http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #359 FEBRUARY 2018 // 63
a short aerobatic demonstration over the
bay. In practical terms, the PC-21 marks the
QEAF’s first step in building up a powerful
fighter fleet. The 24 aircraft were procured
in 2012 together with simulators, as well as
comprehensive logistics and maintenance
support from Pilatus. They will be used to
train budding Qatari military pilots at the
newly established Air Force Academy – the
Al Zaeem Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Attiyah
Air Academy at Al Udeid. The PC-21 display
team’s performance was impeccable. This
owes much to the selection of the pilots,
among them former crew members of the
Croatian aerobatic team, Krila Oluje (Wings of
Storm). Six of them had been recruited by the
QEAF in 2015 as part of a joint programme.
Day of the display
Some minor changes and additions were
made to the parade proper on December 18.
The first was the presence of two Westland
Commandos, each trailing a large flag along
the bay to open the flying programme. The
flag bears a stylised portrait of the emir,
the image being known as Tamim Al Majd
(Tamim the Glorious). It is currently widely
displayed in Qatar and is intended to
symbolise Qatari unity and the support of
the government. It was also applied under
the fuselage of a C-17 on parade day.
Even more interesting than the two
Commandos, however, was the participation
of two US Air Force F-15Es and two Royal
Air Force Typhoons, each flying in mixed
formations with a Mirage behind the Alpha Jets.
The QEAF had long been looking for a
long-term successor to the ageing Mirage,
which is available in only limited numbers.
Based on operational experience from the
campaign in Yemen, and accelerated byQatar’s isolation, progress was swift in 2017.
Almost simultaneously, new fighters were
ordered from three different manufacturers.
Billions of dollars’ worth of arms was
procured from the US and Europe, including
24 Typhoons, 12 Rafales and 36 F-15QAs.
The current wave of weapons purchases
across the Gulf region has boosted the
order books of the major arms companies.
Saudi Arabia, too, has received PC-21,
F-15 and Typhoon aircraft. The complex
situation in the region hasn’t prevented
the arms companies from welcoming
both parties as major customers.
According to BAE Systems, which arranged
the Qatari Typhoon contract, the order amounts
to £5.7bn including servicing and training.
First deliveries should take place at the end
of 2022. The agreement with the British also
includes Brimstone and Meteor missiles, as well
as Raytheon Paveway IV precision bombs.
In addition, arms sales valued at more than
€12bn were agreed in 2017 during a visit to
Qatar by French President Emmanuel Macron.
This includes 12 Rafales that were originally
included as an option in a firm order for 24
aircraft (18 single-seat and six twin-seat jets)
that officially came into force in December 2015.
Despite the diplomatic crisis in the Gulf, the
US also sealed the sale of 36 F-15QAs to Qatar
at the end of 2017. The ongoing tensions
between Qatar and its Arab neighbours have
also caused some discord in the US – with
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson calling on all
Gulf states to remain united, while President
Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised Qatar.
The US continues to maintain a strategically
important base at Al Udeid, near Doha, that
is regularly used by USAF B-52H bombers
and KC-135 tankers as well as QEAF assets.
The headquarters of the US Navy in the Gulf
are found in nearby Bahrain. The current
political tensions are therefore especially
inconvenient for the US. Clearly, from Qatar’s
point of view the distribution of orders to
different producers is the right approach to
guarantee an operationally effective air force
in case of any escalation of its isolation.
In future parades, observers can expect
the new multi-role fighters to take centre
stage as the QEAF continues its remarkable
build-up towards becoming a much more
modern – and larger – regional air power.Leonardo supplied Qatar
with three AW139s with
medical equipment and
eye-catching LifeFlight
livery. Here, QA103 (c/n
31457, ex I-EASJ) is
accompanied by military-
marked QA76 from 20
Helicopter Squadron.Above: The helicopter formation included five Gazelles in desert camouflage. Serials QA06 and QA08 are
among 14 SA342Ls that started being delivered in 1978. In the first half of 2011 the 11 survivors received
major overhauls, with French assistance. Below: A pair of flag-carrying Westland Commandos, including
QA22, opened the air parade on Qatar’s National Day. This aircraft is a Commando 2A (WA836, G-17-6)
that first entered service in 1975.
AFM