Every year, the Swiss Air Force deploy their F/A-18 Hornets to RAF Leeming to take part in Exercise Yorknite.
Ex Yorknite is very important to the Swiss - they do approximately 50% of their annual night flying training whilst they're here. The Swiss Air Force used to be known for sticking to 'office hours' and thus not being able to police their airspace 24 hours a day and seven days a week. There were agreements with neighbouring countries - particularly Italy and France - to help secure Switzerland's skies whenever there was a potential threat. However, in the last half decade, the Swiss Air Force have moved to a 24/7 air policing force. Since 31st December 2020, two armed F/A-18 Hornets are on kept on standby for QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) every minute of the year.
This video shows closeup footage of the ground crew checking the aircraft before it is ready to taxi - normally for departure but in this case, in front of the enthusiasts for the photoshoot!
This F/A-18C, registration J-5011, is seen sporting its latest special tiger tail paint scheme on its vertical stabilisers.
More F/A-18 action from RAF Leeming - • Swiss F/A-18 Hornets d...
F/A-18 action in Switzerland - • Road closed as F/A-18 ...
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