Royal Navy Sea Kings - flying over Afghanistan for two years

It's a long way from their natural stomping grounds over the world's oceans but after two years of successful service in Afghanistan Royal Navy Sea Kings are showing they are more than at home in the hot and dusty conditions of Helmand province.

For two years the green Sea King Mk4s of the Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) have been heavily involved in flying operations in Afghanistan as part of the Joint Helicopter Force.

Mainly based at Kandahar Airfield, with elements also based at Camp Bastion, they regularly fly missions over the volatile Helmand region, 80 miles (129km) to the west of Kandahar.

Regional Command (South) readily call on the 'Jungly' squadrons because of their considerable operational experience and the aircraft's increased performance and capability, which has earned them an enviable reputation for reliability in the face of adversity.

The nickname 'Jungly' evolved during the Borneo Campaign of 1963-66, as it was within the Indonesian jungle that squadrons of the Royal Navy proved their versatility.

Now with the increased tempo of operations, the support helicopters have an enduring and critical role to play in Afghanistan and the Sea Kings of 845 and 846 Naval Air Squadrons have successfully satisfied the surge of activity over the summer months.

Captain Jon Pentreath Royal Navy, Commanding Officer of the CHF, explained: "The CHF is an extremely dynamic unit and has been involved in front line operations almost continuously since the first Gulf War in 1991.

"The flying tasks for the aviators are diverse and challenging, calling for tactical low-level flight by day and night in all weather.

"Aircrew and ground crew alike are taught the military skills and fieldcraft needed to cope in environments such as the desert or arctic.

"The sweltering conditions in Afghanistan, where temperatures reach well above 50 degrees C in July, through to sub-zero temperatures, will see their capability tested to the limit. Such high temperatures affect both aircrew and engineers alike.

 "Maintaining helicopters in such conditions requires careful use of personnel to avoid heat exhaustion and performing major servicing routines during cooler periods such as overnight and at first and last light.

"For the aircrew, diligent use of the correct flying techniques and stringent planning ensure their Sea King helicopters will still carry out their missions and that forces on the ground remain fully supported."

CHF Sea Kings have been modified to operate in the demanding Afghan environment with Carson rotor blades and a new tail rotor to provide greater lift, an extra door gun for improved all-round defence, and a significantly enhanced night-flying capability system along with an upgraded defensive aids suite.

Due to these upgrades the aircraft can cope with the very high altitudes during the summer and can now survive extreme temperatures, talcum-powder-like dust, and pitch-black nights.

However, as Chief Petty Officer Paul Worton, an avionics engineer with 846 Squadron, explains, the harsh conditions do still offer some challenges for the aircraft: "The weather is quite favourable at the moment but we are at altitude and the aircraft work a lot of hours and are pushed to their limits.

"They do come back covered in dust so you can see they have been working hard in an arduous environment, so it does take its toll.

"The rotor blade system was changed to a Carson system and they modified the tail rotor and main head; it helps as the air is thinner and it offers more lift.

"All the aircraft struggle in the heat but the Sea Kings are holding up and offering a good capability. Our people like it, it's a good and reliable airframe that is proven to be able to do its job."

For Royal Marine Corporal Lee Hegerty, a Sea King crewman also of 846 Squadron, it is not just the dust and the heat that pose problems but the pitch-black nights when there is no moon - operations have to continue though.

Cpl Hegerty said: "Throughout the month you get different moon states and when there is no moonlight you get something called 'red illum' [red illumination] and it is only the Sea Kings that will operate in it due to the size of the cab; it is medium-lift and also we are trained on DNVG [display night-vision goggles].

"In fact our experiences here have led us to develop a training programme for crews of Lynx and Chinook helicopters as it's very hard to fly in red illum, it's pitch-black with no ambient lighting and the dust on landing sites can make things even worse.

"It's tough but the pilots are spot on and I would say are the best trained pilots in the military. We practise dust landings and do night-training a lot so it all comes together when we are out on sorties."

For Lieutenant JD Edwards, a Royal Navy pilot with 845 Squadron, the increase in night-flying has proved challenging but ultimately very rewarding: "We have been doing more night-flying than ever," he said. "There are tactical reasons for that as you get more performance out of the aircraft when it's cooler at night and obviously it is harder for the insurgents to see you.

"However, night-flying brings challenges, especially landing on sites you haven't seen before. It really does test your skills as a crew and means you all have to work together to ensure a safe approach."

After two years of successful service in Afghanistan the Sea Kings and their crews are proving to be a valuable asset to British forces in the country and look set to be deployed on many more vital sorties before they return home to their UK base of Yeovilton.

By Tristan Kelly - Ministry of Defence