RAF & Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) Hawk training squadron established at RAF Leeming
 

Big news out of RAFHQ tonight,

New joint squadron with the Qatar Air Force at Leeming, training on the T2's!

https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles...EOcxGyXMDdh2Bc

Not really big news. It was announced last October. The only question was whether it would be Valley or Leeming. Which isn’t much of a question.

Saw this too....

https://uk.work180.co/job/222891/hawk-ip

I wonder if 72sqn woes are about to get a little worse.

Any idea if the new unit is likely to carry a number plate, if so what is the front runner?

I hear it will be a QEAF numberplate - 11 Squadron.

The RAF News article states: "...deliver Advanced Jet Training (AJT) to QEAF and RAF pilots".

Is this an admission that MFTS, at least at the AJT level, has failed?

I don't know what the manning requirements are for this new Sqn but, rather than 72 Sqn, would it not be 25/4 that could be losing some manpower? Or a cross-over opportunity for 100 Sqn aircrew?

From Lightning squadron to Lightning II training squadron. Or perhaps LTF?

Will some more enlightened person appraise me of just how training the Qatari Airforce fits in with the country's relationship with Iran or does money talk as usual.?

Will tactics be covered and whose?

IG

Why would you train your pilots in a climate and terrain which has no comparison to the area where they will be serving.

more space, facilities in place

The UK sends pilots to train in the USA on F-35's = same idea

It’s called Defence Diplomacy. We have been training Qatari pilots since at least the early 1980s. Any influence that can be exerted on their govt is a good thing, as is exposure of their young officers to our values and way of life. It also provides a possible 3rd party route for persuading Iran to behave. I don’t see anything wrong in that.

Don’t know what tactics are being taught, but I will confess to teaching Iraqis to fly S&L every 5 mins on the basis that it could make someone’s shot easier in the future. Shame on me.

Slightly different as it doesn't matter where a simulator is based. It can replicate UK weather, arctic conditions or dusty mountain terrain. It just happens that on the rare occasion a real jet gets strapped to their backsides it is a nice hot sunny day.

;-)

So no immediate return for V(AC) which (having disbanded on Wednesday) now heads the queue as the senior dormant squadron, followed by 43 and 111.

Should think 100 will be busy enough assuming the following Navy Command FOI reponse from January is still correct. I suppose they could provide opposition for the new squadron's students doing ACT late in their courses?

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/reque...coming-1707958

BAE, Morsons etc have been recruiting for a while - job start date of 1st August 2021 - for the new Hawk Training Contract. The BAE Application form had a tick box for Leeming, ie would you be interested in a temp/permanent job at RAF Leeming.

BAE site for Qatar is bsl-qatar.qa

Teej...

The Tornado RTP hangar is vacant and should make a nice home for them.

The RAF and the RN train their Lightning pilots on 207 Squadron at Marham.