Last month, 903 Expeditionary Air Wing personnel based at RAF Akrotiri deployed to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to rehearse their ability to operate away from home units and working with the Royal Saudi Air Force. Exercises of this nature allow the RAF to temporarily deploy with the minimum footprint of people, equipment, and aircraft at very short notice and undertake vital training alongside partner nations.
The deployment consisted of a small number of engineers, two Typhoon FGR4s, a C-130 Hercules, and was supported by a Voyager air-to-air refueller. The collaboration between the RAF and Royal Saudi Air Force provides the opportunity for both forces to train with 4th generation fighter aircraft and demonstrates the UKs enduring commitment to the security and partnership of the region.
“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 Royal Saudi Air Force 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,” said Flight Lieutenant Davoren, 903 Expeditionary Air Wing Typhoon Detachment Commander.
