by Ed Macy
Thank you, Mark, for believing that my stories were good enough to tell, and for priceless guidance and advice. Thanks also to Mindy for putting up with my calls at every conceivable hour, and to Alice for keeping me in check.
My sincere gratitude to Tom Newton Dunn for tireless dedication in helping me to tell my story, and to Dominie and Rebekah Wade for putting up with Tom’s absences. And huge thanks to wee Arthur for keeping Tom sane.
The groundcrew and technicians are the unsung heroes of the Apache squadrons and the JHF (A). Thank you for your unswerving professionalism.
Chris, Billy, Geordie, Carl and my fellow Apache aviators in 656 Squadron – my door is always open and for once words fail me.
Thanks to Colonel Rob Magowan MBE RM for taking the time to explain the bigger picture and, more importantly, for having the confidence to allow us to return Mathew to his family.
I owe a special thank you to the old DAAvn, Brigadier Thomson, for his support in the aftermath of the Fort, to the new DAAvn, Brigadier Short, and to Colonel Turner for supporting me in the writing of this book.
Arabella Pike, John Bond and everyone at HarperPress, I can’t thank you enough for your support, enthusiasm and sheer hard work.
To everyone in Mathew’s family, especially Joan, Bootsy and Ina, thank you for allowing me to tell my story.
I am eternally grateful to my wonderful Dad and the British Army for making me who I am today.
To my children, my little AAC: you are my world.
Thank you to my family and friends who have supported me throughout.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ed Macy left the British Army in January 2008, after twenty-three years’ service. He had amassed a total of 3,930 helicopter flying hours, 645 of them inside an Apache. Ed was awarded the military cross for his courage during the Jugroom Fort rescue - one of the first ever in Army Air Corps history. Apache is his first book. He hopes it won’t be his last.
‘You do not need to ask them about their contribution, you need to ask those on the ground who depended on them, day after day, to provide the crucial military edge over the enemy. They will leave you in no doubt about what the Apache achieved, and the praise of the praiseworthy is beyond measure.’ AIR CHIEF MARSHAL SIR JOCK STIRRUP, CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF
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INDEX
Afghanistan 19
British Army history in 65, 166–7
climate 14, 181
landscape 15–16, 63, 64–5
native population 22, 63–4
opium trade in 1–2, 19, 20, 63, 68, 82–4, 94, 96, 155, 284
reconstruction programmes 22
Soviet occupation of 20, 63, 83, 84, 112, 136, 193
see also under individual area
Afghan National Army 346
Afghan War, Second, 1880 166–7
air support:
AC130 Spectre gunship 47, 50
A10 Thunderbolt 2, 32, 147, 270, 271, 273–4, 275, 284, 285, 298, 338
Blackhawk 97, 167
B1B Lancer 197, 198, 209, 210, 213, 217, 227, 241, 284, 285, 286, 338
CH47 Chinook 3, 6, 11, 16, 21, 30, 44, 45, 87, 97, 105, 106, 114, 137, 141, 148, 167, 171, 186, 187, 236, 243, 244, 246–7, 262, 317, 319, 324, 329, 330, 331, 333–4
F16 135–6
F18 147, 151
Hercules transport planes 16, 132, 339
Lynx 32, 38, 45, 96, 141, 171, 236, 254, 324, 331
Harrier GR7 2, 39, 50, 119, 120, 121, 125, 145, 146, 147, 180, 201
Nimrod MR2 22, 93, 154, 168, 198, 208, 217, 224, 227, 240, 243, 275, 276, 280, 297
Predator drone 9, 208, 217, 223, 253, 254, 275, 276
al Qaeda 65, 97, 135
Alice 92–3, 94, 95, 97, 109, 110, 111, 125, 134, 137, 151, 159, 170, 195–6
Apache AH64A 17
birth of 29–30
Britain acquires and adapts 32–4
design 29–31
‘Fire and Forget’ 32
first active service 31–2
heat signature 30
Longbow Radar 32, 35, 36, 186–7, 207, 293
name of 29
Radar Warning Receiver 208
resilience under fire 30
rotor blades 29–30
size of 29
stealth technology 29
surveillance capabilities 29
weapons systems 30–1
weight 29
Apache AH64D 15, 32–3, 96
Apache AH Mk 1 xxii–xxv
air conditioning 58, 174, 251
Aircraft Survivability Equipment (ASE) 60, 61
ammunition 44, 320–1, 335–6, 347 see also weapons
Automatic Direction Finder 207
birth of 29–30, 32–4
Britain acquires and adapts 32–4
cameras
Day TV camera 30, 55, 73, 84, 187, 246, 252, 286, 291, 292
Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) thermal camera 30, 73, 74, 122, 160, 172, 178, 206, 213, 214, 221, 224, 246, 256, 257, 261, 325, 335, 344
Pilots Night Vision Sight (PNVS) camera 36, 87, 204, 205
climb rate 61
closing down procedure 87–8
cockpits 174
combat manoeuvre 66
combat time 40
computers, on-board 30, 35, 55, 79
control panel 54–5
cost of 33–4, 39, 42, 45, 46, 158, 237, 321, 335–6, 347
crash-landings 202
Defensive Aide Suite 110
de-icer 33
deployment in Afghanistan 12, 13, 39–41
descent 87
design, general 29–31
ECM (Electronic Counter Measures) 33
electrical avionic 18, 30, 45
engines 33, 61, 186
fire extinguisher 176
first sight of 53
fly-by-wire sensors 173
flying regulations 42–3, 45
fuel 44, 87, 174, 226, 279
GPS 200
gun tape laptop 43, 90, 107, 136, 192, 236, 341
health monitoring system 33
heat signature 30
Helicopter Integrated Defensive Aid System (HIDAS) 137–9, 233, 276
hydraulic line 176
manoeuvres 61–2, 66
maximum flying hours 45, 46
monocle 36, 58, 66, 76, 77, 117, 118, 175, 204, 220, 254, 313, 318
Multi Purpose Display (MPD) 55, 60, 67, 71, 74, 77, 79, 87, 121, 122, 124, 145, 186–7, 204, 208, 212, 214, 223, 225, 246, 252, 319
name of 29
pairs, fly in 48
pilots
Black Brain 50, 116, 169, 222, 233, 243
clothing 48–50, 72, 77, 114, 129
Crew Rest Periods 108, 190
day pattern of 104–9
debrief 90–1, 107, 151, 159, 234
‘Deliberate Tasking’ 105, 106, 144, 155, 185, 238–9
‘Duty Ops’ 105
escape plan 201–4
ethos and role of 37–9
evening brief 109
fatigue 189–91
flying regulations 42–3
flying time 107, 236
grab bag 50–1, 114
helmet 55–6, 114, 220, 313
‘IRT/HRF’ (emergency scramble) 106, 113, 114–15, 116, 117, 128, 137, 160, 171, 184, 187–8, 239, 242, 243, 244
morning brief 105, 113
multi–tasking required 35–6
Night Vision Goggles (NVGs) 172, 175, 204, 220
personal possessions 52
physical pressure on 190
post-mission report 107
radios 56, 61, 105, 114, 115, 137, 200, 203, 207, 245, 246, 253, 254, 261, 290
Release To Service 42–3, 202, 341
Relief in Place 244–5, 270
responsibility, sense of 62–3
shifts 105
situational/intelligence brief 92, 93–5, 109, 134, 195–6
&
nbsp; survival jackets 200–1, 277, 281, 322
‘Testing and Maintenance’ 106–7
training programme 15, 17, 34–9
weapons and ammunition, personal 50, 51, 114, 288, 301, 310, 311
workload 190
Power Meter Indicator 251
re-arming 87–9
refuelling 87, 226
resilience under fire 30, 173–5
rotor blades 29–30, 33, 59, 77, 174
Saturn radios 33
seats 17, 54, 206
spare parts/maintenance 44, 45
speed of 70
stealth technology 29
surveillance capabilities 29
take-off 53–60
Target Acquisition and Designation Sight (TADS) 3, 4, 5, 6, 30, 36, 45, 55, 66, 67, 71, 74, 77, 87, 111, 117, 118, 121, 123, 124, 145, 149, 152, 157, 160, 171, 186, 204, 205, 206, 212, 215, 216, 217, 230, 246, 251, 253, 254–5, 259, 260, 264, 265, 303
trivia 85–6, 90, 180, 233
Up Front Display (UFD) 55
weapons systems:
cannon 3–4, 22, 30–1, 75–6, 88, 114, 150, 164, 205, 216–17, 218, 224, 225, 226, 247, 249, 266, 269, 289, 291, 299, 300, 324, 338, 347
development of 30–1
firing 71, 74–81
Flechette rocket 31, 75–6, 77–9, 86, 90, 150, 223, 267, 268, 269, 316, 320, 338, 347
HEISAP rocket 31, 266, 311, 316, 320, 338
Hellfire missiles 2–3, 22, 31, 32, 53, 54, 88–9, 90, 104, 110, 114, 118, 119, 122–3, 125, 126, 146, 164, 165, 173, 193, 199, 205, 214, 215, 217, 219, 221, 225, 226, 232, 234, 237, 249, 258, 264, 266, 267, 268, 260, 281, 286, 313, 316, 320, 338, 347
loading 53–4, 58
rockets 22, 31, 114, 117
wheel 66
Balkans conflict 2
Baram Cha 155
Bartlett, Sergeant Paul 3, 7, 8–9, 167
Bell AH1 ‘Huey’ Cobra 29
Billy 34, 38, 42–3, 46, 49, 105, 109, 163, 169, 182, 187, 190, 191, 193, 233
Blair visit to Camp Bastion and 129, 130, 133
callsign 100, 104
Camp Bastion, arrival at 11, 12, 13, 14, 17–18, 19, 23
commission 354
DFC 350, 351, 352
familiarisation flight 58–9, 60, 61, 62, 66, 69
Gereshk 71, 73, 74, 75, 76, 80, 85, 86, 87, 90
Kajaki 115, 116, 120, 125
Operation Glacier (Garmsir) 146, 149, 155, 157, 158,
Operation Glacier (Jugroom Fort) 244, 245, 246, 248, 253, 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 273, 275, 277, 281, 282, 286, 293, 294, 308, 316, 318, 319, 320, 321, 322, 328, 329, 330, 332, 333, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 340, 344
Operation Glacier (Koshtay) 197, 199, 202, 205, 206, 211, 213, 216, 218, 219, 221, 225, 226, 227, 228, 233
Blair, Tony 19–20, 126, 127–34, 345
Blundell, Sergeant Kev 88, 89, 92, 109, 126, 226, 234, 321, 323–4, 347
Boeing 29, 33
Bosnia 28
British Army:
Apache, acquires 28–9
casualties 6, 22, 66, 68, 93, 148–9, 150, 151, 152, 170, 193, 243–350
first deployed to Afghanistan 19–20
friendly fire (blue-on-blue) incidents 71, 151, 152, 343–4
Helmand Task Force HQ, Lashkar Gah 12, 111, 115, 198, 227, 228, 231, 254, 342
ISTAR units 94
Joint Operations Cell (JOC) 43–4, 69, 90, 114, 116, 126, 152, 197, 243, 261
Military Internet Relay Chat (MIRC) 136
operations see under individual operation name
reconstruction programmes 22
ROE (Rules of Engagement) 164–5, 231, 336
British Army Air Corps (AAC) 12, 27–9, 37–8, 98, 191, 197, 347
656 Squadron 12
1 flight 46
2 flight 46, 113, 188
3 flight 46, 53, 103, 183, 184–5, 238–9,
241–2, 245, 262, 263, 278, 335, 339
backgrounds of pilots 24
debriefs 90–1, 159
‘Deliberate Tasking’ 105, 106, 144, 155, 185
‘Duty Ops’ 105
first deployment to Afghanistan 39–41
Gereshk 70–82
Garmsir 143–61, 194–9
Helmand Reaction Force 106
HQ flight 46, 102, 113, 144, 155, 185–6, 200, 239, 334
Incident Response Team 106
intensity of fighting 22
‘IRT/HRF’ (emergency scramble) 106, 113, 114–15, 116, 117, 128, 137, 160, 171, 184, 187–8, 239, 242, 243
Jugroom Fort 239–51
Koshtay 206–25, 226–36, 237, 347
mail 182–3
medivacs/casevac 106, 148–9, 243, 246–7
names of aircraft 98–101
Operation Glacier 143–61, 194–237, 238, 239–51
Operation Steve–O 171–80
return from second deployment 347
ROE (Rules of Engagement) 164–5, 231, 336
SBS casualties, attempt to recover 1–9, 65, 111, 137, 167, 247–8
second deployment to Afghanistan 13, 42–8
situational/intelligence brief 92, 93–5, 109, 134, 195–6
‘Testing and Maintenance’ 106–7
664 Squadron 13, 42, 43, 46–7, 67
British Army units:
C Squadron of the Light Dragoons 154, 241, 253, 291, 317
Gurkhas 2
Information Exploitation Battlegroup 153–4, 194
Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) 236, 328, 338
Joint Helicopter Force (JHF) 17, 43–4, 56, 85, 90, 92, 93, 99, 105, 108, 109, 111, 115, 116, 128, 136, 141, 151, 159, 161, 166, 170, 182, 183, 190, 192, 197, 201, 233, 234, 236, 237, 243, 245, 326, 327, 334, 337, 338
Parachute Regiment 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 94
2 Para 26, 27
3 Para 21–2, 39
16 Air Assault Brigade 20, 48, 66, 141
Royal Artillery 193
Royal Engineers 16, 67, 275
Royal Fusiliers 40
Royal Marines 94, 194
3 Commando 48, 104, 143, 144–5, 146–7, 150, 238, 341–2, 345, 349, 350
Brigade Reconnaissance Force (BRF) 154, 155–6, 157, 158, 197–8, 202–3, 208, 209, 224
29 Commando 193
42 Commando 72, 154, 159, 160–1, 170, 236, 243, 337
45 Commando 154, 348
Zulu Company 241, 242, 249, 254, 261, 263, 265, 268, 269, 270, 271, 276, 278, 279, 342–3, 344–5
SAS 26, 27, 28, 103, 197
SBS (Special Boat Service) 2, 8, 65, 111, 137, 154, 166, 167, 168, 197, 247–8
Special Forces 2–9, 154, 166, 170, 201, 240
British Army vehicles:
Pinzgauer 72, 156
Scimitar 241
Viking 249, 253, 317, 342
WMIK Land Rover 72, 129, 156
Bush, George W. 19–20
Cameron, David 128
Camp Bastion 7, 21, 43, 51, 60, 63, 64, 67, 70, 85, 112, 116, 125, 147, 167, 199, 234
appearance of 15
arrival at 12, 15–17
Christmas in 183–6
conditions 14, 18
descent into 12
front gate 162, 163
hospital 148
role of 12
security 162
surrounding landscape 15–16
Taliban observation of 162
Tony Blair visits 127–34
VIP visits 127–34, 191
Carl (Ewok) 109, 110, 111, 186, 187, 190
Blair visit to Camp Bastion and 127, 128
callsign 47, 100, 101
Electronic Warfare Officer 138–9
familiarisation flight 59, 60
Gereshk 71, 72, 74, 85, 87, 90, 91, 100, 101
joins Australian Army 354
Kajaki 113, 115, 116–17, 120, 121, 125, 126
Operation Glacier (Garmsir) 148, 158
Operation Glacier (Koshtay) 199, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 210, 211, 213, 214, 215, 216, 21
7, 218, 219, 220, 221, 223, 224, 227, 228, 230, 231–2
Operation Glacier (Jugroom Fort) 244, 246, 248, 251, 253, 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 261, 263–4, 265, 266, 267, 268–9, 270, 271, 273, 276, 277, 279, 280, 282, 283, 284, 286, 287, 288, 290, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, 299, 300, 302, 303, 308, 310, 311, 313, 315, 317–18, 319, 322, 323, 325, 326, 327, 330, 332, 333, 338, 339
pilot, experience as a 46
promotion 353
Charlotte 97–8, 101, 102, 129, 166, 169, 170, 172–3, 175, 177, 178, 180, 183–4, 185, 236, 238–9, 241, 250, 262, 264, 278, 285, 289, 291, 299, 305, 309, 311, 312, 316, 320, 21, 334, 335, 353
CIA 135, 196
Cold War 29, 38, 112
Daily Mirror 181–2
Dannatt, Sir Richard 191–3, 233
DGSE 196
Dunn, Tom Newton 102
Elizabeth II, Queen 351–2
Elphinstone, General 65
Falklands War 26
Ford, Joan 348, 349
Ford, Lance Corporal Mathew 250, 252, 253–65, 266, 268–9, 270, 271, 272–4, 276, 277, 278, 279–83, 285, 286, 291, 292, 294–5, 296–301, 302, 303, 304, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 320, 321, 322, 324, 329, 333, 335, 336–7, 338, 341, 343–5, 347, 348–50
Forward Operating Base Dwyer 193
Forward Operating Base Robinson 136, 187
Fraser-Perry, Chris 276, 281, 282, 283, 285, 286, 292, 294, 295, 296, 297, 298, 299, 300, 313
Garmsir 93, 94, 104, 110, 112, 143–50, 151, 152–61, 193, 194–9, 226, 233, 239, 244, 342, 345, 346–7
GCHQ 154,196,342
Geordie (Vidal) 110, 190, 192
callsign 100–1
character 102–3, 111
Blair visit to Camp Bastion and 129, 130, 133
Operation Glacier (Koshtay) 201, 233
Operation Glacier (Jugroom Fort) 242, 244, 245, 248, 253, 258, 259, 263, 264, 267, 269, 270, 273, 276, 277, 281, 282, 283, 286, 290, 291, 292, 293, 294, 298, 300, 302, 308–9, 310, 311, 312, 316, 318, 319, 323, 326–7, 330, 332, 333, 336, 339, 341, 350, 351, 352, 353
Gereshk 20, 63, 69, 70, 73, 85, 96, 104
Green Zone, Helmand 4, 63, 64, 69, 70, 71, 94, 106, 112, 116, 121, 136, 143, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 181, 196, 203, 212, 226, 227, 239, 252
Gulf War, First 8, 31–2
Hambly, Corporal 53, 56
Harry, Prince 346
Hashmi, Jabron 68
Hearn, Sergeant Major Colin 275–6, 280, 282, 286, 303, 304, 306, 307, 309, 312, 341