The Royal Air Force has completed the most important training mission ever undertaken by its Typhoon Force.

Exercise Android Preference concluded at RAF Coningsby last week and forms a part of the qualified weapons instructor (QWI) course, that’s thought to be the top of qualifications for RAF aircrew.

RAF Coningsby Station Commander, Group Captain Johnny Stringer, explained:

“The QWI courses are where we fuse the physical, moral and conceptual components of air fighting power on the tactical level. We’re taking our brightest and best and making them one of the most capable and aware tactical operators they are often.”

What Android Preference allows us to do is not just to arrange them for the QWI operational phase, but additionally to reveal them to a few of the broader and better-level considerations and consequences in their tactical appreciation, planning and subsequent execution.

Over the two-week exercise a complete of 265 sorties were flown on 6 days in an exercise designed by Flight Lieutenant Andrew Tidmarsh, who said:

“For the primary time we’ve executed missions involving the total Typhoon Force which, together with other force elements, gives a true operational feel. The exercise challenges the complete spectrum of what Typhoon can do as a platform; not just fighting air-to-air, but in addition finding, fixing and prosecuting targets at the ground.”

Being fully swing-role, the Typhoon is ready to fight its thanks to the objective after which fight its way out again. This places a high training demand at the pilots who’ve to be extremely capable within the air-to-air role and the air-to-surface role and be capable to make timely tactical decisions to enable them to fulfil both in a high threat environment.

In the primary week of the exercise the one largest training mission Typhoon has ever undertaken as one complete force was executed.

A total of twenty-two Typhoons from 5 different squadrons took part in a combat search and rescue scenario that still included Tornado GR4s, United states of america Air Force (USAF) F-15 Eagles and Danish F-16s, in addition to support and attack helicopters.

Tactical air control and command was provided by an E-3D Sentry from RAF Waddington and #1 Air Control Centre, which deployed to RAF Coningsby from their home station at RAF Scampton.

Group Captain Stringer explained:

“The key involvement of one Air Control Centre and E-3D Sentry underlines the significance of air command and control, in addition to ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance), to the effective employment of contemporary combat air power.

“We’re also delighted and really grateful to have had the wonderful support of the Support Helicopter and Tornado GR4 Forces, 100 Squadron, the military Air Corps and our USAF and Danish colleagues.”

This variety and scope of exercise participants presented its own challenge for mission planning and execution as well as an exceptional opportunity for training large and various packages of aircraft. Each QWI student took it in turns to behave as a mission commander, a challenging role which requires individual tactical prowess and wider integration with the intention to succeed.

Flight Lieutenant Tidmarsh added:

“At one point there has been a 16 versus 20 air-to-air fight concurrent with ground serials including air interdiction, close air support and dynamic targeting. I can’t remember in my career the entire force attempting one defensive counter air mission that lasted a whole day.”

Founded on lasting and detailed mission designs and materials, the exercise will function a blueprint for future training involving different force elements.

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