Typhoon fighter jets arrived at RAF Northolt today to take part in a major military exercise to test security for the forthcoming London Olympic Games.
The jets' arrival marks the start of specialist training which will result in increased flying activity over London and the Home Counties.
Codenamed Olympic Guardian, the nine-day exercise will put airmen, soldiers and sailors through their paces in the skies over the South East. The exercise runs from 2 to 10 May, and it is likely that people will notice an increase in highly visible air activity (particularly on 5 and 6 May).
The exercise will test the procedures military aircrews will use to intercept and communicate with aircraft breaching restricted airspace during the Olympics, and the actions they must take in response. Pilots entering restricted airspace can expect to be intercepted by Typhoon fighters or military helicopters.
The exercise integrates the additional forces being used to ensure the safety of the Olympics, as part of the Ministry of Defence's role to ensure a safe and secure Games this summer.
These include:
• the Typhoon fighters which arrived at RAF Northolt today
• RAF Puma aircraft - together with Royal Navy and Army Lynx helicopters - carrying teams of RAF Regiment snipers to intercept aircraft in restricted airspace, and
• airborne surveillance aircraft including RAF E-3D Sentry aircraft and Royal Navy Sea King ASaC (Airborne Surveillance and Control) helicopters.
On the ground, the RAF is providing additional mobile ground radar systems (Type 101 radar), while the Army is deploying air observers and high velocity and Rapier missile systems, which also provide radar detection capability, to provide additional layers of radar coverage. A final decision on the deployment of these capabilities has yet to be taken by the Government.
i'm looking forward to seeing fighter jets over London, great to see so much military activity going on for this.
The jets' arrival marks the start of specialist training which will result in increased flying activity over London and the Home Counties.
Codenamed Olympic Guardian, the nine-day exercise will put airmen, soldiers and sailors through their paces in the skies over the South East. The exercise runs from 2 to 10 May, and it is likely that people will notice an increase in highly visible air activity (particularly on 5 and 6 May).
The exercise will test the procedures military aircrews will use to intercept and communicate with aircraft breaching restricted airspace during the Olympics, and the actions they must take in response. Pilots entering restricted airspace can expect to be intercepted by Typhoon fighters or military helicopters.
The exercise integrates the additional forces being used to ensure the safety of the Olympics, as part of the Ministry of Defence's role to ensure a safe and secure Games this summer.
These include:
• the Typhoon fighters which arrived at RAF Northolt today
• RAF Puma aircraft - together with Royal Navy and Army Lynx helicopters - carrying teams of RAF Regiment snipers to intercept aircraft in restricted airspace, and
• airborne surveillance aircraft including RAF E-3D Sentry aircraft and Royal Navy Sea King ASaC (Airborne Surveillance and Control) helicopters.
On the ground, the RAF is providing additional mobile ground radar systems (Type 101 radar), while the Army is deploying air observers and high velocity and Rapier missile systems, which also provide radar detection capability, to provide additional layers of radar coverage. A final decision on the deployment of these capabilities has yet to be taken by the Government.
i'm looking forward to seeing fighter jets over London, great to see so much military activity going on for this.
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