RAF Pilot saved villagers by steering smart bomb away from villagers - Afghanistan

A dramatic video showing an RAF pilot steering a smart bomb away from its Taliban target to save a group of Afghan villagers was released today.

The laser-guided Paveway IV bomb was dropped from a Harrier jump jet to kill an insurgent commander in a car in Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan.

But while it was in mid-flight, the militant stopped his vehicle next to a number of Afghan civilians.

The previously classified footage, shot from the Harrier, shows the pilot changing the bomb's course so it detonates in a safe area of desert.

None of the Afghan civilians was killed and there was no damage to their property, the RAF said.

The pilot of the Harrier, who asked not to be named, said: "One task for fast jet pilots in Afghanistan is to conduct targeted strike operations against confirmed Taliban commanders.

"In this instance I found and tracked the target and had deployed my weapon. However, as it was flying to the target I saw the vehicle stop amongst civilians.

"Every pilot dreads the prospect of inadvertently causing harm to any innocent civilian, so I knew I had to act immediately.

"The Paveway IV smart bomb is amazingly accurate and incredibly flexible. I can control it whilst it is still in flight, so I used my onboard laser to guide the bomb into a safe area of open desert.

"It's a shame I couldn't prosecute the target as we had planned, but it was much better to let him go free this time than risk killing innocent civilians.

"In any case, this Taliban commander didn't get away for long - we continued to track him and he was successfully attacked a couple of days later when the moment was right."

The incident took place at the end of last year but the footage has only just been declassified.

The Paveway IV smart bomb, which was first used by the RAF in Afghanistan at the end of last year, can be controlled all the way to the target to minimise the risk of passers-by being killed.

Civilian casualties caused by foreign forces in Afghanistan are hugely controversial and the commander of Nato troops issued new orders in June aimed at reducing them.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• RAF
• aftgahistan
• Herrick
• Helmand
• British
• war
• taliban
• fight

[rapidfireonthetarget]

what do you mean we, your a fat geek eating chips at your computer thinking that your a hero of ISAF

[LoveMyCountryAussie]

TO THE MEN AND WOMEN, OF UK FORCES , I LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOU SERVICE MATE ,,,TAKE CARE ,COME HOME SOON ,,FROM MICK,,,AUSTRALIA

[JukemDrawles89]

@planetrockford its all an agenda being fulfilled right infront of us.

nwo

[planetrockford]

@odengodofwar I avoid all media but my ability to see is time. I simply donot want the liberal and tolerant place of my birth and my home of 25 years to.slowly become like Iran etc. I will happen, sheer weight of numbers by forecast birth rates lake it inevitable.

[odengodofwar]

@planetrockford

do yourself a favour and stop reading the Sun with their articles filled with lies

[planetrockford]

This war is going to go on forever, meanwhile our countries are up shit creak and letting in the same religious nutcases en masse. Welcome home soldiers to Britistan.

[Meljayne2]

@maydayfire And just to finish off not only would we never interfere in these countries affairs , but if they wanted to continue with their inter tribal fighting and murdering then fine by me . If they are all busy killing each other then they are not blowing up our service people , YES i witnessedthese events with my own eyes , different tribes and different sects of islam shooting each other . Fine by myself not our business .

[Meljayne2]

@maydayfire Well here we go another ranting raving rag head . I tell you something my friend i am ex british forces and if i had my way i would bring all our armed forces home from afghanistan and never invaded iraq either , then i would have rounded up everyone in the uk from these and other like countries that spout hatred and dont like the western way of life and fuck them all off back to their place of birth , then that way everybody happy . Lastly would not interfere in their affairs .

[Zookei]

@maydayfire Noone was killed.

[permaveg]

@sprPee Not as far as i know, who said they did? i didnt, i said "on countries that have oil". They do as i understand want to build a pipeline through Afghanistan however. Plus the heroin production in that country which is managed by the CIA, Afghanistan was renowned for hashish production until they were encouraged to switch to opium poppy production,much to the Talibans disproval who still destroy the poppy fields when found . CIA paint a different story of course.

[GREATBRITISHGAMER]

Baoom :D, i like looking at explosions :)