Page 9 - Air Forces Monthly - September 2017

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Typhoon Maritime patrol squadrons named Service life
intercepts extension

Black Sea for Hercules
Backfi res THE UK Ministry of
Defence (MOD) has
AN RAF Typhoon FGR4 announced a service
life extension for the
has intercepted two RAF’s C-130J Hercules
Russian Aerospace fleet. The programme
Forces Tu-22M-3 will include a structural
bombers over the upgrade and will
western Black Sea. keep the airlifters in
The Typhoon was service until 2035.
scrambled on July 25. The £110m contract
The Backfires were announced on July
heading south near 14 includes replacing
NATO airspace over the centre wingboxes
the Black Sea. The on its 14 Hercules C4
bombers were tracked Above: RAF personnel currently in the Seedcorn programme were at RAF Lossiemouth on July (C-130J-30) aircraft.
as they departed south 17 for the presentation of the No 120 Squadron patch to the new commanding offi cer, Wg Cdr Marshall Aerospace
but the jets did not James Hanson (centre). Crown Copyright and Defence Group will
come within visual UK DEFENCE Secretary Sir to stand up in April 2018 area surveillance role. undertake the work at
range of each other. Michael Fallon announced under the command of The RAF Sentinel fleet Cambridge Airport.
Typhoons from No 3 the identities of the RAF’s Wg Cdr James Hanson. of No V(AC) Squadron is According to Marshall:
(Fighter) Squadron are two frontline Boeing P-8A The first of nine P-8s planned for retirement “The [replacement]
currently deployed at Poseidon units during will arrive in the UK in in 2021. Parliamentary units provide durability
Mihail Kogălniceanu, an address at the Air 2020. No 201 Squadron Under-Secretary of State enhancements and
Romania, as part of Power Conference 2017 in will form in 2021. for Defence Harriet allow sustained centre-
the NATO Enhanced Air London on July 13. These In related news, the Baldwin revealed on wing service life that
Policing (eAP) mission will be Nos 120 and 201 MOD is examining the July 11 that the P-8 is two to three times
(see also Black Sea Squadrons, both based Poseidon as a candidate is one of the options longer than the original
defenders, p68-70). at RAF Lossiemouth, to replace the Sentinel currently being studied centre wingboxes.”
Scotland. The first is due R1 in the overland wide- for the requirement.

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