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Post by andypspotter on Apr 11, 2016 20:55:32 GMT
The following USAF F-22s arrived during the afternoon (11/4/16):
04-4081 / TY (05-4095) / TY (95FS) 05-4101 / TY 05-4106 / TY
En-route to France. No sure if they have night-stopped, or were on a QTR.
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Post by andypspotter on Apr 13, 2016 8:18:22 GMT
A further batch of F-22s appear to have arrived yesterday (12/4) tea-time. They are:
04-4072 / TY 04-4080 / TY 05-4094 / TY 05-4107 / TY
There are even rumours that a further four are due tomorrow (Thu 14/4).
Adola, yet another visit or two on the cards? You might as well rent a house there!
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Post by andypspotter on Apr 13, 2016 14:01:32 GMT
And from CNN -
The U.S. Air Force has deployed its top-of-the-line F-22 fighters to Europe for the second time in a year in a show of commitment to NATO allies, the U.S. European Command announced Monday.
F-22 Raptors from 95th Fighter Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base in the Florida panhandle arrived at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in England on Monday for a deployment that will last into next month, the command said in a statement.
The Raptors also will visit other NATO bases in Europe in "to maximize training opportunities, affirm enduring commitments to NATO allies, and deter any actions that destabilize regional security," the statement said.
It is the second deployment for Raptors from Tyndall to Europe in the past nine months. Last August, the twin-engine jets, which cost about $143 million each, were sent to Germany.
The stealthy F-22s, which Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welch III has called the service's "best air-to-air capability," became operational in 2005 but only saw their first combat in attacks on ISIS positions in Syria in 2014. Besides attacking other aircraft, they can be configured to bomb ground targets.
The deployment of the Raptors is the second noteworthy deployment of U.S. fighter jets to Europe in the past two weeks. On April 1, the Air Force sent 12 F-15Cs to Iceland and the Netherlands.
And next month, F-15s will deploy to Finland as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which the United States initiated in 2014 to reassure NATO allies after Russian military intervention in Ukraine.
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Post by andypspotter on Apr 14, 2016 13:32:18 GMT
... Even the Telegraph have got in on the act. Furthermore, they suggest a dozen should be coming.
RAF jets to face US F-22 stealth fighters in mock battles over UK
RAF jets will battle American stealth fighters in mock dogfights over Britain for the first time in the coming days.
British Typhoon fighters will take part in air-to-air combat drills against United States Air Force F-22 Raptor jets.
The contests will be the first time the aircraft have gone head-to-head in UK skies, RAF sources said.
A dozen F-22s arrived at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk earlier this week (?) and are due to stay for practice missions with the RAF until the start of next month.
An RAF source said the allies were likely to fight scenarios at both close visual range, where he said the Typhoon might have the edge, and at longer range where the F-22’s stealth was likely to help it triumph.
He said: “What you can’t see, you can’t shoot.
“This isn’t the Battle of Britain, shouting ‘Tally Ho!’, getting behind someone and giving them all guns.
“We are launching missiles from 25 to 30 miles away and flying at supersonic speeds.
“In terms of long range war, I would suggest the F-22 would have the edge. In terms of a pure dogfight, turning and burning, I think the Typhoon would certainly hold its own. It’s two very different fights.”
Typhoons have met F-22 fighters in training exercises in the US before.
After the exercise, the fighters from the US Air Force 95th Fighter Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base are expected to head to the continent as America tries to reassure Nato allies worried of Russian aggression.
Similar exercises with the Indian Air Force over Lincolnshire last year sparked controversy after the Indian pilots claimed they had comprehensively beaten their British adversaries.
The Indians flying Sukhoi Su-30MKI claimed a humiliating 12-0 victory over the RAF Typhoons. The RAF said the Indian boasts bore “no relation to the results of the tactical scenarios completed on the exercise in any shape or form”.
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Post by adola68 on Apr 14, 2016 15:12:08 GMT
I believe today's deployment of F22s (nos 9-12!) has been postponed until Saturday. Unfortunately I'm tied up with other things now until next week so my next visit won't be before Monday. Allegedly they're all staying til mid-May.
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Post by Dylan on Apr 14, 2016 18:46:48 GMT
Evening all, Just read on BBC Suffolk's Facebook page that they're here for another month as well. Dylan
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Post by andypspotter on Apr 14, 2016 21:46:16 GMT
... and then there's Obama's visit to the UK next week, which will probably bring additional traffic to Mildenhall, possibly as early as this weekend.
Busy, busy busy!
Just a shame I can't make it to Leeming for the French and Lossiemouth for Joint Warrior.
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Post by andypspotter on Apr 16, 2016 18:55:23 GMT
It seems today's (Sat 16/4) appearance of a further four F-22s, this time from from Langley AFB, has been put back until tomorrow afternoon (Sun 17/4). Given the stuff here and at Mildenhall, I can definitely feel a trip coming on!
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Post by Dylan on Apr 17, 2016 15:22:16 GMT
A USAF C-17 arrived at Northolt earlier (has since departed however - pictures in the Northolt Facebook group) and unloaded at least one VH-60, if not 2. I'm not sure where it/they will be staying, however there's apparently 2 VH-3's at Mildenhall as well so they may go and join them. We shall see!
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Post by andypspotter on Apr 17, 2016 21:55:07 GMT
Arriving at Lakenheath at 16:30 today (Sun 17/4) were a further four F-22s in the shape of:
05-084/'TY' 05-086/'TY' 05-089/'TY' 05-091/'TY'
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Post by graham on Apr 29, 2016 6:12:45 GMT
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