ROYAL Air Force F-35 Lightning jets have passed another significant milestone by conducting their first exercise with UK based American F-15s and French Air Force Rafales, over the skies of East Anglia and the North Sea.
The 617 Squadron jets joined over forty other aircraft from the RAF, the United States Air Force and the French Air Force on Exercise Point Blank. This exercise was a first both for the F35s and the French Air Force and gave an opportunity for the three air forces to work together in a peer to peer scenario.
For the pilots of the F-35s the exercise gave an opportunity to continue to develop procedures to integrate 4th and 5th generation fighter aircraft. The exercise also aimed to improve the operational capability within the established tri lateral framework of RAF, USAF, French Air Force cooperation.
Explaining the significance of the exercise.
“The first point of an air force is to be able to defend the country so you have to recognise the threats out there.
"We can see the environment is changing, we can see the challenge that Russia is giving to the international rules-based order so we are the insurance policy and we are recognising that through the scenario that we’ve got, the non-permissive environment, and our ability to operate with our allies, the French and the Americans, is paramount.
"It really is a case of us staying ready so that we can be used if we’re needed, It’s a great insurance policy.”
Air Commodore Jez Attridge
RAF Joint Force Air Component Commander
The United States Air Force and French Air Force jets have been operating from RAF Lakenheath the home of the US Air Force’s 48th Fighter Wing for the exercise. The US F-15s and French Rafale fighter jets in addition to the F-35s joined RAF Typhoon, Hawk and Voyager aircraft to simulate air to air and air to ground conflict. The RAF also deployed simulated air defence systems to test the pilots during the exercise.
“This particular exercise is different to any ones that we’ve done previously because of the threats that are out there. It’s the first time we’ve done a peer exercise and that we’ve worked alongside French and US partners.”
Wing Commander John “Butch” Butcher
Officer commanding 617 squadron
Explaining the importance of the exercise for 617 Squadron RAF, Wg Cdr Butcher added. “things are progressing well” with the aim of declaring initial operating capability for the F-35s by the end of the year.
