RAF LOSSIEMOUTH SUPPORTS
MSP FACT FINDING MISSION

RAF
Lossiemouth welcomed representatives of the Scottish Parliament to the UK’s
most northerly fast jet fighter station today, Thursday, 27 July 2017.

The
Presiding Officer, Members and Officials headed to the Moray better understand
the range of social and welfare policies and how these affect armed forces
families.

MSPs
have already visited the Army’s Glencorse Barracks in Penicuik in June, and a
visit to the Navy’s Royal Marine Commando site in Arbroath is planned for
November.

Air
Officer Scotland, Air Vice-Marshal Ross Paterson said:

“Our
Parliamentary visitors will hear how RAF Lossiemouth’s Quick Reaction Alert
interceptors help protect the nation’s airspace, and discover how £400m is
being invested on site to make us ready for the arrival of our new Maritime
Patrol Aircraft fleet, beginning in 2020.

“Most
importantly, they will meet with our people and their families, including
visiting our Childcare Centre, to better understand the particular needs of
service families.

“This
is an opportunity to showcase the contribution of the RAF in Scotland to both national
security and also how we contribute to Scotland’s Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) agenda through our schools’ outreach
programme.”

During
their visit the Parliamentary group visited Typhoon flight simulators and
aircraft, a parachute simulator and found out about the work of the RAF’s
mountain rescue team.

Led
by the Scottish Parliament’s Presiding Officer, Ken McIntosh MSP, and chief
executive, Sir Paul Grice, the attending MSPs were:

·
Bill
Bowman, Con, North East Scotland

·
Finlay
Carson, Con, Galloway and West Dumfries

·
Jackson
Carlaw, Con, Eastwood

·
Jamie
Green, Con, West Scotland

·
Daniel
Johnson, Lab, Edinburgh Southern

·
Richard
Lochhead, SNP, Moray

·
Lewis
MacDonald, Lab, North East Scotland

·
Graham
Simpson, Lab, Central Scotland

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CHIEF OF THE AIR STAFF VISITS ROYAL AIR
FORCE PERSONNEL ON NATO MISSION

The Chief of the Air Staff has visited Royal Air Force personnel
conducting the NATO air policing mission which safeguards the integrity of
Allies’ sovereign airspace.

On arrival at Mihael Kogalniceanu Air Base in Romania, Air Chief
Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier was greeted by Wing Commander Andrew Coe, Commanding
Officer 135 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) and given a tour of the detachment
which operates four Typhoon aircraft.

The multi-role fighters have been based in Romania since May as
part of wider NATO assurance measures designed to demonstrate the commitment of
Allies to collective defence and deterrence.

After meeting personnel from the individual sections which
comprise the EAW, ACM Hiller met with his Romanian counterpart, Lieutenant
General Laurian Anastasof whom he thanked for the support afforded to the RAF
detachment.

ACM Hillier said: “This is our
first significant detachment into Romania, and demonstrating that commitment I
know is reassuring to them. It’s also an important message for the UK overall
in NATO is to say that the breadth of our capability is significant.

“I think it very much
demonstrates with air power, what the Royal Air Force can contribute for a
relatively small detachment, we’re really sending an important strategic
message which is definitely heard by others.”

The Chief of the Air Staff then visited the NATO Command and Air
Operation Centre (CAOC) which monitors NATO airspace over an area greater in
size than the continental United States.

Situated north of Madrid, CAOC Torrejón has been fully operational
since October 2014 forming part of a new NATO command structure established
following the Lisbon Summit in 2010.

The CAOC monitors NATO airspace from the Canary Islands to the
Turkish-Syrian border, from the Azores to Romania, an area covering about 6,500
kilometres from east to west, including all the Mediterranean, the Black Sea
and part of the Atlantic.

While receiving a brief from the CAOC Commander, Lieutenant General Ruben Servert, news came through that an
RAF Typhoon had been scrambled in Romania in response to Russian military
aircraft over the Black Sea. ACM Hillier was able to observe first-hand how the
multi-national team, which includes 17 RAF personnel, controlled the launch of
fighter aircraft from four different locations to intercept the Russian Tu-22 Backfire
bombers.

In
common with their colleagues in Romania personnel were then afforded the
opportunity to put any questions regarding the RAF to ACM Hillier and the Chief of the Air Staff’s Warrant Officer (CASWO), Warrant
Officer Jon Crossley who said: “There is a real desire on my part and the
senior leadership team to make people feel comfortable in being able to put
forward their thoughts and opinions.”

He added, “I firmly believe these opportunities allow people to
feel empowered that they have a say in the future of their Air Force.”

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RAF Typhoon scramble in response to Russian aircraft
over the Black Sea

A Royal Air Force Typhoon based in
Romania has been launched as a response to Russian aircraft operating near NATO
airspace over the Black Sea.

Operating from the Romanian Mihail
Kogalniceanu Air Base near Constanta on the Black Sea coast,
the RAF Typhoon responded to Russian Federation Air Force TU-22 Backfire strategic
bombers heading south near NATO air space.

The Russian military jets were flying
over the western Black Sea and were monitored by the Typhoon in accordance with
the NATO Enhanced Air Policing (eAP) mission the RAF are conducting in Romania. The Tupolevs were tracked as they departed
south but the jets did not come within visual range of each other.

Previously NATO’s Air Surveillance and
Control System had detected several tracks of non-NATO military aircraft flying
over the Black Sea, which were later identified as the two Russian jets. The NATO Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC)
at Torrejon Spain, ordered a RAF Typhoon jet to scramble and shadow the Russian
jets flying in international airspace in the vicinity of NATO airspace.

Wing Commander Lewis Cunningham, Officer
Commanding 3(F) Squadron said “It worked as we would have expected it to. We
took down the details, ran to the aircraft and I took off within the prescribed
timeline.” He added: “It’s satisfying. We spotted that there was something
happening and then very quickly the ‘phone call came and we were running out of
the door.”

The RAF mission in Romania is part of
NATO’s Assurance Measures introduced in 2014. At the time, the Alliance
started implementing these Assurance Measures with the goal to demonstrate the
collective resolve of Allies, demonstrate the defensive nature of NATO and
deter the threat of Russian aggression against NATO Allies.

Wing Commander
Andrew Coe, Commanding Officer of 135 Expeditionary Air Wing based in Romania
said: “This was a routine operation and is no different to what NATO aircraft
do in other areas on a regular basis”.
He added; “The RAF have a long tradition and experience of conducting
such activities in the UK and it is a normal peacetime activity to monitor
flights in airspace of interest”.

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PRINCE HARRY PRESENTS RAF REGIMENT WITH
A NEW QUEEN’S COLOUR

The
20^th July 17 proved to be a truly spectacular day for RAF Honington
when HRH Prince Henry of Wales KCVO attended to present the RAF Regiment with a
new Queen’s Colour to commemorate its 75^th anniversary.

The
day began when Prince Harry awarded the Firmin Sword of Peace to the RAF
Police. The award is given to the unit that has been judged to have made the
most valuable contribution to humanitarian activities by establishing good and
friendly relations with the inhabitants of communities at home or overseas.
During 2015 the Royal Air Force Police made a significant contribution to
humanitarian activities. These included
aviation security on Op PENNYWEIGHT, the provision of humanitarian aid
following the cyclone in Vanuatu; Op VOGUL supporting the movement of UK aid
supplies to South Sudan; Op LEYLAND supporting relief efforts following the
earthquake in Nepal and Op TAILPIN, the repatriation of individuals from
Tunisia following terrorist attacks on UK citizens.

The Royal Air Force Police have also
maintained a detachment supporting security at Freetown Airport, Sierra Leone
during the Ebola crisis and went forward to assist in the provision of aviation
security as 16,000 British passport holders were repatriated through Sharm
el-Sheikh having been stranded following a terrorist attack.

Provost Marshal (RAF) -
Group Captain Steve Horne MA RAF said: “This highly coveted prize was unanimously
awarded to us in recognition of the extraordinary catalogue of humanitarian,
engagement and charitable activities that the organisation undertook in 2015.
It is a testament to the personnel within the RAF Police that in spite of
challenging regular duties, they have had an active involvement in charitable
activities, fundraising over £57,710 for worthy causes.”

Accompanied
by the Stn Cdr Gp Capt Dave Tait MBE, ADC, MA, RAF His Royal Highness arrived
at the parade square where the Queen’s Colour Squadron and graduating gunners
from Meiktila Flight 4-16 were waiting in anticipation. The impressive sound of
the Airbus A400M Atlas flying over RAF Honington signified the start of the presentation
of the new Queen’s Colour. The Standards for all of the RAF Regiment Squadrons stood
proudly behind the RAF Regiment Band.

HRH
Prince Harry read a personal message from Her Majesty The Queen; The presentation of
Colours is an opportunity to recognise historic achievements and to look
forward to the future with confidence; a confidence built upon the dedication
of those who have served under past colours and will serve under this colour
being presented today. I am pleased that Prince Harry is able to present a new
Colour to the Royal Air Force Regiment in this, your 75th Anniversary year, on
my behalf as your Air Commodore in Chief.

Next year the Royal Air
Force will celebrate 100 years of defending the skies over the United Kingdom
and protecting our Nation’s interests overseas

Here today, every
generation is represented from the graduating gunners on parade to the founder
members watching on. There are also a great many families present; their
service and dedication is at the heart of The Royal Air Force Regiment’s
success.”

Despite
the downpour at the end of the ceremony dignitaries, service personnel, veterans,
families, school children and the local community were in the audience enjoying this historic and momentous occasion.

Before
meeting the families and school children Prince Harry was introduced to Ron
Fairweather, William Walker and Raymond Hill who were founder members of No 1
and 2 Armoured Car Company RAF. Next in line were a few of the graduating gunners
from Meiktila Flt 4-16. LAC Richard Keating who was
born in Cork said: “I was thrilled to be on the parade but to meet Prince Harry
was absolutely amazing”

Sam Brown (9), presented Prince Harry with a commemorative RAF Regt 75 Bear and a
beautiful bouquet. Their father FS Jordan Brown, was recently diagnosed
with a terminal brain tumour, said: “This is such a memorable day
for Sam; one he will never forget.” He added: ‘Sam was nervous but very excited
to meet the Prince.”

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ROMANIAN PRESIDENT VISITS ROYAL AIR
FORCE AIR POLICING AT CONSTANTA

The
President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis has met members of the Royal Air Force 135
Expeditionary Air Wing based in Eastern Romania.

After
speaking with the pilots and ground crew, President Iohannis said : “I’m impressed because in my opinion
everything that is going on here has a very high professional standard and, I’m
most impressed because everybody and I mean absolutely everybody told me all of
you work very well together and this really makes me proud of the teams we have
here.”

The Royal
Air Force has four Typhoon aircraft deployed at Mihail Kogalniceanu for four
months to enhance air policing capability as part of the NATO Assurance
Measures introduced in 2014.

The
President added: “Of course I want to tell you that what you do here is very
important. It is not only important for Romania, it is important for NATO, it
is important obviously for our partners and allies and I think it is very
important for the people in the region because I think it gives them the
feeling of safety and knowing that we are protected is probably the most
important thing nowadays”

The
President witnessed a pair of Typhoons take-off for a training sortie, and saw
how their impressive performance climb capability in gaining altitude makes
them such a potent force when scrambled.

The
President finished his visit by saying:
“Security and safety and certainty are important key words, and your
contribution here is very important. So thank you all.”

One
hundred and forty three personnel from the Royal Air Force, forming 135
Expeditionary Air Wing are based at Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase supporting four
Typhoon aircraft from 3(F) Squadron to enhance the NATO Southern Air Policing
mission led by the Romanian Air Force.

Editor: Flight Lieutenant Cameron Rennie

Images: Cpl Jimmy Wise

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