UK to deploy second Prince to frontline

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/225793.html

In a bid to fulfill the constitutional role of the British monarchy, Tory-led government will deploy yet another member of royal family, Prince Harry, to the frontline in Afghanistan as an Apache attack helicopter pilot.

The Prince, the third in line to the throne, will be deployed to Afghanistan warzone towards the end of 2012, following a Ministry of Defense announcement that Harry, known as Captain Wales, would fly the aircraft to fight Taliban.

The latest development comes as the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, was sent to the Malvinas Islands for a six-week deployment as a search and rescue pilot while tensions between Britain and Argentina over the disputed islands have heightened.

Royal sources claimed that Harry was looking forward to “doing his duty” after finishing a demanding 18-month training program and will join an operational unit in Afghanistan, where he was sent four years ago to stay 14 weeks, but ended up his duty 10 weeks into the tour after reportedly failing in military operations.

Analysts criticize MoD’s plan to send Harry again to Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter, which can fire different types of rockets such as laser-guided Hellfire missiles and has a 30mm cannon for close-quarters fighting.

Analysts believe that the deployment of the royal brothers to the frontlines while the monarchy is celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee year, show that the royal family is seeking to increase its constitutional role in the country.

Anti-monarchy activists also condemned the costly deployments of the second and third in line to the throne and blamed the government for being “anti-democratic” as it put the monarchy’s controversial policies into practice.

The question on the minds of the critics now is that if 27-year-old Prince is ready enough to represent a role for Britain, while his regular evenings at London nightclubs made him unsure on his feet.