RAF personnel currently deployed in the Middle East performed a land away and integration with the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) in Saudi Arabia.
On January 23, the RAF revealed that in the previous weeks, members of No 903 Expeditionary Air Wing, based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus deployed to Saudi Arabia. Two FGR4s worked with the RSAF Eurofighter Typhoons to practice the discipline of temporary deploying with the minimum footprint of people, aircraft and support equipment required to operate.
Integration with the RSAF Typhoons was also a focus for the two Typhoons and their crew. Supporting the Typhoons was a single C-130 Hercules and a A330 MRTT Voyager.
Ft Lt Davoren, 903 Expeditionary Air Wing Typhoon Detachment Commander said: “This short deployment provided a valuable training opportunity for the Typhoon Pilots and engineers, working alongside other nationalities is an important skill, given the importance of the relationship between the KSA and the UK, our ability as a Typhoon Squadron to deploy and operate with one of our most important allies is a key element of enhancing and deepening the ties between the RSAF and RAF.
"It also allows us as a Squadron at the tactical level to hone our ability to project and operate Typhoon at an unfamiliar location, thereby identifying valuable lessons regarding the footprint required to operate Typhoon at range concurrently with operational tasking.”
