3,000 Britons are to be evacuated from South Korea

CONTINGENCY plans to evacuate more than 3,000 British nationals from South Korea have been drawn up by military leaders.

Britain has already sent a team of plain-clothes operators to South Korea from Joint Forces Headquarters in Northwood to make ground preparations for a mass evacuation.

It is hoped civilian airliners will be used for the airlift but six RAF C-17 transporters that have been ferrying troops to and from Afghanistan have been placed on immediate notice to fly to Diego Garcia, which will be the forward operating base. Two new RAF Airbus 330 tanker aircraft, each able to carry 100 passengers, are also on standby. They will be supported by elements of the 16 Air Assault Brigade, based in Colchester, the cornerstone of ­Britain’s rapid reaction force. It will assist with the transfer but is not expected to be deployed in combat.

[link to www.express.co.uk]