More UK troops for Afghanistan

It appears that the UK is already moving to shore up its resources in Afghanistan, perhaps as a prelude to the remarks by President Elect Obama that he will divert attention away from Iraq to fight the Taleban. Up to 2,000 extra UK troops are expected to be deployed.

On the surface this seems to make sense, after all Iraq had nothing to do with the war on terror. The problem is that Afghanistan is established as a nation that could never be controlled by a foreign power.

I do hope that the powers that be in the UK and the USA think for a minute to realise that conventional military force will simply not work. Security of water, food and shelter need to be top priorities for the coalition forces.

Yes there will be fighting, but the building of essential public services, police and Afghan army units need to be at the top of the list.

If all the west wants to do is defeat the Taleban, then in the spirit of Capitalism why not just outsource that job to someone else?

Tribute to the Harrier Jump Jet

The legendary Harrier Fighter Jet is being phased out. The Sea Harrier was withdrawn from service in 2006 and only the Royal Air Force continue to operate the aircraft with the Navy sharing these aircraft on the carriers within the Joint Force Harrier programme. All Harrier's are due to be replaced by the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter by 2014.

I have seen the Harrier at Airshows and I absolutely love it. The sustained deafening roar from the Rolls Royce Pegasus engine as the Harrier hovers in front of you is an experience you can never forget!

Of all the experiments in the 1960's which saw the US, Russia and the UK attempt to build a vertical take off aircraft, only the UK Harrier design succeeded by going into mass production and it is also the only foreign designed aircraft adopted by the US Military.

The British Harrier has been proven in combat during its initial baptism of fire in the Falklands War in 1982. Sea Harriers of the Royal Navy operated from the aircraft carriers HMS Invincible and HMS Hermes in their main role as fleet air defence whereas the Royal Air Force Harrier GR3 provided the main ground attack role.

The Falklands War remains the largest Air and Naval combat engagement between modern military forces since the end of World War II

During the war Sea Harrier squadrons successfully shot down 21 Argentinian aircraft in air-to-air combat with no air-to-air losses. The Argentine aircraft such as the French made Dassault Mirage III, Mirage V "Dagger" and the American A-4 Skyhawks although much faster than the subsonic Harrier, were still no match for the combination of the Harrier's maneuverability and the Sidewinder missile.

Due to the Argentinian use of the deadly French Exocet anti-ship missile, the irreplaceable Royal Navy carriers HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible were deliberately stationed far from the Falklands Islands forcing the Harriers to fight at a long range. The Argentinians also had to fight the British forces at the limit of their range from the Argentinian mainland since the runways on the Falklands were only suited to propeller driven aircraft. These circumstances in addition to the harsh environment on the South Atlantic made for a very unwelcome environment for all forces involved.

During the 1990's the Harrier also flew missions over Bosnia and Kosovo where one aircraft was shot down by a SAM fired by the Army of Republika Srpska.

The Royal Air Force Harrier GR7 and GR9 continue to operate in Iraq and Afghanistan in the in ground attack and close air support roles.

The amazing little Harrier Jump Jet is going to be replaced by the next generation stealth capable fighter the F-35 Lightning II but I for one hope that at least a few of the aircraft will be operationally preserved, I cannot Imagine a decent airshow without one.

Cheers to "the Harrier!"

You can download some Hi Res Wallpapers of the awesome Harrier Jet Here >>>

Corporal Willie Apiata - New Zealand Legend

Not many people know of the New Zealand military involvement in the current Afghanistan conflict, but Corporal Bill Henry "Willie" Apiata soon changed that.
Starting in late 2001, the NZ SAS began operations assisting in the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan. Three 6 month rotations of between 40 and 65 soldiers from the NZ SAS served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom before the unit was withdrawn in November 2005.

On 17 June 2004, two NZ SAS soldiers were wounded in a pre-dawn gun-battle in central Afghanistan. Secrecy still surrounds much of the NZ SAS's operations in Afghanistan, although a Radio New Zealand news piece claimed the service had maintained a mission success rate of 100%.

According to a New Zealand government fact sheet released in July 2007, the NZ SAS soldiers routinely patrolled enemy territory for three weeks or more at a time, often on foot, after being inserted by helicopter.

There were "casualties on both sides" during gun battles, but no New Zealanders were killed.

It was announced on 2 July 2007 that Corporal Bill (Willie) Apiata of the NZ SAS, aged 35, had been awarded the Victoria Cross for New Zealand for carrying a severely injured comrade 70 metres "under heavy fire" from machine-guns and grenades after their vehicle was destroyed in an ambush and then joined the rest of his comrades in a counterattack.

Corporal Bill Henry "Willie" Apiata, VC (born 28 June 1972 in Mangakino, New Zealand) is a member of the Special Air Service of New Zealand and the first recipient of the Victoria Cross for New Zealand.

He received the award on 2 July 2007 for bravery under fire during the Afghanistan conflict in 2004, after carrying a wounded compatriot across a battlefield to receive medical treatment.

Corporal Apiata is the first and only recipient of the Victoria Cross for New Zealand.

There are no living New Zealand recipients of the (Imperial) Victoria Cross, which was last awarded to a New Zealander for actions in the Second World War.

Corporal Apiata, the first New Zealander to be awarded the Victoria Cross since the Second World War, has now decided to gift his VC and campaign medals to the New Zealand Special Air Service Trust based in Papakura, Auckland.

Bill Apiata said "It was important the VC be protected for future generations and by gifting it to the NZSAS Trust, I know my wishes will always be respected."

The NZSAS Chairman said the decision to gift the Cross was extraordinary and the trust was pleased to accept responsibility for ensuring Corporal Apiata's wishes would always be adhered to.The VC will remain available for Corporal Apiata to wear and will always be available for his family to wear in the future.

It is hoped the Victoria Cross will go on public display at special events or ceremonies, but such decisions would be made by the trust.The NZSAS Trust was established in 2004 to focus on the welfare, resettlement, education and fundraising for those who have served with the SAS, and their families.

The New Zealand SAS is held in high regard internationally - as demonstrated by the United States Presidential Citation which was awarded to the NZSAS on 7 December 2004.

Sources:

• Wikipedia >>
• NZ Army >>
• Victoria Cross.org.uk >>