With the operational tempo in Afghanistan quicker than ever, the need for fully-functional vehicles to support troops on the ground has never been greater.

Such a crucial role falls on the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency's Army vehicle depot in Ashchurch, a 272,000-square metre facility capable of holding everything from the mighty Challenger 2 battle tank to the comparatively lightweight quad bike trailer.

The vast site boasts row after row of hardware, with brand new Panthers, Jackals and Mastiffs among the huge inventory of wagons, trucks and support vehicles waiting to be deployed.

Such an array of resources could lead to the inevitable question as to why this fleet is stationed at a storage site in deepest Gloucestershire and not on the front line in Helmand province.

The answer is simple. In the commercial world a new car will roll off the production line, head to the showroom and find its way into the hands of a grateful owner, but for the Army the swift flow from factory to driver is not an option.

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Gascoigne, Royal Logistic Corps (RLC), who is responsible for Whole Fleet Management, explained:

"A lot of these vehicles are coming straight to us from industry and people often regard this place as a storage facility. It is a lot more than that.

"First of all we have to inspect the vehicles and conduct quality assessments - if anything is not right it goes back. If this equipment is going on operations it has to be fully working.

"We realise the soldiers want more than a vehicle. It has to be armoured, it has to be fitted with electronic countermeasures and Bowman radio, which needs to be tested and working.

"These things have to be brought together, it is all done here, and when these vehicles are delivered to Camp Bastion they are ready for the soldiers to jump in and go."

Personnel at Ashchurch have to juggle the demands of supporting operations with routine vehicle tasks but it is clear where their focus lies:

"Urgent Operational Requirements [UORs] are very much our main priority, it is work we take a great deal of pride in delivering," said Major Mark Wilson, RLC, the head of the DSDA establishment.

"We have never failed to meet a UOR deadline. All our projects are different but we look to turn a vehicle round in five days. However, it can be done overnight if needed."

Around 4,200 vehicles have been issued from the facility since October 2008, with more than 800 being sent out in support of operations.

Ashchurch has 25 military personnel working alongside a civilian staff of up to 180 people, all of whom are determined to deliver the best kit possible for soldiers on the ground.

Civilian mechanics inspect all new arrivals in assessments that exceed MOT standards. The companies who supply the Army's fleet also have a presence on site so any problems can be immediately addressed, rather than returning a vehicle to a factory hundreds of miles away:

"We do not hold things against them, that is why they have these facilities," explained Warrant Officer Class 2 Simon Gray, RLC, a vehicle specialist on the UOR programme.

"We ask them to develop a vehicle in 12 months and they are under pressure to deliver, but we understand there will be problems."

As well as priming new tanks, trucks and transport for theatre the site is also responsible for supplying vehicles for training purposes.

This relates to both future users and maintenance personnel who have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the equipment on training areas such as Salisbury Plain.

Another question frequently thrown at the Army is why the hardware from operations in Iraq is not transferred directly to Afghanistan.

Ashchurch is responsible for housing returning kit and has recently received 900 vehicles that were used on Op TELIC.

Some may be in need of upgrades and improved armouring, given the differing nature of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, while others may have reached the end of their shelf life:

"It is a tired fleet," said Major Wilson.

"There were high demands on the vehicles in Iraq and they come back for a new lease of life before being passed on for operations or being disposed of.

"The IED [improvised explosive device] threat in Afghanistan is extremely high. While there was a threat on Op TELIC it was of a different nature and that contributes to the fact these vehicles cannot be shipped straight to Afghanistan."

Preparing Vehicles for Afghanistan is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

The aircraft was the 221st T-45 training jet delivered by Boeing to the Navy.

“The T-45 holds a distinguished place in U.S. Navy history,” said Rear Adm. W. Mark Skinner, Program Executive Officer for Tactical Aircraft Programs. “In fact, Vice Admiral Dave Venlet, the commanding officer of Naval Air Systems Command, was the first Navy pilot to land onboard an aircraft carrier in a T-45.”

Skinner said that since Venlet’s maiden landing, more than 3,600 Navy and Marine Corps pilots have flown the Goshawk, as they trained to convert to the Hornet, Super Hornet, Growler, Prowler and Harrier.

According to Shelley Lavender, vice president and general manager for Global Strike Systems, the Goshawk team has a remarkable legacy filled with significant milestones that include the 932,000 flight hours flown by thousands of Navy and Marine Corps aviators and flight officers, while earning their wings in the T-45.

"I'm proud in knowing that this jet, and all its accompanying training components, has made a mark in naval aviation and in the lives of thousands of brave men and women, who choose to serve their country," said Lavender. "And, I'm proud to know the T-45 will continue to do that -- safely and effectively -- for decades to come."

Capt. Andrew Hartigan, Naval Undergraduate Flight Training Systems Program Office (PMA-273) program manager, thanked the Boeing team for its dedication to the T-45 and the men and women who train in them, daily.

"The equipment of naval aviation is truly in the hands of Boeing," said Hartigan. "That truth demonstrates an extraordinary trust and confidence, trust that has been built for decades and trust we look forward to continuing."

The T-45 is the only jet training aircraft in the U.S. military's inventory that enables undergraduate pilots to land on and takeoff from an aircraft carrier. The T-45 will continue to serve the Navy through 2035.

US Navy Accepts Final T-45C Delivery is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

The ship is named New York in honor of the state and the courage and heroism of New Yorkers during and after the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001. A unique characteristic of the ship is the use of 7.5 tons of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center wreckage that was incorporated into the construction process. The steel was melted and formed to make the bow stem of the ship. Use of this steel symbolizes the spirit and resiliency of the people of New York. The ship's motto is "Strength forged through sacrifice. Never forget."

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead, will also deliver remarks. Dotty England, wife of former secretary of the Navy and former Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England, is serving as the ship's sponsor. In a time-honored Navy tradition, she will give the order to "man our ship and bring her to life!"

Designated as LPD 21, New York is the fifth amphibious transport dock ship in the San Antonio class. Four previous ships have been named New York. The first, a gondola that served in 1776; the second, a frigate that served 1800-1814; the third, an armored cruiser that served 1893-1938; and the fourth, a battleship that served 1914-1946.

As a critical element in future expeditionary strike groups, the ship will support the Marine Corps' "mobility triad," which consists of the landing craft air cushion (LCAC), the expeditionary fighting vehicle (EFV) and the Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft (MV-22). The ship will provide improved warfighting capabilities including an advanced command-and-control suite, increased lift-capability in vehicle and cargo-carrying capacity and advanced ship-survivability features.

Cmdr. F. Curtis Jones, a native of Binghamton, N.Y., is the first commanding officer of the ship, leading a crew of approximately 360 officers and enlisted personnel. The ship is capable of embarking a landing force of up to 800 Marines. Upon commissioning, New York will be homeported in Norfolk, Va., as a part of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet.

Built by Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding - Avondale Operations in Louisiana, New York is 684 feet in length, has an overall beam of 105 feet, a navigational draft of 23 feet and displaces about 24,900 tons. Four turbo-charged diesel engines power the ship to sustained speeds of 24 knots.

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The 1st Armored Division’s 4th Brigade has been on the ground in Iraq since April, conducting the initial advise and assist operations to pass on to the first officially designated AAB, explained Army Col. Peter Newell, the brigade commander.

The Defense Department announced in July plans to send four of the new brigades to Iraq beginning this fall to train and mentor Iraqi security forces.

The brigades will focus less on traditional combat operations and more on advising, assisting and developing capabilities within the Iraqi security forces, Newell said. They also will conduct coordinated counterterrorism missions and support the State Department’s provincial reconstruction teams and other U.S. interagency partners in Iraq.

The first units assigned the mission are the 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st and 2nd Brigade Combat Teams based at Fort Stewart Ga., and its 3rd BCT at Fort Benning, Ga.; and the 4th Infantry Division’s 3rd BCT at Fort Carson, Colo. In addition, the 82nd Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade, which recently arrived in Iraq, has taken on the AAB mission.

Newell’s job has been to help the new brigades determine what specific skills to train for and how to organize themselves to better conduct their new mission, he told American Forces Press Service by phone from Iraq.

To prepare themselves, his soldiers went through a standard National Training Center rotation focused on counterinsurgency operations, but also sought out additional training in subjects ranging from civil affairs to Iraqi law.

Once they arrived in Iraq, they provided the inbound AABs regular feedback about their activities and the conditions they encountered. They also shared insights into what training benefitted them the most, and what they might have eliminated.

“I am merely providing the insight of the guy who has been tagged with the advise-and-assist proof of principle, and talking to them about changes we have taken on internally, and how they have worked for us,” Newell said.

There’s no cookie-cutter formula that will work for every such brigade in every Iraqi province, he said. Each must be tailored to the specific environment, based on regular assessments of the local Iraqi security forces’ capacity, the maturity of the local provincial government, and the politics within that province, he said.

“What I will tell you is that no two AABs are going to look alike,” Newell said. “They have to fine-tune to fit the environment they are in. But if we provide them the right people, the right training and the right training at the right time before they deploy, as long as it is focused on the environment they are going to, they will do well.”

“Doing well” for an advise and assist brigade involves a lot more than traditional counterinsurgency operations. Much of the 4th Brigade’s work, for example, involves teaching forensics and the evidentiary and judiciary processes to Iraqi police. In another major shift, the brigade’s artillery battalion is focused on civil capacity and directly supporting provincial reconstruction teams.

“That is radically different from kicking in doors and how to do a raid and other things,” Newell said.

The different focus requires a new mindset for the brigade’s soldiers, he said, and a major emphasis on building and maintaining relationships with their Iraqi counterparts.

“Relationships are paramount,” Newell said. “When you are in an advise and assist and enable role, it is incumbent on you to work with your counterpart, to couch the training in terms that they can use … and inculcate it, and in a timeline and capacity that they can actually work with it.”

That’s not how traditional combat elements have operated in the past, he acknowledged. It’s “a lot different than us coming in and saying, ‘Hey, we think you need to do the following three things, and this is how you do it,’” Newell said. “Now, it is a case of sitting down with your counterparts and working with them to understand what it is they need to be doing, and how they want to proceed with the training.”

It also entails explaining to the Iraqi security forces what enablers the U.S. troops can provide, if required, to help them do their job.

Toward this end, Newell and his staff spend much of their time with their counterparts within the 10th Iraqi Army Division as well as local provincial police and border enforcement brigade. They also work hand in hand with U.S. interagency partners assigned to the provincial reconstruction teams or otherwise supporting reconstruction and development efforts.

“That permeates so much of what we do,” Newell said, noting that the myriad meetings, discussions and other engagements his staff participates in can be “intellectually exhausting.”

“But the output of those discussions is so much more productive, because [the Iraqis] are coming to the table and saying, ‘This is exactly what I need. I need more of this; I need less of this.’” Newell said. “And when you do that, they show up ready to go, wanting to take the material, and then you see them go out in the field and do it.”

At no time was the strength of that relationship-building process more evident than on June 30, as U.S. combat troops left the Iraqi cities, but Newell’s soldiers were in more demand than ever.

“I have more soldiers today operating in Iraqi cities than I had prior to the 30th of June. The difference is, they are there because they were invited there, and the Iraqis insist on having them with them,” Newell said. “So the [value of] the relationships is a huge lesson learned.”

These relationships are growing increasingly strong, because the 4th Brigade soldiers embed directly with the Iraqi partners they work with. “We embed, we don’t commute,” Newell said of his soldiers. “So if you have an Iraqi brigade that you are working with, the transition team and the company that are partnering with that brigade go live with that brigade, not on a [forward operating base] someplace.

“And their partnerships are so much better for it,” he said. “They work together, they live together, they eat together, they play together. They truly are partners out there.”

Newell conceded that some of his more junior soldiers, who thought they were going off to war when they deployed, may be less excited about the advise and assist mission than those who’ve already been in combat.

“In many cases, some of the younger guys will tell you they would rather be in Afghanistan than here doing this,” he acknowledged. “But the more senior guys who have been here for awhile, and have been at this for a couple times, will tell you that this is, in many cases, much more emotionally rewarding than their previous experiences here.”

The soldiers recognize, Newell said, that they’re helping the Iraqis take on new responsibilities that will be critical as the United States scales down its forces in Iraq. “They are seeing success in the Iraqis, and they are seeing themselves drawn into the Iraqi operations by invitation,” he said. “And that is a huge difference, if you have been at this for awhile.”

Brigade Tests New Concept in Iraq is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

Right Honourable James Arbuthnot, Chairman of the Defence Select Committee has said that the Gray report highlighted a serious deficiency in defence procurement and argued that a long term view should be taken on planning. He also said that the MOD should reduce the scope of its procurement. He suggested that the Ministry of Defence should "look at things at a long term basis ... at the moment the defence procurement budget is, as this report makes plain, completely unaffordable and completely unrealistic".

Rt. Hon. Arbuthnot will be speaking at International Armoured Vehicles, Defence IQ’s flagship event for the armoured vehicle community, which is taking place on the 1st - 5th February 2010 at the ExCel Centre in London. The event brings together senior military and industry experts, providing opportunities to gain expert insights on armoured vehicle trends, global procurement activity and lessons learnt from the battlefield, as well as to conduct business with the world's leading vehicle, system and component manufacturers, and smaller specialist suppliers. The event will "bring together many leading experts and experienced ground combat commanders to discuss the changing, joint nature of 21st century warfare and lessons learned after eight-plus years of war. I look forward to participating" General Peter Chiarelli, Vice Chief of Staff, United States Army, has said of his involvement.“As operations shift from Iraq to Afghanistan, it is important to keep abreast of all the latest developments in this area” Abigail Stern, Program Director at Defence IQ explained. The event provides an opportunity for key stakeholders to meet each other, as well as discuss and attend sessions that examine the latest technologies, future capability requirements, international programme developments, the rapid acquisition, delivery and support of armoured vehicles and international upgrade and life extension programmes. Lieutenant Colonel Greg Burton, Canadian DND commented that the event is “a good opportunity to share procurement experience, to confirm requirements with allies and industry, and a good opportunity to network and get to know the professionals in the field”.

The speaker panel includes:
General Peter Chiarelli, Vice Chief of Staff, United States Army
General Sir Peter Wall KBC, CBE, Commander-in-Chief Land Forces, British Army
Lieutenant General Andrew Leslie, Chief of Land Staff, Canadian DND
Lieutenant General Antonio Gucciardino, General Manager of the Procurement Agency for Land Systems, Italian Army
Major General Chris Deverell MBE, Director General Logistics Support and Equipment, HQ Land Forces, British ArmyBrigadier General Yaron Livnat, Head of Tank Programme Management, Israeli MoD

The exhibition is attracting a huge amount of interest from the community, with over 50 exhibitors confirmed already. Exhibitors include vehicle manufacturers and major OEMs, vehicle system and service providers, as well as smaller component suppliers. Organisations range from Oshkosh, Force Protection and Iveco to NIITEK, MDH Bioquell, Htuchison and Tyron.

Warn is one of the companies that has been involved in the event previously, Mr. Hugo Burgers, Business Development Director EMEA, Warn Industries, Inc. said of the 2009 show; "We were enthusiastic about the concept of having such a focused event. Our objective was to get in direct contact with our end customer to hear their feedback, learn from their experiences and use the opportunity to discuss our product offering. We are very pleased to say we achieved all of these goals and will therefore participate in the 2010 event as well."

Fabrice Parodi, Sales Manager, 01db Metravib commented that “this is a very good opportunity for us to make a lot of contacts with the end users who express their requirements with possible partners in the industry”.

Visit http://www.armoured-vehicles.co.uk for further details about the event.

Contact:
Amy Jeffray
Head of Marketing, International Armoured Vehicles
+44 (0) 207 368 9306
amy.jeffray@iqpc.co.uk

About Defence IQ: Since 2001 Defence IQ has been helping deliver critical information to senior decision makers in the defence, aerospace and technology sectors, tackling issues relating to the latest defence plans, requirements, programmes and technologies and how they affect you. Defence IQ provides senior military, government and industry representatives with informative conferences in an informal environment, discussing the very latest plans, requirements, programmes and technologies.

International Armoured Vehicles Exhibition to Highlight Deficiency in MoD Procurement Process is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

Lt Gen. Robert Cone in a televised press briefing tonight corrected earlier reports that said Hasan and the officer, who shot him several times, were killed. Rather, he said, both are recovering at a nearby hospital.

All but two of the victims are soldiers, Cone said.

Cone confirmed the identity of Hasan, reportedly a psychiatrist on the base who was scheduled soon to deploy, but would not say more about the suspect last night. Hasan has been in the company of a Criminal Investigative Division officer since the midday shooting, he said.

In answer to a reporter’s question, Cone said of the suspect, “I would say his death is not imminent.” Hasan is not yet talking to investigators, he said.

Three other soldiers were initially detained for questioning, but later released. After interviewing more than 100 people at the scene, Cone said, investigators determined there was only one shooter.

While investigators haven’t ruled out terrorism in the case, Cone said, the evidence doesn’t suggest it.

The shooting began about 1:30 Central Time at Hood’s Soldier Family Readiness Center where Cone said soldiers from multiple units were crowded into the center for a scheduled weekly “make up time” for medical and dental appointments.

Casualties were high due to the enclosed location, but would have been much worse were it not for the training and quick reaction of the soldiers, said Cone, adding that he was on the scene quickly after the shooting began.

“Suffice it to say…the American soldier did a great job,” he said.

From the reports of eyewitnesses, he said, the soldiers – “many of them combat lifesavers” -- reacted instantaneously, ripping off parts of their own clothing to treat the wounded.

“I credit the first responders,” he said. “God bless these soldiers and Department of Army civilians. As horrible as this was, it could have been much worse.”

Some 600 people attending a college graduation of 138 soldiers in an adjacent building were unharmed because first responders secured the building, he said.

The suspect is believed to have used two handguns in the shooting, one a semiautomatic, Cone said. And in responding to a question, “As a matter of practice, we do not carry weapons on Fort Hood,” he said. “This is our home.”

However, Cone said, “We will increase our security presence here in the coming days.”

The FBI is working the investigation, along with military and other law enforcement, he said. The base was on lockdown until 7 p.m., a base spokesman said.

For now, Cone said, Fort Hood officials are focused on caring for the wounded, securing the base, notifying victims’ families and providing grief counseling. A family hotline is available to obtain information at 254-288-7570.

Cone, who received a call from President Barack Obama soon after the shooting, said he was grateful for an outpouring of support. “It is truly overwhelming the offers of support we have had from around the nation,” the general said. “Tomorrow at Fort Hood, we return to normalcy, schools will be open.”

The Central Texas base is the military’s largest, covering some 340 square miles and is home to 40,000 soldiers. And, according to its Web site, is known as “The Great Place” for its quality of life for soldiers and their families.

Army Major Declared Sole Suspect in Hood Shooting is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

The Gripen NG Demonstrator has been modified with a number of tactical systems: AESA radar, a new satellite communication system, an electro-optical missile warning system as well as activation of the increased internal fuel.

"A lot of new features have been implemented since we flew for the first time last year, but it takes an expert to see any external changes to the aircraft. Most clearly visible are the sensors for the missile warning system and antenna for the satellite communication system," says Mattias Bergström, project manager for the Gripen NG Demonstrator.

AESA radar, Active Electronically Scanned Array, is among the enhanced Gripen's capabilities. In simple terms, it refers to a radar that is built up of many small antenna elements into a large antenna. Each individual element can be controlled, facilitating many functions. Previously, the Gripen radar was a mechanically controlled antenna that illuminates one area at a time. An AESA radar can quickly scan larger areas, monitor more targets simultaneously and allow the pilot to operate with more flexibility.

"The new satellite communication system that we have introduced means you can communicate voice and text via satellite technology," explains Mattias Bergström.

The sensors for the electro-optical radar warning system, Missile Approach Warning (MAW), can be seen on the aircraft at the wing root and by the air brake. The system will mainly detect Man Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS).

The flights will now continue and the flight envelope will be opened once again, while all the new tactical systems will be tested.

Gripen NG Demo Returns to the Skies is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

The head of Taiwan's National Security Bureau told parliament construction of the carrier had begun, Lin Yu-fang, a legislator of the ruling Kuomintang party, told AFP.

However, the security chief, Tsai Teh-sheng said the carrier's construction "has not been smooth" and that the Chinese navy may struggle to put it into service by 2012 unless it makes a manufacturing breakthrough soon.

"This is the result of an evaluation not only from (Taiwan's) National Security Bureau...but also from the Chinese communists," Tsai said, according to Lin.

Taiwanese military experts expect the People's Liberation Army to take at least 10 years to have its first operating carrier group complete with carrier-based fighters and other warships.

"Once they complete the ambitious project, it will have a serious and far-fetched military impact on the region," said Wung Ming-hsien, professor at Taipei's Tamkang University.

"And by that time, the United States, Japan, and Taiwan will need to overhaul their military strategies."

A carrier group would potentially double the military threat posed to Taiwan by China by allowing the Chinese to approach from directions other than across the Strait, he said.

Two weeks ago Taiwan's defence ministry said in its annual report that China had continued its military build-up against the island despite warming ties, tipping the military balance in the Taiwan Strait with more than 1,300 ballistic and cruise missiles targeting the island.

Ties between China and Taiwan have improved significantly since the China-friendly politician Ma Ying-jeou became the island's president last year, vowing to adopt a non-confrontational policy towards the mainland.

But China still regards Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting to be reunified by force if necessary, although the island has governed itself since 1949 when a civil war ended.

The United States has repeatedly urged China to be more transparent about its rapid military buildup, warning of a shifting balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region that could cause misunderstanding.

Taiwan says China starts building first aircraft carrier is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

The Afghan attacker on Tuesday opened fire at a checkpoint in the Nad Ali district of southern Helmand province -- where the vast majority of Britain's nearly 9,000 troops are based -- before fleeing the scene.

The soldiers killed had been mentoring Afghan police and living at the checkpoint. Brown condemned the incident as "terrible and tragic".

"What we know is that the Taliban have claimed responsibility for this," Brown told lawmakers in London.

"It may be that the Taliban have used an Afghan police member or that they have infiltrated the Afghan police force," he added.

The killings underscored the increasing complexity of the eight-year war in Afghanistan, where Western military and political leaders have put NATO training of Afghan security forces as the heart of any future exit strategy.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen refused to budge on his stance that NATO training of Afghan security forces must lie at the heart of any future exit strategy.

"I consider this an isolated incident and it does not change my position," Rasmussen said in an interview with AFP.

The top US military officer said the US-led mission in Afghanistan could resemble the troop "surge" in Iraq, possibly allowing a drawdown of troops in about two years.

"The timeline we've talked about is actually in a sense if I were to use the surge in Iraq, in 2006-2007, look where we are right now, sort of apply the same kind of time line to Afghanistan as best we can tell," Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at an event in Washington.

A British military spokesman said initial reports suggested that the Afghan policeman fired without warning.

"It's our understanding that one individual Afghan National Policeman, possibly in conjunction with another, went rogue. His motives and whereabouts are unknown at this time," he said.

British opposition leader David Cameron said the attack raised serious questions about the safety of British troops mentoring Afghan security forces.

But Brown, echoing the NATO line, said training programmes were crucial because they showed that international forces were helping Afghanistan to manage its own affairs.

General Stanley McChrystal, commander of the more than 100,000 NATO and US troops in Afghanistan, said the incident was being investigated jointly with Afghan authorities.

"We will not let this event deter our resolve to building a partnership with the Afghan National Security Forces to provide for Afghanistan's future," the general said in a statement."

Afghan President Hamid Karzai ordered an investigation and instructed interior ministry officials to "bring those responsible to justice".

Four of the soldiers were killed outright and a fifth died later of wounds, the NATO-run International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.

Six other soldiers were wounded, the statement added.

Three of the soldiers were from the Grenadier Guards and two were from the Royal Military Police.

The attack brings to 229 the number of British troops who have been killed since operations in Afghanistan began in October 2001. Of these, at least 193 were killed as a result of hostile action.

With 94 British soldiers now killed on active service this year -- 93 in Afghanistan and one in Iraq -- 2009 is the bloodiest year for the British armed forces since 1982 and the Falklands War with Argentina.

Brown has faced persistent questions over the scope and purpose of the British role in Afghanistan and whether troops were well-enough equipped.

Britain has around 9,000 troops based in troubled Helmand province, where they are battling Taliban insurgents. Brown has conditionally pledged another 500 troops for the mission.

Rogue Afghan policeman kills five British troops is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

“Since the F-111 was introduced it has flown over 160,000 hours. To help it achieve this Air Force and Defence Industry collectively completed over 300 routine deeper maintenance servicings that have included removal of wings, engines, undercarriage and other major components for overhaul or replacement,” said Mr Combet.

“The maintenance systems introduced with the F-111 aircraft have been a mainstay of Defence and industry’s high-tech support capabilities for well over 35 years.”

“Over that time, many engineers and technicians within the Air Force and industry have developed their skills and experience in support of the F-111. These skills will be also used in support of the Air Force’s newer platforms.”

“Aircraft A8-135, which was handed back to 82 Wing today, was the final F-111 to undergo deeper maintenance servicing and the completion of this program will ensure that the F-111 fleet remains fully capable until the Super Hornets come on-line.”

“Through its involvement with the F-111, Boeing has made a significant contribution to the aircraft’s legacy.”

Boeing Defence has undertaken the F-111 Deeper Maintenance Capability for the Air Force since August 2001.

A ceremony was held today at RAAF Amberley to mark the completion of the contract.

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