Helmand: CF participation in ISAF Operation Moshtarak

Further to this post,

"Afghanistan: Clear, Hold Build in Helmand"

an excerpt that focuses on the CF from the second part of a story on the operation by Matthew Fisher of Canwest News:

Canadians take to skies for major Afghan offensive

...Canada’s helicopter assault early Saturday morning into the muddy farmland on the outskirts of Nad-e-Ali was also a test for its helicopter crews, as they had never before been part of such a large or complicated mission.

In an operation that was timed to the minute, seven Canadian helicopter crews hit eight separate time markers during nearly two hours in which they were part of an aerial armada of about 90 choppers supported by fighter jets and unmanned spy planes.

“It was a nice dance, perfectly orchestrated,” said Col. Christian Drouin, Task Force’s Kandahar’s wing commander, after watching the action on a video feed that was beamed back to a British operations centre from a drone flying over the battlefield.

Lt.-Col. Jeff Smith, who was the senior Canadian in the air, returned to Camp Bastion “very impressed” by what he had seen. “Air mobile, on target, on time. To within 15 seconds.”

There weren’t any high-fives or cheers, but there was a genuine sense of euphoria as each of the aircrews climbed out of their helicopters after the mission.

“You just couldn’t take a time out. You had to pay attention in all phases of flight,” said Capt. Mathieu Bergeron, who flew Blow Torch 61, the lead Chinook in the air assault.

“Everything was carefully deconflicted in time and space but you had to stay vigilant because things don’t always turn out as planned.”

One of those moments occurred when Bergeron’s helicopter went up to its axle in mud when it landed close to a farming compound early Saturday. But the chopper’s powerful rotors were able to pull his craft out of the muck...

Plus an excellent, lengthy piece of straight reporting two days ago in the Globe and Mail (pity they don't do more of it):

Canadians play key role in NATO offensive
Griffon helicopters ride shotgun as Chinooks ferry British and Afghan troops into Taliban stronghold [as for shotgun, see these Feb. 2009 photos]
...
It was billed as the largest air operation of the war and the biggest mission Canadian helicopters have ever flown. It was also a watershed moment in the development of the Afghan military – half of the 2,500 troops ferried into a series of landing zones were from the Afghan National Army, whose key role in the assault was intended as a sign to the local populace that the government in Kabul is viable and capable of protecting them...

Backed by fighter jets, unmanned drones and reserve helicopters at Camp Bastion, the first wave of Canadian helicopters took off at 4 a.m. sharp, part of a 40-helicopter operation focused on Nad Ali.

“This is the shit,” declared Lieutenant-Colonel Jeff Smyth, the officer in charge of Canadian helicopter operations in Afghanistan [more here on the choppers], in an interview at Kandahar Air Field ahead of the operation. “In my career, in 21 years, this is what I've been training the entire time for. This is the big show for us.”..

THE DRY RUN: Camp Bastion, Helmand province, 3 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 11...

With 24 hours to go, it's dress rehearsal time. British, Afghan and Estonian troops [about time mentioned in our media, more here] gather in roped-off pens, march out to whichever Canadian Chinook they'll be on, and board. It's quick. At 3:41 a.m., the British troops are onboard one Chinook, and by 3:49 a.m. they're off again, without the helicopter leaving.

There are some hiccups – an Estonian soldier has to be corrected after pointing his rifle up while sitting, and an Afghan raises eyebrows when he pulls out a cellphone. NATO soldiers are especially wary of the fledgling ANA [emphasis added]...

H-HOUR: Camp Bastion,

Helmand Province, 4 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 13

This morning, in the bone-chilling Afghan winter and under a deafening phalanx of helicopters, it can be easy to forget that coalition troops aren't all the same. They differ in training, equipment, tactics and language. Thursday's rehearsal is looking more significant by the moment.

The Canadians gather again in their tent, which is stocked with instant coffee and non-perishable food. Two Maxim magazines sit on a table. This morning's attack will be fuelled by Coke, V8 juice, Pop-Tarts, Nutri-Grain bars and bikinis.

By H-Hour, or launch time, the helicopters are loaded and ready. Each wave is spaced minutes apart. Each nation's pilots are given a “lane” of air in which to fly out, with departing flights going at lower altitudes than returning flights, which themselves are flying underneath unmanned aircraft that provide surveillance...

All told, the Canadian contribution to the massive effort in British-led Helmand included 31 pilots and crew, and about 30 soldiers who are mentoring and training ANA troops in nearby Marjah. In Nad Ali, 1,100 troops were inserted in just over an hour. In Marjah, more than 15,000 troops were brought in by air and land...

“It is significant,” said Master Corporal Craig Wiggins, Capt. Robertson's flight engineer. “I'm glad I'm a part of it. It's a part of history.”

Do read the whole story.