The British Royal Air Force and the Qatari Royal Air Force began a joint swarm of Typhoon aircraft in the name of "Squadron No. 12", in the framework of military cooperation between the two sides.
This initiative comes as part of preparations to hand over the first British "Typhoon" aircraft in Qatar in 2022, as part of a deal worth 5.1 billion pounds (about 6.3 billion dollars) between the Qatari side and the British "BAE Systems" for military industries.
The deal includes the purchase of 24 "Typhoon" fighters and 9 "Hawk T" training aircraft.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said that Squadron No. 12 is "a testimony to our lasting friendship and commitment to Qatar, the only country with which the UK has a common swarm". He added that the two air forces would protect both peoples and secure common interests across the Middle East, according to a statement by the British Air Force on Friday.
The RAF and Qatar Emiri Air Force Typhoon Squadron have marked an important milestone with the commencement of flying as a Joint Squadron.
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- Royal Air Force (@RoyalAirForce) June 19, 2020
For his part, Qatar’s Minister of State for Defense Khalid Al-Attiyah said that the first flight of Squadron No. 12 represented an important milestone for the commitment of Qatar’s Emiri Royal Air Force and Royal Air Force.
He added that raising the flags of the United Kingdom and Qatar side by side in celebration of the first joint journey, reflects the consensus in the vision and strategy to build a stable and prosperous future for the two countries and the world.
This is the first time that the United Kingdom has formed a joint swarm with another country since World War II.
The flags of Qatar and the United Kingdom were raised at the British Air Force base in Koningsby, eastern England, where "Typhoon" aircraft with the Squadron logo circled for the first time signaling a willingness to train pilots and ground crews from both air forces.