BREAKING NEWS: ROYAL AIR FORCE SPY JET BREAKS DOWN ON ARRIVAL.
A ROYAL Air Force, RAF, spy plane sent to join the international hunt for schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram militants has broken down on the way. The Sentinel R1 was forced to divert to Senegal with a “technical issue” and will be grounded until repairs have been completed.
Sentinel aircraft from Royal Air Force, Waddington in Lonconshire being prepared for operation in Nigeria, yesterday
Sentinel aircraft from Royal Air Force, Waddington in Lonconshire being prepared for operation in Nigeria, yesterday
The unexpected delay is a repeat of last year’s embarrassment for the UK Ministry of Defence when a C-17 transporter sent to help French troops in Mali was also temporarily grounded by technical trouble. David Cameron offered the Sentinel to the Nigerian government to use its advanced ground scanning radar to hunt for more than 200 school girls abducted from a school hostel last month.
The modified executive business jet left RAF Waddington on Sunday bound for its new base in Accra in Ghana, where it will be stationed while flying across northern Nigeria. However, the crew reported technical problems midway through the flight. An RAF source said: “We had a choice of turning around and coming home, or landing en route.” It was unclear last night when the jet would be able to resume its flight and travel the remaining 1,300 miles to Accra.
Source: Vanguard.
A social media commentator said this about the development: “Now this is the kind of help ex-colonial masters love to give their ex-slaves. Who is fooling who? What sort of help is Britain offering Nigeria? Think Nigeria Think!”
AFRICA THISDAY 