5 Live News Specials29 Huhti 2021

RAF pilot: 'utterly horrific' drone warfare gave me PTSD

A former military drone pilot says he has been left with PTSD after being put at risk of "psychological harm" for years on end while viewing "utterly horrific" things on screen. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live’s Adrian Chiles, ‘Rob’ (not his real name) also said he became suicidal due to the way the armed forces dealt with his request for mental help. Rob was a member of 13 Squadron until 2017, a specialist team within the Royal Air Force which operate unmanned drone aircraft from a military base in the UK. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft System, or Reaper, was first used by the UK in Afghanistan in 2008 for surveillance, and later fitted with weapons. By March 2015 the UK had carried out some 70 drone strikes against so-called Islamic State (IS) targets in Iraq.

The MOD issued this statement, ‘‘We do not recognise the allegations made with respect to the working environment on our Reaper Squadrons. The RAF actively manages Reaper Force crews to ensure that their workload is manageable, sustainable and balanced, alongside providing world-class military healthcare for those that need it. “All allegations of civilian casualties are subject to extensive investigations. We continue to do everything we can to minimise the risk of civilian casualties through the rigorous targeting processes and the professionalism of our crews.”

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Miracle baby: womb transplant

Naga Munchetty speaks to Prue Craven from Melbourne in Australia, who was born with the condition MRKH or Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome. It means she has ovaries but no womb, a condition wh...

21 Marras 202425min

5 Live listeners question the Policing Minister

The Crime and Policing Minister, Dame Diana Johnson MP, takes questions from 5 Live listeners.

15 Marras 202427min

Church of England abuse: Su’s story

In the wake of the Archbishop of Canterbury's historic resignation, Nicky Campbell has been talking to people about their experiences of the Church. Su, a survivor of historic sexual abuse by a the...

13 Marras 202423min

That Time of the Month: Endometriosis

Naga Munchetty speaks to Dearbhail Ormond who suffered with endometriosis for almost 20 years before getting a diagnosis and has since founded a company called 'Frendo' to help other women who suffer ...

13 Marras 202449min

That Time of the Month: Chronic UTIs

Naga Munchetty speaks to Joanne McKinlay about suffering with chronic urinary tract infections for more than 20 years and how she founded a group – Chronic TUI Global Support – to help others. Naga i...

13 Marras 20241h 5min

Sir Chris Hoy: Finding Hope

Sir Chris Hoy sits down with BBC Breakfast's Sally Nugent for his first TV interview since revealing his cancer diagnosis is terminal.The six-time Olympic champion talks about the heartbreaking moment...

5 Marras 202426min

That Time of the Month: Born without a womb

Naga Munchetty speaks to Betty Mukherjee, who took part in the BBC’s Race Across the World, about being diagnosed with MRKH at the age of 16 and her decision to talk publicly about it on the programme...

16 Loka 202448min

'Coconut' placard: Is it ok to use the term?

Marieha Hussain, a former teacher, has been found not guilty of racially aggravated public order offence.She was thrust into the media spotlight after holding a placard at a protest depicting former P...

14 Loka 202425min