Air chief praises progress during first Afghanistan visit
Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford spent 2 days meeting personnel at Camp Bastion and Kandahar Airfield.
![Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan [Picture: Corporal Ross Fernie RLC, Crown copyright]](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a537fb740f0b648ca1e6b0d/s300_TFH-7Bde-2013-079_-_134g.jpg)
Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford at Camp Bastion
皇冠体育app Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), the head of the Royal Air Force, praised the armed forces during his visit which included meeting the Tornado detachment at in Kandahar, currently manned by the 鈥楧ambusters鈥�, No .
He also visited Task Force Helmand at Camp Bastion, the unit responsible for the UK鈥檚 combat operations across Helmand province, as well as , which runs the camp鈥檚 busy airfield.
During his visit he spoke about the UK鈥檚 mission in 2014:
This year will be another year of hard work, another year of commitment, another year of being in harm鈥檚 way; we will need to maintain our focus and effort right through to the end of combat operations.
I continue to be hugely impressed by the contribution being made by all elements of the Royal Air Force to Op Herrick, from the providing vital on the ground in Helmand to the and crews providing support to the ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces) and (International Security Assistance Force) across the whole of Afghanistan.
CAS was able to see the Royal Air Force鈥檚 new transport aircraft, which has now started flying routinely into Afghanistan to support the airbridge to and from the UK.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford, meeting soldiers and airmen at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan [Picture: Corporal Ross Fernie RLC, Crown copyright]
Voyager is a state-of-the-art passenger aircraft and air-to-air refueller with the reliability and capacity of a modern airliner.
During his visit to the detachment at 904 Expeditionary Air Wing in Kandahar, CAS met Royal Air Force personnel of all ranks.
He said:
皇冠体育app Tornado is the mainstay of the Royal Air Force鈥檚 air combat force and has been a fundamental part of air operations across Afghanistan. It has provided close air support to both ANSF and ISAF alike since its first deployment to Afghanistan.
CAS also visited the Joint Aviation Group at Bastion, where pilots from all 3 services fly the UK鈥檚 helicopters on operations in Afghanistan.
He said:
皇冠体育app Royal Navy鈥檚 , the and of the , and of course the Royal Air Force鈥檚 and forces have committed themselves fully over many years in Afghanistan.
皇冠体育app Rotary Wing Force and the medical emergency response teams have day-in day-out provided life-saving care which has directly saved many hundreds of Afghan and ISAF lives.