ROYAL AIR FORCE TRAINS ALONGSIDE ROYAL NAVY OVER THE
BLACK SEA
Typhoon
aircraft from the Royal Air Force currently based, in Eastern Romania have
been testing the air defence capabilities of HMS Duncan, a Royal Navy Type 45
destroyer which is leading the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 in the Black Sea.
The Four
Typhoons from 3(F) Squadron were tasked to test the capability of HMS Duncan in
controlling air defence and anti-surface warfare. During the exercise the ship’s crew had the
opportunity to control some of the jets to defend the destroyer from air attack
and at the same time practice launching an air attack on other surface ships.
HMS
Duncan’s Senior Warfare Officer Lt Cdr Michael Waters said: “Opportunities for
Type 45 to work with the RAF Typhoons are few and far between, even in the UK.
The chance to operate with 135 EAW, and for HMS Duncan to control live aircraft
in the execution of both Air-Air and Air-Surface missions was invaluable and
proved our interoperability while both were tasked to NATO in the Black
Sea.”
Flight
Lieutenant Brett Fusco, from 3(F) Squadron, co-ordinated 135 EAW’s participation
and who flew during the exercise explained what happened. He said: “There were
two elements, their fighter controllers on board practiced controlling us
against an air threat while one of us was acting as the threat and two of us
were on Combat Air Patrol protecting the ship.
“The other
element was conducting Anti Surface Forces Air Operations (ASFAOs) using the fourth
jet. For Duncan it was a chance for them to concurrently have different
elements of their crew defending against an air threat whilst controlling an anti-surface
operation.”
Following the
conclusion of the exercise there was an opportunity for an exchange with 18 RAF
personnel visiting HMS Duncan for a tour of the ship and 15 RN personnel being
hosted at MK Air base.
Flt Lt Gemma
Bean, the 135 EAW Detachment Administrative Officer said: “It was really
interesting. It was the first time I’ve ever been on a RN ship. Just to see how
their lifestyle compares to ours was eye-opening. We saw everything from
their helicopter, the operations centre to the bridge and the weapons systems.”
She reflected on the similarities of
operations, adding: “They are also on NATO ops. It was interesting to see how
they conduct theirs working with different nations, liaising with host nations
and how everything fits together as a NATO package.”
Petty
Officer Tim Rumble, from HMS Duncan said: “It was great to have the
opportunity to visit an Expeditionary Air Wing deployed with NATO and offered a
fascinating insight into the way our RAF colleagues operate. I particularly enjoyed
seeing the aircraft up close as well as the unique facilities at MK
Airbase.”
The RAF has deployed 135 Expeditionary
Air Wing, from RAF Leeming with four Typhoon aircraft, from RAF Coningsby, to
western Romania until the end of August as part of a four-month NATO mission to
enhance air policing. At the same time the Portsmouth-based Type 45 Destroyer,
HMS Duncan has been tasked in the Black Sea leading the Standing NATO Maritime
Group 2, providing reassurance and deterrence in the Black Sea, as well as
commanding NATO’s counter migration activity in the Aegean.
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