Chinook & Merlin Helicopter

A Royal Air Force (RAF) Chinook HC2 helicopter (foreground) and Merlin HC3 (background) fly in formation across the desert during pre-deployment training.

RAF Chinooks and Merlins are in constant use in support of British operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The threat of IEDs on the ground has led to more air assault operations and Merlins and Chinooks, as well as Royal Navy Sea Kings are typically employed to insert and extract British ground forces.