Radio enthusiasts now reporting RAF deployment. VC-10s and RAF Marham Tornado GR4s now airborne over UK heading south.

http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=31594&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=75

http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=31594&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=100

TJ

EELightning,

I think David Cameron was referring to Royal Navy and Tomahawk along with ISTAR assets deployed?

TJ

I wondered that myself, though that’s what’s been reported. Last I heard eleven Tornados had landed at RAF Akrotiri, though that’s expected to grow.

The media have been camped out at both RAF Marham and RAF Coningsby and have not noted any large movements. The same with the enthusiast forums. Both Marham and Coningsby Automatic Terminal Information Service broadcast have been active all day.

Sky News camped out at RAF Coningsby even started reporting on the Super Moon rising in the sky due to the lack of movements. They will probably go either tonight or tomorrow.

I suppose it all depends on what is going on behind the scenes with Cyprus? Is the Republic of Cyprus dragging their heels on use or agreement on warplanes?

Of course the UK doesn’t really require it, but it is all part of the political niceties.

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/cyprus/options-open-use-akrotiri-libya-crisis/20110319

British officials said that “in the spirit of co-operation” with Cyprus, a fellow EU member, they would inform the island’s authorities if London plans to use Akrotiri.
Cyprus’ government spokesman, Stefanos Stefanou said last night: “We are in constant contact with London on this, but no decision has been taken yet by the UK on using Akrotiri to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya.”

TJ

I’m no defence analyst – but even I could see that it was a MiG-23.

The talking head ‘experts’ and the broadcasters were saying they didn’t know who’s aircraft it was nor what it was.

Hmmmm let me see, the Libiyans operate MiG-23’s, I can’t think of any other force in the immediate region that does, could it possibly be Libiyan ??

Why can’t the BBC get these things right ???

Ken

Watch Gaddaffi spokesmen spin it to say it was a rebel operated MiG-23.

TJ

In the article they say that retirement was decided in 2008, so IMO these planes must soldier on because their replacements (MR4 and sentinel R1) have been scrapped.

Nic

Nimrod MRA4 and Sentinel R.1 have nothing to do with Nimrod R.1. Neither of them are/were SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) platforms. The Nimrod R.1 is a dedicated SIGINT aircraft. The reason for the Nimrod R.1 extension is due to 51 Squadron crews still training up on RC-135 and a requirement to obtain SIGINT for the Libya crisis. The plan was for the first crews to be trained up and joint-crewing USAF RC-135s by summer 2011.

Up to four UK crews will deploy from summer 2011 with their US colleagues on combined operations worldwide, including Afghanistan.

From

http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive.cfm?storyid=2DF6FF36-5056-A318-A8A018F102261E2E

USAF Planes To Help U.K. Fill SIGINT Gap

An MoD spokesman said that between “2011 and 2014, the U.K. will enter into a partnering arrangement with the U.S. that will safeguard U.K. personnel core competencies.”

From

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4549506&c=AME&s=AIR

The MoD announcement on partnering was before the UK/USA SIGINT Agreement was declassified in June 2010 by both the UK and US.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukusa/

http://filestore.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukusa/ukusa-highlights-guide.pdf

UK and US intelligence collection is interlinked. That part of the special relationship has never gone away. The US and UK share ground based SIGINT facilities in the UK. Until the first RAF RC-135 is delivered 51 Squadron will joint man USAF RC-135s.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/equipment/nimrodr1.cfm

The first Nimrod R.1 was retired in 2009.

Serial XW665 retired.

http://key.aero/view_news.asp?ID=991&thisSection=military

Serial XW666 crashed in 1995 and was replaced by rebuilding Nimrod MR.2, serial XV249 to an R.1 standard.

Serials XV249 and XW664 are the only two Nimrod R.1s in service.

XW664 was noted deployed for Afghan ops in early 2011.

https://cms.raf.mod.uk/rafoperationalupdate/rafpublished/opsupdate/opsupdate23jan2011.cfm

https://cms.raf.mod.uk/rafoperationalupdate/rafpublished/opsupdate/opsupdate16jan2011.cfm

XV249 deployed to Cyprus last week and has been noted active by ATC/radio enthusiasts operating in the Meditteranean off Malta.

http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=31334

http://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=28625

TJ

Will the RAF be putting a CAP up to deal with any intrusions?

The other possibility is a/c flying under the radar…if a guy could fly across Russia and land in Red Square at the height of the cold war……

Mathias Rust was intercepted but nobody would make the decision to either force or shoot him down. Command and control went out the window that day!

Mathias Rust interview recounting the intercept.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aerA5oLif3k

Further details on the following webpage. There are 8 pages.

http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/rust.html

TJ

The Nimrod R1 out of service function (31st March) has been delayed until further notice.

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/439305-nimrod-r1-out-service-function.html#post6296270

TJ