Minister denies UK Afghan forces 'ill-equipped'

Britain's Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth denied today that UK forces in Afghanistan are ill-equipped and said “real progress” is being made there.

Speaking at RAF Benson in Oxfordshire, where two Merlin Mk 3 helicopters were landing ahead of their deployment to Afghanistan, he said on the issue of resources: “Could we do more? Yes, of course. You can never have enough.

“But our military do not plan operations like Panther’s Claw without knowing what they have got available to them at the start of it.

“If I didn’t think Afghanistan was ’doable’, I wouldn’t support the operation.

“I do believe it is doable, winnable, but it isn’t going to happen tomorrow.

“Patience is a virtue and it’s going to have to be shown in these circumstances.”

He stressed that the UK shared resources with coalition forces and also that the number of British helicopters had “practically doubled” in the past couple of years.

He rejected claims that the Merlins do not have sufficient armour.