The Ministry of Defence asserted on August 4th 2009 that six new British military helicopters due to be deployed to Afghanistan were protected to a level suitable for the environment that they would be operating in. The MoD's positive word on the matter came after reports of concern among aircrew that armour plating was not part of the Merlin helicopter's defence.

RAF Merlin Helicopters

Once in Afghanistan, these six RAF Merlin Mk3 helicopters will serve in the troop transportation role. This will reduce the present number of road transits taking place, something which - in light of an increased number of IED (improvised explosive device) attacks on ground-based British forces - the government has been criticised for, and an issue previously linked to the lack of British military helicopters operating in this part of the world.

Helicopter Armour

A piece produced by the Daily Telegraph publication published quotes attributed to anonymous RAF Merlin pilots, who highlighted helicopter armour issues that, they said, would render the Merlins ineffective in combat. These comments were later countered by a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence, who stated:

"Our Merlin Mk3 helicopters have ballistic protection as standard, and are being fitted with a range of modifications to make them fit for operational use. For reasons of operational security, we do not discuss specific defensive capabilities of our aircraft. To do so would potentially offer enemy forces a tactical advantage."

He concluded: "Nevertheless, we will continue to provide the greatest level of force protection for both crew and passengers while maintaining performance in Afghanistan's particularly arduous environment."

The initial few days of July 2009 saw more UK troops killed in Afghanistan than across any other same-length period in the country since the beginning of hostilities eight years ago.

Westland Merlin

The Westland Merlin resulted out of an Anglo-Italian collaboration (its early designation was EH-101 - 'E' and 'H' being the initials of the Italian and British terms for 'helicopter') for a new rotary design to equip the militaries of both countries.

Within the British military, the type serves both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, with examples based at RAF Benson and RNAS Culdrose respectively.