JTAC Hill

JTAC Hill - Joint Tactical Air Co-ordination - is a fort in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, originally built in 1841 by the Royal Engineers for the tactical defence of British India. Since being strengthened, it has been used as an important strategic base in the ongoing war in Afghanistan. JTAC Hill is the southernmost British forces' stronghold in Helmand Province, almost 100 miles south of the main British base, Camp Bastion, and just forty miles north of the frontier with Pakistan.

Prince Harry

On 28 February 2008, the American web site Drudge Report reported that Prince Harry, then a junior officer of the Household Cavalry, was operating as a Forward Air Controller on JTAC Hill with a Gurkha unit. The Ministry of Defence had made agreements with the news media of the United Kingdom and some other countries not to reveal that the prince was there until he came home or until the news was otherwise released. An Australian weekly women’s magazine, New Idea, initially broke the story in January, but it was not followed up at the time. New Idea editors claimed ignorance of any news blackout. Then a German newspaper, the Berliner Kurier, published a short piece on 28 February 2008, also before Drudge.

See also

• Operation Herrick
• List of ISAF installations in Afghanistan