Air support would aid terror fight
IN conflicts all over the world, air supremacy is the most sought after military advantage.
In the Falklands war it was the RAF which won the air battle and ensured the ships were able to deliver the infantry to key locations.
In the Gulf war air supremacy was again key to the allied victory and, in Afghanistan, commanders are more interested in air support than any other aspect of the weaponry available to them. Recently un-manned drones have been introduced into the conflict to fly over areas of combat and they have added a new dimension to the fighting.
It is not just in major wars that air supremacy is so important.
Throughout the Troubles, the IRA were never able to compete against the versatility of military helicopters as they moved soldiers and police quickly and carried out vital surveillance.
Now as the dissidents rampage through Northern Ireland, the PSNI has only two helicopters available to support its over-stretched resources on the ground.
Logistically, it is impossible for the two helicopters to cope with all the demands placed upon them and their crews.
The time has come for military helicopters to be brought back into Northern Ireland to support the police in their fight against the dissidents.
Most people would prefer that the army was not brought back on to the streets – although it may come to that – but there is absolutely no reason why the chief constable cannot call for military air support.
Most of us would not even know the helicopters are hovering high above us, because we are not trying to murder and maim and have nothing to hide.
It is only the dissidents who will have to look skywards for the eye in the sky and, if that causes them a major problem, it is surely good news for the rest of us.
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Weather for Belfast
Thursday 24 May 2012
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