Camp bastian

It was often said of Camp Bastion that the only correct decision that Britain ever made during its torrid history in Afghanistan was to build the base in the middle of nowhere, with isolation as its primary strength.

Anyone approaching from any direction should be easily spotted, tracked, identified - and, if they pose a threat, destroyed. That was the theory.

But the events of last Friday, when a force of Taliban gunmen managed to move up to and breach the Bastion’s security at around 10.15pm (local time), supposedly without being seen or heard, have sent a shock wave through Nato’s high command.

Initial reports state that the Taliban had been monitoring the eastern side of Camp Bastion for at least two weeks and had been posing as farmers working in a nearby maize plantation.

The attack only ever had one aim. It was a suicide mission designed to demonstrate that the Taliban can attack any Nato installation, no matter how secure.



A five-foot-high hole has reportedly been found in the outer fence which sits adjacent to the main runway. It is believed to have been caused by a suicide bomber detonating an explosive vest. One the fence had been breached, around 19 insurgents, many also wearing suicide vests, streamed forward firing rocket propelled grenades and mortars. Two US Marines were killed in the ensuing battle and five aircraft, including US Marine Corps Harrier jump jets and helicopters, were destroyed. A fuel storage tank and a helicopter maintenance tent were also hit and caught fire.

Camp Bastion became operational in April 2006, when the British Army moved into the Helmand badlands on a mission to bring security, assist local construction projects and help the Afghan government extend the rule of law.

In the intervening years, the base has grown in size, to cover around 20 square miles and now includes Bastion 1 and Bastion 2, Camp Leatherneck, home to thousands of US Marines and Camp Shorabak, the main Afghan National Army base in the province.

In 2006, Bastion’s runway consisted of a 100-yard dirt strip, designed to handle three aircraft movements a week. Today it is one of the busiest UK-operated airports and currently handles 600 aircraft a day (18,000 a month), more traffic than Luton, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Leeds-Bradford or Coventry airports.
 

Camp bastian is the main british base in helmand, here we see how things work there.