HE'S flown missions all over the world - and now a trip to 10 Downing Street is the next assignment for one Dorchester man.

Squadron Leader Keith Hewitt was among 19 airmen who flew to the aid of a stricken Russian submarine pinned to the ocean floor after it became snagged on fishing nets.

His efforts and those of his colleagues will be recognised tomorrow when he receives an Order of Friendship medal from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A former Thomas Hardye School pupil, Sqn Ldr Hewitt was one of three pilots who flew a giant C17 Globemaster transporter plane with the Royal Navy equipment that helped free the maintenance submarine from the seabed in August this year.

The crew had just 30 minutes' notice to prepare for the mission, which took them 4,500 miles across Russia to the eastern coast of the country's Kamchatka peninsula.

His father Maurice, who together with wife Jean lived in Dorchester for 37 years before moving to Christchurch, said: "He was one of 19 men involved in the mission but was the most senior man from the RAF, which is why he is getting the medal. The senior Royal Naval officer is also to meet President Putin."

Mr Hewitt said the members of 99 Squadron, based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, flew to Prestwick and then to the eastern side of Russia. He added: "They had to unload the equipment on the plane. It was a huge amount of equipment. We are very proud."

Wing Commander Cameron Gair, commanding officer of 99 Squadron who will join Sqn Ldr Hewitt at Downing Street, said the president was to present five medals to UK servicemen - three of them the Order for Maritime Services and two Order of Friendship medals.

He said Sqn Ldr Hewitt would become the only current and serving RAF member to receive a medal from the Russian leader.

He added: "The medal is in response to the rescue mission that the squadron was involved in - 46 hours after we received the call seven lives had been saved. It's an amazing example of the professionalism and flexibility demonstrated by all our armed forces."

"It was International Rescue - Thunderbirds Are Go in that we with C17 were like Thunderbird two and the rescue submarine was Thunderbird four. This was a race to save lives and not a race against other countries. However, we got there first and were able to save these Russian sailors as a result of our quick actions."