Helicopter losses in Iraq begin to mount up

Published on Wednesday 28 July 2010 19:19

AT LEAST 128 Nato helicopters have been reported lost in Iraq since 2003 - with 45 of these incidents attributed to hostile fire.

At least 278 Nato personnel have been killed. The incidents involving British troops include:

n 20 November, 2007: Two SAS soldiers die after an RAF Puma ZA938 crashes during a covert mission over Baghdad.

n 15 April, 2007: Two British Arospatiale Puma helicopters collide mid-air collision near Taji. Two personnel are killed and one is seriously injured.

n 6 May, 2006: A Westland Lynx AH7 from 847 Squadron is shot down over Basra, killing five crewmen.

n 3 March, 2005: A Westland Lynx Mk8 crashes during Gulf exercise. The crew survived.

n 19 July, 2004: Near Basra, a British HC1 Arospatiale Puma XW221 of 33 RAF Squadron crashes, killing one crewman and injuring two others.

n 22 March, 2003: Two Royal Navy ASaC7 Sea Kings collide over the Persian Gulf, killing six British crew and an American.

Corporal Mark Wright, 27, from Edinburgh, of the Parachute Regiment's 3rd Battalion, died in 2006 after being caught by the blast as a Chinook attempted to land in bid to rescue injured colleagues.