MoD call up reservists

Some reservists will analyse aerial photos of bombing

By BBC defence correspondent Paul Adams

The Ministry of Defence is calling up 150 armed forces reservists, including those with language and intelligence skills, to bolster the American-led war on terrorism.

It is the first time since 11 September that Britain has looked for volunteers to help in military operations.

Defence sources say volunteers with a variety of specialist skills will be asked to take part in the current operation.

Around half will be employed in defence intelligence work, including collating and interpreting photographic images filmed from British reconnaissance planes over Afghanistan, such as the Canberra PR-9.

Refugee movements

Such images are being pored over by military planners looking for evidence of what American and British air and missile strikes have achieved so far.

They can also reveal the whereabouts and movement of columns of refugees.

With aerial reconnaissance going on around the clock, the current capacity in these areas is at full stretch.

With more staff, the turnaround time on vital assessments will improve.

Linguists will be asked to translate and analyse intercepted communications from Taleban and al-Qaeda fighters.

Balkan involvement

Defence officials say there is nothing unusual in the new order.

It draws on specialists from among more than 40,000 volunteer reservists and 188,000 former service personnel.

In recent years, the armed forces have made substantial use of volunteers to bolster peacekeeping activities in the Balkans.

Volunteers from all three services are brought under the terms of the 1996 Reserve Forces Act and receive some financial compensation, as do their employers.

British sorties

Officials say the call-up order includes a contingency call-up for ground and air crews to service and fly the small fleet of reconnaissance and refuelling aircraft currently flying missions over Afghanistan.

In the first week of Operation Veritas (as the UK's part of Operation Enduring Freedom is described), British planes flew 41 sorties.

This is the first request for volunteer assistance since the start of Operation Enduring Freedom.

If and when the decision is taken to send ground troops to Afghanistan, then other calls, notably for medical teams, will almost certainly follow.