Back from the Brink: British Military Adaptation and the Struggle for Helmand, 2006-2011
RIS ID
128248
Additional Publication Information
ISBN: 9780804785884
Abstract
Britain's war in Afghanistan has, since 2006 , focused on Helmand Province in the south of the country. Under Operation (Op) HERRICK, the codename for Britain's overall military campaign, forces were deployed into Helmand to provide security for the development of governance, services, and infrastructure. The British military soon found themselves drawn into a bloody struggle against insurgents for control of the province. In the Battle of Maiwand in , the British Army suffered ignominious defeat at the hands of a Helmandi army.1 It came close to doing so again. However, superior skill, firepower, and gritty determination enabled British troops to cling onto their positions across Helmand. Then, from 2007 on, the British military gradually adapted to the demands of the campaign. This chapter explores that painful process.
Publication Details
Farrell, T. 2013, 'Back from the Brink: British Military Adaptation and the Struggle for Helmand, 2006-2011', in T. Farrell, F. Osinga & J. A. Russell (eds), Military Adaptation in Afghanistan, Stanford University Press, Stanford, United States. pp. 108-135.