RAF Typhoon jets and a Chinook helicopter have met over the white cliffs to conduct valuable training, say the Royal Air Force.
In a news release, the RAF say that the crews were fresh from wowing the crowds at the Bournemouth Air Festival and took the opportunity to meet up near Beachy Head to practise targeting manoeuvres.
“Typhoon pilots exercised vital low-level interception training, working the many challenges of finding slow targets such as helicopters and small fixed-wing aircraft. The Chinook crew, who train in evasion tactics against aggressive fast jets, took advantage of the opportunity to experience such a situation. Both aircraft types have recently been operating in Eastern Europe as part of NATO’s commitment.
Chinook helicopters returned to the UK from the Baltic States where they supported training and logistics as part of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence. Typhoons have been conducting armed sorties as part of NATO’s enhanced Vigilance Activity to secure the Alliance’s eastern border and deter Russian aggression. They have also deployed across Europe from Estonia, Finland and Sweden down to the Mediterranean to train and integrate with our allies.
Typhoon pilots are well versed in procedures for tracking targets at high altitude with the RAF providing Quick Reaction Alert for UK airspace 24/7. These multi-role fast jets are ready to respond at a moment’s notice to any potential threat within the UK, such as a civilian flight not responding to radio calls or the approach of an unauthorised military aircraft.
Chinooks operate with various other aircraft in the congested air/land environment, delivering heavy cargo in the cab and under-slung loads, conducting troop insertions and extractions, and taking Medical Emergency Response Teams to and from the battlefield to save lives. Both airframes regularly integrate with larger forces so familiarity with each other’s procedures is key to rapid deployment at short notice and effective cooperation.”
You can read more here.
Maybe they could have helped border force police our borders, if you can call our taxi service that…
Well, when in the EU, all but 5 were returned in the last year. However, the turkies knew what they were voting for, hey ho.
I’m afraid that isn’t true and a lie promulgated by the left in which to sell the line that England (Never Scotland, Wales, or NI) is a nasty intolerant place . The U.K. has always prided itself on how it treats the little man and which is why after Labour came to power in 1997, the legal aid bill went through the roof where now it is double what the rest of Europe spends combined.a legal aid bill which is used to ensure that those who have no right to be here are defended.
I can remember carrying out a recce of the Hythe ranges during the 00s and popping into a pub and reading news paper articles posted on the notice board about how immigrants were not getting deported , how once they got their papers the first thing they did was go home to the country they ran away from on holiday, or as we saw last year with so called British nationals in Afghan to live.
As somebody who spent over 18 years living outside the U.K., who has visited each and every EU nation bar Finland.I am pro EU, but the U.K. leaving is the best thing that has happened to the EU, because it exposed it for the undemocratic state run by unelected mandarins, and as we are seeing with how it has treated other EU nations it will have to change, change such as respecting a vote which goes against and not rejecting it as it did with Denmark, Ireland, ignoring it like it did with France , Holland . The UK quite rightly looks at Russia as our enemy , but to be frank, the U.K. receives more hate and animosity from Brussels than it does from Moscow.
As I stated , I am pro EU, but I wont stand by and allow a remainer slander those who voted for Brexit simply because they lost. Just think, if remainers had simply accepted it, and not dragged things out with their petty infantile behaviour and not given the impression to Brussels to stir the pot , both parties would be on better terms and the groundwork for rejoining sometime in the future could have been laid.
oh and just to be clear, I love my country More than I do the EU.
Well said that man, I hold the very same thoughts but try telling that to someone who voted remain and ouch the reply is not very polite.
That’s not true I’m a remainer. But I acknowledge what’s done is done and we need to move forwards. It’ll be another generation before there’s any vote again if ever. So best just move on and make the best of it.
Hi Ron,
Generalisations are probably not the best thing to use in this context, mate. I’m a remainer and, like Expat, I respect the result.
What I have a problem with is the lies told by the politicians on ‘both’ sides of the argument, I can never forgive them for that as it totally undermined the process. I’m not saying the result would have or should have been different, just that we should ‘not’ have to sort the truth from lies when uttered by our politicians. They work for us – we pay them after all (unless they’re on the make or more likely a promise…).
Cheers CR
Hi CR, I agree, generalisations are not the best thing to use and wish sometimes more detailed answers could be given. I also did not mean to insult anyone. I also agree that I wish politicians would tell the truth rather than bend it to what they want. People need to make informed choicies and we need the information to make that choice. As for me I am British and European, I see advantagies and disadvantages of being in the EU and outside the EU. Expat mentioned another generation before the next possible vote. I do think that it should be written in law that a vote on EU membership should be every 20-25 years.
As for my comment on trying to explain something about how the EU works to some friends who voted remain the result was not very polite. After I just gave up. All I will say is this, somethings the EU and UK get right, some areas there is room for improvement and sometimes the people in power need to listen to the public, be that the British public or the European public. After all the people in power represent the people
Hi Ron,
Yeh, I couldn’t agree more. As for trying to point out downsides to ‘believers’, all too often you are on a hiding to nothing sadly. Politics, as we agree, has become too much about belief and too little about evidence and truth…
Ho hum…
I do find it amusing that Liz Truss was meeting with European leaders this week. Realism breaking out, perhaps? Good news to be fair as any chance to open dialog between nations has got to be a good thing.
Cheers CR
Barack Farouk, I couldn’t have put it better.
undemocratic state run by unelected mandarins…made me laugh, but infantile drivel often does. That is like saying the UK is undemocratic as it is run by Civil Servants.
The EU is IRL really run by the commission. There is nothing democratic about that. The civil service who support the commission are doctrinally saturated in EU think in the way the UK civil service is open minded to logical persuasive argument. So many option are closed off by the single market doctrine, state aid doctrine (unless you are French), stability pact doctrine. Essentially all policy is squeezed through a rigid unbending framework that is designed to not allow the block to evolve away from the doctrines…….
The parliament is a rubber stamp.
How do I know: I worked for the EU for two happy years. It was a hoot but it was total madness.
PC wrote:
This will be my only responce as I dont wish to drag the thread down a one way parallel st, but do allow me to expand on my orignal post.
I cited undemocratic , so when the EU brought in a new law regards Pig husbandry in 1991 the Uk was one of the few who implimented that EU ruling straight away, others such as Germany/Spain/France/Poland (since 2004) dragged their feet capturing the markets as those that did as the EU demanded faced incrased costs, so naturally large buyers in the Uk went shopping across the mainland
We saw similar with chicken battery farming which the EU banned in 2012, yet whislt the Uk implimented it straight away others such as France still havent which saw the EU knock out another ruling last year with a target banning it by 2027. Meanwhile guess which country is now the biggest producer of chicken and eggs due to been able to undercut everybody else.
I stated I was pro EU and I am, but and a big but, I am sick to death how those who berate the Uk for not complying with EU directives , seem to forget that the Uk went out of its way to police EU rulings, whislt the countries they champion don’t.
As for infantile drivel, remind me again which camp is more than happy to character assassinate the whole of the English nation as:
Brexitshitters
Little Englanders
Who stated they can’t wait for those who voted for Brexit to die
Did you see the same langage used against the EU.
No.
Now this is is Miltary forum, having a butchers at the majority of your posts, I see they are primarily political (with a bent against the UK) how about getting back on track and leave the political cat calling for the polticial blogs.
An even bigger BRAVO. I predict yawning silence or someone will be unable to cope with the truth of these posts and get them removed, like others of yours.
Not to worry mate, I have cut and paste the lot for posterity.
👍
BRAVO!!! BRAVO!!! The Remainers are still at it with surveys in the Independent, anti Brexit rants on yahoo news, and when one types “news” into Google a never ending row of articles from the Guardian and the Independent. What a surprise!
Impartial media? Not a chance.
👍
Quite right Farok, some sound common sense.
Cheers,
George
I’m sorry, but I must correct you on several points that are inaccurate.
The reason it is almost impossible now to return asylum seekers to the EU, is because we left the EU. Remember these people have to apply to become EU citizens, just like they have to apply to become UK citizens.
The reason the legal aid bill for asylum seekers has skyrocketed, is because Priti Patel and her department are trying to expel people, regardless of the individual circumstances, and ignoring the Geneva convention. So they keep losing court cases.
I should also point out, the total amount of legal aid provided by the UK, to everyone here, has more then halved since the conservatives were elected back into office.
Finally we have the monstrous decision to expel these people to Rwanda, despite the dangers it would present to them.
With regards to the “Undemocratic state run by unelected mandarins”
Again, completely inaccurate.
You have the European council, which is made up of the democratically elected heads of each EU state.
Each head of state will personally select a single commissioner to sit on the commission.
The commission members will also have to be ratified by a vote by the democratically elected members of the EU parliament.
It’s also proportional representation.
It is far more democratic then the current UK system.
Also the language you use is inaccurate and nonsensical.
You refer to the “left”. It describes nothing.
Are you referring to liberals, or socialists. Who knows.
You also refer to “remainers” not being able to cope with losing.
It’s not a question of winning or losing, it’s about doing what is right, what will benefit the most people, and harm the least.
Brexit has been implemented with no regard to this, and even worse, the suffering it has caused, which will get worse, is celebrated by the people who imposed it on us all.
Claiming the EU has more Ill will towards the UK then Russia is easily disproven.
The EU has not threatened to use nuclear weapons on UK cities.
Embarrassingly The more extreme elements of the brexit movement in the UK, were advocating that the UK should use its nuclear weapons to threaten the EU….
Finally it’s seems people may be realising that our current popular nationalist conservative facist government may not have the UK populations interest at heart.
Brexit was simply a way that they could use a very complicated subject, membership of the EU, and a very emotionally difficult subject for a large minority of the UK population, foreign nationals becoming UK citizens (19% of the UK population was not born here). To get into government, to stay in government.
To start to change British legislation and public services to better represent the conservative governments personal beliefs regardless of any actual evidence to support their policies.
Attempts to criminalise protest and industrial action.
To abolish working rights, and to remove the obligations that employers are responsible for their employees welfare.
Idiotically, to remove the legal obligations that employers must check weather a person has the legal right to work in the UK…
We know a lot of Russian money and effort has been expended on anti EU and anti NATO movements, media, and a massive online presence.
We know how they targeted certain sections of society, on which platforms, and at what times.
The official government investigation, has not even started, and a preliminary investigation has not been disclosed to the UK public either.
In short, the situation the UK finds itself in now is down to a combination of interference by Russia in the UK political process by social media. The EU is far less dangerous to Russia with the UK no longer a member.
Which has been used by a group of authoritarian, and extremely capitalist individuals, who see UK citizens as nothing more then a resource that they should be able to abuse at will. To gain power, and implement their Dickensian ideals on the rest of us.
Just read the book that was authored by our current prime minister, and several of her cabinet members. That famously claimed that you and I were “workshy”….
For me it’s simple, Britain needs to be a member of the single market for its economy to prosper.
If we are to become a member of the single market, I want political representation within that agreement to influence decisions. (What the United States of America fought it’s war of independence for, political representation)
Ironically it would also reduce the current wave of asylum seekers sailing across the channel too, as there would be an actual system for them to apply to become EU and UK nationals, before they even leave their country of origin.
Aswell as making the EU, and by extension NATO a lot stronger in the face of Russian and possible Chinese aggression.
Also, those were some nice pictures from the RAF, let’s hope Ukraine can succeed in the defence of their homeland soon, and the situation does not escalate any further.
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement, characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation and race.
My political position is we need a new party but ‘Facist’ is a term used all to often to do nothing more than stir up emotion and wholly wide of the mark wrt UK politics.
To everyone please accept my appologies, I know I said I wouldn’t continue, but I cannot allow misinformation to be peddled as factual:
Pads brat wrote:
The highest legal aid bill was when it reached 2.9 Billion in 2005 . A figure it reached from around 250 Million in 1997 which is due to the justice act of 1999 Since 2013 the gov has cut it but it still is in excess of the combined funding across the EU. In 2005 Labour was in power and PP didnt become Home sec until 2019.
https://i.postimg.cc/9fdHqzQ0/Opera-Snapshot-2022-10-06-151110-www-statista-com.png
Those figures can also be found on the Gov website its an excel; file mind under the title:
Legal Aid statistics tables – GOV.UK
oh and that claim i made about legal aid it was from 2010:
Part 2:
Nobody has an issue with bonafide asylum seekers however that adjective has been abused by the PC crowd who assign that tag to anybody and everybody, which explains why so many so called AS are not people running for their lives, but single men simply looking for a better life, where everything is handed to them on a plate. As for your dream of once the Uk is back in the EU it would have to conform to human rights it apparently left behind, want to guess which country has deported one of the least number of people each and every year since 1997, yup the Uk, for example last year we deported 2k, Germany 16K, France 9k, Poland 4 k. It is so easy to peddle the line the Uk has become an intolerant place due to Brexit, but when I looked at it, the people throwing the most abuse the left., the people carrying out the most crimes (per capita) Non whites or non british.
But back to the EU, currently they haven’t a scooby what to do with their open (yes open) door policy, the thousands who flood into Europe from the south were initially kept there until Italy and Greece said enough and simply sent them north. In response Brussels, drew up a list and said you will start taking in these migrants, Poland, Hungary, Romania refused and the first two have been fined thousands of millions for not doing as they have been told to do.
Ireland this year offered an amnesty for illegal migrants in Jan 22, then all of a sudden they were surprised at how migration had jumped 85% from 65K last year to 120K this and do you know how the Irish gov responded, they blamed the Uk for its Rwanda policy, which only became official on the 3rd April 2022.
https://i.postimg.cc/8CKbpQ25/Opera-Snapshot-2022-10-06-154924-www-thenationalnews-com.png
Part 3:
Regards this headline catcher that the UK is unable to return anybody because we are no longer in the Uk, the thing is they concentrate primarily on those who are crossing the channel when actually we have more illegals coming direct to the Uk via other sources
So 33K people have crossed the channel to now this year.
What nobody mentions is how international students have cottoned onto the fact they can bring in their families whislt they study so in in 2019 that came to 29700, 3 years later that figure has increased to 81100, and surprise surprise what do we find an increase of students claiming asylum for themselves and their family at the end of their course, with the new rules which allow international students to work in the uk for 2 years, which has resulted in numerous sob stories where we are informed that families have settled, their children only speak English or that a dependent needs medical treatment that is lacking or they cant afford back home.
Today there’s a story about how a illegal migrant from Uganda who arrived her on his brothers passport killed 2 people when he set fire to his accommodation in anger at losing his job
A few years ago, we had the case of a Pakistani ISIS hit squad arrested whilst scoping Manchester out, but were then released (guess what card they played) on condition they would be deported. The ring leader claimed asylum and got it, It had to take the US to demand his extradition for justice to be served. There’s loads more which I bore the pants off you for hours
My point, If you want to peddle half truths on this board, then don’t be surprised when somebody like me who has done the ground work, knows more than you, will correct you.
The end.
Man-up, your side lost!
I see ‘Farouk’ answered you well and truly – how green is my valley!!😀
We all lost there are no sides.
Jim, I’m a remainer but we need to get behind making a go of it, what’s done is done.
Don’t tell the turkeys what they voted for, it makes them unhappy 😀
The real turkeys are the snp supporting kind, thinking about their pipe-dream of Indy-2. Does the shoe fit? Thought so!😂
Well that is complete cobblers for a start, sadly its EU law protecting and preventing people being returned not UK law. The sooner the shackles are removed from this the better.
The only reason they dont want to stay in France as its mandatory to have a national ID card. Says enough for the type of the people leaving France to get to the UK.
Simple answer, implement an ID card for anyone arriving under migration until they are granted citizenship then remove the card.
Actual migrants do get a Biometric residency card. However ‘asylum seekers’ will get full citizenship before those who apply through the visa schemes. Most coming from France are not true asylum seekers, if you’re running for your life why risk being deported by not claiming asylum in the first safe country. Therefore logic dictates these are economic migrants and should not get the fast tracked over legitimate applicants who follow the rules, its unfair.
What EU law is it that’s protecting people?
ECHR is not related to the EU. And European Convention on Human is also separate from EU and something we played a large part in authoring.
Reason most want to leave France is that English is one of the most spoken languages so they’re keen to come somewhere can more likely speak language. Britain through recent times and empire has also spent a long time telling the world how great we are, so of course there’s going to be a draw.
Ironically EU agreements {(Dublin Convention) would make it easier to send people to entry point into the UK.
To stem problems we need to help applications for asylum. At present barring the minimal “safe routes” the only way to claim asylum is on entry into the UK. Set up a processing centre in Calais and allow applicants there, that’ll stem dangerous boats.
Simple thing is we need immigrantion, and history has shown that often migrants who’ve been welcomed when forced to flee their home country have provided immense value to the country, anecdotally partially in gratitude.
Let asylum claimants work whilst their application is pending, that way they’re helping the country and at least partially paying their way.
The uk is a big chinook operator. Is it 50-60 now? It’s a useful aircraft to have. With the new middle weight chopper and apaches the army/airforce have quite a good fleet.
Maybe we will see an airbase open closer to nato east flank for helicopters in the future. Probably as well to stick a few thousand troops and equipment that way for the next few years. Will let them integrate with local forces over a longer period.
Yes, though some older examples will be withdrawn. Unsure how many.
That does not affect the 3 operational squadrons or the joint Puma/Chinook OCU.
Don”t know why, but occasionally become sentimental when viewing photos of white cliffs of Dover, or when I’ve seen them in person. Probably guilty of watching one too many WW II themed movies. There is a phrase from the refrain of a long forgotten song…’there’ll be bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover’… Many good men never had an opportunity to grow old.
True, those cliffs hold a very dear sight to many a Brit especially for those that have been overseas for sometime or been on deployment. Many a time I have stood on the bows of the old Townsend Thoreson ‘squaddie’ ferries to see the cliffs. Yeep we would have the same song going through our heads.
👍
Yeh, great song for the time… and still pulls on the heart strings, and no I’m not that old before anyone suggests it.
Funny thing though, we don’t get blue birds this side of the pond – they’re North American birds. Still a great song.
By the way Vera Lynn lived to about 103 and was awarded the Burma Star in 1985 for entertaining British guerrilla units in occupied Burma.
Cheers CR
Thanks CR, interesting info. Song written by a Yank? Vera Lynn a Brit?
Yup, both the song writer, Nat Burton and composer, Walter Kent were American. Yes his name really was Kent! 🙂
(Just in case you didn’t know the White Cliffs are in the County of Kent, hence my smiling at the coincidence.)
No idea why two Americans wrote the song, but glad they did.
Cheers CR
Thanks; string enough coincidences together and there is perhaps an alternative explanation: fate. 🤔😊
Except those aren’t the While Cliffs of Dover. Ironically, the white cliffs of Dover aren’t very white.
Damn, bluebirds are not native to England, the White Cliffs are not very white…been sold a bail of goods ..time to contact an attorney/solicitor…class action lawsuit in the offing…it’s the American way…🤣😂😁
If you squint, you can actually see my house in that photo. Dover, on the other hand is a good two hours away in light traffic…
Yes, believe I can see it in the distance…😁
…bale…🙄
“There are blackbirds over the greyish cliffs of Dover, and the rats are preparing to leave the BBC.” If you like WW1 and WW2 upbeat songs, Noel Coward’s 1950s riposte is absolutely hilarious.
😁
Thats a great paint job! Lets flog the T1`s to Ukraine with a similar blue/yellow paint scheme.
AA
Makes a lot of sense for a single nation to pick up all the T1s from operators. Most have a lot of life on the airframes, there around 150 out there and could be upgraded as a job lot.
Outside of Ukraine, India could do worse and HAL could run an upgrade programme like they’re running on the Jaguars.
That’s jolly good idea. It’s still a fantastic aircraft, Despite the radar not being AESA (which seems to downgrade any aircraft to the level of a Sopwith Camel some people would have you believe) it’s still a top notch device, and even if they only added Brimstone to the air-ground weapon capability, what a fantastic addition to Ukraine in particular, but yes..India..whoever…
Gosh, or even the RAF…
AA
Pity we sold off our 3 easternmost bases Coltishall, Bentwaters & Woodbridge.
Bentwaters and Woodbridge are probably still recoverable’.
We didn’t, not all of them.
Bentwaters is an industrial estate.
Woodbridge is Rock Barracks, with 23 and 28 RE. It’s runway is used occasionally.
Coltishall had no HAS or modern hardening like the other Strike Command stations received.
The thing about those old stations is the state of the runways, especially if they are concrete slabs…
Cheers CR
Hi mate. Please elaborate, im not an engineer like your good self. Brize melted in the heat this summer I’d have thought these older legacy runways like Woodbridge would be military grade concrete and thus, useful, given some TLC?
I’m pleased MoD retains some of these old stations with the infrastructure available.
Hi Daniele,
The concrete is laid in big blocks, sometimes 2 or 3 ft thick so you’d think job done. However, the blocks have seams that are sealed by tar usually to allow for expansion and contraction. If you have ever driven on a concrete Motorway (M40 between Stokenchurch and Oxford, for example) you’ll know what I mean.
The problem is these seals need to be maintained overtime, if not the water will get under the concrete particlarly at the corners where 4 seams meet. Depending on what is underneath the concrete the water can flush the material out from under the concrete and the corners of the blocks, will freeze in the winter, etc. Over time the corners will crack away and sink. Makes for a very bumpy landing if left untreated.
Some of those old exRAF runways date back to WW2, so when was the last time they were surveyed? I first flew in a light aeroplance from Cranfield in Beds, which was an exRAF station (Bristol Beaufighters according to the locals). The runway was in good nick, but if I remember rightly there were some cracks across the corner of the concrete blocks.
Cheers CR
Hi mate. Thanks for that, all makes sense to me.
Been a few years but yes I know the M40 Stokenchurch stretch! Lovely view westward.
Wattisham should still be available,Wittering and Honnington also spring to mind.
All could be used for dispersal, yes, though Wittering has no HAS, at least is still a flying station. Wattisham has HAS, not all useable.
Nothing seems to be on the runway at MoD Wethersfield, but as CR notes no idea what state the runway is in.
Paul, You do know that Wattisham Flying Station is AAC (since 1993) with two aviation Regiments stationed there. Are you suggesting shared use with the RAF?
Yes Graham,im well aware that Wattisham has been solely AAC for some time,i was adding to the OP’s point of Eastern most bases potentially available today with Runways and Infrastructure still capable of operating Fast jets.
Thanks Paul. With only helos using Wattisham, could we be sure that the runway, taxiway and other infrastructure is in good shape to operate fast jets?
I have always been surprised that Typhoons only operate from 2 bases in the UK – quite a vulnerability, I would have thought.
In other news, you can see my house in that picture (if you look really closely)
How are they armed to defend the country? And what use is all this technology when Russia can launch the Sarmat-II which is uninterceptable? If one of these are detonated above the country then all these warships and planes are gone in vain
“RAF finally join in Border Force Operations” Oh, were the crews WOKE enough and from the correctly recruited backgrounds?