Archiwum zagraniczne East News 2024-10

For the first time in nearly 15 years a Royal Navy fast jet squadron is operating from the flight deck of a Royal Navy aircraft carrier. F-35B Lightnings from the he 809 Naval Air Squadron and the RAF’s supporting RAF’s ‘Dambusters’ 617 Squadron joined HMS Prince of Wales in the North Sea for a month of training at the end of September 2024. The fifth-generation jets made the short flight from their base at RAF Marham to the vessel where, over the coming weeks, personnel will learn the art of operating from an aircraft carrier, while others who have been at sea before refresh their skills. The F-35Bs are supported by some 200 engineers, technicians, armourers, logistics and security experts, chefs, meteorologists among others, who joined the 65,000-tonne warship. Commander Nick Smith said it is a milestone moment ahead of a global deployment, Operation High Mast, next year. “This is a big moment for 809 Naval Air Squadron, a vital building block to working up with the carrier strike group in preparation for the deployment next year,” he explained. “To be the commanding officer of a squadron with such a proud heritage is a huge privilege. We are still in our infancy forming as an F-35B squadron, so joining a carrier for the first time is truly a milestone.” F-35 pilot Lieutenant Commander Armstrong said that while the Lightning was generations ahead of the Harrier which preceded it, operating it from a carrier remained a challenge. “It’s a common misconception that everything on an F-35 is automated,” he explained. “The aircraft will relieve you of a great deal of the workload. Landing is easier, but not easy. Imagine approaching, in the dark, 105ft above the ship, then moving across to set down on the deck.” Commander Smith added: “The fundamentals of operating F-35B at sea, compared to land – whether you are a pilot or an engineer – are broadly the same. It’s just that everything is much more challenging on a ship. It’s noisier, windier and much darker at night, while space is far more confined in every sense.” Despite having worked side-by-side with the Navy for four years on the F-35, the RAF’s Sergeant ‘Thorpy’ Thorpe has never been to sea before. He’s part of a team of six experienced non-commissioned officers/senior ratings responsible for the mechanical side of Lightning maintenance, and is looking forward to his time on HMS Prince of Wales as a foretaste of next year’s maiden operational deployment. “On paper eight months is a long time away, but if you look at the potential stops involved – places we in the air force wouldn’t normally visit,” he said. “I’ve worked alongside the Navy for four years now and while there are slightly different skills and trades, at the end of the day, we’re all working to the same, high, professional standard. “There’s some good banter – and that’s absolutely a good sign that we get on. We go out of our way to call the carrier a ‘boat’ and ask where it’s ‘parked’ to wind up sailors – who always like to remind us that they are the ‘senior service’.” The squadron will undergo intensive training over the next couple of weeks. Their pilots will earn their carrier qualifications and personnel will integrate with the ship’s company - and get their sea legs! Thereafter training moves up through the gears as HMS Prince of Wales is joined by escorts and support ships to form a carrier strike group for a fortnight-long exercise focused in the North Sea, Strike Warrior. Featuring: N/A Where: AT SEA, AT SEA, AT SEA Credit: UK MOD © Crown copyright 2024/Cover Images **EDITORIAL USE ONLY. MATERIALS ONLY TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH EDITORIAL STORY. THE USE OF THESE MATERIALS FOR ADVERTISING, MARKETING OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. MATERIAL COPYRIGHT REMAINS WITH STATED SUPPLIER.**