Page 19 - issue17.05.2019

Royal Air Force News Friday, May 17, 2019 P18 Royal Air Force News Friday, May 17, 2019 P19

Feature Battling terrorism
THE FIGHT GOES ON The pilot

s a junior pilot on the Typhoon
ADetachment, Flt Lt Phil is currently flying
sorties every other day in his first operational
RAF role.
He said: “I love Typhoon, it’s brilliant.
THE FAKE caliphate has nowhere to go but RAF Typhoons continue to Fundamentally it’s got everything you want
hunt Islamist terrorists driven underground by British jets and their in an aircraft – loads of power, the wing can
coalition allies. carry loads and now we’ve got Brimstone and
In the summer of 2014 Daesh was barely an hour from the gates of Paveway IV we’ve got a different option, more
Baghdad, controlled an area of Syria and Iraq the size of the UK, and variation of things we can do for the guys that
imposed its barbarous ideology on seven million people. need us.”
By March 2019 Syrian Democratic Forces announced they had Phil joined the RAF in 2010 and said his ops
wrested the group’s last stronghold from its clutches. experience has been ‘everything I thought it
But as the recent release of a video message said to be from Daesh would be and a lot more’.
He said: “Being on Shader is the culmination
leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi reveals, it has now switched to insurgent of eight years of training to get out here and
tactics forming covert networks and is using the internet to plot go on combat operations. It’s fulfilling and it
attacks. has been good to see the fall of the caliphate.”
So RAF Typhoons continue to fly from Akrotiri on surveillance In March he was the pilot of one of the two
missions monitoring their movements. Typhoons that successfully destroyed a large
RAF News Features Editor TRACEY ALLEN was given exclusive truck bomb, on the last day of the caliphate
access to the personnel on OP SHADER operating on the frontline collapsing.
against Islamist terror. He said: “It all spun up very quickly that
night. It was my third night mission and it was
a difficult target. I only relaxed properly when
HE TEMPO of operations may we got to the ground.”
have changed recently from Op Shader He added: “We are tasked to a particular
Tkinetic sorties to an overwatch area on call, ready to go if something kicks
and intelligence-gathering role, but ● Started September 26, 2014 off. Although the caliphate has been destroyed
for the RAF personnel currently ● On December 2, 2015, UK there are insurgents in pockets of desert in
engaged on Operation Shader, based at government approved RAF Iraq and Syria.
Akrotiri, it’s still a busy environment. airstrikes against Daesh in Syria “The main difference between when the
Engineers work 12-hour shifts, caliphate was alive and kicking and now is
six days a week, to keep the Typhoon ● Since then the RAF has we always knew we were going to where the
Detachment’s six aircraft primed operated at its highest level in caliphate was. Now it’s more disparate, so we
for readiness to carry out whatever’s 25 years in a single theatre of have to be a bit more reactive.
required of them in theatre. Pilots operation “One of the things that struck me is the
continue to make daily sorties over Iraq ● As of June 2016, more than number of different nations taking part here,
and Syria. 1000 personnel engaged and the knowledge that you’re an important cog in
Typhoon Detachment Commander a far larger wheel. It’s a good feeling. There’s a
Wg Cdr ‘Rosie’ Lee, said: “We keep more than 2,200 sorties carried good working relationship between the other
out by the RAF
awareness of everything that’s out there, nations.”
report back and take action as necessary. ● Approximately 900 airstrikes He said: “Most Typhoon pilots are away
“Since we’ve been here the caliphate resulting in the death of nearly from home for six to seven months a year. It
has ended. Daesh territorially has been 1000 Daesh fighters can be quite hectic, but the mission we are
defeated, but we know that they’re not performing here is an important
defeated as an ideology and there are ● Shader is ongoing and also one and it’s a good feeling
plenty of people on the ground around involves the Army, Royal Navy to know I’ve played my
Syria and Iraq. and Special Forces part.
“We continue to help contain the “Keeping in touch
spread of that ideology, which reduces personnel. Some of them are on their with home is an
the threat to the UK from violent first operational deployment and some important part of
extremism.” are dealing with the challenges of being being away – a
He added: “We’re also here to support away from home for the first time. They text is always
our coalition partners and protect our have all done their bit to contribute nice, but I also
partner forces on the ground, who have towards a successful deployment in the like an old-
been engaged in the gritty fight against face of many challenges and they have school ‘bluey’
Daesh.” done it with a smile on their faces. I am for keeping in
ANOTHER SORTIE:
very proud of them.” Typhoon Force pilot touch, it’s good
ith the withdrawal of Tornado to get a letter.”
Wfrom service in March, Typhoon’s fficer Commanding 903 Photo: Cpl Tim Laurence
performance has had to step up, taking OExpeditionary Air Wing, Gp Capt
on the roles and capabilities of two Jonny Moreton, has overall responsibility
The engineers keeping the jets flying
The engineers keeping the jets flying
platforms. for the Typhoon Detachment with 1 Air
Now Typhoon has received the £500 Control Centre providing situational The engineers keeping the jets flying
million Project Centurion weapons and awareness for crews coming in and
software upgrade, Wg Cdr Lee described out of the operations area, a Hercules
the aircraft as ‘truly multi-role.’ detachment that provides air transport
He said: “What is most impressive to support missions, a Voyager vionics supervisor Cpl Adam they fly a lot longer on these missions. ircraft technician SAC(T) Allan, whose role eapons technician SAC Liam is on his
about that is that the Typhoon Force detachment providing the air-to-air Ahas been working on Typhoon We end up getting different sorts of Ainvolves handling the mechanical systems on Wsecond Shader tour. His job includes re-
has continued to deliver at such a high refuelling capability for Typhoon and a for five years. Like his colleagues, snags than we would at home which Typhoon, is on his first operational detachment. rolling weapons – fitting different weapons for
tempo without fail, whilst still taking on 70-strong Headquarters detachment. he is on a four-month detachment to has been interesting because we get He said: “It’s good being out here because the pilots different missions.
more. He said: “Day to day I oversee all the Akrotiri with Op Shader. involved in a lot more as a result. have been very helpful, they’ve taken us into their He said: “Last time was my first time out so
“But we must not think that just force elements to make sure they can He said: “I look after “To come out here and be part of the meteorological briefs and let us know what’s going on, it’s been a lot easier this time. It gets really
because we have integrated something smoothly deliver effect on operations, maintenance and repair team supporting operations is really and shown us some of the camera footage from jets busy sometimes.
new into the aircraft that the work is whatever that effect is.” everything on the aircraft good, the experience levels have gone so you get a sense of ‘I know what I’m doing here’. “There’s usually around four of us
done. We must continue to look forward He added: “F-35 is just around the that’s avionics based, through the roof, whether it be of You feel a part of a larger whole. working together and the camaraderie is
and think about how we can optimise corner – the previous Secretary of State including navigation, deployment or working on the aircraft. “It’s been a good experience so far. The days really high.
the platform to continue to meet the was very clear that F-35 would come to defensive aids and armament “It’s not great being away from home are long but before you know it you’ve done “It’s satisfying to think you’re part of
threats of the future.” Cyprus for its first overseas exercise, control. but the family support at my home several months – I don’t feel like I’ve been here a really important mission.
The Wg Cdr praised the contribution that’s in the planning stages. “It’s quite unique in the station is very good, special events for as long as I have, more than three months. “I joined the Air Force quite young so
of his team to the Shader mission. “Clearly the challenges F-35 will various things that go wrong are organised for families of deployed “And the food’s really nice – so I can’t am used to being away from the family
He said: “It’s been a whole team effort present when it arrives will add flavour with the aircraft here because personnel.” complain! ” now. I use Skype to keep in touch.”
from the engineers, pilots and support to my working day.”