Posted: 2/14/2007 4:48:21 AM EDT
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I got this off the Company Intranet and can't link to it. [Associated Press, Feb. 14, 2007] By ROBERT BARR Associated Press Writer LONDON — A British Hercules airplane was damaged while landing in southeastern Iraq and later destroyed by coalition forces because of the risk of mounting a recovery operation, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday. Two people suffered minor injuries in the incident Monday night, the ministry said. There was no immediate indication of hostile action, the ministry said, but it had not been ruled out. The C-130 had just touched down at an airstrip in Maysan province when it was damaged by an explosion of unknown origin, said a ministry spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with department policy. Another C-130 in the area quickly landed at the same strip and rescued the crew, the spokesman said. "The site was secured and, after a thorough assessment of the damage, it was concluded that the aircraft could not be recovered without exposing our personnel to undue risk," the spokesman said. "There was also a potential risk that anti-Iraqi forces might obtain information on specialist equipment. The aircraft was therefore safely destroyed by multinational forces.” Does anyone have more information on this that's OK for public consumption? |
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I don't have more info, but I can provide a link to the story: www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6414504,00.html |
Good question; the text of the article doesn't say that. However, the headline on the Company Intranet news page reads: "British Destroy Own (C-130J) Aircraft in Iraq." I'm pretty sure I can't link outsiders to the article, but to be completely honest, I don't know if I can or can't. I am certainly afraid to link to it, and therefore won't. 
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Pardon my ignorance: which Brit aviation boards? I'd like to read the discussions. IIRC, 5440 (the first J) thru 5464 were the British ships, and they were all -30s. 
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It was a Spec Ops Herc supporting these patrols… ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=525773 It's not the first Herc we've lost, it won't be the last. We had another SpecOps Herc shot down over Iraq in early 2005 and another caught fire on landing in AStan last year and was destroyed. We've got plenty of them, contrary to popular belief the British are not short on airlift… 50 or so C-130's along with 5 C-17's for tactical missions. ANdy |
Sure. Key Publishing Ltd. Aviation Forums: British C-130 Destroyed in Iraq Key Publishing Ltd. publishes AirForces Monthly & Air International, a couple of excellent British aviation monthly magazines. The Brits have a real knack for great aviation periodicals. |
I wondered about that, with the little locator info supplied. Heck, in that area, it could have been UXO from the Iran-Iraq war. Maybe they should try the pallet-out-the-back at just above stall speed, whatever that's really called. But maybe they had to do something that precluded that. |
Generally they do drop stuff off as you describe when at all possible, but if you need to put in or take out people, (injuries/wounded), you have to land. ANdy |
Generally they do drop stuff off as you describe when at all possible, but if you need to put in or take out people, (injuries/wounded), you have to land. If they couldn't extract the plane they would destroy it as all UK C-130's carry the AN/AAQ-24(V) NEMESIS DIRCM Self-Protection Suite and all the other high end ECM gear… not something you want the wrong people to get a look at. www.dsd.es.northropgrumman.com/DSD-Brochures/dircm/AAQ24.pdf ANdy |