March 19, 2011
Fighter Jets prepared for battle
LONDON, Urgent preparations are being made as RAF fighter jets are set up for battle, UK defence officials said Saturday.
Heavy equipment has been loaded on to aircraft as military personnel set about planning the mission to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya.
The Tornado and Typhoon planes - stationed at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, RAF Marham in Norfolk, Southern England, and Scottish bases RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Leuchars - were understood to still be on British soil last night.
Group Captain Pete Rochelle, station commander at RAF Marham, told reporters: "The team are prepared for many eventualities. We obviously have our training requirements and our contingent capability requirements as well.
"Our people have, over the last number of years, been in and out of operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan so the team are prepared." The jets have "very broad" capabilities, he said, adding: "We uniquely train in different circumstances and environments to some of our other coalition partners so we bring low-level flying capabilities, we bring all-weather flying capabilities that many coalition partners cannot complete at this stage."
It remained unclear which bases the jets will be deployed from, though military experts have suggested they may use stations in Italy or Cyprus, press reorts said.
A defence source said: "We are still working with our allies as to the best place to base them."
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2153429&Language=en
Fighter Jets prepared for battle
LONDON, Urgent preparations are being made as RAF fighter jets are set up for battle, UK defence officials said Saturday.
Heavy equipment has been loaded on to aircraft as military personnel set about planning the mission to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya.
The Tornado and Typhoon planes - stationed at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, RAF Marham in Norfolk, Southern England, and Scottish bases RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Leuchars - were understood to still be on British soil last night.
Group Captain Pete Rochelle, station commander at RAF Marham, told reporters: "The team are prepared for many eventualities. We obviously have our training requirements and our contingent capability requirements as well.
"Our people have, over the last number of years, been in and out of operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan so the team are prepared." The jets have "very broad" capabilities, he said, adding: "We uniquely train in different circumstances and environments to some of our other coalition partners so we bring low-level flying capabilities, we bring all-weather flying capabilities that many coalition partners cannot complete at this stage."
It remained unclear which bases the jets will be deployed from, though military experts have suggested they may use stations in Italy or Cyprus, press reorts said.
A defence source said: "We are still working with our allies as to the best place to base them."
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2153429&Language=en
