Past Missions Summaries

Question 1

Austral Endurance

Aircraft / Purpose / Additional aspect

Answer 1

Hercules
Resupply flights to British Antarctic Survey forward base
Good training opportunity for crew, challenging environment

Question 2

Operation Azotize

Aircraft / Purpose / Bigger picture

Answer 2

RAF Typhoons & Spanish Hornets
Providing QRA during a routine NATO Air Policing deployment
Part of wider air policing mission

Question 3

Exercise Lightning Dawn

Aircraft / Purpose

Answer 3

New Lightning aircraft
First overseas exercise to gain experience in a new environment. Training in logistics, maintenance, crew and care of equipment.

Question 4

Operation Ruma

Purpose / Bigger picture

Answer 4

Delivering aid after Hurricane Irma.

UK’s biggest military and civilian operation since 2011.

Question 5

Exercise Bersama Lima

Aircraft / Context / Purpose

Answer 5

6 Typhoon jets, 1 Voyager, 200 personnel
Annual Five Powers Defence Arrangements exercise.
To develop joint training, interoperability and understanding.

Question 6

Operation Magic Carpet

Aircraft / Purpose

Answer 6

6 Typhoons & 1 Voyager

Building enduring cooperation between Omani Airforce and RAF.

Question 7

NATO’s Air Policing Mission

Aircraft / Purpose / Extra info

Answer 7

4 Typhoons, 129 personnel (regular and reserve)

Providing QRA

Question 8

Operation Trenton

Purpose

Answer 8

RAF medics (30) running a field hospital for UN military & civilian personnel.

Question 9

Exercise Point Blank

Aircraft / Purpose

Answer 9

20 Typhoons (at Coningsby & Lossiemouth)
Quarterly training event held in UK, joint with US Air Force.

Question 10

Exercise Red Flag

Aircraft / Purpose

Answer 10

Typhoons, Rivet Joint, Sentry, Sentinel
Challenging war fighting training with US Armed Forces and Royal Australian Air Force. Unrivalled level of training, scenarios to reflect current issues NATO faces.

Question 11

Arctic Challenge Exercise

Aircraft / Purpose / Context / Attending countries

Answer 11

5 Typhoons, 1 Hercules, 1 Voyager, 155 personnel
To build collective security. Tested in threat evasion tactics, aerial resupply, search & rescue, air-to-air refuelling.
Training in one of Europe’s largest air power exercises; 140 aircraft, 4,000 troops.
Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, USA, UK.