Battleground
in the middle of nowhere … this extraordinary piece of desert is where the future of world security in the early 21st century is going to be played out
Prime Minister Tony Blair, Camp Bastion, November 2006
Afghan poppy field
Helmand is half the size of England with a population matching Cambridgeshire in number. It is divided by the River Helmand, a significant obstacle in both summer and winter, along which run towns and villages. The river supports the production of crops and narcotics.
The provincial capital at Lashkar Gah houses 60% of the population. There are few tarmac roads other than Route One, the key transport route across the province. Air supply is therefore essential.
 |
Map of Area of Operation (Link to external site) |
Ships of the Desert
Badlands
Helicopter door gunner’s aerial view
To the south flat desert extends to a mountain range along the Pakistan border. Control of the town of Garmsir in the south was hotly disputed during 16 Air Assault Brigade’s deployment but Coalition activity in the far south was limited. To the north lie the strategically significant towns of Now Zad, Sangin, Musa Qala and Kajaki. At Kajaki a dam controls the flow of the river and a hydro-electric power station supplies most of southern Afghanistan.
Temperatures are extreme, falling to -15C in winter and rising to +45C in summer and varying widely from day-time to night-time hours.
