Ainsworth defends Afghanistan helicopter shortage
By Alex Stevenson
Bob Ainsworth faced difficult questions about helicopter shortages for Britain’s troops in Afghanistan after his first major speech as defence secretary.
With seven UK soldiers having died in as many days his first speech was inevitably focused on persuading those back home that looking after the soldiers remained a top priority.
“I will do everything I can to remind the British people about the sacrifices and make sure it is not forgotten,” he pledged, outlining his admiration for the “extraordinary young men and women” of the armed forces.
Speaking at Chatham House, however, he faced criticism from some quarters over the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) efforts to protect troops from the Taliban threat.
The improvised explosive devices (IEDs) responsible for many of the deaths lay at the heart of the problem.
“The nature of the fight means we will take more casualties,” Mr Ainsworth said, arguing that “sacrificing manoeuvrability for heavy armour in every circumstance is not the answer”.
He pointed out improvements were being made to vehicles on the ground, however, and said helicopter hours had increased by 85 per cent.
Several audience members expressed their concerns that the MoD was not doing enough to circumvent the IED problem by providing air transport.
Chinooks are being adapted to fit 12 more troops, a “not inconsiderable amount”, Mr Ainsworth claimed, while Merlin helicopters were being transferred from Iraq.
One Chatham House member said his son had had to march overnight before conducting a dawn assault as a result of the lack of helicopters. He criticised the government for borrowing 610 Chinooks from the Americans, saying: “Why can’t we buy some more helicopters? The Americans are churning them out.”
Mr Ainsworth admitted being impressed by the number of helicopters at the American base in Kandahar, where he said they were buzzing around “like bees”.
He confirmed there were no plans for the MoD to make further helicopter purchases for the Afghanistan theatre in the immediate future and said it was reasonable for Britain to rely on American support.
“We are part of a coalition. The Americans have got these assets, they’ve got them in huge numbers. yes, we’ll use American helicopters.”
The current number of British casualties since the Taliban were ousted from power in Afghanistan in 2001 now stands at 176.
