HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group has showcased its ability to coordinate and direct fighter jets for fleet protection during air defence drills.
The exercise, described as a test of operational readiness, saw the Carrier Strike Group working alongside fighter jets from the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and private firm Draken.
Eagles attack the fleet! 🦅✈️
Carrier Strike Group proves its ability to direct fighter jets to protect the fleet in Air Defence Exercises.
This included fighter jets from 🇬🇧/🇺🇸/🇨🇦 and Draken.#StrikeWarrior #USAF #WeAreNato pic.twitter.com/zVjUYaYWrh
— UK Carrier Strike Group (@COMUKCSG) October 10, 2024
The scenario, part of Exercise Strike Warrior, tested the CSG’s response to air threats. A key part of the exercise involved Draken Europe, which provided adversary training using its modified Dassault Falcon 20 jets.
These jets are provided to simulate airborne threats, including radar and electronic warfare scenarios, making them an essential part of complex training environments.
The image accompanying the tweets features one of these Falcon 20 jets. These Falcons have been adapted to perform a variety of roles, including simulating enemy aircraft and missile systems, allowing RAF and Royal Navy pilots to hone their skills against a dynamic adversary.
Draken’s involvement highlights its role as a critical aggressor training partner. With its fleet of Falcon 20 jets and other aircraft, Draken Europe say they offer advanced training by simulating realistic enemy tactics. This approach allows the Royal Navy’s CSG and RAF pilots to experience diverse training scenarios, testing their ability to respond to potential real-world threats effectively.
The use of private contractors like Draken can be more economical than maintaining dedicated RAF squadrons for similar roles. Draken’s experienced ex-military pilots provide a level of expertise that ensures training remains challenging and relevant, enabling the UK’s forces to maintain a high standard of operational readiness.
I’m not getting reply notifications
Now?
Same for me here
This sounds like a fun exercise
I was talking to the Air Warfare Officer on QE a couple of weeks ago (shout-out to the only RAF guy in the standard complement of the ship) and he said that his job was basically this; getting F35s where they need to be to do every fight they need to do.
It sounded very demanding in the moment, but a fun tabletop exercise while tucked away in the Ops room.