RAF Lossiemouth is set to host a large number of allied aircraft for Exercise Joint Warrior, which will take place from the 5th to the 16th of October.
Lossiemouth is one of the largest and busiest fast jet stations in the Royal Air Force and known for its close proximity to flight training areas in Scotland and it’s favourable local flying conditions. It is now the only operational RAF station in Scotland and is one of two main operating bases for the Typhoon in the UK. It is home to three frontline units which operate the Typhoon (No. 1 Squadron, No. 2 (AC) Squadron and No. 6 Squadron) each of which contribute to the Quick Reaction Alert capability.
Exercise Joint Warrior is a multinational exercise conducted in the UK twice each each year. The exercise will involve more than 30 warships and submarines, 60 aircraft and over 6,000 personnel from the 14 nations. Joint Warrior takes place twice per year, the first in April and the second in October. Aprils exercise was the biggest in terms of scale in the exercise’s history.
This year RAF Lossiemouth will host American P-8 Poseidon’s, allied P-3 Orion’s and and French Atlantiques. Lossiemouth’s Typhoons are also expected to take part.
Flt Lt Heidi Billany, an Operations Officer at RAF Lossiemouth, said:
“The hosting of these exercise participants will involve every section at RAF Lossiemouth. In order to facilitate each visiting Units’ individual requirements for the Exercise, planning has been ongoing since April to ensure that we are ready.
It will be an extremely busy fortnight for the Station and the airfield itself. Particular challenges will involve working with different coalition countries, operating large aircraft from an airfield which is set up for much smaller, fast jets and fitting it all around RAF Lossiemouth’s own ongoing high operational tempo, essential training and QRA.”
Aircraft from allied have been arriving at RAF Lossiemouth this week while vessels and ground forces have already started arriving in Scotland.