The Royal Navy’s 846 Naval Air Squadron recently participated in a joint exercise with 751 Squadron of the Portuguese Air Force, bolstering the longstanding relationship between the United Kingdom and Portugal.
The exercise took place at Montijo Airbase, located near Lisbon, Portugal, and involved the British squadron’s Merlin Mk 4 helicopters.
The primary focus of Exercise Montijo Merlin was to provide the student pilots and aircrew of the 846 Operational Conversion Flight with experience in deploying through continental airspace. Moreover, the exercise also allowed the two squadrons to formalise their affiliation.
Commander Richard Bartram, the Commanding Officer of 846 NAS, emphasised the mutual benefits of the collaboration in a statement in a press release: “Although we fly the same aircraft there was much we could learn from each other in how we operate. Montijo is perfectly placed to conduct numerous training serials that we need to be proficient in. From low flying to air gunnery, mountain flying, winching and fast roping to ships at sea, the training estate available to 751 Squadron is impressive with easy access to all of it within an hour’s flying time. The biggest bonus is the excellent flying weather they have here for most of the year.”
In addition to gaining valuable experience, the British aircrew also engaged in search-and-rescue training sorties alongside their Portuguese counterparts. They observed simulated casualty evacuations from large container ships, participated in cliff winching off the Portuguese coast, and assisted in stretcher recoveries at sea. One aircrew member from the Royal Navy squadron even aided 751 Squadron pilots in recovering a swimmer from the sea.
I hope the aircrew are keeping an eye open for fugitives in a Scottish registered campervan, full of the official SNP accounts.
Taking the P is always the British way to deal with things like this. It beats crying.
Sounds promising! “Among other training devices, the new building extension at RAF Valley will house a simulator for the Texan II trainer aircraft. (Crown Copyright) Ascent Flight Training has opened new infrastructure at Royal Air Force (RAF) Valley in Wales as the UK looks to increase its pilot training capacity. The opening of the building extension that will house a simulator and other training devices was announced on 12 June, with Ascent noting it is part of a wider GBP175 million (USD220 million) investment in the UK Military Flight Training System (MFTS) programme. “Ascent’s industry partners from Babcock International and… Read more »
No additional Texan II aircraft though, beyond the handful of additional a few years ago.
Where once the RAF had an entire FTS for basic training, and even earlier, two, they now have a single Sqn within 4 FTS, which was the advanced FTS.
This, plus the lack of QFI’s, plus the OCU’s overstretched, plus the Hawk engine problems, has culminated in the mess the RAF are now in.
We can but hope!
It was the year 1386.