The equipment: Chopper alert

"If commanders on the ground want more equipment - armoured vehicles for example, more helicopters - that will be provided. Whatever package they want, we will do."

That was Tony Blair on British Armed Forces Radio last weekend. Asked for their response, commanders in Afghanistan immediately said their most pressing need was for more helicopters, the lack of which affected British forces at every turn during the recent spell of intense fighting.

Not only was mobility restricted in a fast-moving situation, but the threat of ambushes often prevented ground convoys getting through with supplies for troops. Many soldiers spoke of having to fight for days with little or no food and perilously low ammunition. It was more by luck than anything else that the Taliban were beaten back in time.

The Government has moved swiftly to overcome soldiers' grievances over combat pay by introducing a special bonus, but meeting the need for more helicopters will be much less easy, usually because of mistakes in procurement stretching far back into the past. As a result, the authorities have been forced to seek helicopters wherever they can - the only Chinook in the Falklands was sent to Afghanistan, for example - and may be forced to hire civilian machines and pilots to free military helicopters for front-line duties.

Among emergency measures, Britain is understood to be asking other nations which have ordered the Merlin - the medium-sized helicopter built by Westland at Yeovil in Somerset - to allow the MoD to "jump the queue". But even if they agree, it would be unlikely that any of the helicopters on the production line could be sent to Afghanistan before early next year.

Although the Merlin is praised by forces in Iraq and Afghanistan as a highly flexible "medium lift" machine, critics point out that it costs as much as a heavy Chinook helicopter from Boeing. "We are suffering the repercussions of a decision made 10 years ago to support British jobs," said Lord Garden, a retired RAF air marshal. "At the time we were already flying the Chinook, and could have bought more helicopters with the money we would have saved on spares and pilot training."

But Britain has eight Chinooks that cannot be flown, thanks to a disastrous decision more than a decade ago to order a tailor-made version intended to be suitable for special forces operations. So complex are the software problems that the helicopters cannot be given a certificate of airworthiness; it has been estimated that the problem will cost £150m to solve, more than the total original purchase price.

Similar difficulties have plagued British Apaches. When the decision was taken to buy the fearsome helicopter gunships, Whitehall failed to order the simulators needed to train pilots in time.

Some Apaches had to be mothballed for lack of pilots until this year, and although there is now at least one qualified flyer for each machine, more are needed to use the Apache at peak efficiency.

The fourth type of helicopter in service with British forces in Afghanistan, the Lynx, has no tactical lift capacity, but is useful for reconnaissance and carrying commanders from point to point. But they have proved unsuited to the extreme conditions in southern Afghanistan, where the intense heat in midsummer prevented them from being flown during the daytime, and their engines were damaged by dust and grit.

APACHE

The mission: This is the only attack helicopter in service with the British Army. It is designed to fight in all weather conditions, day or night. It carries Hellfire missiles and various other weapons, including rockets.

The problem: Shortage of pilots qualified to fly the Apache.

CHINOOK

The mission: As a transport helicopter, its main use is to move artillery, ammunition, supplies and personnel on the field. It's also used for rescue.

The problem: Eight Chinooks grounded due to software difficulties.

MERLIN

The mission: A medium support helicopter that is very adaptable. It holds up to 24 fully equipped troops, ammunition and stores.

The problem: Expensive to produce, costing as much as the heavy Chinooks.

LYNX

The mission: This helicopter serves as a battlefield utility helicopter. It can also be used for anti-tank and reconnaissance.

The problem: Unsuitable for the extreme conditions in Afghanistan.

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