Helicopter shortages put soldiers 'at risk'
Updated on 16 July 2009
A lack of helicopters is having "adverse consequences" on military operations and undermining the protection of soldiers in Afghanistan, a critical Commons report warns.
The report by the Commons' defence select committee urged the Ministry of Defence to increase the number of helicopters and train more crew as battlefield operations were being inhibited due to lack of air support.
Overseas helicopter capability is being "seriously undermined" by a shortage of medium and heavy lift battlefield crafts, the report said.
The group of influential MPs said they were "convinced that the lack of helicopters is having adverse consequences for operations today and, in the longer term, will severely impede the ability of the UK armed forces to deploy.
"Furthermore, we are troubled by the forecast reduction in numbers of helicopters, which will make this worse."
The criticisms came in a specially-produced report, amid a furious row over military equipment sparked by the deaths of 15 UK service personnel in Afghanistan in just 10 days.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has insisted it is "absolutely clear" that the heavy death toll recently has not been due to a shortage of helicopters.
But, chairman of the defence committee, the Rt Hon James Arbuthnot, said "It seems to us that operational commanders in the field today are unable to undertake potentially valuable operations because of the lack of helicopters for transportation around the theatre of operations.
"We are also concerned that operational commanders find they have to use ground transport, when helicopter lift would be preferred, both for the outcome and for the protection of our forces."
The report also criticised plans to extend the lives of existing Sea King and Puma aircrafts to bridge the gap in capability. It said that repairing ageing helicopters at considerable cost was not the best option operationally or in terms of public money and that it was no substitute for increasing numbers of the fleet.
"The committee does not believe that the planned life extension programmes will provide adequate capability or value for the taxpayer.
"Only a procurement of new helicopters can meet the original objective of reducing the number of types of helicopter in service within the UK Armed Forces."
Referring to the government's recent announcement of a strategic defence review green paper in early 2010, Mr Arbuthnot said "The time has come to appreciate fully the role of helicopters in modern operations.
"The MoD should seize the opportunity to recognise the importance of helicopters to current and contingent operations, and work towards strengthening all aspects of capability: the number of helicopters in the fleet, the support structure that underpins their operations, manning, both in the air and on the ground, and finally, the training for the full spectrum of capabilities described by the review itself.”
