[A-List] Europe/US rivalry: chafing at US military command

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

Word has it that morale among German troops in Afghanistan is very low
indeed, because, being under US command, they are being sent into areas of
high risk in order to spare US troops, or they are being given dummy
assignments that are essentially time-wasting. Meanwhile back in Britain it
looks like the UK military is being leaned on to make inconvenient
contingencies in order to suit US prerogative.


Helicopter scheme 'could risk lives'
IAN BRUCE
The Herald, 23 October 2002

SAS veterans claimed yesterday that a scheme to return the UK's fleet of
eight special forces' Chinook helicopters to the US to make up for losses in
Afghanistan could put British lives at risk in any war with Iraq.

The Pentagon has asked for a "leaseback" of the long-range HC-3 models,
equipped with the latest night-vision aids, infra-red scanners and
air-to-air refuelling probe to allow deep penetration missions behind enemy
lines.

In return, the Americans have offered to supply even more advanced Boeing
MH-47G helicopters to the RAF "later this decade" for use by the SAS and its
Royal Marines' equivalent, the Special Boat Service.

Sources inside Hereford, the SAS headquarters, say that this will dent
Britain's ability to carry out a range of covert reconnaissance tasks for
several years and potentially endanger members of the elite units by forcing
them to fly into hostile territory in far less capable and more vulnerable
machines.

The HC-3s, which were destined for special forces' use, are undergoing
modifications at the defence ministry's Boscombe Down test centre in
Wiltshire. Three of the eight were due to be in squadron service by next
month.

The Pentagon says that the British Chinooks could be rapidly upgraded to
meet the needs of the depleted US 160th special operations aviation
regiment, more commonly known as the Nightstalkers, in their after-dark
supporting role for America's Green Berets, Delta Force and Ranger
battalions.

Two of the Nightstalkers' MH-47E Chinooks were shot down and written off and
four others damaged severely during the mountain battle around Shah-e-Kot in
Afghanistan in March.

At least one more was destroyed in an operation in the Philippines.

An MoD spokesman said the US proposal was being given "some consideration"
and that the disadvantages of losing highly capable aircraft in the short
term had to be balanced against the acquisition of even more versatile
machines down the line.