British Air Force shot down 53 drones during air-to-air mass firing exercise

Europe, News October 26, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

The Royal Air Force (RAF) conducted a 10-day long air-to-air mass firing exercise involving eight different squadrons. The exercise was aimed to test short-range air-to-air missiles by targeting drones.

RAF’s Typhoon FGR4 and F-35B Lightning jets took part in what was one of the largest air-to-air mass firing exercises conducted by RAF. The exercise took place over sea waters at the Hebrides Air Weapon Ranges.

Dozens of Banshee drones were used as targets during the exercise. According to the RAF, at least 53 drones were shot down with accuracy during the course of the exercise. Banshee drones are specifically designed to act as aerial targets for pilots to test their abilities and weapons capabilities.

Although the exercise took place last month, it was not until recently that RAF released an official statement about its success along with footage that shows pilots targeting drones with pinpoint accuracy. RAF released a statement along with the footage saying that “From the movement and loading of live weapons onto the aircraft, to the aircrafts’ transit to the Air Weapons Ranges, the integration of personnel and aircraft from around the country was key to the success of the event.”

The fighter jets used infrared-guided Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) and the ramjet-powered, radar-guided Meteor missiles to detect and shoot the targets. Moreover, the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) was also used during the exercise.

RAF Typhoon & Lightning jets have conducted their largest ever mass firing of Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missiles. Over the space of 10 days, pilots from 8 different squadrons successfully launched a total of 53 missiles at target drones. Full story: https://t.co/K3CUwD0Dig pic.twitter.com/az0aV8bzu4
— Royal Air Force (@RoyalAirForce) October 22, 2022

Typhoon FGR4 is an RAF-specific variant of the Eurofighter Typhoon, a European multinational twin-engine fighter jet jointly developed by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo. It is a fourth-generation multi-role combat aircraft capable of being deployed for the full spectrum of air operations including air policing, peace support, and high-intensity conflicts.

The F-35B Lightening on the other hand is a fifth-generation combat aircraft that RAF operates alongside Typhoons. The capabilities of the F-35B include air-to-surface strikes, intelligence gathering, electronic warfare, and air-to-air missions. RAF has at least 138 F-35B Lightening fighter jets that have been in service since 2018. the jets replaced RAF’s long-serving workhorse McDonell Douglas Harrier II jets.

The F-35B Lightning is categorized as a stealth fighter jet as it combines the use of advanced sensors and mission systems with low-observable technology. Moreover, the jet is integrated with sensors and its sensor fusion and data linking provide the pilots with unprecedented situational awareness.