DESERT HAWK UAV AND OPERATION MAR CHICHEL, AFGHANISTAN: EDITED SEQUENCES [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: DESERT HAWK UAV AND OPERATION MAR CHICHEL, AFGHANISTAN: EDITED SEQUENCES [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: BFV 1202 V1
  • Other titles: COLLECTION OF DEFENCE MEDIA OPERATIONS CENTRE (DMOC) VIDEOS [Allocated Series Title]
  • Summary: Four edited sequences, the first three showing the Desert Hawk UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) in action, the fourth showing the early phases of Operation Mar Chichel.
  • Description: START 00:00:00 Media Ops logo START 00:30:00 Caption "Desert Hawk Operation Herrick 18 (Quebec 1759) Bty Royal Artillery". The lightweight, polystyrene-based Desert Hawk aircraft is assembled by soldiers at FOB Robinson near Sangin. 01:45:00 Capt Fraser Dowling 32 Regiment Royal Artillery gives an overview of the Desert Hawk and its uses. 05:38:00 UAV is launched and is seen in the air. 06:10:00 UAV lands and is recovered by crew. 06:45:00 Preparations for second launch. 07:20:00 Various shots of the control console and controller (view from camera on board the Desert Hawk, and shots of computerised map giving location). 09:28:00 UAV landing is aborted; the second time, the aircraft land and is recovered by soldiers. 10:37:00 End of FOB Robinson sequence. Media Operations logo. 10:37:04 Caption "Desert Hawk Operation Herrick 18 (Quebec 1759) Bty Royal Artillery", followed by an edited piece (made for internal use only) using material from above sequences and on-board camera views 14:14:16 End of edited piece. Credit to Leading Airman (Photographer) Paul Punter, cameraman and editor. Media Operations logo. 14:18:00 Caption "Desert Hawk Operation Herrick 18 (Quebec 1759) Bty Royal Artillery". Sequence that follows shows Desert Hawk in action, this time at Camp Bastion. Soldiers assemble the UAV and carrying out the pre flight checks. 16:15:00 Various shots of tented control shelter and controller with computer. 17:55:00 UAV is prepared and launched towards camera. 18:44:00 Pre-flight checks and second launch, this time away from the camera. 21:10:00 UAV lands. 21:40:00 Interview with Lieutenant Matt Losemore, troop commander in Quebec 1759 Battery, one of the operators of the Desert Hawk, describing the capabilities of the aircraft. 25:30:00 End of Desert Hawk Camp Bastion rushes. Media Operations logo. 25:57:00 Caption "OP MAR CHICHEL (SNAKEBITE) MISSION: To provide a secure route into Masakala. So a road convoy can safely resupply embedded forces within the town". Soldiers board CH-47 Chinook helicopter; an Apache helicopter taxies and takes off in the background. 27:44:13 CH-47s take off. 28:17:00 Views inside the crowded CH-47 on the way to the operational area. 29:31:00 Second Chinook flying nearby fires flares. Shots of shadow on the desert below and of door gunner on board. 30:19:00 Troops deplane; various shots of soldiers on the move and taking up position. 32:25:00 Lieutenant Sean Kelly of 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment briefs his troop leaders on the move into Musa Qala. 34:08:00 Lieutenant Kelly describes the mission objectives to camera. 34:42:00 General views of soldiers moving along the valley into Musa Qala; a spent rocket-propelled grenade round, from a previous fire fight, is seen on the ground. 35:37:00 Musa Qala is bombarded with Artillery before soldiers move into secure re-supply route: shots of shells exploding in the middle distance (camera position is on a ridge outside the town). 36:52:00 Soldiers wait for the order to move into the town (their aim is to start a house clearance operation to ensure that the re-supply route is clear). They train their guns on the town. Smoke rises from the outskirts of Musa Qala 37:46:00 Soldiers set off from their positions across open ground to start the clearance operation (some disappear into the smoke). 39:17:00 Lieutenant Kelly briefs his lads, instructing which buildings and compounds to clear. 40:19:00 Soldiers from 1 RIR set off run through the streets: one soldier shouts "C'mon lads get f***ing into the ***ts." Shaky camera views as the troops advance; they pause then break their way into the first target compound. 43:19:03 Soldiers moving through fields of crops on the outskirts; they pause and discuss tactics before advancing along a path. 44:29:00 Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Tootal (CO of 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, in white gloves) discusses operation over photoreconnaissance map with two other officers. 45:24:00 The re-supply convoy crosses wadi to platoon house and drive through the town. 45:26:00 Convoy return from Platoon house . 47:20:00 Soldiers move out of the town on foot with Apache helicopter (off screen) laying down covering fire. 47:45:00 Media Operations logo. END 47:53:09
  • Alternative Title: COLLECTION OF DEFENCE MEDIA OPERATIONS CENTRE (DMOC) VIDEOS [Allocated Series Title]
  • Colour: Colour
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: BFV 1202 V1
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions:
  • Featured Period: 2001-2025
  • Production Date: 2006-07-24
  • Production Country:
  • Production Details: Punter, Paul (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Dowling, Fraser (person) Losemore, Matt (person) Kelly, Sean (person) Tootal, Stuart (person) British Army, Royal Artillery, 32nd Regiment, 18 Battery (regiment/service) British Army, Royal Irish Regiment, 1st Battalion (regiment/service) British Army, Parachute Regiment, 3rd Battalion (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: FOB Robinson, Helmand, Afghanistan (geography) Musa Qala, Helmand, Afghanistan (geography) British Operations in Afghanistan from 2002 (event) British Army post-2000 (theme) Afghanistan post-2001 (theme)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English Title language: English
  • Technical Details: Format: Mini-DV Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Tape length: 60; Running time: 47 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    BFV 1202 V1

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    BFV 1206 (DESERT HAWK UAV, AFGHANISTAN, 24 JULY 2006 [Allocated Title]) BFV 1210 (OPERATION MAR CHICHEL, MUSA QALA, AFGHANISTAN, AUGUST 2006 (TAPE 1) [Allocated Title]) BFV 1211 (OPERATION MAR CHICHEL, MUSA QALA, AFGHANISTAN, AUGUST 2006 (TAPE 2) [Allocated Title])
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