aviation - the past, present and future of flight

France’s irst Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker
Transport, MRTT041/F-UJCG, now sports its

service scheme, the work being completed

at Manching, Germany, in July. The new

livery includes Groupe de Ravitaillement

en Vol (GRV) 2/91 ‘Bretagne’ markings on

the tail and 31ème Escadre Aérienne de

Ravitaillement et de Transport Stratégiques

(31ème EARTS) under the cockpit.

The aircraft, which took its maiden light

from Getafe, Spain, on September 7 last year,

is the irst of nine ordered by France’s DGA

defence procurement agency in 2014, and

the manufacturer expects options for another

three aircraft to be exercised. In French

service the type will be named Phénix.

RAF Squadrons to Re-form

The Ministry of Defence conirmed on August 1 that 25 Sqn is

to re-form as an advanced fast jet training (AFJT) unit at RAF

Valley, Anglesey, later this year – saying the move had been

prompted by increased demand for fast jet pilots to ly the F-

and the Typhoon. The unit will ly the Hawk T2.

Meanwhile a new initiative between the UK and Qatar led to the

establishment on July 24 of 12 (Bomber) Sqn as a joint Euroighter

Typhoon unit – the irst time since World War Two that the RAF has

formed a squadron with another nation.

As part of the contract to supply Qatar Emiri Air Force (QAEF)

with 24 Typhoons and nine Hawk T2s, 12(B) Sqn will integrate

Qatari personnel, including pilots and ground crew, from next year.

It will be stationed irst at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, and then in

Qatar, giving the QAEF experience in operating the Typhoon and

preparing it for the irst deliveries of the jet in 2022.

No.IX(B) Sqn will meanwhile re-form at RAF Lossiemouth in

Scotland next year – also equipped with the Typhoon – and 31 Sqn

will disband, relinquishing its Tornados with the type’s retirement

on March 31. It will re-form as the service’s irst General Atomics

Aeronautical Systems (GAAS) Protector RG1 remotely piloted aircraft

unit at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, in the mid-2020s.

The GAAS MQ-9B SkyGuardian development aircraft – the

precursor to the Protector – appeared in the static display at RIAT held

at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, on July 13 to 15, wearing 31 Sqn

markings. It had lown non-stop from Grand Forks, North Dakota (see

pages 16 to 19 in this issue for more RIAT and the MQ-9B).

Phénix Tanker Gains Military Colours

Phénix F-UJCG in its new military livery at

Manching, Germany, in July. Dietmar Fenners

The Dassault Mirage 2000N was officially
retired from the French Air Force at a
ceremony at Base Aérienne 125 Istres-Le
Tubé on June 21 to mark its withdrawal
after 30 years’ service. Seventy-ive Mirage
2000Ns were ordered and the type became
operational in 1988, replacing the Mirage IV
in the nuclear deterrent role. All remaining
2000Ns will go to BA 279 Châteaudun, the air
force’s storage and disassembly facility, before
the end of the summer. Reusable parts,
especially the wings, will help keep the current
leet of French Mirage 2000s (2000D, 2000C
and -5F) airworthy. Alex van Noye and Joris
van Boven

http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 13

French Mirage 2000N Bows Out

Specially marked Mirage 2000NK3, 257, of Escadron de Chasse

2/4 ‘La Fayette’ at Istres. Alex van Noye and Joris van Boven

Delayed Dutch

Reaper Deal Back On

An order from the Netherlands government for
four General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned
aircraft systems (UASs), plus their groundstations
and sensors, has got the green light. Postponed
in 2015, the deal has now been conirmed after
extra funds were guaranteed by the Dutch
cabinet, and the irst aircraft is expected to arrive
in the summer of 2020. They will be operated
by 306 Squadron, which is being reactivated at
Leeuwarden in the north of the country.

New Air Force One Agreement

The USAF has awarded a contract to

Boeing to design, modify, test, certify and

deliver two mission-ready presidential

aircraft by 2024, formalising President

Trump’s agreement reached with Boeing

boss Dennis Muilenburg on February 20.

According to the USAF, this sets

$3.9bn as the price for the two

replacement aircraft, “saving the US

taxpayers over $1.4bn”.

It added: “This contract modiication

is irm ixed-price, and contains over

and above provisions to address both

presidential quality items, or additional

test effort induced by the government

above the planned programme baseline.

“[We] look forward to partnering

with Boeing on the VC-25B

programme to deliver the next Air

Force One leet by 2024.”