US Seeks Return of Sas Helicopters

US generals have asked Britain to return a batch of Chinook helicopters designed for special operations, a move likely to infuriate the SAS.

The Pentagon needs the eight Mark 3 Chinooks to replace helicopters lost by the US in Afghanistan and the Philippines. After long delays, the eight aircraft had been delivered by the manufacturer, Boeing, to the UK and were due to have been made available to the SAS next year.

A Ministry of Defence decision to accede to the request would have implications for Britain's contribution to the war on terrorism. Only this summer, the MoD stated in a white paper that it wanted to enhance the capabilities of the SAS "to maximise their utility and flexibility".

The Chinooks are equipped with modern radar, infra-red sensors for night flying, in-flight refuelling probes, and extra fuel tanks for long-range operations. SAS commanders have been pressing the MoD for years to buy the helicopters, not least because the inability of existing models to refuel in flight means they have to land frequently, thereby giving away their presence. Chinooks used in SAS operations in Sierre Leone two years ago had to land in different countries on their way to west Africa.

An MoD spokesman said yesterday that the US request was being given "consideration".

Under a proposed deal, the US would buy back the Chinooks, now being tested at the MoD's research base at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire. In return, the US would provide Britain with a newer model, the Chinook MH-47G, which has more advanced characteristics, at a later date.

The frustration of the SAS - whose skills are well recognised by the Pentagon - has been compounded by the reluctance of US commanders in Afghanistan to deploy them in joint operations against al-Qaida fighters, and by the better equipment of their American counterparts.