RAF jets shot down 53 drones of their largest mass firing of superior short-range air-to-air missiles.
Over 10 days, pilots from eight totally different squadrons efficiently downed dozens of goal drones over the ocean on the Hebrides Air Weapon Ranges in Scotland final month.
Typhoon and Lightning jets had been concerned within the take a look at, which is designed to assist the pilots and weapons crews acquire confidence in utilizing the infrared-guided missiles and provides them real-world expertise of firing them.
Footage of the train exhibits the missiles being launched from the planes and rocketing via the sky.
A whoosh may be heard because the missiles shoot previous the planes sure for his or her drone targets.
One pilot concerned within the train described the expertise of launching the missiles as “fantastic”.
He mentioned: “It surpassed all expectations of what my first stay firing train on the Typhoon can be.
“Selecting the weapon and knowing a live missile would come off the rail was a unique moment; hearing the missile tone and pulling the trigger, followed by a large whoosh sound and a slight wobble of the aircraft was fantastic.
“Watching the missile disappear into the sky in entrance of me was a second to recollect, it truly is spectacular how briskly the ASRAAM can go.”
The pilots had been aiming at Banshee goal drones, particularly designed for these coaching workouts.
Typhoon pilots from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, in addition to from RAF Coningsby in Lincoln, labored with Lightning pilots based mostly at RAF Marham in Kings Lynn, in the course of the train.
One of the weapons technicians concerned in getting ready the plane mentioned: “Seeing the preparation of the aircraft and missiles was crucial to the more junior members on the squadron, it gave them the opportunity to understand the challenges of a live weapon firing exercise.
“Operating armed plane requires all these concerned to take care of the very best ranges of focus as a result of additional dangers concerned.
“As a weapons technician you get massive job satisfaction when you’ve loaded the aircraft, carried out all the post-load testing and watched it taxi away armed.
“When the plane returns ‘clear’ having efficiently fired its missiles, it validates the years of coaching, the onerous work and months of preparation.”
Source: information.sky.com”
