Why isn't the Air Corps in Chad?

[parade boy]

I see from media reports (lots of them) about all the hassle the army had with contracting some helicopters for the battalion in Chad. Why are the Air Corps not doing the job? Surely if the meduim range heli contract that was cancelled 5 years ago (for SAR heli's) had gone through, the Air Corps would now have the capability to fly this size of heli. Surely with modifications any heli can fly in those desert condition?

The AW139 would appear to be too small for the needs of the unit in Chad, but should the Air Corps not be aiming for this type of job specifically. There was a report in the Sunday Tribune a few weeks back which the army called criticism of not sending the Air Corps as 'misguided'. Surely, not sending them is 'misguided'.

[DeV]

Use the search function

[hptmurphy]

Why isn't the Air Corps in Chad?

while the machines may not be in Chad members of the AC along with memebers of the NS are in Chad

[Groundhog]

There was a report in the Sunday Tribune a few weeks back which the army called criticism of not sending the Air Corps as 'misguided'. Surely, not sending them is 'misguided'.

If the Aer Corps sent its helis to Chad there wouldn't be any left in Ireland. It's a grand old Irish tradition to keep the DF under-equipped.

But of course Chad isn't an Irish-only operation. There are several contributing countries, none of whom could be induced to provide sufficient helicopters for the force. Operational conditions in Chad have revealed that Ireland is unprepared to contribute meaningful forces outside Europe. The lesson to be learned is that we either don't bother in future or else we spend money on the necessary equipment.

[Docman]

The AW139 would appear to be too small for the needs of the unit in Chad, but should the Air Corps not be aiming for this type of job specifically. There was a report in the Sunday Tribune a few weeks back which the army called criticism of not sending the Air Corps as 'misguided'. Surely, not sending them is 'misguided'.

:confused::confused::confused:
I thought everyone knew why the AC Helos were not in Chad.

All 4 are severely pressed trying to move the Minister of Health around. Why do you think they did all that training for carrying underslung loads around.

[Come-quickly]

I heard it was because the Air Corps were dedicated to not doing things the way the leading expert authorities such as bank managers, pissheads and that McGeehan tool in the Daily MLaaar tell them to.

[sofa]

Even if the Air Corp had the choppers, Would they deploy. Remember the week long S.A.R deployments to the northwest of this Island. The crews were bitching about money and pulling sickies. to the point were it was causing problem manning the choppers. This gave the minister of Defense at the time Smith the reason he needed to stand down S.A.R in the Air Corp. So asking them to spent four months in Chad might be a big ask.

[parade boy]

Is this not simply a matter of changing national policy about use of the Air Corps and telling the General's to 'make it so'...?

[FMolloy]

Is this not simply a matter of changing national policy about use of the Air Corps and telling the General's to 'make it so'...?

There's little simple about changing national policy towards the DF overseas.

[WilcoOut]

its disgusting that the air corp can provide as casevac facility for their own boys

i know we can call in other choppers, but at the end of the day, theyll only push themselves so far for a foreign army

[getthejobdone]

you must do your homework wilcoOut.
IF YOU DID YOU WOULD FIND OUT THERE IS A CASEVAC FACILITY, and if you are a serving member you might need it one day. (think before you quote,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[hedgehog]

its disgusting that the air corp can provide as casevac facility for their own boys

i know we can call in other choppers, but at the end of the day, theyll only push themselves so far for a foreign army

I remember standing at Hadatha Checkpoint 6-8 A

and a casevac was called in for 6-48

The AO was being ripped up by the DFF and the SLA

and the Hairies were doing there bit as well

the sky was full of shite

An Italian chopper came up through the wadi through a hail of tracer

and flew up to 6-48 and colledcted our lad (severe dehydration from food pisioning)

the Italians didnt give a shite that it was a Paddy they were collecting

Once you are serving in the MA, Nationality doesnt matter

[getthejobdone]

Even if the Air Corp had the choppers, Would they deploy. Remember the week long S.A.R deployments to the northwest of this Island. The crews were bitching about money and pulling sickies. to the point were it was causing problem manning the choppers. This gave the minister of Defense at the time Smith the reason he needed to stand down S.A.R in the Air Corp. So asking them to spent four months in Chad might be a big ask.

that was then, them lads are all gone and have outside jobs.
there are new crews their now and are only waiting for the chance to go over seas and serve there country with the heli wing. so forget about the past and lets look to the future..........,.,

[GoneToTheCanner]

With respect, the Air Corps, as a body, has cumulatively little experience of overseas ops, compared to the Army.In fact, they have little experience of sustained(I mean, more than a week, with no return to Bal for tea/buns/bulb changes)off-base ops and don't anyone count Finner as an off-base operational site, either. They have but a basic level of experience of sustained cargo ops, non-hardened runway ops,desert ops and all the rest, so, for now, unless the Minister is prepared to sanction the transportation of a flight of aircraft to Chad or anywhere else that's hot, sandy and logistically difficult, to learn the ropes, then a full-on Air Corps deployment isn't going to happen.
regards
GttC

[sofa]

that was then, them lads are all gone and have outside jobs.
there are new crews their now and are only waiting for the chance to go over seas and serve there country with the heli wing. so forget about the past and lets look to the future..........,.,

That is good to hear, look forward to seeing the AC working abroad.