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1,000 more British troops fly out to Gulf
Another huge wave of British troops flew out to the Gulf today as the military build-up ahead of a possible war against Iraq neared completion. Around 1,000 members of 16 Air Assault Brigade, including paratroopers, infantry and support units, left RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on three overnight flights. The troops, who are mainly from the 3rd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, which is based in Colchester, are expected to be among the last deployed to the Gulf. They will join around 40,000 other British military personnel who have been deployed over the last few weeks. Equipped with light artillery, mortars and rifles, the 16 Air Assault Brigade is seen as an ideal force to secure bridges and passages into the heart of the country. According to the Ministry of Defence, it "can deploy and fight across enormous depth to secure a point of entry to a theatre of operations", opening up access to heavier formations. Military experts expect the brigade to be dropped to the west of Basra by helicopter to prevent a counter-attack in the event of an amphibious assault on Iraq. The troops could also be sent in to destroy launch sites for Iraqi missiles which could be used to attack Israel. A spokeswoman for the MoD refused to confirm exactly whereabouts in the Gulf region the troops would be landing.Tick..tick...tick.. Posted by: Steve 2003-02-19 |
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