Aviation News - June 2016

T

welve Lockheed Martin F-22A

Raptors from the 95th Fighter

Squadron at Tyndall AFB in Florida

recently deployed to the UK. They

 ew direct to RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk – home

of the 48th Fighter Wing – the  ight taking 9½

hours and involving nine air-to-air refuellings

for each  ghter. The  rst four aircraft arrived

on April 11, the second cell the next day and

the  nal four on April 17.

This same squadron conducted the  rst

Raptor training deployment to Europe in late

August/September last year when four F-22As

deployed to Spangdahlem Air Base (AB) in

Germany and also visited Estonia and Poland.

Asked by Aviation News during a press

brie ng on April 14 whether the 95th FS had an

ongoing commitment to deploy for operations

in Europe, the squadron commander, Lt Col

Daniel Lehoski, said it was merely a coincidence

that his squadron had deployed twice.

He added: “We’ll train with multiple NATO

allies over the course of the next three weeks,

primarily working out of Lakenheath with

our brethren on the 494th, 492nd and 493rd

Fighter Squadrons and also the US Navy.”

Raptors undertook defensive counter air

training working with the US Navy destroyer

USS Donald Cook.

The Raptors were to take part in packages

involving F-15Es and RAF Typhoons which,

Lt Col Lehoski said, would involve “command

and control assets against a Red Air force that

will be provided by Strike Eagles in a robust

simulated integrated air defence environment”.

RAF Typhoon Force Commander Air

Commodore Ian Duguid said 3 (Fighter)

Squadron was scheduled to work with the

Raptors, though there were no plans to go up

against the F-22s during this deployment, as

the type had occasionally done in the past:

“They are never going to be our adversary,

Main photo: One of two Raptors that  ew low

level in the Mach Loop in Wales on April 26.

Rob Birmingham

Above: A graphic released by the USAF to

mark the F-22 deployment to the UK. USAF

14 Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft June 2016

F-22As AT

LAKENHEATH

RAPTORS DEPLOY

IN FORCE

Editor Dino Carrara reports from RAF Lakenheath

on the deployment of F-22A Raptors to the UK.

One of two Raptors that  ew low

14-15_f22sDC.mfDCDC.mf.indd 14 05/05/2016 18: