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http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/RafForceProtectionTeamFoilRocketAttackOnBasraAirStation.htm
RAF Force Protection team foil rocket attack on Basra Air Station
7 Mar 06
A team of RAF Regiment gunners have foiled an attempt to attack the British base at Basra Airport. Sergeant Jonathon Tointon, 35, and Corporal Harry Jardine, 27, of 51 Squadron RAF Regiment from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, thwarted the potential attack, catching a local man red-handed as he attempted to fire rockets at personnel located in the air station.
Sgt Tointon and Cpl Jardine were also pivotal in the subsequent daytime operation to detain the suspected insurgent. As a direct result of their efforts, three 122mm rockets, a number of rocket fuses and a large amount of other evidence was seized. Furthermore, one Iraqi man was detained for questioning by British forces on suspicion of committing terrorist acts.
The patrol had been fairly routine until the Close Protection Attack Team, having placed an observation post in place on the river bank, noticed a canoe being paddled down the river. Sergeant Tointon takes up the story:
"It struck me as strange that the canoe was being paddled by only one man. Normally, Iraqi fishermen work in pairs as they have to haul in nets."
The man canoed past just two metres from the team’s position without seeing them. As they watched, the man carried on down the river to a point fifty metres away and began to unload several long cylindrical objects from the canoe. Making a snap decision, Sergeant Tointon directed his team to move forwards to intercept the man, believing that the man had unloaded several rockets onto the river bank.
As soon as they moved, the man who had been completely unaware of their presence until that point bolted and jumped into the river, pulling his canoe back in behind him. Afraid of being captured, he began to swim across the river to the opposite bank, some sixty metres away.
Sergeant Tointon ordered his snipers to observe and cover the boat. To the amazement of the Regiment gunners, the man carried on swimming, despite the fact that he could clearly see weapons being trained on him. Once he reached the other side of the river he disappeared from view for the time being, despite a thorough search being conducted.
Meanwhile, Sergeant Tointon inspected the objects left behind on the river bank and found three 122mm rockets, each containing eighteen kgs of high explosive.
"It struck me as strange that the canoe was being paddled by only one man. Normally, Iraqi fishermen work in pairs as they have to haul in nets."
Sergeant Tointon
In response to the incident and separate reports that a rocket attack was being planned from this area, 51 Squadron drew up plans to conduct a search operation. As part of this, a Close Precision Attack Section was tasked to provide overwatch for the search. Two houses were identified as search targets. Corporal Jardine was tasked to move to the opposite river bank with three gunners to watch the houses throughout the remainder of the night.
Corporal Jardine explained:
"We calmed down from the excitement of the man dropping the rockets and quickly moved to the other side of the river. Once we were there, we settled down and started to watch and observe, so that we could brief the patrol coming in at first light to conduct the search. We had two houses to watch, the main target and a secondary one which was about eighty metres away."
All remained quiet until just before dawn when the sunlight allowed the team to see that two distinctive bags had been placed close to one of the target houses, adjacent to the river bank. Despite the fact that Corporal Jardine's team had now been in position for over four hours, they observed as a man emerged from the secondary target house cautiously moved towards the suspicious bags, pausing to check that he was not being watched.
"When he got to the bags, he sat down and waited for a few minutes,” Corporal Jardine said. "Then he reached into the bags and stuffed something into his jacket."
Wary that the patrol was approaching, Cpl Jardine began relaying information to his control room and to the patrol who switched their attention to the man hiding objects on his person.
The patrol's entry into the area prompted the man into running back to his house which then became the main priority. As the gunners moved in, Corporal Jardine’s team saw the man enter his garden and stash the items he had taken from the bag into an outside toilet before returning indoors. The team quickly identified the items as fuses for 122mm rockets. A large quantity of other potential evidence was recovered and the man was quickly detained for questioning on suspicion of conducting terrorist acts.
The quick thinking and rapid decisions by Sergeant Tointon and his team undoubtedly prevented almost sixty kgs of high explosive being fired at the British base.
Sgt Tointon said:
"Some people go their whole careers without being involved in something like this. We have spent long nights up to our waists in mud and water being bitten by mosquitos, but when you help to prevent something that could hurt other people, it makes it all worthwhile. Fortunately, I have a cracking team and they responded to the situation brilliantly.”
Cpl Jardine was also pleased with his contribution:
"All the way through, I just wanted to get a result. I was so chuffed that we arrested the suspect as we had worked really hard in that area for a long time."
Officer Commanding 51 Squadron RAF Regiment, Squadron Leader Ian Cumming, 37, added:
"I am tremendously proud of everyone who was involved in the events of that night. The whole squadron pulled together and got a fantastic result, which I am sure will result in the suspect being successfully handed over to the Iraqi authorities for prosecution."
The suspect is currently being held at a British detention facility pending handover to the Iraqi Criminal Prosecution Authority.
Photo 1) The Close Precision Attack Section of 51 Squadron RAF Regiment.
[Picture: LA (Phot) Dave Griffiths Basrah Combat Camera Team]
Photo 2) Sergeant Jonathon Tointon (left) and Corporal Harry Jardine (right) of the Precision Attack Section of 51 Squadron RAF Regiment.
[Picture: LA (Phot) Dave Griffiths Basrah Combat Camera Team]
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/RafForceProtectionTeamFoilRocketAttackOnBasraAirStation.htm
RAF Force Protection team foil rocket attack on Basra Air Station
7 Mar 06
A team of RAF Regiment gunners have foiled an attempt to attack the British base at Basra Airport. Sergeant Jonathon Tointon, 35, and Corporal Harry Jardine, 27, of 51 Squadron RAF Regiment from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, thwarted the potential attack, catching a local man red-handed as he attempted to fire rockets at personnel located in the air station.
Sgt Tointon and Cpl Jardine were also pivotal in the subsequent daytime operation to detain the suspected insurgent. As a direct result of their efforts, three 122mm rockets, a number of rocket fuses and a large amount of other evidence was seized. Furthermore, one Iraqi man was detained for questioning by British forces on suspicion of committing terrorist acts.
The patrol had been fairly routine until the Close Protection Attack Team, having placed an observation post in place on the river bank, noticed a canoe being paddled down the river. Sergeant Tointon takes up the story:
"It struck me as strange that the canoe was being paddled by only one man. Normally, Iraqi fishermen work in pairs as they have to haul in nets."
The man canoed past just two metres from the team’s position without seeing them. As they watched, the man carried on down the river to a point fifty metres away and began to unload several long cylindrical objects from the canoe. Making a snap decision, Sergeant Tointon directed his team to move forwards to intercept the man, believing that the man had unloaded several rockets onto the river bank.
As soon as they moved, the man who had been completely unaware of their presence until that point bolted and jumped into the river, pulling his canoe back in behind him. Afraid of being captured, he began to swim across the river to the opposite bank, some sixty metres away.
Sergeant Tointon ordered his snipers to observe and cover the boat. To the amazement of the Regiment gunners, the man carried on swimming, despite the fact that he could clearly see weapons being trained on him. Once he reached the other side of the river he disappeared from view for the time being, despite a thorough search being conducted.
Meanwhile, Sergeant Tointon inspected the objects left behind on the river bank and found three 122mm rockets, each containing eighteen kgs of high explosive.
"It struck me as strange that the canoe was being paddled by only one man. Normally, Iraqi fishermen work in pairs as they have to haul in nets."
Sergeant Tointon
In response to the incident and separate reports that a rocket attack was being planned from this area, 51 Squadron drew up plans to conduct a search operation. As part of this, a Close Precision Attack Section was tasked to provide overwatch for the search. Two houses were identified as search targets. Corporal Jardine was tasked to move to the opposite river bank with three gunners to watch the houses throughout the remainder of the night.
Corporal Jardine explained:
"We calmed down from the excitement of the man dropping the rockets and quickly moved to the other side of the river. Once we were there, we settled down and started to watch and observe, so that we could brief the patrol coming in at first light to conduct the search. We had two houses to watch, the main target and a secondary one which was about eighty metres away."
All remained quiet until just before dawn when the sunlight allowed the team to see that two distinctive bags had been placed close to one of the target houses, adjacent to the river bank. Despite the fact that Corporal Jardine's team had now been in position for over four hours, they observed as a man emerged from the secondary target house cautiously moved towards the suspicious bags, pausing to check that he was not being watched.
"When he got to the bags, he sat down and waited for a few minutes,” Corporal Jardine said. "Then he reached into the bags and stuffed something into his jacket."
Wary that the patrol was approaching, Cpl Jardine began relaying information to his control room and to the patrol who switched their attention to the man hiding objects on his person.
The patrol's entry into the area prompted the man into running back to his house which then became the main priority. As the gunners moved in, Corporal Jardine’s team saw the man enter his garden and stash the items he had taken from the bag into an outside toilet before returning indoors. The team quickly identified the items as fuses for 122mm rockets. A large quantity of other potential evidence was recovered and the man was quickly detained for questioning on suspicion of conducting terrorist acts.
The quick thinking and rapid decisions by Sergeant Tointon and his team undoubtedly prevented almost sixty kgs of high explosive being fired at the British base.
Sgt Tointon said:
"Some people go their whole careers without being involved in something like this. We have spent long nights up to our waists in mud and water being bitten by mosquitos, but when you help to prevent something that could hurt other people, it makes it all worthwhile. Fortunately, I have a cracking team and they responded to the situation brilliantly.”
Cpl Jardine was also pleased with his contribution:
"All the way through, I just wanted to get a result. I was so chuffed that we arrested the suspect as we had worked really hard in that area for a long time."
Officer Commanding 51 Squadron RAF Regiment, Squadron Leader Ian Cumming, 37, added:
"I am tremendously proud of everyone who was involved in the events of that night. The whole squadron pulled together and got a fantastic result, which I am sure will result in the suspect being successfully handed over to the Iraqi authorities for prosecution."
The suspect is currently being held at a British detention facility pending handover to the Iraqi Criminal Prosecution Authority.
Photo 1) The Close Precision Attack Section of 51 Squadron RAF Regiment.
[Picture: LA (Phot) Dave Griffiths Basrah Combat Camera Team]
Photo 2) Sergeant Jonathon Tointon (left) and Corporal Harry Jardine (right) of the Precision Attack Section of 51 Squadron RAF Regiment.
[Picture: LA (Phot) Dave Griffiths Basrah Combat Camera Team]
