Royal Air Force orbat

Discuss air warfare, doctrine, air forces, historic campaigns, etc.
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by weasel1962 » 26 Jul 2019, 01:45

David Axe's take on how RAF can get 138 F-35s. Strangely logical.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/here’s-how-uk-could-get-its-138-stealth-fighters-69242


Basic premise: 60 F-35Bs in the 4 planned sqns for the CVs. 30 F-35Bs as attrition reserve. Remaining 40 F-35As to replace the Typhoon tranche 1s.


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by mixelflick » 28 Jul 2019, 15:31

weasel1962 wrote:A400M woes

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/0 ... keep-26bn/

"A recent Defence Select Committee was told that engineering staff at RAF Brize Norton called the aircraft “a dog” and that on occasion only two out of the fleet of 20 aircraft were serviceable."

"In Parliament this week Mark Francois, a former Defence Minister, said: “We have paid £2.6 billion for an aircraft with appalling reliability, bad engines, a virtually broken gearbox, problem propellers, massive vibration problems and an inability to deliver paratroops.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

207 sqn returns to UK with 6 F-35B

https://theaviationist.com/2019/07/17/r ... -markings/


Damn, that's too bad about the A-400M. Always liked its design, carbon fiber wing and ability so far above and beyond the C-130. All of that doesn't matter though, if it's a hanger queen. I hope the Luftwaffe's experience with it has been better, but it doesn't sound like it.


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by weasel1962 » 17 Oct 2019, 01:09

Attached is what the UK reported for the UN arms register relating to year 2018 in terms of military holdings.

Summarised below.
20 Tornadoes
140 Typhoons
9 reapers (for armed UAVs)
52 Apache Mk 1s
62 Wildcats
55 Merlins
Attachments
UN register - UK military holdings.pdf
(136.8 KiB) Downloaded 905 times


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by boilermaker » 18 Oct 2019, 03:45

mixelflick wrote:
weasel1962 wrote:A400M woes

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/0 ... keep-26bn/

"A recent Defence Select Committee was told that engineering staff at RAF Brize Norton called the aircraft “a dog” and that on occasion only two out of the fleet of 20 aircraft were serviceable."

"In Parliament this week Mark Francois, a former Defence Minister, said: “We have paid £2.6 billion for an aircraft with appalling reliability, bad engines, a virtually broken gearbox, problem propellers, massive vibration problems and an inability to deliver paratroops.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

207 sqn returns to UK with 6 F-35B

https://theaviationist.com/2019/07/17/r ... -markings/


Damn, that's too bad about the A-400M. Always liked its design, carbon fiber wing and ability so far above and beyond the C-130. All of that doesn't matter though, if it's a hanger queen. I hope the Luftwaffe's experience with it has been better, but it doesn't sound like it.


Lmao.They should have contracted Russian turbo prop designers at that rate. Their stuff seem pretty reliable and proven.


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by weasel1962 » 18 Oct 2019, 06:49

RAF received its 160th and final typhoon on 30 Sep 2019.
https://www.airforce-technology.com/new ... on-combat/


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by weasel1962 » 21 Jan 2020, 01:01

216 Squadron to be reformed on 1 April 2020 to operate/test swarming drones.
https://www.airforce-technology.com/new ... ng-drones/


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by weasel1962 » 23 Jan 2020, 10:38

617 squadron sending 5 Bees to Red Flag. Will they sting the opposition? Dam, they may.

https://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/f-35-li ... e-9097193/


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by weasel1962 » 29 Jan 2020, 02:26

824 sqn (merlins)... Royal Navy's airborne submarine hunters of future get sea legs on HMS Queen Elizabeth as F-35s arrive - Future 824 Naval Air Squadron aircrews usually train on RFA Argus

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/l ... rs-3784966

The Royal Navy's airborne submarine hunters of the future have been earning their sea legs on the £3bn warship they will be tasked with protecting.

Trainee Fleet Air Arm helicopter pilots, weapons experts and engineers from RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall are spending a month aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth in the North Sea to get used to living, working and flying at sea.

And they've had the future flagship flightdeck to themselves until today, when the F-35B Ligntning II jets from RAF 207 Squadron arrived onboard the carrier today from their home at RAF Marham in Norfolk.

A Royal Navy spokesperson said: "The Trainees from 824 Naval Air Squadron usually earn their 'sea legs' on aviation training ship RFA Argus – which the RN very useful, but 40 years old, and with a rather cluttered flight deck which can only accommodate three helicopters simultaneously.

"But with the 65,000-tonne new carrier available – she’s conducting her first training in home waters with F-35 Lightning jets embarked off the eastern seaboard of the UK – the Merlin Mk2 fliers from Culdrose are exploiting the Portsmouth-based warship, her cavernous hangar and four-and-a-half-acre flight deck.

"The successful pilots, observers (who are the Merlin’s weapons/sub-hunting specialists and navigators) and aircrewmen (sub-hunting specialists/winch operators) will earn their coveted Wings and go on to operate front-line Merlins from either 814 Squadron (performing general sub-hunting/maritime security duties and supplying frigates with helicopters) or 820 Squadron (permanently assigned to the carriers).

"Either way, they’ll end up safeguarding Queen Elizabeth or her younger sister HMS Prince of Wales: a Type 23 – or in the future Type 26 – frigate will be assigned to the carrier task group

"Students will use all the skills that they have learned so far during their intensive course – giving them real conditions to train in following the many hours of instructions they have already gone through in hi-tech simulators back in Cornwall."

"During their time aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth, the fliers will complete deck landings/take offs and perfect similarly vital skills essential to operating a state-of-the-art helicopter at sea: ferrying supplies in giant sacks slung beneath the Merlin and refuelling while hovering.

"They will take part in simulated attacks posed by surface and underwater threats and learn the art of working safely on a busy flight deck simultaneously with fast jets.

"And trainee air engineers and technicians also have their own baptism of fire, learning how to look after a state-of-the-art aircraft in a hangar onboard a pitching, rolling ship."

"The Merlins have had the flight deck all to themselves for the past four days; the F-35s from RAF 207 Squadron – flown and maintained by both RN and air force personnel – are due to fly aboard the carrier today from their home at RAF Marham in Norfolk."

Commander Martin Russell, 824 Squadron’s Commanding Officer, said: “Our students are trained to hunt submarines in the Merlin Mk2, and the culmination of this training is to do this by day and night from a ship.

“To conduct that training in HMS Queen Elizabeth is both an excellent opportunity and an honour. The ship's company of the future flagship have been very welcoming – and we have already achieved a good amount of flying."


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