Saturday, October 17th 2009 - 05:30 UTC

Falklands’ confirmed as first overseas deployment for Typhoons

The first UK Typhoons to be deployed overseas have reached the Falkland Islands having flown from RAF Coningsby in Britain. They will take over Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duties from Tornado F3s that will return to Britain later this year.

A Typhoon lands in the South Atlantic Islands

Sqn Ldr Rich Wells and Flt Lt James Bolton made RAF history by flying the state-of-the-art high tech jets for 18 hours from the UK to the Mount Pleasant Complex (MPC), stopping off at Ascension Island located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

During the trip the pair were accompanied by air-to-air refuelling tankers (VC10s and Tristar), and as they flew into Mount Pleasant they were joined by two F3s from 1435 Flt and a Hercules.

Sqn Ldr Rich Wells, the first to land, said: “I think both of us are incredibly proud especially as it was a Typhoon first.”

Two more Typhoons are expected to join the first two, to take over from the four Tornados of 111 Sqn based at RAF Leuchars.The Tornado F3 fleet is to be taken out of service in 2011. They have been in service in the Falklands for 17 years.

A Typhoon advance party was flown into the Falklands prior to the aircraft’s arrival and engineers drawn from the Typhoon Squadrons at RAF Coningsby are also now at the MPC ready to look after the aircraft.

The Typhoon has now taken on the QRA duties for the British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI) and police the skies above the Falkland Islands.

Officer Commanding 905 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) Wing Commander Dick Knight said: “The challenges have been making sure we have got it right for when Typhoon arrived. We will find out whether we have done that in the next few months. There has been a lot of planning in getting Typhoon down here, and the crews from Coningsby, and working through that process. It is basically four aircraft in and four out. We hope to get through the transitional process as quickly as possible”.

He added that “the RAF prides itself on getting to a location, setting up rapidly and flying in an expeditionary nature”.

The Eurofighter Typhoon has entered service with the air forces from UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and Saudi Arabia.

Published in: Politics, Falkland Islands.

13 comments Feed

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1 Red (#) Oct 17th, 2009 - 08:05 pm Report abuse
^^ What like the Belgrano?
2 jorge (#) Oct 17th, 2009 - 11:22 pm Report abuse
Yeah like the belgrano. Thypoons are an insult for all south american countries.
3 Stevie P (#) Oct 18th, 2009 - 08:09 am Report abuse
The irony is that had Argentina not invaded the Falklands in '82 these planes and the rest of the UK military presence in the Falklands Islands wouldn't be necessary. Jorge, if you're looking for someone to blame, suggest you look at Argentinian state policy towards the Falklands over the past 30 odd years.
4 Philippe (#) Oct 19th, 2009 - 02:44 am Report abuse
An excellent deterrent against Argentinian brigandage!
5 Justin Kuntz (#) Oct 19th, 2009 - 04:33 am Report abuse
Philippe, I think you meant piracy. As Stevie points out there was no British military presence prior to Argentine aggression, had it never happened they wouldn't be there.

I see Jorge's mask has slipped again, the bigoted racist is peeping out again.
6 jorge (#) Oct 19th, 2009 - 10:55 am Report abuse
J.K.: Don't bother me. You are the only racist.
And aggressive.

Stevie P: After the war, argentine state policy is fine. 27 years or even 50 are nothing in the history of a country. We can wait, there is allways a second chance.
Cheers
7 welkin (#) Oct 19th, 2009 - 12:04 pm Report abuse
you are right, the risk is the second chance. It will be different, in 82 the target was the land because malvinas don´t have economy. The only possibility to negotiate was disembarking, that´s what we ask for that 2ºapril, negotiation.

Now target is sea. We only need to create an excercise of war in the region with no action so the fish fleets flee for this year, sabotage in an oil rig, no cruices for that season, british taxpayers wasting $1000millons of their precious money for nothing to move their military muscle. At that moment we will ask again, negotiation?

I hope that before rationality arrives.
8 J.A. Roberts (#) Oct 19th, 2009 - 04:05 pm Report abuse
In your dreams Welkin. Everyone knows the Argentine forces rely mostly on the same kit they had in 1982. British military equipment however has moved on about 25 odd years.
9 Islander (#) Oct 19th, 2009 - 08:18 pm Report abuse
J.A, you are correct, for Arg to try anything military offshore would be suicidal to them and destroy their international reputation overnight.Even though they do have a few new ships.Luckily there is good long range surveillance and a direct military hotline from here to there. I ceretainly dont remember any attempt at negotiation on 2nd April - it was straight forward total military takeover and we civilians were simply told to comply with their Arg military law - or risk being shot- no discussion! Cruise vessels - there was some talk a couple of years ago about making“difficultiues” for port entrance permits for big cruise ships that came here and then went to argentina- I remember some big companies hinted that they would in that case probably come here but drop Arg. ports off their programme - the threat was then dropped! Economic warfare does not really work - anywhere in the world - it damages us a bit yes, but it also makes us annoyed and that is why the argentine Govt of 2009 is seen by us as exactly the same as the Govt of 1982. But I think Welkin and I agree that as there is stalemate perhaps a new diplomatic intitiative of a different type is needed to try and get around the sovereignty issue in a way that neither side looses and we the islanders achieve what we want in the end.
10 Justin Kuntz (#) Oct 20th, 2009 - 03:54 am Report abuse
Jorge, you're the only person here judging people on the basis of race. I judge you on your actions.
11 khh (#) Oct 21st, 2009 - 12:45 am Report abuse
like to see how the crap skyhawks & mirages would do against them. no contest I bet.
12 Reg (#) Oct 22nd, 2009 - 03:29 am Report abuse
Jorge (and all other Argentinians)
The Argentine claim to the Falklands is weak at best. More importantly, the people living there do NOT want to be absorbed by Argentina! Those folks have a right to self-determination and are doing a pretty good job of it for such a small population. Why dont you just leave the Falkland Islanders alone and try to get along. Haven't enough brave Argentines and British perished needlessly over this? Find the nobler path of peace and let the courageous Falklanders find their own way in the world... indeed, wish them well...afterall, they've been living there, in relative isolation, for many generations.
13 jorge (#) Oct 22nd, 2009 - 11:32 pm Report abuse
“The Argentine claim to the Falklands is weak at best. More importantly, the people living there do NOT want to be absorbed by Argentina!”ng new to say????

J.K., you can't judge on actions. We only comments here.
Cheers

Reg, Do you have somethi

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