bobdina
08-16-2010, 11:08 AM
Troops returning from Helmand pay for own flights
British troops returning from Afghanistan are paying for commercial flights back to the UK because the RAF's ageing transport aircraft keep breaking down.
Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent
Published: 9:00PM BST 15 Aug 2010
Delays to "rest and recuperation" (R and R) flights are now almost routine because of the operational demands being imposed on the TriStar jets, former passenger airliners bought by the RAF in the early 1980s.
Some soldiers and marines have lost up to a quarter of their break as a result of flight disruption and troops are now warned not to book holidays during their time off from the front line, because of the chance of delays to their journey home.
Most flights on the "air bridge", which links Afghanistan to the UK, stop at Cyprus to refuel, and increasing numbers of troops are now opting to pay for commercial flights home from there, rather than take their chances on the TriStars.
Defences sources claim that at least 20 to 30 per cent of flights returning from Afghanistan are delayed at some stage during the journey due to mechanical failure.
In June, more than 200 soldiers returning to Britain on R and R were delayed in Kandahar in southern Afghanistan for several days after a military flight broke down at RAF Akrotiri, the main British base in Cyprus.
The delay also resulted in crucial military personnel, such as bomb disposal experts and medical teams, being stranded in the UK until another aircraft could be found to take them to Afghanistan.
After the R and R flight left Kandahar three days later, dozens of soldiers opted to buy easyJet flights back to the UK when the aircraft refuelled at Cyprus rather than risk further delays.
At the same time, hundreds of troops flying out to Kandahar were forced to spend four nights in transit accommodation in the British base in Cyprus, even though it had been contaminated with sewage following a flood.
Troops are only entitled to 14 days R and R during a six-month tour and no allowance is made for lost days caused by problems with the TriStar fleet.
The Ministry of Defence maintains that there is no reason why any serviceman should have to pay for flights home but it accepts that there have been problems with the RAF aircraft.
During periods of peak travel, such as the change over of troops at the end of tour – known as the relief in place (RIP) – the RAF charters civilian flights to cope with the extra number of passengers.
One RAF source said: "There are only three dedicated RAF TriStars which carry passengers. They are knackered. The engines are airworthy but they are constantly breaking down. The cabins haven't had an upgrade for 25-years – it's a disgrace.
"The air bridge is often pushed to breaking point during the RIP when the RAF can barely cope. You can't blame the soldiers for buying their own flights – most have just lost confidence in the RAF. Who wants to spend their R and R sitting in an airport lounge in Cyprus?"
The RAF TriStar fleet is composed of nine aircraft bought second-hand from the Pan Am and British Airways in the 1980s. Six of the aircraft are used for in-flight refuelling but can also carry passengers.
The role of the remaining three aircraft in the fleet is passenger transport and each of these aircraft can carry up to 266 personnel.
Patrick Mercer, the Tory MP for Newark and a former infantry commander, said: "R and R is absolutely precious to soldiers on operations. Anything which interferes with it will be a major blow to morale, not just for the troops but also for their families. The problem with RAF transport flights has gone on for too long."
The House of Commons Defence Select Committee has previously warned of the morale problems caused by troops returning from operations in Afghanistan. In a report in 2007, James Arbuthnot, chairman of the committee, said: "The UK needs to be able to transport troops, equipment and stores to trouble spots around the globe quickly.
"New transport aircraft, and tanker aircraft which can also carry service personnel, are expected to enter service early in the next decade, but as is often the case with the MoD, it is 'jam tomorrow, but never jam today'. It is not enough to give our troops the best training and the best equipment, if we cannot transport them to where they are needed and support them once deployed."
A spokesman for the MoD said: "TriStar is a hard working aircraft, operating in tough environments which, unfortunately, can sometimes lead to unavoidable delays. Acting upon the concerns of personnel who have experienced problems, the incoming Government has recently made significant changes to ensure they do not lose out on R and R as a result of disruptions to the airbridge.
"We are acutely aware of the inconvenience that this can cause to personnel and their families, as a result those affected are granted additional Post Operational Tour leave on a day for day basis."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7945725/Troops-returning-from-Helmand-pay-for-own-flights.html
British troops returning from Afghanistan are paying for commercial flights back to the UK because the RAF's ageing transport aircraft keep breaking down.
Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent
Published: 9:00PM BST 15 Aug 2010
Delays to "rest and recuperation" (R and R) flights are now almost routine because of the operational demands being imposed on the TriStar jets, former passenger airliners bought by the RAF in the early 1980s.
Some soldiers and marines have lost up to a quarter of their break as a result of flight disruption and troops are now warned not to book holidays during their time off from the front line, because of the chance of delays to their journey home.
Most flights on the "air bridge", which links Afghanistan to the UK, stop at Cyprus to refuel, and increasing numbers of troops are now opting to pay for commercial flights home from there, rather than take their chances on the TriStars.
Defences sources claim that at least 20 to 30 per cent of flights returning from Afghanistan are delayed at some stage during the journey due to mechanical failure.
In June, more than 200 soldiers returning to Britain on R and R were delayed in Kandahar in southern Afghanistan for several days after a military flight broke down at RAF Akrotiri, the main British base in Cyprus.
The delay also resulted in crucial military personnel, such as bomb disposal experts and medical teams, being stranded in the UK until another aircraft could be found to take them to Afghanistan.
After the R and R flight left Kandahar three days later, dozens of soldiers opted to buy easyJet flights back to the UK when the aircraft refuelled at Cyprus rather than risk further delays.
At the same time, hundreds of troops flying out to Kandahar were forced to spend four nights in transit accommodation in the British base in Cyprus, even though it had been contaminated with sewage following a flood.
Troops are only entitled to 14 days R and R during a six-month tour and no allowance is made for lost days caused by problems with the TriStar fleet.
The Ministry of Defence maintains that there is no reason why any serviceman should have to pay for flights home but it accepts that there have been problems with the RAF aircraft.
During periods of peak travel, such as the change over of troops at the end of tour – known as the relief in place (RIP) – the RAF charters civilian flights to cope with the extra number of passengers.
One RAF source said: "There are only three dedicated RAF TriStars which carry passengers. They are knackered. The engines are airworthy but they are constantly breaking down. The cabins haven't had an upgrade for 25-years – it's a disgrace.
"The air bridge is often pushed to breaking point during the RIP when the RAF can barely cope. You can't blame the soldiers for buying their own flights – most have just lost confidence in the RAF. Who wants to spend their R and R sitting in an airport lounge in Cyprus?"
The RAF TriStar fleet is composed of nine aircraft bought second-hand from the Pan Am and British Airways in the 1980s. Six of the aircraft are used for in-flight refuelling but can also carry passengers.
The role of the remaining three aircraft in the fleet is passenger transport and each of these aircraft can carry up to 266 personnel.
Patrick Mercer, the Tory MP for Newark and a former infantry commander, said: "R and R is absolutely precious to soldiers on operations. Anything which interferes with it will be a major blow to morale, not just for the troops but also for their families. The problem with RAF transport flights has gone on for too long."
The House of Commons Defence Select Committee has previously warned of the morale problems caused by troops returning from operations in Afghanistan. In a report in 2007, James Arbuthnot, chairman of the committee, said: "The UK needs to be able to transport troops, equipment and stores to trouble spots around the globe quickly.
"New transport aircraft, and tanker aircraft which can also carry service personnel, are expected to enter service early in the next decade, but as is often the case with the MoD, it is 'jam tomorrow, but never jam today'. It is not enough to give our troops the best training and the best equipment, if we cannot transport them to where they are needed and support them once deployed."
A spokesman for the MoD said: "TriStar is a hard working aircraft, operating in tough environments which, unfortunately, can sometimes lead to unavoidable delays. Acting upon the concerns of personnel who have experienced problems, the incoming Government has recently made significant changes to ensure they do not lose out on R and R as a result of disruptions to the airbridge.
"We are acutely aware of the inconvenience that this can cause to personnel and their families, as a result those affected are granted additional Post Operational Tour leave on a day for day basis."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7945725/Troops-returning-from-Helmand-pay-for-own-flights.html