Sad news from Helmand, and info on Jackal and British SF

[akd]

From The Times August 7, 2009

Three special forces soldiers killed in Afghanistan

Michael Evans, Defence Editor

Three British paratroopers working with the special forces have been killed in Helmand, southern Afghanistan.

The three soldiers were all members of the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) which was formed to add extra firepower and assault capability to the SAS and the Special Boat Service (SBS).

They were killed when the Jackal armoured vehicle in which they were travelling was hit by a roadside bomb. Another soldier was critically wounded.

The members of the SFSG were working with the Afghan National Security Forces north of Lashgar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand, when their vehicle was hit.

The Ministry of Defence said the soldiers were killed while undertaking a security patrol. After the Jackal was hit by the improvised explosive device (IED), insurgents opened fire with small arms. The soldiers were killed in the initial explosion. Their next of kin have been informed.

The death toll in Afghanistan has now reached 195, of whom 163 died in action. Four soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan this month. Twenty-two died last month, the worst since the campaign began in 2001.

The SFSG which was formed in April 2006, consists principally of soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Parachute Regiment which was transferred from the Army’s line infantry as part of restructuring in 2004. Members of the Royal Marines and the RAF Regiment are also able to apply to join the group.

The SFSG was created to augment the other special forces units on large-scale missions. Another unit, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, was also added to the special forces manpower.

The number of special forces operatives in Afghanistan has expanded significantly since the withdrawal of British troops in Iraq. Two SAS squadrons are understood to have transferred from Iraq to Afghanistan, joining units of the SBS in Helmand.

The loss of three members of the SFSG will be a severe blow to the British Task Force in Helmand.

The group has been serving in Afghanistan since 2006 when the British campaign in southern Afghanistan was launched. It comprises four strike companies, one of which consists of Royal Marine commandos, and is estimated to be about 700-strong.

The Jackal armoured vehicle, sent out to Helmand to provide extra protection — it was designed to be mine-resistant — has proved vulnerable to the increasing size and potency of the Taleban’s IEDs.

More than half a dozen soldiers have been killed while patrolling in the vehicles.

The 4x4 Jackal has been in Afghanistan since late 2007. The Ministry of Defence said it was built “to meet the British Army’s specific requirements for an agile, well-armed, light patrol vehicle”.

It has a sophisticated suspension system which provides a more stable platform for firing weapons when travelling across rough terrain. The SFSG has been using the vehicle for reconnaissance, assault missions and fire support for SAS and SBS operations. It has the capacity to support itself and its crew over about 500 miles

The Jackal is armed with a general purpose machinegun and can also carry heavy machineguns and grenade launchers. The MoD said the design of the vehicle hull incorporated many of the latest armour-protection advances and is considered to be among the best in the world.

The MoD bought 100 Jackals to provide a safer patrol vehicle than the Snatch Land Rover which was too vulnerable to IEDs.

The latest deaths have come after the completion of Operation Panther’s Claw in central Helmand. The 3,000 British and Afghan troops involved in the five-week operation are now engaged in holding the ground seized during the offensive.

Despite the failure of the open-top Jackal to stand up to IEDs, the MoD said that extra armour had been added to the vehicle, as well as engine upgrades, both of which were aimed at improving protection for the troops from “routine blast threats”.

Those operating the Jackal say that it has saved lives since being deployed. Major Chris Haw, a Royal Marine officer who commanded 3 Commando Brigade’s reconnaissance force earlier this year, said: “Vehicle protection is provided not only by sheets of armour but by its ability to move fast and by having a means to engage the enemy, both of which the Jackal possesses in spades.”

I hadn't previously heard of the Special Forces Support Group.

[flamingknives]

SFSG is largely made up of what was 1 Para, plus elements from other services to create a sort of "Rangers"-like unit to support the Special Forces proper (kind of like the name suggests)