Another St Ivian
21st Feb 2003, 07:15
Does anyone have an approximate timeline for the roll-out of the Typhoon, i.e. which aircraft going to which stations, OCU's, Sqn's, etc?
Thanks in advance for any help,
A.S.I.
Archimedes
21st Feb 2003, 13:47
The date could be any time this century the way things are (allegedly) going - I think the RAF web site says 2005 for operational aircraft, with the OEU standing up this year.
The OEU is 17(R) Squadron
The OCU will be 29 (R) Squadron
Typhoons will be based a Coningsby, Leeming and Leuchars. All of this is on the RAF web site.
The following is conjecture based on (I hope) common sense.
7 squadrons are planned in addition to those above. You can, therefore, perm any 7 from 5, 6, 11, 16, 25, 41, 43, 54, 56 & 111 and throw in the old favourites of 19, 74, 92 and 208 as outside possibilities. There is a completely unsubtantiated rumour that 5 is the favourite for the ASTOR unit numberplate.
On top of that, one of the Harrier GR 7 units was slated to disband when the FAA join the fun at Cottesmore (giving 2 RAF and 2 RN Harrier units), which means that if this still holds true, one out of the 1, 3 and 4 squadron numberplates will be free. Since the usual method of applying numberplates to squadrons is done by seniority of available numberplate, the disbanded Harrier unit would be in with a shout of reappearing as a Typhoon unit.
All the above depends upon when extant units disband with their current types - for instance, if there are any F3 units still extant (and the last lot of info in the public domain suggested that there would be) by the time that the last Typhoon unit has formed, then they would disband without reappearing on the new type.
Put another way, we can make some educated guesses about the numberplates, but nothing is certain until the cunning plan giving the timing and order of the draw-down of the Jag and F3 units is revealed to the world...