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
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