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RAF Typhoons fly over Petronas Towers

RAF Typhoon fighters deployed to Malaysia from Scotland made an iconic flypast over the Petronas Towers in the capital city Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

The Typhoons, from the RAF Lossiemouth based II (Army Cooperation) Squadron, are currently deployed to the Malaysian Air Force base at Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia as part of Exercise Bersama Lima, the annual Five Powers Defence Arrangements exercise.  The formation of four Typhoons flying in Box formation was led by Squadron Leader Roger Cruickshank.  

He added: “It has been a privilege to work so closely with the Malaysians, the huge amount of teamwork required to achieve this iconic flypast. The exercise itself has been a great way to showcase the excellent capabilities of the Typhoon and cement our cohesion with our allies.”  

The flypast was flown in trail with three Malaysian Hawks leading the way, showing the true Commonwealth bond between the two nations. During the 17-day exercise, the Typhoons flew a series of training sorties practicing a full range of air roles that tested the aircraft’s capability and its interoperability with partner nations.  An RAF Voyager aircraft was also deployed to Singapore to conduct air-to-air refuelling which allowed the Typhoons to significantly increase their endurance in the air.

“It was a real honour to be chosen to lead this formation and to be part of such a memorable event. With my time on II(AC) Sqn sadly drawing to a close, this deployment has been a fantastic way to finish.” 

Squadron Leader Roger Cruickshank

RAF Typhoon lead pilot

The Five Powers Defence Arrangements brings the militaries of Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom together in the region. The FPDA is, therefore, the cornerstone of the UK’s relationship with Malaysia and Singapore, and is a key regional defence arrangement.