AntZ
06-16-2011, 04:48 PM
Prince Harry’s Apache war on the Taliban
He's cleared to fight in chopper
By DUNCAN LARCOMBE Royal Editor, and RICHARD WHITE
http://i.imgur.com/1MKFf.png
PRINCE Harry is going back to war in Afghanistan as an Apache attack helicopter pilot, The Sun can reveal.
Defence chiefs and the Queen have given the go-ahead for Harry, a qualified Apache flier, to fulfil his dream of returning to battle the Taliban.
The 26-year-old Prince - known as Captain Wales by the military - will unleash Hellfire missiles at the Taliban when he returns.
Once he finishes final battle and weapons training, Harry will be at the controls of the world's most sophisticated attack helicopter.
Destroy
His main tasks will be to provide air cover for ground troops and to seek and destroy Taliban positions.
Harry, a qualified Apache pilot attached to the Army Air Corps, will have the chopper's awesome armour-piercing cannon at his disposal along with the dreaded Hellfires.
But he could find himself taking on Taliban fighters alone if his £46million craft is shot down or crashes.
As third in line to the throne and a "high value target," insurgents would be desperate to capture him.
On every mission he will be armed with a pistol and SA80 assault rifle as well as field dressings, morphine and emergency rations to give him the best chance of survival.
But an Army Air Corps source said: "Harry will face extreme dangers. Should his Apache malfunction and be forced down the tables are seriously turned.
"It would be a race between the Taliban and coalition forces to get to the Prince.
"Every time he takes off this thought is bound to be in the back of his mind and it will take extreme bravery for him to see through his deployment."
Harry, who will be based at the UK's Camp Bastion HQ, has made it clear he wanted to return to Afghanistan after serving as a forward air controller with the Blues and Royals in Helmand Province in 2008.
He was awarded his Apache Flying Badge in April but must complete more rigorous training before he can be deployed as a battle pilot in the two-man choppers.
The next steps will be simulated high and low altitude ejections, and ground-skimming night flying.
He will also spend up to eight weeks in the US training alongside American combat pilots, flying mock missions over desert ranges.
A final decision on Harry's deployment - the exact details of which will be kept secret - will be made early next year.
It will depend on conditions in the war zone but if all goes to plan he will be in action in April.
Harry is pressing ahead on that basis and has told friends he "can't wait" to get back to the conflict.
A close pal said: "Harry has been quite vocal about it. And they've told him it's a goer after he succeeds in final training. It is well known he's considered a natural attack pilot. When he qualifies, he goes."
The move appears less fraught than Harry's previous deployment.
He served ten weeks with the Blues and Royals before news of his presence leaked out on the internet - and the disappointed Prince was pulled out.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/campaigns/our_boys/3640725/Prince-Harrys-Apache-war-on-the-Taliban.html
He's cleared to fight in chopper
By DUNCAN LARCOMBE Royal Editor, and RICHARD WHITE
http://i.imgur.com/1MKFf.png
PRINCE Harry is going back to war in Afghanistan as an Apache attack helicopter pilot, The Sun can reveal.
Defence chiefs and the Queen have given the go-ahead for Harry, a qualified Apache flier, to fulfil his dream of returning to battle the Taliban.
The 26-year-old Prince - known as Captain Wales by the military - will unleash Hellfire missiles at the Taliban when he returns.
Once he finishes final battle and weapons training, Harry will be at the controls of the world's most sophisticated attack helicopter.
Destroy
His main tasks will be to provide air cover for ground troops and to seek and destroy Taliban positions.
Harry, a qualified Apache pilot attached to the Army Air Corps, will have the chopper's awesome armour-piercing cannon at his disposal along with the dreaded Hellfires.
But he could find himself taking on Taliban fighters alone if his £46million craft is shot down or crashes.
As third in line to the throne and a "high value target," insurgents would be desperate to capture him.
On every mission he will be armed with a pistol and SA80 assault rifle as well as field dressings, morphine and emergency rations to give him the best chance of survival.
But an Army Air Corps source said: "Harry will face extreme dangers. Should his Apache malfunction and be forced down the tables are seriously turned.
"It would be a race between the Taliban and coalition forces to get to the Prince.
"Every time he takes off this thought is bound to be in the back of his mind and it will take extreme bravery for him to see through his deployment."
Harry, who will be based at the UK's Camp Bastion HQ, has made it clear he wanted to return to Afghanistan after serving as a forward air controller with the Blues and Royals in Helmand Province in 2008.
He was awarded his Apache Flying Badge in April but must complete more rigorous training before he can be deployed as a battle pilot in the two-man choppers.
The next steps will be simulated high and low altitude ejections, and ground-skimming night flying.
He will also spend up to eight weeks in the US training alongside American combat pilots, flying mock missions over desert ranges.
A final decision on Harry's deployment - the exact details of which will be kept secret - will be made early next year.
It will depend on conditions in the war zone but if all goes to plan he will be in action in April.
Harry is pressing ahead on that basis and has told friends he "can't wait" to get back to the conflict.
A close pal said: "Harry has been quite vocal about it. And they've told him it's a goer after he succeeds in final training. It is well known he's considered a natural attack pilot. When he qualifies, he goes."
The move appears less fraught than Harry's previous deployment.
He served ten weeks with the Blues and Royals before news of his presence leaked out on the internet - and the disappointed Prince was pulled out.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/campaigns/our_boys/3640725/Prince-Harrys-Apache-war-on-the-Taliban.html