F-35B Lightning jets from RAF Marham have landed aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth to conduct exercises over the North Sea as part of Operation Achillean.
The Ministry of Defence say that HMS Queen Elizabeth is leading a powerful Carrier Strike Group of warships, helicopters and F35B stealth jets as part of Operation Achillean.
“During the deployment, the Carrier Strike Group will work closely with NATO and Joint Expeditionary Force allies as the UK underscores its commitment to safeguarding European security. During the deployment, the F-35B Lightning jets from 617 Squadron will carry out flying operations, while helicopters from 820, 845, 815 and 825 Naval Air Squadrons undertake sorties from a bustling flight deck.”
Group Captain Phil Marr, Commander Lightning at RAF Marham was quoted as saying:
“This latest deployment of 617 Sqn demonstrates once again that our personnel are equally at home conducting air operations from land or sea. The flexibility, precision and operational focus of 617 Sqn, operating alongside our international allies, is something the UK can be immensely proud of – the F-35 is a formidable combat capability.”
The RAF add in a news release that the deployment of 617 Sqn builds on a range of operations and exercises with JEF Allies this year for the Royal Air Force.
“Most recently this has seen both F-35s and Typhoons, together with Voyagers carrying out exercises with JEF Allies Finland and Norway.”
We desperately need to train more pilots for these. Would the RAF purchase more of the later hawk variants to help expand our trainer set. Could we go for the BAE / Hindustan model (did that have a radar?) with the wide flat screen instead and hopefully get something that can be also used in light attack/interdiction duties rather than just training and red arrows. How much does a Hawk cost – 15/20m gbp?
Train the F35 pilots from Sq one with our American cousins. It’s easier & probably cheaper.
Makes sense to me. Whatever I think about the speed of the programme unless we’re acting on our own eg Falklands we are likely to be involved with the USMC somewhere along the line. We couldn’t do much better as a training partner.
I wonder if there would be any mileage in producing a cheap but capable mass produced (to keep costs down) aircraft capable of dealing effectively with the older kit or inferiour used by many countries. A little like the US still see a need for F16s etc.
There has been talk for years here and abroad about a prop plane like an updated COIN type from land or carrier. Whether it would be cheaper than a helicopter (?) or as effective. Interesting thought.
The US tested a similar idea with the AT-6E but if I remember correctly, they’ve dumped that idea now?
Yes. I looked it up . Your right but apparently US. special ops have something on the back burner for sometime in the future? All a bit woolley.
Helicopters are more versatile, and the real bottleneck is manpower both pilots and support staff. Essentially every COIN turboprop is one fast jet you’re not getting. So the question is, if you want that turboprop, how many F35s are you willing to give up?
Also MANPADs are proliferating so COIN turboprops aren’t exactly the safest idea. Balance the idea therefore with the risk of KIA / POW pilots.
US had such a program, was recently cancelled.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_Attack/Armed_Reconnaissance
Isn’t Aeralis designing a flexible trainer that could also perform light combat roles. Theit website now shows a possible unmanned variant for ISTAR or loyal wingman roles. First flight planned for 2024. Whether it could be built more cheaply than the new Boeing/Saab T7 Redhawk, which the USAF is buying for less than $20m per unit, I don’t know, but the idea looks promising. On F35 numbers, I dont see the point of buying more until they are capable of carrying Meteor and Spear 3. To date, we have spent £13b+on carriers that have no self defence systems and aircraft… Read more »
We need to purchase a new batch of trainer aircraft. It’s nonsense the RAF training programmes are being negatively affected at a time when we desperately need to maintain flow of qualified pilots into RAF frontline squadrons. Especially as the UK is committing to ordering more F35Bs and hopefully another batch of the latest Typhoon or first batch of Tempest.
Are they committing to buy more F35b than had been planned? I think it was 48 by 2025, another batch after that to get the 72 or 78? I forget the actual numbers and time scale. Last I heard they are still thinking they will be getting close to the 132 over the program lifetime. That could be 50 years program.
48 delivered by 2025. Government committed to 74. A decision will be made in 2025 about possible numbers beyond 74.
74 seems a reasonable number. No doubt we will be bombarded with comments bemoaning the lack of F35s deployed (only 8 etc).
I imagine the RAF is weighting F35s use to meet training needs in the OCU, which makes sense. So really good to see 617 at sea!
70 aircraft is a decent number. For perspective, the Falklands War was fought with half that number of Harriers.
sorry Matt, I’m unsure of the point you’re making?
Less, if you are talking about SHAR about half that in fact.
Probably a silly question, but would it cost vastly more to train on Tranche 1 Typhoons for fast jet training instead of Hawks?
In a nutshell, Yes. Typhoon is not a training aircraft. The operating costs would be considerable for the training role, and would require a huge investment In the infrastructure at RAF Valley to operate Typhoon. And it simply isn’t suitable for training new pilots. It would be like going from driving a Ford Fiesta straight to a F1 car. SIM based training is becoming more prominent and capable. Hopefully the Hawk T2 issues can be fixed in good time. We have options with NATO to help fill the gaps in the mean time.
USN Hawk also have been grounded. I did not saw any news of return to service.
All the 2 seaters have gone and no matter what you need real time in the air to fly. Should ditch out failed training programme and so with a NATO slot in the US and Canada, greater mass and would be far quicker and get the pilots in them seats sooner. The RN has 80 current fast jets just a few years back so a fair share of them should have been crossed over to the F35B by now. Our training programme is a real failure with many trainee’s sitting for an age between course stages not good for moral… Read more »
Not all Twin Seat Typhoons were withdrawn,the 16 that were were all Tranche 1,there are a handfull of T2/3 still in service.The Harrier has been out of service for over a decade now,the pool of Pilots who could transition to the F35b dried up ages ago.Id be curious to know how many current F35b Pilots did come over from the Harrier, seeing as it would be the most obvious fit.
There isn’t really anything in common between F35B and Harrier other than its ability to do vertical.
The way it does vertical is totally different so is the way the change from vertical to flight regime goes.
Does anyone know how many are aboard the ship? All I’ve seen from the pictures/videos so far are 2 possibly 3 depends if the video is repeating landing. One has a Union Jack on the lift fan flap and the other does not.
Eight deployed from Marham on Friday in four pairs.
8 are on-board.
Good stuff. The video was probably just showing a pair that came in.
Yeah, two will land,while another 2 are in the circuit. 👍
Yeah, two will land,while another 2 are in the circuit.
excting stuff!
How soon before Tesla-FSD-type self-piloting can take a pilot proficient on a jet trainer to proficient on a 5th Gen fighter in a few weeks/months? Crazy? Sure… until it isn’t.
Have you tried driving an FSD Tesla?
I own one.
Don’t even think about it. The system is total garbage.