Katherine Jenkins has dazzled troops at Camp Bastion, where she performed two concerts and even sang an impromptu Happy Birthday.

The Welsh opera singer, who is a patron of the British Forces Foundation (BFF), was on a morale-boosting visit to the UK's main military base in Afghanistan.

During the three-day trip, Katherine met aircrews and boarded Apache, Lynx and Chinook helicopters. While visiting the Theatre Logistic Group, she sang Happy Birthday to vehicle maintainer Bryan Larkin.

Bryan, 22, said: "It was a real surprise. I'm two months into my tour and the last thing I expected was to be sitting on a vehicle with Katherine Jenkins singing on my birthday."

Katherine, who has previously performed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Cyprus and Northern Ireland, said: "Returning to Afghanistan has been just as emotional and humbling as the first time in 2007. It is an immense honour to be able to perform for the men and women of our armed forces and I will continue to do so for as long as they want me to.

"I would like to thank everyone I met in Camp Bastion for making it an experience I will never forget and send my love to all the families of those on Operation Herrick."

Mark Cann, chief executive officer of BFF, said: "It doesn't matter what this visit means for BFF, it matters to the guys we have come to see. If they all think it's been a success, a lift, and they get a sense of people back home being behind them, then we have done our job.

"Katherine's commitment to the armed forces and willingness to come to places such as Camp Bastion, time and time again, is utterly brilliant. She is a star."