RAF jets shoot down 53 drones in missile wargames as the Russians have gained in Ukraine.
RAF Pilots Fired at Simulated UAVs
An interesting video taken last month at the Hebrides Air Weapon Ranges in Scotland during one of their mass firings over the water showed missiles being fired from the planes and soaring into the sky, reported The Sun.
The games were created to assist pilots and weapons crews build confidence by using infrared-guided missiles as well as provide them with the encounter. Banshee target UAVs, intended for such training missions, are what the airmen were shooting at. One RAF pilot dubbed the missile launches "fantastic" moments.
War Games Participants Rave Over the Exercise
One pilot noted that his first live fire exercise on the Typhoon exceeded his expectations. Another participant observed that selecting the weapon and being conscious that an actual missile would fly off the rail was a singular experience. Listening to the missile tones and pressing the trigger, accompanied by a loud sound and a tiny wobble of the jet, was amazing, noted the Eastern Daily Press.
Additionally, witnessing the missile vanish into the sky in front of us was a memorable experience. The ASRAAM's acceleration speed was astounding.
RAF jets from Lossiemouth in Moray and RAF Coningsby in Lincoln collaborated with Lightning pilots based at RAF Marham in Kings Lynn during the missile war games, with 53 drones taken out. A technician involved in prepping the planes for the drills added that getting the aircraft and armaments was important to the newer squadron members, giving them a first taste of what a live fire is.
All team members must maintain the highest levels of focus when operating arm planes because additional hazards are involved. Weapons technicians are pleased to see a loaded jet on the runway after completing all the testing. The next portion, when the jet returns with its entire payload expelled, demonstrates the effectiveness of the preparation and diligence.
These war maneuvers began in earnest while animosity involving Britain and Russia rose due to the Kyiv crisis. Royal Navy is actively monitoring a Russian research ship that has changed direction off the UK coast after elevated concerns of sabotage on submarine cables.
The suggestive distraction of the Akademik Boris Petrov came after the Shetland Isles experienced a severe phone and internet blackout induced by ruptured cables on the sea bottom. Relations are tense after the alleged Russian disruption of the Nord Stream gas pipelines last month.
Close Call for UK Provocation
This week it surfaced that a Russian fighter jet launched a missile close to an RAF spy plane over the Black Sea, seen as a "dangerous" confrontation in September, which the RAF could have avoided, citing the Daily Star.
According to Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, the unarmed RAF Rivet Joint was followed by two Russian Su-27 fighter jets last month as it performed a routine patrol in international airspace. In the 90-minute engagement, one of the Su-27s launched a missile adjacent to the RAF aircraft.
Russia claimed the missile attack was a technical error rather than a hostile act. However, this incident was not seen as serious. The closest the RAF jets who shot down 53 drones in missile war games; is not as serious as the recent encounter with missile fire.
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