Operation Veritas - British Aircraft

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AugustaWestland Merlin HC3/3A
BAC Canberra PR9
BAe 125
BAe 146
Beechcraft King Air 350ER Shadow R1
AgustaWestland Apache AH Mk 1
Boeing Chinook HC2/2A/3
British Aerospace Harrier GR9
Lockheed C-130 Hercules C1/C3
McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III (leased)
Nimrod MR2
Nimrod R1
MQ-9 Reaper
Panavia Tornado GR4
Bombardier Sentinel R1/ASTOR
AEW1 Sentry
Tristar
VC10
Westland Sea King ASaC7

AugustaWestland Merlin HC3/3A
Powerplant	Three Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM 322 turbines each rated at 2263shp each
Rotor Span	18.6metres
Length	22.8 metres
Maximum Speed	309 km/h
Crew	4
Notes	Medium-lift transport helicopter, initially the Merlins were criticised for their lack of armour, this has now been rectified. The aircraft can carry upto 16 stretchers with medics or 24-28 troops with support weapons. The aircraft has a payload of 12,000lb.

Canberra PR9
Powerplant	Two Rolls-Royce Avon 206 turbojets of 11,250lb static thrust
Wingspan	20.66m
Length	20.36m
Maximum Speed	876km/h
Crew	2
Notes	Developed from the Canberra jet bomber this is a specialist photographic reconnaissance aircraft. The Canberra was retired from RAF Service in July 2006.

BAe 125
Powerplant	Two Garrett TFE731-3-1H turbofans each rated at 3700lbs thrust
Wing Span	14.33 metres
Length	15.46 metres
Maximum Speed	840 km/h
Crew	3
Notes	Operated by 32 (The Royal) Squadron and used for communications/transport duties.

BAe 146
Powerplant	4 Avco Lycoming ALF502R-5 turbofans each rated at 6790lbs thrust
Wing Span	26.8 metres
Length	26.18 metres
Maximum Speed	801 km/h
Crew	5
Notes	Operated by 32 (The Royal) Squadron nd used for communications/transport duties.

Beechcraft King Air 350ER Shadow R1
Powerplant	Two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42 turboprops delivering 850 shp each
Wing Span	16.61 metres
Length	13.34 metres
Maximum Speed	545 km/h
Crew
Notes	An ISTAR asset deployed by RAF 5 Squadron in Afghanistan.

AgustaWestland Apache AH Mk 1
Powerplant	Two Rolls-Royce/Turbomeca RTM322 turboshaft, developing 2,100 hp each
Rotor Span	14.6 metres
Length	17.7 metres
Maximum Speed	293 km/h
Crew	2
Armament	One M230 chain gun in the chin position, rockets and hellfire missiles are carried on the stub wings.
Notes	British license-built version of the US Boeing AH-64d Longbow Apache attack helicopter, first deploying to Afghnaistan in 2007.

Boeing Chinook HC2/2A/3
Powerplant	Two Textron Lycoming T55-L712F turboshafts, with 3,148shp thurst each
Rotor Span	18.29 metres
Length	30.18 metres
Maximum Speed	295 km/h
Crew	4
Notes	Heavy lift helicopter, highly relied upon for the Afghanistan theatre due to its' long range and high lift capacity. The aircraft is armed with door-mounted miniguns and a rear mounted machine-gun for defence during operations.

British Aerospace Harrier GR9
Powerplant	One Rolls-Royce Pegasus Mk. 105 vectored thrust turbofan, developing 21,750 lb thrust
Wing Span	9.25 metres
Length	14.12 metres
Maximum Speed	1,065 km/h
Crew	1
Armament	Eight underwing hardpoint capable of carrying a variety of ordnance including Sidewinders, Maverick, rocket pods, Paveway or other guided or unguided bombs.
Notes	The veteran harrier proved itself again in Afghanistan, providing strike and air support to the NATO forces on the ground until it was retired from service in 2010.

C-130 HERCULES C1/C3
Powerplant	Four Allison T56-A-15 turboprops flat-rated at 4,910shp
Wingspan	40.41m
Length	C1 29.79m/C3 34.69m
Maximum Speed	602km/h
Crew	5 or 6
Payload	up to 92 troops, 64 paratroops, or 74 stretchers; a maximum payload of up to 43,399lb (19,685kg)
Notes	A STOL-capable tactical transport capable of operating from short, rough airstrips.

McDonnell Douglas C-17A Globemaster III (leased)
Powerplant	Four Pratt and Whitney F117 turbofans each rated at 41,700lb static thrust
Wingspan	50.29m
Length	53.04m
Maximum Speed	648 km/h
Crew	3
Payload	This aircraft can carry a maximum of 154 troops. Normal load is 102 fully-equipped troops or up to 172,200lb (78,108 kg) on up to 18 standard freight pallets or 48 litters in the medical evacuation role.
Notes	Four C-17A's are leased from Boeing to the Royal Air Force. All four aircraft are operated by 99 Squadron, RAF.

Nimrod MR2
Powerplant	Four Rolls-Royce RB168-20 Spey 250 turbofans of 12,140lb static thrust
Wingspan	35.00m
Length	38.63m
Maximum Speed	926km/h
Crew	13
Armament	Internal capacity of nine torpedoes, bombs and depth charges. Sidewinder air-to-air missiles can be mounted on underwing pylons for self-defence.
Notes	A maritime patrol aircraft developed from the De Havilland Comet

Nimrod R1
Powerplant	Four Rolls-Royce RB168-20 Spey 250 turbofans of 12,140lb static thrust.
Wingspan	35.00m
Length	36.19m
Maximum Speed	926km/h
Crew	12
Notes	Adapted from its original maritime warfare role, this variant of the Nimrod is equipped with extensive electronic warfare systems.

MQ-9 Reaper
Powerplant	Honeywell TPE331-10 turboprop engine delivering 900 shp
Wing Span	20 metres
Length	11 metres
Maximum Speed	482 km/h
Armament	The Reaper has seven hardpoints and can carry upto 14 Hellfire missiles, or a mixture of four Hellfire missiles and two 500lb bombs.
Notes	The RAF's 39 squadron operates its' reapers in Afghanistan from their remote base at Creech AFB in the USA.

AEW1 Sentry
Powerplant	Four General Electric/SNECMA CFM56-2A-3 turbofans of 24,000lb static thrust
Wingspan	44.42m
Length	46.61m
Maximum Speed	531mph (855km/h) at 30,000ft.
Crew	17
Notes	A heavily adapted Boeing 707 with a AN/APY-2 surveillance radar mounted in a distinctive dish over the fuselage.

Lockheed Tristar
Powerplant	Three Rolls-Royce RB211-524B4 turbofans 50,000lb static thrust
Wingspan	50.17m
Length	50.09m
Maximum Speed	872km/h at 30,000ft
Crew	2
Payload	up to 265 passengers or 35,000lbs of freight
Notes	A dual role transport and tanker aircraft.

VC10 K3/4
Powerplant	Four Rolls-Royce Conway 301 turbofans of 22,500lb static thrust
Wingspan	44.55m
Length	52.32m excluding nose probe
Maximum Speed	928km/h at 38,000ft
Crew	4
Payload	120 passengers or freight in transport role
Notes	One of the RAF's Veteran tanker types, the VC-10 entered RAF service in 1966.

Westland Sea King ASaC7
Powerplant	Two Rolls-Royce Gnome H1400-2 turboshafts delivering 1,660 shp each
Wing Span	18.9 metres
Length	17.02 metres
Maximum Speed	208 km/h
Crew	2-4
Notes	An airborne surveillance and control variant of the popular Sea King helicopter, carries the Searchwater 2000AEW radar.

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