combat aircraft

A

S TOURISTS LAY the irst

towels on their sun

loungers in nearby

Limassol, pairs of Royal Air

Force Typhoons and

Tornados roar into the

warm Cyprus air to begin yet another

sortie as part of Operation ‘Shader’.

Led by No 903 Expeditionary Air Wing

(EAW), the RAF has been engaged in

coalition operations to eliminate

so-called Islamic State (IS, also known as

Daesh) since August 2014. For the

Tornado GR4, this is the inal chapter in a

distinguished combat career. The

‘Mighty Fin’ will bow out next year after

a 40-year service life, while the Typhoon

is on the cusp of a comprehensive series

of enhancements that will enable it to

efectively replace the Tornado in all

aspects of its operations.

The UK is one of 77 nations in the

overall coalition ighting IS, explains Gp

Capt Chas Dickens, oicer commanding

No 903 EAW at RAF Akrotiri, which sits

on a peninsula at the southern tip of

Cyprus. Combat Aircraft was among a

small group of publications allowed rare

access to Akrotiri in August. This

sun-bleached base has been a valuable

piece of British real estate over the years,

providing a useful stepping-stone to the

east, as well as acting as a hub for the

recent operation over Iraq and Syria.

The Royal Air Force is four

years into a campaign as

part of the coalition to defeat

so-called Islamic State. It’s

a mission that’s evolved

considerably and that now

sees the Typhoon gearing up to

assume sole responsibility for

the UK fast jet element as the

Tornado bows out of service.

REPORT Jamie Hunter

86 November 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net