Three RAF Typhoons have taken part in this year's Qatar National Day fly past in the Nation's capital, Doha.
The aircraft, flown and maintained by 29 Squadron, based at RAF Coningsby, flew as guests of the Qatar Amiri Air Force (QAAF) alongside the French and American aircraft in the multinational display. In the preceding days, 29 squadron operated alongside their QAAF colleagues, who fly the Dassualt Mirage 2000.
"it's awesome when you get to do things like this. It's been really good to work alongside the QAAF and show them what the Typhoon can do."
RAF Typhoon Pilot
Taking part in the fly past was an opportunity to strengthen UK relations with the nation ahead of the creation of a joint Typhoon training squadron in 2019. The integration required to take part in a multinational, multi-aircraft fly past with four countries taking part shows a continuing effort to improve relations with other nations and improve regional security in the Gulf.
Earlier this year, it was announced that the QAAF would buy both Typhoon fighters and Hawk T2 trainers, built in the UK by BAE Systems, and that 12 Squadron as a joint RAF/QAAF training squadron would operate from RAF Coningsby to train the first QAAF Typhoon air and ground crews. This marks the first time the UK has formed a squadron with another nation since the Second World War, and the UK's commitment to improving security in the Gulf region. Broadening the user base for Typhoon also aids in the continuous improvement program for the aircraft, making sure that it remains a world class platform.