RAF Merlin Helicopters Train for Afghan Deployment

Royal Air Force helicopter crews have embarked on an intense four-month deployment to the US in advance of being posted to Afghanistan at the tail end of 2009. The Merlin helicopters and their pilots are usually based at RAF Benson, but are set to augment the UK's Afghan helicopter force by one quarter when they take up residence there.

In the meantime, though, they are training at NAF (Naval Air Facility) El Centro in San Diego - a part of the world chosen for its approximate closeness, temperature-wise, to the Middle East: 50 degrees centigrade there is not uncommon during the daytime.

RAF in Afghanistan

The effect on both these men and machines will be to expose them to conditions where they are working at the absolute peak of their performance capabilities, prior to the arrival of this strand of the RAF in Afghanistan

"We came out here to undertake 'hot and high' training for Afghanistan", Squadron Leader Dave Morris of 78 Squadron stated.

"The area provides a wide variety of terrain allowing us to achieve a high standard of instruction in new techniques. The environmental conditions are representative of Afghanistan and the effect of training in this unique location will be to increase the confidence and ability of the crews to a level where they are ready to deploy.

"The entire Merlin Force will be able to experience the highest standards of training in a representative environment. The overall feeling is one of confidence that the training received here will allow the Merlin Force to take up its role in Afghanistan and provide the same outstanding level of support that it gave to ground forces in Iraq", Sqn Ldr Morris, Officer Commanding B Flight, concluded.

RAF Joint Helicopter Command

RAF Merlins are one component of RAF Joint Helicopter Command, which also includes Boeing Chinook and Westland Puma helicopters. The US exercise now being carried out is titled Exercise Merlin Vortex.

The Westland Merlin is an Anglo-Italian helicopter design that serves both the RAF and the Royal Navy. An issue erupted earlier this month over whether air force Merlins were protected enough for Afghanistan - the MoD asserting that they were, in defiance of comments attributed to Merlin aircrew who suggested that they would be ineffective.

"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", a spokesman for the ministry said at the time.