British F-35B jets have been exercising with French, Greek and Swiss jets in the Bay of Biscay during Exercise ‘Ocean Hit’.
The RAF say here that four Royal Air Force Lightning F-35B aircraft from 617 Squadron have been conducting air combat training with NATO and European partners in the Bay of Biscay. A Voyager tanker also supported the exercise.
“The exercise, known as OCEAN HIT, was conducted with Greek F-16s; Swiss F-18s; French Rafale and Mirage 2000s. In total, there were 20 combat aircraft participating, demonstrating the RAF’s ability to integrate with a wide variety of partner nations.
In the scenario, the aircraft were assigned various combat roles. The UK Lightning F-35B’s conducted simulated air attacks, whilst partner aircraft suppressed the ‘enemy’ air defence systems. Within the scenario, these simulated attacks were opposed by aircraft who defended the airspace and airfields.”
Executive Officer 617 Squadron was quoted as saying:
“This has been a demanding but extremely productive exercise, where the Lightning F-35B’s have again demonstrated their potency. Working with NATO and European partners in a realistic combat scenario provides an opportunity to integrate complimentary capabilities and learn from each other. In particular, we have learnt some valuable lessons regarding fast jet air to air integration with partner nations.”
The RAF added:
“Following the exercise, all participants exchanged feedback on their respective missions to further develop a shared understanding. These regular exercises are designed to ensure that NATO and partner nations are fully prepared to respond collectively to any threats.”
Oh how I would love to have the insider information on those war games. I would also be interested to know if all capabilities esp of the F-35s were put on show.
https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/return-industrial-warfare . We are learning a lot at the moment hopefully all for the better.
Congratulations Brooklyn- perhaps you could now inform us exactly what this has to do with defence?
Answer is Zero, Zip, Nil. Nadda- therefore would you kindly bugger off?
Yeah same. What tactics were developed tp overcome aircraft/systems/radar/weapons deficiencies etc and who won what. We’ll never know though Nigel does find a nugget on the web from time to time
It will be a great time to be in F35 squadron. Working out new tactics, skills. No doubt the brits will be pushing the aircraft
And learning fast
The RAF procurement chappies need to organise more F35B airframes so more pilots can gain experience. With only 7 planes available – with one being dried out – the number of hours our pilots can get is very limited.
With a major war going on in Eastern Europe and the OC British Army writing to all ranks telling them to get mentally prepared to fight Russia, the MoD is moving at it’s customary snails pace in preparedness. Which is jolly well not good enough.
Uh?
We have 23 planes that are in UK hands.
If we have deployed 7 which is roughly 1/3 which is what you would expect. I don’t know where you get the number 7 from but it is a sensible number.
You don’t want to interrupt pilot training or maintenance? Otherwise you have even less deployability in the long run.
This is not a war emergency in which case you would fly whatever was to hand. This is a planned training exercise to develop and evolve tactics.
So what are we doing with the other 16? Are we using those for training too? Actually I thought we were using simulators for the basic flying training
Incidentally, Lithuania has just interdicted Russian railway communications with Kaliningrad. Doing so will have enraged Putin – we have a sizeable Army deployment in the Baltics. We really should be getting prepared for a shooting match
1/3 active 1/3 training and OCU 1/3 maintenance If Mad Vlad started anything his armour / tanks / field guns would be shredded by Typhoon/F35/F16 using precision munitions in a day or two. Can you imagine that damage that would be done by a flight of Typhoons armed with 12 precision weapons never mind drones popping over and taking out whatever they wanted at will. NATO could easily take out 200+ tanks a day like that. Whatever is the priority. Before you say: what if NATO run out of missiles? LGB’s would also be totally effective against any of Vlad’s… Read more »
I read somewhere, that in the European theatre alone, NATO can field nearly 2,000 4th & 5th gen fighter/multirole aircraft.
Russia has less than 500, and we’ve seen how ineffective they have been in recent months fighting on a single ‘front’.
Imagine how they would ‘cope’ if being attacked from multiple directions simultaneously.
Having witnessed the utter failure of the Russian Airforce to prosecute a strategic air campaign I think we all know what would happen to the Russian Airforce if they had to face a well trained, well equipped NATO air campaign. They’d get obliterated in fairly short order with NATO casualties likely fairly light in comparison.
Yes, on another forum, I stated we would’ve seen comparisons to the ‘Highway of Death’ incident from the First Gulf War if the Russian column that got stuck between the Belarusian border and Kyiv got targeted by NATO airstrikes.
I fail to see a scenario where the Russians don’t take a conflict like that Nuclear. They know they can’t win a conventional war against even a fraction of NATO.
We have seen how ineffective the Russian air force is over Ukraine, but if the balloon went up in the Baltics would the European forces sent to fight Russia perform much better than the Russians have in Ukraine? I think they would. But it is a question that must be asked. It is fairly easy to say that we would do better, and I believe that out of the “Western” forces world wide, that the US, the Israelis (non-NATO but very skilled) and the Brits probably would, but I am not entirely sure of it. And I am not sure… Read more »
Think if it wasn’t for Vlad having Nuclear weapons NATO would have been in by now and probably would have been all over by now .But I should think most of us chaps on UKdj this .let’s hope Vlad fails to wake up one morning 💣
Lithuania has actually enforced EU sanctions against the orcs! Is it our fault Pootin based his Baltic fleet in an enclave?
Any French politician go up a hot air balloon demanding to know why a British Warplane is in France?
Remember the British F-35s most likely had the radar reflectors installed. They only exercises outside Britain where the jets go fully stealth is probably when they go to Red Flag when it’s just the Brits and the US and maybe the Aussies.
So much for Swiss “Neutrality”🤣
They are now so “neutral” guarding and protecting Putin’s Mistress and his Children in one of Putin’s Chalets in Switzerland !!
Well if a private citizen is under threat in Switzerland’s jurisdiction and the state considers itself to have a duty of care then it would be expected to protect them. Wider geopolitical considerations are irrelevant if the Swiss are being genuinely neutral.
I would expect the same if they were in any country. Unless the mistress and children are wanted for some kind of criminal charge they should be treated like any other citizen. This is what makes democracy’s better than authoritarian rule. Every person has the right to live freely within the rules of that society and be protected from threats of any nature. Once we start to slip from the standards of freedom we are only as bad as the countries that do not offer those freedoms. There is a reason most people see the USA, Europe, democratic countries as… Read more »
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