Operations in Afghanistan: Fixed Wing Aircraft

Tornado GR4

The first Tornado Squadron deployed to Afghanistan in June 2009 to replace the Joint Force Harriers, and The Tornado Force has been patrolling the skies over Afghanistan ever since.

The Tornado GR4/4A is a two-seat all-weather attack aircraft, capable of delivering a wide variety of weapons.

Based at Kandahar airfield in Afghanistan the aircraft is used to search for Improvised Explosive Devices [IEDs], provide armed over watch of patrols taking place on the ground or be on ground alert for when troops are in contact with the enemy.

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.

While the Tornado jet is capable of delivering these weapons which include Brimstone and Paveway IV* with breathtaking accuracy, it is in the role of tactical reconnaissance in which this aircraft excels.

Using RAPTOR (Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for Tornado), the aircraft can provide high resolution images from distances in excess of 25 miles (40km), allowing intelligence to be gathered unnoticed.

It is the aircraft's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance role which is used in the battle against improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The aircraft can fly automatically at low level using terrain-following radar when poor weather prevents visual flight.

The aircraft is also equipped with forward-looking infrared and is night-vision goggle compatible, making it a capable platform for passive night operations.

The GR4 is also equipped with a Laser Ranger and Marked Target Seeker system that can be used for ground designation or can provide accurate range information on ground targets.

*The Paveway IV went into service in November 2008 and has become the freefall weapon of choice among pilots flying missions from Kandahar.

C-130 Hercules

The Hercules is the 'workhorse' of the RAF's Air Transport fleet and is used primarily to carry troops, passengers or freight.

In Afghanistan, Hercules aircraft are used to drop essential ration packs to Forward Operating Bases where front line British troops are located throughout Helmand province.

Although historically Air Drops were inaccurate, the Hercules has a new computerised system that works out a precise time and location for the drop to begin.

The aircraft is particularly valuable in its transport support role as it can be operated from unprepared and semi-prepared surfaces by day or by night and carry large numbers of people.

It has recently been used to move Afghan National Police from Camp Bastion to Kandahar.

The freight bay can accommodate a range of wheeled or tracked vehicles, or up to seven pallets of general freight.

In the aeromedical evacuation role either 64 or 82 stretchers can be carried, depending on the mark of aircraft and the stretcher configuration.

C-17 Globemaster

The RAF's fleet of C-17 aircraft have been supporting Operations in Afghanistan since the outset.

The C-17 is the best and often the only way to deploy equipment such as main battle tanks, helicopters, armoured vehicles and ammunition to a land-locked country like Afghanistan.

With its massive 75-tonne payload and incredible short-field, the C-17 can land on unpaved airfields in remote land-locked regions.

The C-17 can carry the equivalent of three Warrior armoured vehicles, 13 Land Rovers, one Chinook, or three Apache gunships, enabling the RAF to get the right equipment to theatre rapidly.

In addition to this vital freight role, the aircraft can be prepared with pallets of passenger seating, enabling the delivery of troops into Camp Bastion.

The C-17 makes up part of the airbridge from the UK to Afghanistan, transporting troops that have arrived on civilian charter 'trooper' flights from the UK to the UAE, onwards to Afghanistan.

Beyond these primary roles, the C-17 has been exceptional in its support to the Aeromedical Airbridge. Able to fly directly to Helmand Province from the UK, aircraft and crews are stood up at very short notice for this high-pressure task.

Sentinel R1

The Sentinel R1, with its Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) system, can detect and recognise moving, static and fixed targets on the ground and in the air, and is capable of operating for more than nine hours at a time.

The information gathered is transmitted to ground stations to enable rapid tactical planning and the efficient cueing of assets.

The ASTOR capability continues to provide a unique and vital capability to help in countering the IED threat that UK troops face in Afghanistan and is in high demand by Land forces.

The radar on RAF Sentinels work in all weathers, day and night, by looking down to the ground and 'staring' at the target area from high level while the aircraft flies in a straight line.

The radar transmits pulses and receives target information as it moves while building up a 'picture' of the target area. State-of-the-art computers and software allow rapid processing of the information.

Data is transmitted to mobile or static ground stations for immediate use by commanders on the ground. The equipment is so sophisticated it is able to produce a near photograph-quality image of the ground from radar readings.

ASTOR is also designed to communicate with a wide range of other systems and networks and is therefore at the heart of the UK's Network Enabled Capability.

The fully operational ASTOR system comprises five Sentinel R1s flown by two aircrew and at least three radar operators.

Reaper

The RAF's first Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Britain's most sophisticated unmanned surveillance system, took to the air in Afghanistan at the end of 2007.

The Reaper UAVs were purchased as an MOD urgent operational requirement to provide an all-weather, persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability, operating 24 hours a day over a wide geographical spread.

Reaper gives troops on all operations a better picture of activity on the ground as it is remotely flown.

The Reaper has synthetic aperture radar, real-time video and infra-red sensors which are able to send imagery to front-line soldiers and operational commanders.

The American-built "drone" is unarmed, although the capability to carry bombs and missiles is an integral part of the design.