There's a first time for everything... RAF Coningsby 20Mar11
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ursa_major
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There's a first time for everything... RAF Coningsby 20Mar11
And today was the first time Typhoons have deployed on operations. Pity the sun didn't hang around until they moved, but an interesting set nonetheless. Here they are in departure order as they cleared the last-chance pin removal.
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Arjan
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Re: There's a first time for everything... RAF Coningsby 20Mar11
Strange, the QO-L at the last picture has only one missile on it's right wing.....the other two. And this is before departure.......is the RAF running out of missiles?
Scramble member since 1990
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Antilliaan
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Re: There's a first time for everything... RAF Coningsby 20Mar11
There's more ways to transport missiles to southern Italy....
it makes you wonder why they put them on the aircraft in the first place, as this is just for the transfer flight. Probably it does not save a lot of fuel if you don't carry them.
it makes you wonder why they put them on the aircraft in the first place, as this is just for the transfer flight. Probably it does not save a lot of fuel if you don't carry them.
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ursa_major
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Re: There's a first time for everything... RAF Coningsby 20Mar11
I'd have thought that the 'missing' round was probably offloaded before departure maybe due to a fault? I wouldn't have thought that the RAF was short of ASRAAMs, especially as the F3 used to carry them too.
With regard to carrying them on a transit flight, having the aircraft arrive already armed cuts down on the turnaround time needed at the destination, meaning that the jets would be available for use en-masse in a much shorter timescale than would be possible if each jet had to be armed after arrival. carrying the rounds with them also removes any problems that may be caused by transport aircraft used for carrying the missiles being delayed en route. These jets have deployed on operations after all, not to an exercise, so fast availability and minimal hassle for the armourers count for more than normal.
With regard to carrying them on a transit flight, having the aircraft arrive already armed cuts down on the turnaround time needed at the destination, meaning that the jets would be available for use en-masse in a much shorter timescale than would be possible if each jet had to be armed after arrival. carrying the rounds with them also removes any problems that may be caused by transport aircraft used for carrying the missiles being delayed en route. These jets have deployed on operations after all, not to an exercise, so fast availability and minimal hassle for the armourers count for more than normal.