Apache flies 50,000 hours on operations in Afghanistan
14 Apr 2014 12:25 PM
The British Army's
Apache attack helicopters, operated by the Army Air Corps, flew their 50,000th
hour on operation in Afghanistan recently.
This represents a third of all
UK Apache flying, a huge proportion of the total.Apache
helicopters have been conducting operations in Afghanistan since 2006,
deploying initially with 16 Air Assault Brigade, shortly after being introduced
into service with the British Army. Since then the aircraft have been
constantly deployed on Operation Herrick, the UK’s name for operations in
Afghanistan, where they provide support to ground forces, tactical strike,
reconnaissance, and armed escort to other helicopters.
To maintain Apache’s high
tempo of operations, the aircraft are fully supported by air and ground crews
from the Army Air
Corps (AAC), and technicians from the Royal Electrical and
Mechanical Engineers (REME). All these soldiers perform a vital
function, keeping the aircraft serviceable and airborne.
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