Last Hercules to Afghanistan
6th April 2006
Royal Air Force Lyneham
www.raf.mod.uk/raflyneham
The last of the four Hercules C130 to deploy to Afghanistan in support of the NATO-led mission took off from RAF Lyneham on Thursday 6 April 2006. The aircraft, heavily loaded with crews and freight, was destined for Kandahar. It will add to Lyneham’s vital contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) effort whose remit is to improve long-term stability and reconstruction in Afghanistan.

The Hercules C130K will join three other Hercules already working hard to maintain the critical intra-theatre airbridge, transporting crews and crucial supplies to where they are needed most.

The Hercules is not the only Lyneham asset in Afghanistan. Other personnel from Tactical Medical Wing, who provide vital medical care to all UK military personnel and United Kingdom Mobile Air Movements Squadron who provide logistical support to all the aircraft based in theatre, have been deployed to assist with the ISAF mission. 47 Air Despatch Squadron, an Army Unit based at Lyneham who work closely with the Hercules, are also on standby should stores need to be dropped by air.

Group Captain Atherton, Station Commander of RAF Lyneham said, “This is the culmination of several months planning and preparation by our aircrew and support personnel. The task that lies ahead in Afghanistan will be challenging, but everyone has been well trained and is fully prepared for whatever lies ahead.”

Background to the station involvement
The C130 Hercules force involved in Operation HERRICK will be led by LXX Squadron. This will consist of four crews and four Hercules C130s both K and J models. These crews will be fully supported by ground personnel including engineers, armourers and logistics personnel all based around a deployable Ops Cell. United Kingdom Mobile Air Movements Squadron (UKMAMS), Tactical Medical Wing (TMW), and 47 Air Despatch Squadron, Lyneham’s lodger units, have also been heavily involved in the preparations for Afghanistan, UKMAMS having deployed with troops back in November 2005.

The Hercules has a long-standing commitment with Afghanistan and a detachment has been present since 2002. The first of the four aircraft, designated to ISAF duties by the Honourable Dr John Reid, the Secretary of State for Defence, departed for Afghanistan late last year. This was followed by two further aircraft in early 2006.

The versatility of the Hercules C130 will be used to work in the challenging and inhospitable environment of Afghanistan. Crews have been training hard to prepare for this environment and nature of flying. A series of exercises have taken place in high mountainous regions similar to Afghanistan to give the crews as much experience as possible.

The Hercules crew will be based at Kandahar. The nature of their tasking is principally the movement of troops and supplies into and around the Helmund Province and to support ISAF throughout Afghanistan. It may also be used to support 16 Air Assault Brigade to provide airdrops. The Hercules C130 is the only aircraft which can deliver this capability and therefore has a very special relationship with 16AAB.

The main troop base, Camp Bastion, based 100 miles North West of Kandahar, is currently being constructed. Once the landing strip is opened, the Hercules C130 will be loading troops and supplies in and out of that area. Due to the limitations of the strip it will be unable to take larger aircraft such as the C17 or Tri-Star, which means the departure of this last aircraft is all the more critical. During this time, the C130 will be working to its maximum capability in austere conditions consisting of extreme temperatures and mountainous regions. This aircraft will be able to relieve the pressure on the three aircraft and crews already in theatre.

There are great limitations with the current road system in Afghanistan and enabling ground troops to reach the more remote areas, the C130 will be indispensable to the resupply of food, water and ammunition.

United Kingdom Mobile Air Movements Squadron
UKMAMS is the RAF’s specialist air movements organisation, providing specialist Officers and Airmen at high-readiness to deploy anywhere in the world. The Sqn provides logistical support to air transport operations worldwide, including:
The loading and off-loading of civil or military transport aircraft, Air Port of Disembarkation (APOD) including: Movements Operations, Passenger handling and freight handling and the provision of personnel to man Force Movement Control Centres.

The Sqn can operate from major international airports to rough strips across the globe. In recent years, this work has been in support of both military operations and in response to humanitarian crisis, such as the Indonesian Tsunami and the Pakistani earthquakes; personnel are trained to undertake these tasks in a self-sufficient manner, where required.

UKMAMS has been closely involved in Afghanistan since UK troops were initially deployed there. Personnel have enormous levels of experience operating in the difficult environment and uncomfortable living conditions of Afghanistan. The Squadron’s capability in providing deployable and highly skilled air movements support ensures that it is regularly the first logistics ‘enabler’ tasked into a new location.

Tactical Medical Wing
HQ TMW has been heavily involved in the planning for Op HERRICK alongside Strike Command Medical Ops specialists for the past 4 months. This planning process has revolved around the deployment of personnel and equipment to contribute to the provision of medical support to all UK military personnel deployed on Op HERRICK.

HQ TMW provides support to numerous ongoing Operations around the world. The RAF Medical Services are capable of providing the same level of care as any medical facility in the UK, be it on the ground in Afghanistan or at 30,000ft in the air. The RAF Medical Service is a Defence Enabler and is committed to ensuring that all personnel reach the appropriate medical care in a timely manner and HQ TMW is central to the Aeromedical Evacuation element of this provision.

47 Air Despatch Squadron
47 Air Despatch Squadron is a Very High Readiness Unit that represents the UK Defenses' sole means of resupplying stores by air. The Squadron is co-located with the Hercules aircraft and is the only Army unit based at RAF Lyneham. The role of the Squadron is the receipt, preparation, rigging, loading and despatch of stores from rotary and fixed wing aircraft. They support a range of capabilities from the supply of specialist equipment for discrete patrols to larger loads supporting up to Company Group size (120 personnel). 47 Air Despatch Squadron has soldiers deployed in three operational theatres (Iraq, Afghanistan and Falkland Islands) and is prepared to send more soldiers at short notice to Afghanistan. These soldiers are highly trained and specialised in the technical aspects of aerial delivery and have exemplorary soldier skills to enable them to survive in austere environments.