I seem remember much breathless and panicky talk of Stingers in the hands of the taliban back in 2001/2002 time frame but from what i remember the general thought was that the chemical batteries the Stingers used had long since gone flat redering them useless.
Looking back I assume that was a correct line of thining as I can think of no allied helo’s that have been downed by Stingers.

This from the Wiki page on Stinger:

The Central Intelligence Agency supplied nearly 500 Stingers (some sources claim 1,500–2,000) to the Mujahideen fighting Soviet forces in Afghanistan during Operation Cyclone, the Soviet war in Afghanistan in the 1980s, where they were used quite successfully.[vague] After the 1989 Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, the United States attempted to buy back the Stinger missiles, with a 55 million dollar program to buy back around 300 missiles (US$183,300 each).[4] The U.S. government collected most of the Stingers it had delivered, but some of them found their way into Iran, Qatar and North Korea.[5] Also, as part of its effort to overthrow Angola’s government, the Reagan administration provided Stingers to UNITA anti-government fighters in the late 1980s. In both cases, efforts to recover missiles after the end of hostilities proved incomplete. There has been speculation that the reason the Stinger has not been used in further attacks is because the batteries that are needed for the launcher to function have expired. However, local indigenous version of stinger missiles fielded by the Pakistani Army was used in the Kargil War and shot down an Indian Air Force Mi-8 Helicopter[citation needed] and a MiG-21 aircraft[citation needed], as well as damaging a Canberra reconnaissance aircraft. Pakistan has begun phasing out its inventory of the original American made models completely. The Pakistan indigenous Stinger missile is said to contain an improved IR seeker to better follow its intended target.

If the Talaban do have Manpads then they are probably coming from elsewhere but to be honest I don’t recall any coalition aircraft getting shot down by SAMs.

Why are there so few Lynx in Afghanistan? Given that they’re the most numerous helo the UK uses there should be more there?

Can only be use for moving around small numbers of troops and the engines are no good for hot and high conditions, that’s why a number (20?) are being upgraded with the engines that will be fitted to the Lynx Wildcat.

There is always MARS to keep them busy. 😉

Not since it got canned/delayed? last year, appears to be very much off the map at the moment.

I was under the impression that the treasury eventually got overruled by Gordon on 3A. I think he was under pressure from Daddy Europe to behave.

There was suggestion that Mandy gently informed all and sundry that if the contract for 3a wasn’t signed it would damage the image of the UK making us look like unreliable partners.

And yet the treasury would rather waste their money that way than pay for the carriers if their attitude to Typhoon is any indication.

One wonders if Gordon Brown was actually aware of what was in the Typhoon contract.

“now Prime Minister, I know you said no to half the Daring order but would you take a look at this….”

I was talking about the look on the politician/treasury officials faces not the the ship.

Also i read today in the Telegraph that “Commanders will have the opportunity to move around more by air when the first of 11 refurbished Lynx helicopters arrives in Afghanistan later this year.” Anyone know aht the refurb will be?

New engines, I believe they are the same as those to be installed in the AW159 Lynx Wildcat (but don’t quote me on that).