Aircraft

^{By Craig Hoyle in London}

The UK Ministry of Defence is to extend its detachment of six BAE Systems Harrier GR7A ground-attack aircraft at Kandahar in southern Afghanistan until at least 31 March 2007, overturning a plan to withdraw the aircraft next month.

Craig Hoyle / Flight International

RAF Harriers will stay in Kandahar until at least March 2007

Originally deployed in September 2004, the Joint Force Harrier aircraft have until now been operated by pilots from the Royal Air Force’s 1 and 4 Squadrons, but the MoD has also confirmed that personnel from the UK’s recently reformed 800 Naval Air Squadron will be sent to Afghanistan for the first time later this year. The squadron is conducting its first deployment with the Harrier GR7/7A aboard the Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious as part of the Oman-hosted Exercise Magic Carpet ‘06.

UK defence secretary John Reid says the decision was made after a request from “coalition and NATO commanders”. It can also be attributed to the poor condition of the runway at Kandahar, which means the Harrier is the only fast jet able to operate from the site (Flight International, 25 April–1 May). Reid had been under pressure to extend the Harrier deployment to provide continued close air support (CAS) to an expanded force of over 3,300 UK personnel in Helmand province from mid-year. RAF Harriers provided CAS services to British and coalition forces almost daily in Afghanistan last month, say US Central Command action reports.