Nato criticises allies for failure over copter shortage

BUDAPEST (AFP) - Nato Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer blasted member nations Friday for failing to back a funding plan aimed at getting more sorely-needed helicopters in the air in places like Afghanistan.

“I am disappointed, to say it in frank terms,” he told reporters in the Hungarian capital Budapest, after informal talks among Nato defence ministers.

“There are thousands of helicopters in the Nato fleet and allies should definitely not be having this kind of trouble,” he said. “On the whole, much more should be done.”

France and Britain have set up a fund and urged their allies to pool resources so they can equip more helicopters for Nato operations, particularly to help in the evacuation of combat casualties.