The crash between two Royal Navy Sea King helicopters on Saturday morning highlighted the important role rotary-wing aircraft are playing in the US-led invasion of Iraq and their vulnerability to the extreme Middle East climate.

Some 900 British, American and Australian helicopters are spearheading Operation Iraq Freedom. Special forces helicopters machine-gunned Iraqi border posts on the opening day of the war, scout helicopters lead the US Army’s advance on Baghdad, thousands of combat troops have been flown in battle zones on transport machines, naval helicopters are patrol the northern Arabian Gulf, protecting the US and American fleets, and casualty evacuation helicopters are flying wounded soldiers – both Iraqi and allied – to hospitals.