RAF
Freak Afghan Hailstorm Caused £13m Damage to UK Aircraft
It has emerged that a freak hailstorm in Afghanistan in 2013 killed three Afghans and caused £13 million of damage to British aircraft at Kandahar Airfield.
Five Hercules transport aircraft were damaged, costing just over £9m to repair, with a number of helicopters also being damaged, including three Chinooks, one Lynx and a Sea King.
And according to IHS Jane's, one BAE 125 liaison jet was deemed to be beyond economic repair and scrapped as a result, whilst the Sea King was subsequently retired from service.
The MOD revealed the true scale of the damage after a Freedom of Information request, as reported by the Telegraph newspaper.
The United States Air Force also reportedly suffered significant damage, although the full extent has not been disclosed.
Have a look at some of the golf ball-sized hailstones, which were filmed and uploaded onto YouTube at the time:
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