5 Live News Specials29 Apr 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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Episoder(437)

That Time of the Month: Prolapse

Naga and the team are joined by ‘Why Mums Don’t Jump’ author and podcaster Helen Ledwick to talk about prolapse. Pelvic organ prolapse is when one or more of the organs in the pelvis slip from their ...

24 Apr 20251h 15min

A Safer UK? – 5 Live’s exploration into violence against women and girls

As part of a special series looking at violence against women and girls in the UK, 5 Live has been speaking to Ofcom, the domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales and has had access into two ...

14 Mar 20251h 6min

That Time of the Month: Libido

Naga and the team are joined by psychosexual therapist and author Kate Moyle to talk about libido. They discuss the impact both a low and a high libido can have on a relationship and answer questions...

6 Mar 20251h 5min

That Time of the Month: Lichen Sclerosus

Naga Munchetty is joined by campaigner Clare Baumhauer to talk about the impact the skin condition lichen sclerosus has had on her life. They’re joined by Dr Nighat Arif and Dr Christine Ekechi who o...

12 Feb 202557min

That Time of the Month: Hysterectomy

Naga Munchetty speaks to the TV presenter and broadcaster Jenny Powell about her journey before and after having a hysterectomy. Naga is also joined by regular experts Dr Nighat Arif and Dr Christine ...

22 Jan 20251h 2min

That Time of the Month: Review of the Year

Naga Munchetty, Dr Nighat Arif and Dr Christine Ekechi review their first year of That Time of the Month, looking back on some of the guests who have shared their experiences on health issues includin...

27 Des 202451min

That Time of the Month: PCOS

Naga Munchetty speaks to Rachel Morman about living with the condition PCOS, or Polycystic ovary syndrome, and her work to raise awareness through the PCOS charity, Verity. Naga is also joined by reg...

12 Des 202449min

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 Nov 202425min