He also has a heavy-transport helicopter squadron with four Boeing Chinooks, and a squadron of Russian medium helicopters that can serve as gunships.

The two aircraft, which have been modified by Boeing with more powerful engines, are the first of eight Chinooks that will be delivered to the raf this year.

The procurement of these eight Chinooks in 2001 under a 270 million pound contract has been heavily criticized because they were almost immediately put into storage.