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Posted

If you'd missed the recent story, a Royal Marine was found to be missing following an assault by British forces on a Taleban fort in Afghanistan.

 

Four Royal Marines strapped themselves to the wings of an Apache and flew back into the fort in an attempt to find and rescue him.

 

Tragically he was already dead - but the mission demonstrates the lengths the Marines and Army were ready to go to get him back.

 

 

The MoD has just released footage - think it's guncam from the second Apache - of the missions, showing Marines strapped to the Apache. See here:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6280000/newsid_6284400/6284429.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm

Posted

Neither one works for me.

Intel 13900k @ 5.8ghz | 64gb GSkill Trident Z | MSI z790 Meg ACE | Zotac RTX4090 | Asus 1000w psu | Slaw RX Viper 2 pedals | VPForce Rhino/VKB MCE Ultimate + STECS Mk2  MAX / Virpil MongoosT50+ MongoosT50CM | Virpil TCS+/ AH64D grip/custom AH64D TEDAC | Samsung Odyssey G9 + Odyssey Ark | Next Level Racing Flight Seat Pro | WinWing F-18 MIPS | No more VR for this pilot.

Posted

like the story said, we really are working to our limits and it doesnt take long before we come up with a working solution.. Its bad though, the Americans chuck money like nobodys buisness at their armed forces but our government will see this and say "Crack on lads, we dont need to spend any money now you can use that" thats the difference.

 

Awesome footage not the biggest fan of Booties but give them credit when its due!

Posted

A similar act was carried out by US Army Special Forces and some USMC AH-1W's. I saw the account on the Military Channel. They used the gun bay doors as seats. They wern't attempting a rescue though. It saddens me to hear that the Royal Marine didn't make it...

"When you're out of Tomcats, you're out of fighters!"

helk.gif

Posted

That's what happens when you don't put extra seats into your choppers. ;)

 

(you know what I'm talking about ;))

Never forget that World War III was not Cold for most of us.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Sorry to all you guys "ardent for some desperate glory" BUT...

 

they didn't "strap themselves to the wings" - they sat on fuselage fairings and clipped themselves to attachment points with safety straps and karabiners so they wouldn't fall off (sounds much less dramatic, doesn't it?)

 

and this is being hyped in the press because the British army is losing the war against the Afghans

 

just like they always have done - read your Kipling

Posted

Top notch stuff. There were a few good pics in the press last week,

 

Must have been bl%%dy noisy perched in front off the intakes. Adds new meaning to no-frills air travel.

Guest IguanaKing
Posted
Sorry to all you guys "ardent for some desperate glory" BUT...

 

they didn't "strap themselves to the wings" - they sat on fuselage fairings and clipped themselves to attachment points with safety straps and karabiners so they wouldn't fall off (sounds much less dramatic, doesn't it?)

 

Not really. Those Royal Marines attached themselves to the exterior of an aircraft...it doesn't matter how they did it. The WAH-64 was never certified to safely carry external passengers, so those Marines were taking a HUGE, calculated risk. Try it yourself some day and then tell us how "dramatic" it feels. The sand coming off that downwash is like little pieces of glass being driven by a tornado...It hurts BADLY, buddy. Water hurts almost as badly. These Marines have done a good job in conditions that the average guy cannot even begin to imagine. My hat is off to them. God save the Royal Marines! Salute!

Posted

Nice response IguanaKing :)

 

Quote - Tallboy: "Losing the war in Afghanistan". How do you measure that? Sure by all accounts the battle has been tough, but I'm curious to know on what ground you base that statement.

 

Heard from some guys back from Afghanistan that the Afghani mountain bunkers often have a cargo ship containers built in behind 1m reinforced concrete and under 5-8m of concrete then joined by tunnels. Then they have pre-positioned mortar plates covering landing zones used by the Russians, making it hairy to get in or out.

 

But they also said that the locals were genuinely grateful to be rid of the oppresive Taliban regime, though they still hold many towns.

 

Either way, the efforts of the Apache pilots (even allowing the marines on the wings) and the courage of the Royal Marine commando's is admirable and would certainly boost the morale of the forces.

Posted
Works for me.

With all the bad press the war's in Afghanistan and Iraq get, weather right or wrong, the British Armed Forces always shows professionalism and bravery. Good job guys.

 

Yup. I have new found respect for them after watching a non-embedded journalist's documentary on the Royal Marines fighting in Afghan. I was expecting the usual rah-rah crap about going to kick some ragheads' ass and whatnot. But on the contrary, they were extremely disciplined. Good for them, man.

ED have been taking my money since 1995. :P

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