End of an era for RAF Lossiemouth Tornados
XV(Reserve) Squadron, the
Tornado Operational Conversion Unit, completed its final formal flying on Friday 17 March 2017. The
disbandment of the Squadron, after 102 years’ of service, on Friday 31 March
2017 will see the end of the Tornado GR4 era at RAF Lossiemouth.
To mark
the end of this period in the Station’s history, Tornados from XV(Reserve)
Squadron carried out a final sortie that included flying by Aberdeen and Leuchars
airfields and Tain Air Weapons Range.
These sites have all been instrumental in the training of aircrew at RAF
Lossiemouth to operate the Tornado. The
aircraft returned to RAF Lossiemouth in the early afternoon and carried out a
series of flypasts over the Station.
The Tornado Weapons Conversion Unit was based
at RAF Honington in Suffolk when it received the XV (Reserve) Squadron title in
1992. It moved to RAF Lossiemouth in November 1993 and then with the
closure of the Tri-national Tornado Training Establishment in March 1999 XV (Reserve)
Squadron assumed responsibility for the training of all of the RAF’s Tornado GR4
pilots and Weapon Systems Operators in both initial training on the aircraft
and in post-graduate courses. Over the
past 24 years the Squadron has been the life-blood of the front line ensuring
the squadrons were provided with combat capable aircrew. The final ab-initio pilot finished his
training at the end of January, and the last refresher pilot, returning from a
tour instructing at RAF Valley, graduated at the end of February.
Whilst
the Tornado Operational Conversion Unit will cease from 31 March, the RAF will
continue to utilise the Tornado GR4 until it is finally withdrawn from service
in 2019. RAF Marham in Nofolk is the
base of the RAF’s front line Tornado squadrons from where aircraft and
personnel are deployed to support current operations.
Wing Commander Paul Froome
is the Officer Commanding of XV(Reserve) Squadron, and took part in the flypast. He said:
“The
disbandment of XV(Reserve) Squadron is a milestone in the drawdown of the
Tornado fleet, but I can say hand on heart that every member of the Squadron,
past and present, has delivered an exceptional level of service and commitment
to the Tornado fleet and the RAF.“
Three
frontline Tornado squadrons have been based at RAF Lossiemouth since the early
1990s:
12 (Bomber) Squadron was already based at RAF
Lossiemouth with the Buccaneer when it was re-equipped with the Tornado GR1B in
October 1993 in the Maritime Strike role. The Squadron was disbanded at
RAF Lossiemouth on 31 Mar 2014, however it was resurrected on 12 Jan 2015 at
RAF Marham.
14 Squadron was based at RAF Bruggen with the
Tornado GR1 before returning to the UK and was based at RAF Lossiemouth from 1
Jan 2001. The Squadron was disbanded on 1 Jun 2011. The number
plate was passed to a new ISTAR unit which had been operating as part of V(Army
Co-operation) Squadron at RAF Waddington.
617 Squadron was equipped with the Tornado GR1
at RAF Marham when it relocated to RAF Lossiemouth in May 1994. It was at
this point that it adopted a Maritime Strike role as well as its overland
strike role. The Squadron was disbanded in March 2014, however it has
since been reformed and is re-equipping with the F-35 Lightning II.
Each of these squadrons deployed personnel and aircraft to Operations
TELIC, HERRICK and ELLAMY where the Tornado GR4 exploited its range and payload
in the Close Air Support and Interdiction roles.
RAF Lossiemouth will maintain the provision of
Quick Reaction Alert (Interceptor) North, or QRA as it is commonly called, as
its primary role. The
strategically important position of the Station on the northern Scottish
coastline makes it an ideal location to maintain aircraft and crews on high alert, in order
to scramble and intercept unidentified aircraft approaching UK airspace. This is the basis of QRA and is a duty that
has been maintained by the Royal Air Force on a 24/7 basis for decades. The Station will also see growth in the near
future as a fourth Typhoon squadron is formed here and 9 P8 Poseidon Maritime
Patrol Aircraft are based here.
Editor: Flt Lt Ian Smith
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