13th July 2009
Last week I wrote about the increasing number of deaths and injuries in Afghanistan, and the concerns over whether we have sufficient troops and equipment to allow our troops to undertake the hugely difficult role which they have been given.
This last week has brought further very sad news from Afghanistan, with one of the largest casualty lists since the operations began.
These deaths of young servicemen have shaken the Westminster complacency about Afghanistan, and have caused a reconsideration of what our aims should be and about whether we are giving our forces the resources to do the job.
It is, of course, tempting to argue that we should be making plans now to bring our servicemen and women home immediately. But there is a real risk that this could merely allow the terrorists to move back in, and resume their atrocities against the West and other countries. And no sensible person can fail to be concerned about the prospect of the extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan linking up to topple the regime in Pakistan, and establishing an extremist leadership of what is already a nuclear weapons state.
So raising the white flag does not look a very sensible or responsible strategy.
But there is a growing sense that the previous strategy of half-measures isn’t working either.
The worst outcome would be to continue with operations in which land and villages are taken by UK troops with heavy casualties, but then have to be given up for the Taliban to re-occupy because of a lack of troops and equipment on the ground.
We cannot afford to expend the precious lives of our servicemen in fighting to occupy territory which we know we cannot retain or protect.
We need to have the troops on the ground to do the tasks which are required; and they have to be given the equipment to carry out their tasks safely and effectively.
In my view, this may require the deployment of additional UK troops, but for a limited period of time. It should be accompanied by an acceleration in the training of the Afghan Army so that in the next couple of years much of the security responsibility can be handed over to the Afghan Government itself. There needs to be an end-point to the deployment in Afghanistan – it cannot become an open ended commitment.
As well as making sure that we have enough troops on the ground, it is essential that they are given the right equipment to do the job. This means ensuring that we have vehicles which are as secure as possible against mines and improvised explosive devices.
It must also mean ensuring that we have enough helicopters. Of course, we have a particular role and interest in helicopters in our area, given that AgustaWestland is the main provider of helicopters to the UK armed forces.
AgustaWestland’s Apache helicopters are already doing a fantastic job in Afghanistan – they have been one of the big successes of the campaign. But we need more helicopters to deploy troops rapidly across the huge areas of Helmand province. That is why the factory in Yeovil is currently upgrading 12 Mark 9 Lynx helicopters so that they are able to fly in the “hot and high” conditions of Afghanistan. And 6 Merlin helicopters are also being made ready in Yeovil for deployment to Afghanistan early next year.
The current, much needed, contract for Wildcat helicopters (“Future Lynx”) will eventually deliver an enhanced capability for both the Army and the Navy. But I have been pressing the Ministry of Defence to bring forward a purchase of additional Merlin helicopters from Westland, instead of upgrading the now very old Pumas and Sea Kings. Additional Merlin helicopters could and would hugely help with our deployment in Afghanistan. And if further heavy lift helicopters are needed, we could purchase additional Chinook helicopters, which have proved highly effective to date in Afghanistan.
We are asking our troops to take big risks. We must give them the tools to finish the job. Yeovil and its main employer- AgustaWestland - can and is playing a key role in delivering those tools.
Ever,
David.