An updated defence agreement will also see the RAF deploy a Voyager aircraft to Qatar to periodically provide air-to-air refuelling training for the Qatari Emiri Air Force.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and his Qatari counterpart, HE Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah, recently announced an expansion of the relationship between each nation’s air forces.

According to a news release from the Ministry of Defence:

“Providing valuable training opportunities for both nations, the updated defence agreement will also see the RAF Voyager deploy to Qatar to periodically provide air-to-air refuelling training for the Qatari Emiri Air Force’s (QEAF) fleet of fast jet aircraft.

The RAF Voyager fleet already supports Defence activity around the world and the Qatar AAR service over the next two years will be part of this. The deployments will be planned to co-ordinate with the UK’s operational and training needs and will benefit the RAF by enhancing its interoperability with international personnel and equipment.”

Additionally, as part of the updated agreement, RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire will become the British base for the new UK-Qatar joint Hawk training squadron, utilising Qatar’s recently acquired fleet of nine Hawk T2 variant aircraft.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement:

“In the face of new and emerging threats, it is vital we collaborate with our international allies to tackle our shared security challenges and our long-standing relationship with Qatar exemplifies this. By working together we continue to share skills and expertise whilst promoting global security and driving prosperity at home. I’m delighted RAF Leeming has been chosen to base the historic second UK-Qatari joint squadron, which recognises the globally-held high regard of RAF flying training.”

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George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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Andrew
Andrew
2 years ago

Wonder if the Qatari pilots have to produce a credit card before plugging in to be refulled…..

dan
dan
2 years ago
Reply to  Andrew

I think the only time the middle eastern countries provided the US, Brits, ect with free gas was during the first Gulf War.

Crabfat
Crabfat
2 years ago
Reply to  dan

When I was in Kuwait, in 1970, I used to fill up my car for the equivalent of 10p a gallon!

Herodotus
2 years ago
Reply to  Crabfat

In Saudi. in the early 80s. I was paying 12.5p a gallon!

Crabfat
Crabfat
2 years ago
Reply to  Herodotus

That’s inflation for you…!

Herodotus
2 years ago
Reply to  Crabfat

It was Mumtaz….😊. Only the best for me!

Cymbeline
Cymbeline
2 years ago
Reply to  Herodotus

I seem to remember my dad getting change from a pound for 4 gallons of petrol.

Gunbuster
Gunbuster
2 years ago
Reply to  dan

I currently pay around 60p for 10 litres…

Herodotus
2 years ago
Reply to  Gunbuster

That’s the Gulf for you…..you’d think that the bloody stuff grew on trees out there!

James M
James M
2 years ago
Reply to  Herodotus

It certainly does explain why their coppers drive around in marked lambos. You’d be daft not to when petrol is that cheap – and it’s not like anyone would be able to get away from you.

George Royce
George Royce
2 years ago

I wonder why we didn’t order more Voyagers to do the role of the P8 Poseidon?

JJ Smallpiece
JJ Smallpiece
2 years ago
Reply to  George Royce

A330s are too big for this role. But we should be ordering more P8’s – to make 3 squadrons circa 36 aircraft. So another 27 still needed.

AndyCee
AndyCee
2 years ago
Reply to  George Royce

Because there isn’t a Maritime Patrol version of any Airbus… only realistic available alternative to the P8 was the Japanese Kawasaki P1.

George Royce
George Royce
2 years ago
Reply to  AndyCee

Ah I see. Thanks.

JJ Smallpiece
JJ Smallpiece
2 years ago

Poor people, having to go to Yorkshire

DMJ
2 years ago
Reply to  JJ Smallpiece

‘God’s Own County’ as Country Life had it 1994.
No argument from me there, though I’m talking about the High Dales and Moors.

captain p wash
captain p wash
2 years ago

Qatar Airlines often fly over Murmansk…… I can feel a Cunning plan coming on !

Andrew D
Andrew D
2 years ago

With the cuts coming I guess that’s not going affect Qatar joint Typhoon SQN ,plus will this Hawk SQN just be at Leeming to be in company with 100 SQN or is it for the chop ?

Challenger
Challenger
2 years ago
Reply to  Andrew D

As the Hawk T1’s are being retired by 2025 I imagine either 100 squadron will reform as the new joint unit or a lot of the personnel will move across.

Good to see that Leeming will still have a role.

Andrew D
Andrew D
2 years ago
Reply to  Challenger

IN the early 90s remember when there were 3 SQNs of Tornados flying from Leeming plus Hawks.But aleast Leeming still got a future.

julian1
julian1
2 years ago
Reply to  Challenger

I think the Advanced FTS at Valley don’t have enough T2 for the current number of students. Certainly a year or two ago there was overflow of training into 100SQN at Leeming. I wonder if the joint T2 squadron will be able to provide that extra training capacity for RAF as well as Qatari pilots? Cuts to aircrew numbers may well negate the need.

Challenger
Challenger
2 years ago
Reply to  julian1

It seems like the problems at Valley have been largely solved – probably through a combination of standing up 25 squadron and bringing in more instructors / simulator training as obviously there’s been no increase in Hawk T2’s.

I imagine the joint squadron will just use the new Qatari Hawks but perhaps it’ll also provide some capacity for British pilot training too.

Not an entirely new idea as 208 squadron were I think training Saudi pilots at Valley until not that long ago.

Captain P Wash
Captain P Wash
2 years ago

Thought I might as well explain my previous comment about Murmansk…. Qatar currently fly A330’s and a number of other Airbus’s. They regularly fly over Murmansk on their trips to far away places… as do our Rivet Joints and other stuff…. Was just thinking if we painted ours in Qatar Livery and squawked in Arabic, we could increase our Intel Fleet….. What do you chaps reckon !!!!!

RobW
RobW
2 years ago
Reply to  Captain P Wash

Cunning plan Baldrick!

Gunbuster
Gunbuster
2 years ago
Reply to  Captain P Wash

That didn’t work out to well for Korean Airlines …cue conspiracy theorists that the flight shot down by the Soviets was a US sponsored intel flight.

captain p wash
captain p wash
2 years ago
Reply to  Gunbuster

Oh Bugger !

John Hartley
John Hartley
2 years ago

Am I right in thinking Qatar still has the death penalty for homosexuality? If so, how can we send UK service people there, now that being gay is not a problem in the UK military?

Gunbuster
Gunbuster
2 years ago
Reply to  John Hartley

I worked in KSA as my last RN job for nearly 4 years.
A good friend of ours was getting yards whilst working there and he was camper than a row of pink tents.

Don’t annoy the locals by getting caught and it’s not an issue. Anyway if you do something wrong in the military in most countries you find yourself PNG’d and on the next Go-homey Bird in short order…usually within hours.

captain p wash
captain p wash
2 years ago
Reply to  Gunbuster

Desert Pink Tents ?

James M
James M
2 years ago
Reply to  John Hartley

The Qataris aren’t going to throw away an alliance and a willing seller of kit over something like that. They’d just have the person in question sent home or turn a blind eye.

It’s the locals that I’d be more worried about, but I imagine that kind of thing is thoroughly covered in pre-deployment briefings.

Mike
Mike
2 years ago

With the fuel carried in wing mounted pods, I often wonder what the interior of the aircraft is like?