Two British Typhoon squadrons have simultaneously been deployed to Operation Carson in Poland, while the other has participated in Exercise Bersama Lima in Malaysia.
In the Polish operation, pilots are collaborating in combat air training alongside NATO allies which include Poland, Italy, and Spain.
This training encompasses a variety of drills, from dogfighting against a diverse range of aircraft to Close Air Support (CAS) training, aiding ground troops in combat situations.
This move precedes the Warsaw Security Forum where “ministers from Defence and the FCDO stressed the need to maintain support for Ukraine and keep up the pressure on Russia,” as was quoted from the press release.
Meanwhile, the Malaysia-bound Typhoons journeyed nearly 7,000 miles, assisted by the Voyager aircraft. Their mission is centred around an air defence simulation, partnering with military forces from Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.
Collectively, these countries make up the Five Powers Defence Arrangements (FPDA), an agreement designed to uphold security in the region.
The RAF press release emphasised the Typhoons’ vast range of operation, stating, “Whether its flying alongside allies in Poland, or 7000 miles away in Malaysia, our jets are always busy developing strong and enduring international partnerships.”
RAF Typhoons are sure getting in a lot of air miles
When will the RAF be getting another batch? Desperately needed these aircraft are whizzing around all over the world currently.
We aren’t getting another batch. Final delivery’s took place in 2019.
Best thing that those jets could be used for. Making their presence felt all over the world and proving they’re some of the best jets in the world. Pity there are only about 3 jets in each squadron.
We have have over 100 Typhoons in the forward fleet.
It’ll be 4 per deployment rather than a squadron, but still pretty good going considering the distances involved. Think 6 jets are still on Op Shader out of RAF Akrotiri.
The real story.
Typhoons in UK in QRF.
Typhoons in the Falklands.
Typhoons in Cyprus.
Typhoons in Poland.
Typhoons in Malaysia.
Despite well known number issues, we have forces that can be and are used, not sitting on an airbase in greater numbers looking good but with no ability to deploy.
It’s great to actually be getting the use out of kit. Aircraft go out of date and have the service life to be used regularly.
It’s not just the pilots, all the supporting people will get to travel aswell.
Training to keep aircraft running consistently will be useful if they are ever needed for actual combat.
The number one question we all want answered is which deployment would you take?
I would go Falklands, Cyprus, Malaysia, U.K., Poland in that order.
Blimey. No idea!
I’ve been to 2 on that list, one of which I never actually got off the plane…
I’d probably choose Cyprus, I’ve often wanted to tour the facilities we have in the SBAs to get a good look at them.
I’ve been to one. U.K. 😂😂😂
Yes, guess which one I’ve been to as well!! 😆 The other was Cyprus when I was working on the airlines, but never actually set foot off the plane. So have I been there, or not…🤔
Luckily been to them all. I could quite happily go to them all again, with the exception of Poland. Not for me. The other three are worth a visit depending on what your requirements are. The Falkland are long way to go for a pace that is similar to Shetland, but with the addition of Penguins. Cyprus fun in the sun. Malaysia for the culture and fun in the sun.
Poland ?
Yes, as we have seen with many other air forces including the USAF what they have on paper and what us available to fly is a very different story.
If Carlsberg did PR…
Have safe and fantastic journeys.
Yet again amazing effort with reduced platforms! But as ever the real story will be the long term effect on both people and platforms doing more and more with less! Don’t get me wrong most people I worked with joined the military to do shit, not sit about polishing boots, and the more deployments the better, but, their is always a finite life of interest and effort, and both the RN and the RAF seem to be pushing it hard!
It’s a bit like the Border Force at present (sorry mate maybe off topic) we have had all this fan fare about 500 new staff being recruited into dealing with the channel boats migrants but many officers have joined from the local airports and other home office stations literally depleting existing staff dealing with jo public at the airports and channel port as well as out sourced recruitment that will result in less staff longer waiting times and more queues at our existing points of entry to the UK, this obviously means existing staff wanting to leave due to the… Read more »
Am I missing something, because I fear that we are heading for a T-23 situation but in the air with our Typhoon fleet come early mid thirties, as things stand. It will be a tired maintenance intense decreasing fleet at a time when I fear there will be few if any Tempests coming into the equation while whatever number of F-35s we have will be expected to do more than they are truly best at, not unlike the T-45s are now to a degree are doing at sea, with equally too few airframes. Be nice, unlike in that circumstance we… Read more »
This was one of the primary reasons for me why I opposed the cut of the Hercules. The Atlas fleet I fear will end up the same way.
That is the issue really. A very clever serviceability excel/graph will have been crated summing up the tasking and the hours and making some assumptions that then projects an OOS date. The problem is that this OOS date is the really absolute limit with LIFEX being crazy expensive beyond that. The risk of can kicking then being catastrophic – Type 23 springs to mind – is then very real and very, very, very expensive. I think, too little too late, looking at accelerating T26 is being done. TBH BAE would probably be very happy to accelerate the builds as it… Read more »
Typhoon wise – logically the Tranch 1’s are the oldest Aiframes in the Fleet,and they are said to have plenty of Airframe life in them ( 40% + quoted ) so when they are withdrawn in 2025 they will still have plenty of hours left ,so the Tranch 2 and 3’s should have plenty of life left going into the 2030’s would they not ?.
So here we are again, overreaching ourselves, with the few aircraft that we have.
Clearly these ‘jollies’ to far flung foreign lands, are to drum up business, in order to flog some Typhoons to other interested parties?
These are exercises, which is better than having the RAF in hangers and local bars.
There are normally around 100 typhoons available with another 30 odd in maintenance.
4 in Poland, 6/8 in Cyprus, 4 in Falklands, 4 in Malaysia and another 4 minimum on QRA is 24 and still leaves over 3/4 of the fleet free.
Even if 2 full squadrons had been sent to Malaysia and Poland these are short exercises.