Aviation News - May 2016

Kuwait Commits to Typhoon

Kuwait has signed a contract for 22

single-seat and six two-seat Euro ghter

Typhoons.

The deal is for Tranche 3 standard

aircraft, which will be equipped with the

E-Scan radar.

The deal was originally announced on

September 11, after the State of Kuwait

reached an agreement with the Italian

Government. The signing of the contract

was con rmed on April 5.

The CEO of Euro ghter, Volker Paltzo,

said: “The con rmation of this order is

further testament of the growing interest

in the Euro ghter Typhoon in the Gulf

Region. It will enable Kuwait to bene t

from the critical mass being developed

in the Gulf and the many advantages

that it brings to an air force in terms of

interoperability, training and in-service

support.”

RNAS Yeovilton’s famous green Sea King HC

Junglies were retired from service on March

24. The helicopter has enjoyed an illustrious
    career, transporting Royal Marines for more
    than 36 years and covering every major
    con ict from the Falklands to Afghanistan.

Three days prior to the retirement,  ve

HC4s from 848 Naval Air Squadron (NAS)

launched from RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset,

to perform a farewell formation  ight around

southern and southwestern England

over ying locations the type has been most

closely associated with.

Nearly three months after its  nal search

and rescue (SAR) mission, 771 Naval

Air Squadron (which had also  own the

Sea King) was decommission at RNAS

Culdrose on March 23. The squadron stood

down from SAR duties on New Year’s Day,

when that role was taken on by Bristow

Helicopters.

Military SAR operations in the Falkland

Islands have also come to an end. A sunset

ceremony was held at Mount Pleasant

Air eld on March 31, as the RAF’s Sea King-

equipped 1564 Flt handed over to civilian

contractor AAR Airlift. This marks the end of

RAF SAR operations with the Sea King.

The Royal Navy’s ASaC7 variant are the

last Sea Kings in UK military service. These

are scheduled to remain operational until the

third quarter of 2018.

4 Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft May 2016

HEADLINES

Sea Kings Bow Out

Five Sea King HC4s  y over the Clifton

Suspension Bridge during 848 NAS’s farewell

 ight on March 21. Crown Copyright/LPhot Dan

Rosenbaum

Sea King HAR3 XZ593 takes part in 1564 Flt’s sunset ceremony at Mount Pleasant Air eld on

March 31. Greg Cooke

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