Air campaign 'would be impossible without RAF'
War on Terrorism: British Troops
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Your support makes all the difference.The full extent of the British military involvement in the war was disclosed yesterday with the news that the RAF is providing command and control for one third of all air strikes.
The full extent of the British military involvement in the war was disclosed yesterday with the news that the RAF is providing command and control for one third of all air strikes.
There is a growing feeling in London that Washington is not being publicly appreciative of the contribution being made by Britain, despite asking for, and getting, British help. The prolonged air raids would not be sustainable without vital help from Britain, senior defence sources said.
Royal Air Force Awacs (airborne warning and control system) aircraft are controlling one third of all the raids, and refuelling one fifth of all American flights. Intelligence pictures gathered by British Canberra PR-9s have proved to be superior to those obtained by the American U-2.
The mid-air refuelling by the British is crucial for US Navy warplanes because their system for fuel intake is compatible with the RAF rather than the United States Air Force.
The importance of this can be judged by the composition of the US forces for the campaign – 25,000 out of the 50,000 personnel are from the navy.
British defence sources were keen to quote other figures to show the scale of the British contribution. About 1,100 RAF personnel are involved in the air operation and pilots are flying 120 hours every month compared with a maximum average of 350 hours a year in peacetime. The six tanker aircraft – two Tristars and four VC-10s – have supplied 3,500 tons of fuel, enough for 30 million miles of diesel motoring, flying 125 missions.
Officials questioned the American policy of dropping aid, rather than increasing efforts to find airfields to deliver it. "I much prefer the air to land option. Air dropping looks good but it is nothing like as effective," said one official.
The Canberras were not only getting important military intelligence but also pinpointing areas where humanitarian aid would be needed. This would be passed on to aid agencies, the sources said.
The aircraft, which were built in the 1950s, have been refitted with modern photographic equipment. A senior official said: "We have put some new wine in old bottles and come up with a very good vintage. The results from the Canberras are better than the ones from the U-2."
The RAF is also providing Nimrod MR-2s for maritime reconnaissance in the Gulf, and specially modified Hercules transport aircraft.
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