The British Royal Air Force (RAF) has found a new role for its Tranche-1 Typhoon: After a long time in the “paint store” at RAF in Coningsby (Lincolnshire), the completely blackened ZJ914 and probably other age-mates will soon make a second career as the world’s strongest enemy actors.
The jets are intended to act as high-end aggressors in training against other Typhoon and F-35B crews from frontline squadrons and potential guests and – as they are stronger than the black F-16Cs in the USA and well suited to mimic enemy Su-27/30s, for example – demand everything from them. The enemy actor/target presentation concept is based on the “red” aggressor squadrons established in the USA since the painful experiences of the Vietnam War, which are known from “Red Flag” (USAF, Nellis) and “Top Gun” (USN, Fallon). For some years now, this segment has increasingly become the outsourced business model of a few private companies for cost reasons, which buy up all available classic jets for the provision of tens of thousands of contract hours, which are retired by air forces worldwide. In 2017, Austrian Eurofighter pilots have already shot at air targets in Germany that were towed by ex-Israeli A-4N Skyhawks from the Canadian company Discovery-Air (now “Top Aces”) stationed in Wittmund (see report).
Although the RAF has outsourced its reserved air combat arenas over the Hebrides, for example, to the company Qinetic, it has not yet operated its own aggressors. This is now changing after the already planned retirement of the 24 early Tranche 1 single-seat Typhoons was revised again following a 2015 Strategic Defense and Security Review (SDSR) and – as they only offer limited capacity for upgrades – they are to be “flown off” by 2030. In contrast, the first 14 RAF two-seaters have already been retired and will be used for spare parts as part of the “Reduce-To-Produce” program. For the single-seaters, the “Red Air” role is now being added to the air policing tasks (as they are also performed in Austria). Of course, the necessary EloKa libraries and self-protection capabilities are needed to simulate today’s modern adversaries, but the Defensive Aids Sub-System (DASS) – recognizable by the “spike” on the tail – is only missing in Austrian jets anyway (keyword Indonesia). These sensor areas and the radome were of course not “blackened”.
In July 2018, the then RAF Air Marshal Sir Steven Hillier, announced that No IX Squadron would be the first of the new Tranche 1 and secondary role units. Accordingly, the squadron was disbanded as a Tornado GR4 operator at RAF Marham (Norfolk) on March 31, 2019, before being re-formed at Lossiemouth (Scotland). There it initially became the RAF’s fourth air policing alert unit (QRA or Quick Reaction Alert), a role that will continue alongside its new mission as an aggressor. Together with XII Squadron, IX is now the seventh Typhoon unit, XII has a secondary role as the joint British-Qatari unit at RAF Coningsby, where personnel are being trained for the future Typhoon fleet of the Emirate of Qatar Air Force. Air Commodore Mark Chappell, as “Typhoon Force” commander, explains the real mission mix differently from the official RAF website, which states that the IXth is the centerpiece of the British QRA, which can take off within minutes of an alert being raised. When asked, he confirmed to British colleagues that their main task will be enemy display. They will fly all those “blacked-out” T1s, while the pilots of the same unit will strap themselves into fully upgraded Tranche 2/3 jets for QRA duty – Russian bombers will again regularly fly along the British air defense zone(s) from the north. Accordingly, No IX Squadron could only be expected to switch to QRA duties when T2/T3 sister squadrons are deployed abroad, for example in Operation Shader in the Middle East. Chapell in the original quote: “In fact, the Typhoon will be the most advanced aggressor anywhere – at least until the only incoming F-35 much later takes on the role.” Update: As the Evening Express reportsthe aggressors are already in the first major exercise scenario “Point Blank” against UK and USMC F-35s over the North Sea.
Note: A comprehensive overview of the topic of enemy actor companies can also be found in the next issue of Militär Aktuell. Would you like to receive the next issue hot off the press? Then order a subscription to Militär Aktuell. Click here to order.