Drunken soldiers caught during Apache cockpit romp spark military safety review
14 November 2024, 14:48 | Updated: 14 November 2024, 16:39
Two soldiers who were caught having boozy late-night sex in the cockpit of a Apache helicopter have triggered a safety review by the military.
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The drunken pair were reportedly found naked from the waist down after squeezing themselves into the back of the multi-million pound, two-seater AH-64 chopper.
The soldiers' antics were discovered after military mechanics ventured outside to put rain covers over the aircraft following a service.
However, upon hearing unusual noises coming from the direction of the chopper, the personnel then spotted the copter's rotor blades bouncing up and down in the darkness.
Ground crew ventured over to the aircraft and opened the doors to discover the male and female soldiers half-naked in the cramped rear confines.
The couple were quickly ordered out of the aircraft, which belonged to the Army Air Corps' 654 Squadron and regularly carries Hellfire missiles, with a safety review subsequently ordered by the Military Aviation Authority
The incident, which is believed to have taken place in 2016, has only now come to light following a computer glitch.
A report on the incident submitted to the Military Aviation Authority said: “It became apparent that the rear cockpit was occupied by two people engaged in sexual intercourse. Both were naked from the waist down — the male in uniform, the female in civilian attire.
"They were ordered to exit the cockpit and get dressed. Both parties were serving soldiers. Both showed symptoms of intoxication.”
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The male soldier involved was reportedly wearing military uniform, while the female was wearing civilian clothing.
"They were detained until the chain of command of 653 Squadron and their parent unit arrived," the Military Aviation Authority report added.
The Apache aircraft have been widely used by the British armed forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.
The soldiers involved in the incident are believed to be from a different unit to those who discovered the pair, in the Royal Artillery.
It comes as a British Army source told the Sun that the incident in question took place at the military's Otterburn range in Northumberland in 2016.
The Otterburn Range is the second largest live firing range in the country covering over 90 square miles.
