RAF F-35B Lightnings conduct Air-to-Air Refuelling from US Navy Super Hornet for first time

RAF F35 refueling Super Hornet
F-35B Lightnings from RAF Marham 617 Squadron during the Air-to-Air Refuelling exercise to a US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet.

F-35B Lightnings conduct Air-to-Air Refuelling from a US Navy Super Horne for the first time.

The 617 Squadron jets are currently embarked aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth as part of the Carrier Strike Group 21 deployment to the Indo-Pacific Region. The refuelling occurred during exercises with the US Navy aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan and USS Carl Vinson in the Pacific region.

RAF F35 refueling Super Hornet

As part of this interoperability training, the opportunity was taken to conduct what is known as buddy-buddy refuelling. The F-35B Lightnings, flown by RAF and Royal Navy pilots, regularly carry out Air-to-Air Refuelling from RAF Voyager aircraft but this was the first time they had refuelled from a US Navy fighter jet.

A Super Hornet configured with external fuel tanks and Air-to-Air Refuelling equipment provided a valuable opportunity to carry out this training and enhance interoperability between UK and US aircraft carriers and their respective carrier borne aircraft.

RAF F35 refueling Super Hornet

During the exercise RAF Marham based 617 Squadron also took the opportunity to conduct a joint fly past with US Navy and US Marine Corps jets over the combined fleet of carriers and their escorts.

The UK Carrier Strike Group is now preparing for the return journey of the deployment through the Indian Ocean, Middle East and the Mediterranean during which further exercises will be conducted with other nations.

Source, Images: RAF

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