Royal Air Force (RAF)

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No 12 Squadron: the joint British-Qatari Typhoon training unit

No 12 Squadron – the joint British-Qatari Typhoon training unit – ended 2021 in the Middle East. Key.Aero looks back at the squadron’s recent history and its participation in Exercises Magic Carpet and Fox Defender

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The story behind 56 Squadron's ‘Firebirds’

Equipped with nine ground-shaking English Electric Lightnings, ‘The Firebirds’ of 56 Squadron were one of the RAF’s most revered aerobatic teams of all time. Hugh Trevor recalls their halcyon days

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Falklands ‘Black Buck 1’ Victor pilot recounts operation

There will never be another bombing raid like ‘Black Buck 1’, when some of the remaining ‘V-Force’ — Vulcan XM607, supported by a horde of Victor tankers — took the Falklands fight to the Argentineans. The lead Victor pilot, Bob Tuxford AFC, recounts the gripping tale

No 23 Squadron Phantom FGR2 at Stanley Feature Premium

Defending the Falklands with RAF Phantom FGR2s

The presence of RAF Phantom FGR2s first on Ascension and then the Falkland Islands themselves provided a potent air defence capability — and some memorable flying for their crews

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An inside look at Britten-Norman

Martin Needham goes behind the scenes with the Britten-Norman team in Hampshire

Russian 'Bear' cockpit video shows RAF Typhoon intercept

Incredible in-cockpit footage released by Russia's MOD shows RAF Typhoons shadowing Russian 'Bears'.

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The reinstating of the Women’s Royal Air Force

The rebirth of the Women’s Royal Air Force took place on 1st Feb 1949. Key.Aero delves into the story of the female aviators and their journey to equality with the RAF

RAF's 4 Squadron - how we learned to look after the Avro Rota autogyro

For an airman on No 4 Squadron, learning to look after the Avro Rota autogyro was not the most tantalising prospect — but it certainly made the summer of 1935 an interesting one

RAF Typhoon with Litening pod News Premium

Litening V pod nears entry to RAF squadron service

The Litening V advanced targeting pod designed by Israel’s Rafael is about to enter squadron service with the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4s of the UK Royal Air Force

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RAF retires BAe 146 to IWM Duxford

The RAF has begun retiring its four British Aerospace BAe 146s, leaving the BAE Systems Hawk as the force's sole remaining British-designed and built type