generate advice on tactics and
techniques for the ‘Dambusters’
to use once reaching IOC.
Next July, No 207 Squadron
is slated to re-form at MCAS
Beaufort to become the UK’s
F-35B Operational Conversion
Unit (OCU) when it relocates at
Marham. In the meantime, No 617
Squadron will expand to 12 aircraftbefore growing further to become a
‘super squadron’ by 2023. At that
point it will split into two to create
809 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) in
addition to the ‘Dambusters’.Industry
The arrival of the F-35B in the
UK marks the beginning of a
new chapter for the jet, as groupmanaging director at BAE
Systems, Chris Boardman,
told AFM: “It’s a big day
for us and the F-35.
We’ve had the chapter
of building and
designing the aircraft,
and initial ops in
the US, but the
operational aircraftMDP and
Combat Air
Strategy
Defence planners have begun to
acknowledge a real need to start
looking at a replacement for the
RAF’s Typhoon, which is set to retire
around 2040. The new Combat Air
Strategy (CAS) could be the first
step towards this. At Marham, UK
Minister of Defence Procurement
Guto Bebb acknowledged the CAS
paper had landed on his desk, but
wouldn’t reveal its content. He
said: “We have placed a great deal
of importance on the combat air
sector and aviation sector in general- it’s a huge capability we have
in the UK. The fact that we make
15% of every F-35 here in the UK,
and they are being sold all over the
world, shows the huge contribution
it is making to our prosperity. The
Combat Air Strategy is to show
that we are ahead of the game, we
have this fantastic capability and
we are not planning to do nothing
for the next ten years. We are
already thinking ahead and we have
to consider the future challenges
and how we respond to them.”
Lt Cdr Adam ‘Hoggy’ Hogg conducts
post-flight checks after his arrival at
Marham. Alan Warnes
“The days of air forces
picking up an aircraft
and us waving them
goodbye are well gone!”
Chris Boardman, group
managing director
at BAE Systems
38 // AUGUST 2018 #365 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com
Intel
Report