly suspicious activity to double check and reduce the chance of a blue on blue, such as Afghan national forces building a roadblock being mistaken for Taliban laying a trigger wire.

The Tornado GR4 force's role in Afghanistan was showcased as the UK prepares to stage a key international conference on future strategy in Afghanistan.

Co-hosted by prime minister Gordon Brown, Afghanistan's president Hamid Karzai and UN secretary general Ban Ki Moon, tomorrow's London summit aims to galvanise the international effort on political progress and security. Mr Karzai is also expected to present his plans for Afghanistan's future.

Defence secretary Bob Ainsworth said: “The core aim of the conference is to chart the course for Afghanistan for the next 12 to 18 months, for president Karzai to present his plans, and the international community to agree how best to support him.

“We want the government of Afghanistan, with our support, to continue to deliver progress on the ground and gradually take more responsibility, delivering on the priorities president Karzai set out in his inauguration speech in November 2009.”

See footage of 31 Sqn on operation in Afghanistan in the video section at www.EDP24.co.uk.