British Military Pictures Thread

[bd popeye]

Exercise South West Sword, Gosport. Royal Marines from 42 Commando launch an assault from HMS Albion, to prove her capabilities as high readiness amphibious assault ship. Joining the assault were Challenger 2 tanks and Scimitar light tanks from the King's Royal Hussars.

[bd popeye]

Members of 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh's Mobility Recce Force during Operation BAMBIRIK in Nad e-Ali, Helmand province [Picture: Major Paul Smyth, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

The Royal Welsh lauch helicopter assault into Taliban stronghold. The patrol partnered with a platoon of Afghan National Army soldiers for the operation.

More than 300 helicopter-borne soldiers from 1st Battalion the Royal Welsh (1 R WELSH) have targeted a Taliban stronghold in one of their biggest operations since ariving in Helmand over a month ago.

[bd popeye]

ROSYTH, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 01: HMS Illustrious arrives at Rosyth naval dockyard on February 1, 2010 in Rosyth, Scotland. The Royal Navy's flagship aircraft carrier will undergo a £40million upgrade programe at the Fife yard.

[bd popeye]

Hires

Crew members assigned to Royal Air Force Cottesmore, United Kingdom, prepare the GR-9 Harrier for flight on the Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., flight line during Red Flag 10-2 Feb. 3, 2010. Red Flag is a realistic combat training exercise involving the air forces of the United States and its allies. The exercise is conducted on the 15,000-square-mile Nevada Test and Training Range, north of Las Vegas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Lawrence Crespo/RELEASED)

Brigadier James Cowan (R) of the British Army, commander of the Task Force Helmand, visits troops as they practice their battle plans in Military Operating Base Shorabak in Helmand province, February 7, 2010.

A British soldier listens to Brigadier James Cowan during his visit to Military Operating Base Shorabak in Helmand province, Afghanistan February 7, 2010. British soldiers and Afghan troops practiced their battle plans ahead of a major NATO offensive to seize central Helmand from Taliban.

British and Afghan soldiers practice their operation drills at Military Operating Base Shorabak in Helmand, Afghanistan, February 7, 2010.

British soldiers walk to a Royal Air Force (RAF) Chinook helicopter for transport in Lashkar Gah, Helmand province, February 7, 2010. British forces and U.S. Marines are expected to lead a major offensive to Talbean strongholds in central Helmand in the upcoming days.

A British soldier is seen holding on to the turret gun of a manoeuvring armoured vehicle in Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan, February 8, 2010. Coalition forces are expected launch a major assault in central Helmand in the upcoming days to seize the area from Taliban.

Officers and soldiers from the Brigade Reconnaissance Force for 4th Mechanized Brigade have braved the latest blanket of snow to take part in a Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise at the Otterburn Ranges within Northumberland National Park. The exercise is in preparation for their forthcoming tour to Afghanistan in April. 4th Mechanized Brigade will replace 11 Light Brigade in April 2010 as the lead formation of British troops in Helmand province. [Picture: Corporal Jim Barron RLC, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

[bd popeye]

Photos released by Ministry of Defence via PA, soldiers of the 1st Battalion the Royal Welsh in line make there way onto the helicopters on mass as they prepare for Operation Moshtarak in Afghanistan, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010. British troops were today engaged in fierce fighting with the Taliban in southern Afghanistan as the military operation got under way. U.S.-led airstrikes began as dawn broke in the Taliban stronghold of Marjah in Helmand Province where up to 1,000 insurgents are believed to be holed up.

In this handout photo released by Military of Defence via PA, Afghan soldiers together with troops of the 1st Battalion, the Royal Welsh as they head to the helicopters on mass as they prepare for Operation Moshtarak in Afghanistan.

In this photo released by Britain's Ministry of Defense, a member of the F Company (Fire Support) 1 Royal Welsh takes a retina image of an Afghan during operation "Moshtarak" Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010, near Marjah, in Afghanistan's Helmand province. British troops are among the thousands of NATO and Afghan soldiers who stormed the Taliban stronghold of Marjah by air and ground Saturday.

In these photos released by Britain's Ministry of Defense, members of the F Company (Fire Support) 1 Royal Welsh take position during operation "Moshtarak" Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010, near Marjah, in Afghanistan's Helmand province. British troops are among the thousands of NATO and Afghan soldiers who stormed the Taliban stronghold of Marjah by air and ground Saturday.

[Nem116]

Operation Moshtarak is an Afghan-led initiative to assert government authority in the centre of Helmand province. Afghan and ISAF partners are engaging in this counter- insurgency operation at the request of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Helmand provincial government.

15,000 troops are set to launch major assaults on Taliban strongholds in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

At Camp Bastion soldiers from 1 Royal Welsh are working alongside French, Estonian and Afghan National Army soldiers to practice drills together and conduct battle preparation.

Other troops are carrying out operations which have been going on for a number of weeks in Nad Ali district to prepare for Operation Moshtarak.

Alongside the British troops are soldiers from Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, the United States, France and Estonia. The operation has been planned to remove insurgents from areas of central Helmand not previously cleared by ISAF troops.

NATO commanders intend to turn the tide this year on the insurgency.

Lieutenant General Nick Parker, the British ISAF Deputy Commander in Afghanistan, said that Op Moshtarak was the first part of a three-stage plan to increase security in the country.

He said that after the insurgency in the south had been subdued British forces would move to building capacity in the Afghan National Security Forces and that this would likely become the main effort later in the year.

The third stage will be transition and the reintegration of insurgents and sympathisers into Afghan society through an Afghan-led reintegration policy.

[bd popeye]

I know Mr T loves Gordon Brown!

March 6th, 2010 British Prime Minister Gordon visits UK & Afghan forces at various locations in Afghanistan.Brown