On the 6th December 2022, there has been a practice QRA scramble at RAF Coningsby and this exercise requires the Typhoons to extend their range and mission. So, a Voyager from RAF Brize Norton (ZZ333) has been scrambled for Air-to-Air refuelling to support the Typhoons as they would for a live scramble. There were also French Air Force aircraft such as a Rafale and other NATO aircraft involved in the exercise.
When we think of a Quick Reaction Alert, we think immediately of a scramble of Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth or RAF Coningsby. But here at RAF Brize Norton, there is always a Voyager on standby to support a QRA. The RAF Voyager has the air-to-air refuelling capability to which Typhoons can be refuelled in mid-air to extend their range and endurance.
QRA is a 24/7 365 days a year job. It starts with RAF Boulmer who use ground-based military and civilian radars to monitor, detect and identify all aircraft in and around UK airspace. This is called the Recognised Air Picture (RAP). Once a threat has been detected at RAF Boulmer a series of coordinated responses takes place.
Using information from radar sites across the UK and from civilian air traffic and intelligence agency, the surveillance team in the Control Reporting Centre (CRC) at RAF Boulmer identify and share the Recognised Air Picture (RAP) with the National Air and Space Operations Centre (NASOC) at RAF Air Command in High Wycombe.
The NASOC decide that the threat is sufficient to scramble Typhoon jets and pass the order to the CRC at RAF Boulmer.
The CRC have direct contact with the pilots at RAF Lossiemouth and pass on the scramble message.
Pilots at RAF Coningsby are ordered to standby in the cockpits of their Typhoons..
“SCRAMBLE, SCRAMBLE, SCRAMBLE” - Typhoons have been scrambled to intercept the rogue aircraft. RAF air traffic controllers at Swanwick (78 Squadron) work with their civilian counterparts to ensure the Typhoons can follow the most direct route to their target. To extend the range and the endurance of the Typhoons, RAF Brize Norton will send out a Voyager.
The Voyager is the largest in the in the RAF fleet with a length of 58.82m that’s 367 Teds! It has a wingspan of 60.3m and height of 17.39m. It is powered by two Rolls Royce Trent 772B Turbofans each producing 72,000lbs thrust. With a max speed of Mach 0.86 (approx 655mph), it is capable of delivering around 132,000lb (60,000kg) of fuel during five hours on station at 500nm from base. With max payload, it has a range of 4,500nm and its maximum range with max fuel is 8,000nm.
For more info:
Quick Reaction Alert
www.raf.mod.uk/what-we-do/overview/quick-reaction-alert/
QRA Exercises
www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/raf-practice-relocating-quick-reaction-alert-fighter-jets/
RAF Brize Norton
www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/stations/raf-brize-norton/
Voyager
www.raf.mod.uk/aircraft/voyager/
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