The large scale exercise, known as Exercise Point Blank, is a regular quarterly exercise conducted by the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force.
The Royal Netherlands Air Force are also taking part, say the Royal Air Force here.
“The RAF Typhoons taking part are drawn from 3(Fighter), XI(Fighter), 29, and 41 Squadrons and are being supported by Voyager tankers. The RAF Voyagers will operate in formation to allow up to four fighters to simultaneously refuel. This exercise also sees all three of the United States Air Force European based fighter wings taking part for the first time. The UK based 48th Fighter Wing from RAF Lakenheath will be joined by F-16s from Aviano Air Base in Italy, and Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany.
The F-16s will be flying long range sorties supported by Air to Air Refueling from USAF KC-135 tankers based at RAF Mildenhall and so will not be landing in the UK. The Royal Netherlands Air Force are also participating in the exercise flying F-16s and F35As from their bases in the Netherlands. In total over 50 aircraft will be committed to the exercise flying missions for four days.”
Squadron Leader Jim Fordham, the RAF’s exercise coordinator based at RAF Coningsby, was quoted as saying:
“Exercise Point Blank is a hugely valuable training opportunity for the RAF. It allows us to practice integrating with fighters from the UK’s closest ally and other NATO partners, going up against a range of simulated modern air and surface-air threats. The different aircraft types each have their own strengths and weaknesses, but when combined together our lethality and survivability however is greatly increased. The only way to generate this formidable allied capability is to regularly train together, developing and improving our tactics.”
The Royal Air Force say that this exercise follows on from the recent Exercise Cobra Warrior. Adding that such exercises are designed to ‘increase interoperability and the collective readiness of NATO allies to deter potential adversaries and ensure the skies within the European theatre remain sovereign’.
Who broke it then ?
Chinese or Russian hackers is my guess. Without any evidence at all of course lol
Seems to be happening a lot here lately….. I guess there must be a good reason though………
Will RAF have enough Typhoons to get involved
“Our young Men, will have to shoot down their young Men at the rate of 4 to 1 if we’re going to keep pace at all ” Funny old thing History…. when you think about it.
One of the best films ever…..aside from dambusters, the great escape, the longest day, A BRIDGE TO FAR, Zulu, Zulu Dawn, the eagle has landed, the Italian job…..bloody hell the 60/70s didn’t half have some decent films.
Tunes of Glory, The Hill……
The Cruel Sea…..Das Boot (81) is also great…..The Hill as mentioned by Davey.
Shit yes, both top in their won way, Das Boot, watched it when it was the series when it first come out, have watched it many times since then. Superb. Going through the straights of Gib was superb.
Won way, bloody hell own way.
Lol… my last throw in….ice cold in Alex..
Flipping heck, some of my favs there too. Great Escape, Longest Day, Zulu, Eagle has landed.
I’d add an obscure one “Cross of Iron”
Tomestone and Once upon a time in the west also but obviously not the same theme or era.
Only one thing to say to that Daniele, “Broadsword calling Danny Boy”
OMG HOW did I leave that one out! A classic!!
My wife still gets confused by the twists at the end!
Liked where eagle dare but not my fav, I think the unreal heli at the start put me off. But then again, when I watch films my missus hates it when I say about magazine changing and bullet impacts don’t “spark” against car doors or fridges lol….and furniture doesn’t stop either 9mm or never ending 7.62….😂😂
Oh and 9mm don’t “click” who empty, the working parts remaining to the rear should give it away……ok I will shut up!
Yes cross of iron, forgot that one, quite moody.
Eagle has landed, Michael Caine was superb. One of the films that you wanted them Falllschirmjager lads to get away. Jack Higgins, top writer. The blokes jumping onto the beach didn’t mean to land in the sea, and you had a mix of static line and a bit of freefall to add effect. Loved it, mist have watched it dozens of times.
Yes, not Nazis, saved that little girl too. Donald Sutherland excellent too.
More serious than Oddball!!!!
Cross of iron…yes…is that the one with the guy climbing into a barrel with the Russian female !.. if people haven’t seen it they will be wondering what it’s about ..lol…great movie
That’s the one. Stranski and Steiner. They used Yugoslav T34s and the German gear all looked legit rather than Hollywood.
ya I amma getting battle of Britain vibes. Hmm just can’t seem to figure out why. 😂
drogue and probe. huh primitive.
Don’t worry, They’ll all be Electric by 2030 !
KISS…
Of course you could have a boom system on your super dooper new AAR Tankers that doesn’t work, is dangerous to use and will cost 100s of millions and years to fix…
or have drouge …
The Airbus fly-by-wire boom works perfectly well now (has been for some time) and Boeing no doubt will get theirs on the KC-46 to do so as well. AAR is no simple task. It never has been. Drogues? You mean those unstable, porpoising, spinning dangerous things that have caused many probes to dangerously break off? They’ve also been a nightmare to get right. As I said, AAR is no simple thing. But when you finally get everything to work, boom or drogue, it’s a fantastic force multiplier.
Simplicity saves lives, I’d also point out pretty much all Probe & Drogue equipped tankers have 3x drogues lose 1 you’ve got 2 more, whereas a Boom equipped tanker has 1 boom lose the boom you’ve lost your tanker
Best leave that choice to the subject matter experts….the end user, the RAF.