F-16CMs operated by the
USAF’s 8th Fighter Wing lead
a pair of F-35As from the 34th
Expeditionary Fighter Squadron
on a mission from Kunsan AB on
December 3. The 34th EFS has
been deployed to Kadena AB,
Japan from its home station at
Hill Air Force Base, Utah since
October. USAF/TSgt Josh RosalesQATAR SIGNS FOR TYPHOON
AND MORE RAFALES
QATAR HAS SIGNED an $8-billion
contract for 24 Euro ghter Typhoons.
The deal was concluded in Doha on
December 10 by the UK Defence
Secretary Gavin Williamson and
his Qatari counterpart, Khalid bin
Mohammed al Attiyah. It followed
a statement of intent signed in
September that also included six
Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers (AJT)
for the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF).
The latest agreement includes a
clear intention to proceed with the
purchase of the Hawks.The Typhoons will be assembled
in the UK by BAE Systems at the
company’s Warton site in Lancashire.
With receipt of this order, the life of
the production line will be extended
from 2022 to at least 2024.
The deal further includes
an agreement with MBDA for
Brimstone and Meteor air-to-ground
missiles and Raytheon Paveway IV
guided bombs.
The UK Defence Secretary agreed
a package of training and co-
operation between the air forceswhich will see them working
together more regularly, including
training in the UK for Qatari pilots
and technicians. A joint operational
squadron with both British and
Qatari pilots will provide airspace
protection during the 2022 soccer
World Cup.Delivery of the Typhoons is expected
to begin in late 2022. The deal is
understood to involve 20 single-seat
Typhoons and four two-seaters.
Days earlier, Qatar announced
that it would take up an option
for 12 additional Dassault Rafales
from France. These will be added to
the 24 it ordered in May 2015. The
agreement was signed on December
7 in the presence of France’s President
Emmanuel Macron and his Highness
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the
Emir of Qatar.
As well as the 36 Rafales and 24
Typhoons, the QEAF is set to receive
36 Boeing F-15QA Advanced Eagles
from the US. On November 1, the
US Defense Security Co-operation
Agency announced that the State
Department had approved a possible
Foreign Military Sale (FMS) in support
of the F-15QA deal. Valued at an
estimated $1.1 billion, the deal covers
construction, cyber-security, and force
protection infrastructure related to the
Advanced Eagle purchase.Four RAF Typhoons fl own by
pilots from No 29 (Reserve)
Squadron took part in a joint
exercise held by the QEAF at
the headquarters of Qatar’s
Fighter Wing at Al Udeid Air
Base in November.
Crown CopyrightAn artist’s impression of the
QEAF Rafale. Dassault Aviation[NEWS] HEADLINES
06 February 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
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