by ozzy72 » Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:07 pm
The RAF has two Special Forces Flights. The SF Flight in No.7 Squadron at RAF Odiham is equipped, like the rest of the squadron, with the Chinook HC.2 helicopter, equivalent to the US CH-47D. This flight saw action in the Gulf War, amongst other things inserting Bravo Two Zero. Its pilots are trained in low level flying and the use of passive night goggles, while the loadmasters operate the 7.62mm Miniguns received in recent years. Nine HC.3s are on order for the RAF; these are of a similar standard to the MH-47, having wider fuel tanks, air-to-air refuelling probes and radar. 47 Squadron's SF Flight has the Hercules C.1/C.3 aircraft, in service since the late 1960s. The RAF is busy replacing half its fifty-strong Hercules fleet with the C-130J, known locally as the C.4;four of these are expected to be of MC-130 Combat Talon standard. All Hercules are based at RAF Lyneham.
The Fleet Air Arm also has a small SF support role, in the form of M Flight of 848 Naval Air Squadron. 848 is one of three Naval Air Commando squadrons, all based at Yeovilton in Somerset( HMS Heron) and flying the Sea King HC.4. M Flight operates mainly in support of the SBS, for example the descent on the British embassy in Kuwait City.
No.8 Flight of the Army Air Corps operates in support of 22 SAS Regiment. It is located at Netheravon, the centre of Army flying, and has four Augusta A109 helicopters. Two of these were captured in the Falklands War, while the other two were purchased new. The A109 has short range but high speed, so it is probably used mainly to transport counter-terrorist teams. The SAS has also been supported in the past by Army Lynx and Gazelle helos of various squadrons, as well as RAF Pumas.
There are no aircraft constantly based at Hereford!
Ozzy
Last edited by
ozzy72 on Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
There are two types of aeroplane, Spitfires and everything else that wishes it was a Spitfire!
