POTENTIAL THREAT
APPROACHES UK AIRSPACE
A rogue aircraft approaches UK airspace
The primary role for the RAF is to protect the skies of the United Kingdom
The primary role for the RAF is to protect the skies of the United Kingdom
Discover how different RAF personnel, stations and aircraft work together to meet a potential threat to the UK.
A rogue aircraft approaches UK airspace
We're using ground-based military and civilian radars to monitor, detect and identify all aircraft in and around UK airspace, 24/7, 365 days a year. We call this the Recognised Air Picture (RAP).
Using information from radar sites across the UK and from civilian air traffic and intelligence agency, the surveillance team in the Control Reporting Centre (CRC) at RAF Boulmer identify and share the Recognised Air Picture (RAP) with the National Air and Space Operations Centre (NASOC) at RAF Air Command in High Wycombe.
The NASOC decide that the threat is sufficient to scramble Typhoon jets and pass the order to the CRC at RAF Boulmer.
The CRC have direct contact with the pilots at RAF Lossiemouth and pass on the scramble message.
Pilots at RAF Coningsby are ordered to standby in the cockpits of their Typhoons.
We have pilots and engineers on constant alert, for every minute of every day, ready to swiftly launch armed aircraft to defend the UK's interests
FLIGHT LIEUTENANT ANDY
RAF air traffic controllers at Swanwick (78 Squadron) work with their civilian counterparts to ensure the Typhoons can follow the most direct route to their target.
They are embedded within the Swanwick Centre run by NATS, the UK’s main civil air services provider.
RAF Aerospace Systems Operators at RAF High Wycombe and Air Traffic Controllers at Swanwick (78 Squadron) continuously coordinate the response with the scrambled Typhoon pilots.
An RAF Voyager with air-to-air refuelling capability is put on standby at RAF Brize Norton.
Typhoons can be refuelled in mid-air to extend their range and endurance.
The RAF Typhoons interrupt the rogue aircraft close to UK airspace and escort it north, out of the UK's area of interest.
Once the threat goes the Typhoons are ordered to return to RAF Lossiemouth.
Find out more about the roles that it takes to provide the UK's QRA defence: