Originally Posted by
BVRAAM
What will be the exact role of the newly formed 12(B) Sqn and soon to be formed IX Squadron at Coningsby and Lossie, respectively?
I read on Faceache just now that apparently they are both going to be Red Air Squadrons, with 12 having the additional commitment of providing support to the Qataris while they get established with the Typhoon.
When SDSR15 was published, and it was announced that Tranche 1 Typhoons would be retained for air defence, I was under the impression this would be for QRA purposes, since they don't possess any A-G kit that I know of.
I don't remember reading they would be used as Red Air assets for the Typhoon frontline.
Will they be deployable or are they home commitment only?
RP is correct about the T1 Typhoons. Regards your other Q's I'd say the situation regards numbers of additional Typhoon squadrons and the role(s) of each of those sqn's is still "fluid". For example there has been talk of
3 additional Typhoon sqn's - the two Red Air / QRA sqns (IX + 1) as well as 12 Sqn (Qatar), however that seems to have been scaled back more recently to being just IX (Lossie) and 12 (Coningsby), with 12 being a joint RAF/Qatar unit, in the early days at least.
I'm not "in the know" at all, but I'd imagine the current levels of overall manning, Typhoon Force manning and the training pipeline issues will all be impacting how quickly these additional sqns stand up (or if at all in the case of the 3rd Sqn), though on a positive note IX is clearly forming at Lossie as jets have been noted in the Sqn markings.