Between 2009 and 2014, the Tornado GR4 Force was committed to the campaign in Afghanistan under Operation Herrick. Jamie Hunter recounts a complex mission for the GR4 squadrons.
Tornado Tribute
U K troops deployed to Afghanistan in November 2001 when Royal Marines from 40 Commando helped secure Bagram airfield. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was subsequently created in December 2001 and brought together 16 nations, spearheaded by the US. The primary aim was to train and build the capacity of the Afghan National Security Forces, however, the Taliban and other insurgent fighters proved formidable opponents in this war-torn country.
On January 26, 2006, the then UK Defence Secretary John Reid announced the deployment of around 3,300 UK military personnel to Helmand Province in the south of the country under Operation Herrick, as it was officially known. By October 2006, approximately 10,000 additional Coalition (mainly US) troops came under the ISAF umbrella, taking the total to 31,000 with 40 nations now involved.
With its main hub at Kandahar, the UK forces in Afghanistan made use of various forward bases. Camp Bastion was carved out of the scrub, 25 miles (40km) from the nearest tow…
