Saudi Typhoons, Tornadoes in the UK for 'Green Flag'

[Mosamania]

Saudi Green Flag Exercise Arrivals​

On Tuesday, 27 August four Typhoons and two Tornados from the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) arrived at RAF Coningsby for Exercise Saudi Green Flag 2013 which is due to start on 4 September.

A further two RSAF Tornados are expected to arrive this week and these will be joined by RAF Tornados from No. II (AC) Squadron, which will relocate from their base at RAF Marham for the length of the exercise and be partnered with the RSAF Tornados. The locally based RAF Typhoons of No. 3(F) Squadron will partner with the RSAF Typhoons.

The RSAF Typhoons consisted of one twin seat and three single seats, all of them from No. 3 Squadron but only the twin seat has squadron markings. They arrived as a four ship using the callsign Mazda 01 (more usually associated with USAF Coronet flights) with three drop tanks fitted and had air-to-air refuelling support from an RSAF A330 MRTT (callsign RSF3882), which landed at RAF Brize Norton.

The pair of RSAF Tornados arrived as Green 01 with 2250 litre tanks fitted and were in the newer grey scheme rather than the sand camo scheme they were in when they last visited the UK in 2007, when Exercise Saudi Sword was held at RAF Lossiemouth. A second A330 MRTT (RSAF3883) landed at RAF Brize Norton, but it is not yet clear whether this aircraft supported the Tornados as far as Grosseto AB, Italy, where the two airframes still due at Coningsby remain after one encountered a technical issue.

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[Yzd Khalifa]

It's time to get the RSAF creamed boy!

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

SAUDIS IN THE UK (2 Minute Preview) & RAF SCAMPTON TYPHOON DISPLAY (airshowvision) - YouTube

@kalu_miah @JonAsad
@K-Xeroid @Zarvan @chauvunist
@Mosamania @Armstrong @BLACKEAGLE
@Aeronaut
@Imran Khan
@BATMAN @JUBA @Armstrong
@al-Hasani

@Arabian Legend

 

[kalu_miah]

SAUDIS IN THE UK (2 Minute Preview) & RAF SCAMPTON TYPHOON DISPLAY (airshowvision) - YouTube

@kalu_miah @JonAsad
@K-Xeroid @Zarvan @chauvunist
@Mosamania @Armstrong @BLACKEAGLE
@Aeronaut
@Imran Khan
@BATMAN @JUBA @Armstrong
@al-Hasani

@Arabian Legend

I just looked at Royal Saudi Air Force inventory in wiki, very impressive. F 15's, Tornado and Typhoons, nice birds, the older ones getting upgraded.

The pilot is making some aggressive moves there in the video, is he a Saudi top gun?

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

I just looked at Royal Saudi Air Force inventory in wiki, very impressive. F 15's, Tornado and Typhoons, nice birds, the older ones getting upgraded.

The pilot is making some aggressive moves there in the video, is he a Saudi top gun?

I wouldn't call him a top-gun, but he appears to be very professional.

 

[kalu_miah]

Among all RSAF planes, the upgraded F15SA seems most impressive, except for stealth everything else is 5th gen:

PICTURE: USAF flies first F-15SA for Saudi Arabia
F-15E.info: Strike Eagle reference and resources - F-15E.info - F-15SA Differences
F-15E.info: Strike Eagle reference and resources - F-15E.info - F-15SA Development

I saw in wiki:
Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
that RSAF was initially interested in the new stealth SE version, but later chose SA version instead without the stealth option, any idea why?

Koreans have almost finalized on the SE but some don't like the Conformal Weapons Bay, Slanted Tail and exterior paint based stealth, which they say is not very effective compared to a stealth designed from ground up:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-15SE_Silent_Eagle

So choosing SA instead of SE, looks like a good decision.

 

[Yzd Khalifa]

Regarding elder fighter jets of the RSAF :-

The Tornados have been upgraded not that long ago, it was a major upgrade that will make the Tornados stay at least till 2020. Similarly, the F-15 Eagle went through an upgrade of its own, engines have been replaced to prolong the life of the F-15s.

As for the F-15SE, the RSAF chose the Saudi Advanced version against it for some reasons. At any rate, I don't think the RSAF will remain un-stealthy for too long.
@kalu_miah