The UK government is investigating how many military personnel have been diagnosed with cancer, after claims that some helicopters left crew exposed to toxic fumes.
At least six cases have already been settled out of court by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), with dozens of other air crew and families understood to be in the process of suing.
They claim that officials knew about safety concerns with certain aircraft as far back as 1999, but chose not to tell the crew or introduce sufficient safety precautions.
The MoD says it takes “the health of our personnel extremely seriously” and is currently testing the exhaust emissions of some military helicopters.
Diseases contracted by some of the crew who flew the helicopters include lung cancer, throat cancer, testicular cancer and some rare forms of blood cancer.
It’s understood the government accepts that the design of some rotary wing aircraft increases the likelihood of engine exhaust fumes entering the cabin.
Benzene, which is a known human carcinogen, is an element present in aircraft fuel.
The MoD has confirmed it is now carrying out work to determine the number of armed forces personnel who have served as air crew and been diagnosed with cancer.
The BBC reports the investigation will cover the RAF, the Army and the Navy, and will include veterans as well as active personnel.
More than 150 people are thought to have approached law firms claiming to have been affected, but many will not be eligible for compensation, as the law allowing claims against the MoD only came into effect in 1987.
At least four types of aircraft have been named in legal documents, including the Sea King, Westland Wessex, Puma and CH-47 Chinook.
The law firm Hugh James, which is representing more than 40 affected military personnel, claims that risks surrounding the Sea King were made clear to the MoD in 1999.
They said a report “recommended modifications to the aircraft to divert the exhaust fumes” but claimed the MoD “failed to act on these recommendations” and “failed to make servicemen aware of the potential dangers and the risk of cancers developing.”
The Sea King was used in British military operations between 1969 and 2018 and has in the past been flown by both King Charles and the Prince of Wales.
The Westland Wessex was retired in 2003, while the Puma and CH-47 Chinook are still in use.
The MoD pointed to previous helicopter tests carried out on behalf of the RAF that didn’t show any indication air crew were being exposed to dangerous levels of contaminants.
Louisa Donaghy, a senior associate at Hugh James, said: “It’s encouraging that the MoD has begun work to understand the scale of this issue, but the process must be swift and transparent.
“Every delay means more veterans and service personnel could be left without the support they need. Given the challenges in accessing veterans’ records, it’s vital that the government commits the necessary resources to ensure no one is overlooked.”