British Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoons fighter aircraft have conducted training sorties with US B-1B Lancer bomber aircraft over the North Sea.
A long-range training sortie was conducted by the US Air Force (USAF) B-1B Lancer bombers from their home base at Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB), South Dakota, US.
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The RAF aircraft based at Lossiemouth, Waddington and Brize Norton escorted the US-based 28th Bomb Wing aircraft. Other Nato and allied nations also participated in the training.
During the flight, the US bombers were escorted over the North Sea by RAF Typhoons towards the Baltic region. There, the escort was handed over to Swedish Gripen fighter jets.
The flight across the North Sea was joined by a US KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refueling Wing based at RAF Mildenhall, a KDC-10 from the 334th Squadron, based at RNLAF Eindhoven AFB and an RAF Voyager from RAF Brize Norton.
The aircraft performed air-to-air refuelling during the training.
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By GlobalDataAt the same time, an RAF E-3D Sentry aircraft flying from RAF Waddington was airborne.
The mission was coordinated by personnel on board the Sentry, while the RAF and Nato aircraft flew over the North Sea.
The US B-1Bs flew over Sweden to conduct integrated training with Swedish Gripen fighters and perform close-air support training with Swedish Joint Terminal Attack Controller ground teams.
Upon departure from Swedish airspace, the B-1Bs were joined by Norwegian F-35As. The aircrafts conducted a low-approach over Ørland Air Station in Norway.
RAF Air Officer Commanding 11 Group Air Vice-Marshal Ian Duguid said: “Working closely with the US and other Nato nations helps build a collective capability within Nato that enhances our level of interoperability.
“These missions also offer a unique opportunity to test and refine the complex network of Air Command and Control, Intelligence and Space based operations that are essential to delivering front line RAF capabilities.”
