RAF grounds Nimrods

The Royal Air Force has grounded its Nimrod maritime reconnaissance aircraft over unspecified safety concerns. One Nimrod had already been handed over to the RAF with the other eight remaining with BAE Systems, although the latest issue has led to fears that the program might be scrapped altogether.

Eurofighter Typhoons and Su-30s to face off in exercise

Eurofighter Typhoons from the RAF are scheduled to take on the Indian Air Force's Su-30MKIs in an exercise later this month. The Typhoon is a contender for India's Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) contract.

Prince William completes his first SAR shift

Prince William has completed his first Search and Rescue (SAR) shift as the co-pilot of a RAF Sea King helicopter and performed his first rescue. The prince and his crew retrieved a seriously-ill crewman from an accommodation rig next to a gas production platform.

RAF joins other operators in grounding Eurofighter Typhoons

The RAF has joined the Eurofighter Typhoon's other operators in grounding the aircraft after initial investigations revealed that the the ejection seat or parachute issues caused the death of a Royal Saudi Air Force pilot following last month's Spanish Typhoon crash.

Calls for the RAF to be disbanded

There is a whispering campaign that's growing louder, by elements in the British Army and Royal Navy have called for the Royal Air Force to be disbanded and its mission and required personnel merged into the Fleet Air Arm and Army Aviation Corps.

I'm not going to add my comments here as they are unprintable.

European transport command opens for business

A new organisation tasked with co-ordinating the military transport and air-to-air refuelling activities of four European air forces has begun operating at Eindhoven air base in the Netherlands. The European Air Transport Command (EATC) is a collaboration between Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

New RAF Typhoon squadron to be formed at Leuchars

No. 6 Sqn RAF will soon be stood up at RAF Leuchars in Scotland with the Eurofighter Typhoon. Formerly the last Sqn operating the Sepcat Jaguar, the unit will be the first full-strength RAF Typhoon squadron not based at RAF Coningsby.

RAF marks Sentinel, Shadow surveillance aircraft milestones

The RAF has marked the Sentinel and Shadow surveillance aircraft logging a combined 5,000 flight hours in support of the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan.

First RAF A330 MRTT rolls out

The UK Royal Air Force's first A330 multi-role tanker/transport has emerged from a modification hangar at Airbus Military's Getafe site near Madrid, Spain, ahead of flight-testing from later this month. The RAF has ordered fourteen aircraft for its Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft program.

Military transport aircraft market heats up

Flightglobal has a 3-part series on the intense battle for the military airlift market for western armed forces:

1.A400M poised for US market spotlight

2.USAF invests in C-5 upgrade

3. RAF faces tough choice over transport fleet

RAF continues Pakistan flood relief; Japan to provide helicopters

The RAF is continuing its mission to provide relief supplies to victims of the Pakistani floods with C-17s and C-130s flying in essential aid, while Japan has announced that 200 personnel and 6 JASDF helicopters will join the relief efforts.

RAF Tornado crew dazzled by laser; farm worker arrested

A Romanian farm worker has been arrested for shining a laser at a low-flying RAF Tornado, distracting the pilot. The quick thinking navigator noted the where the incident had occurred and passed the information on to police.

RAF suspends its Hawk demonstration pilot

The RAF has suspended the pilot who flies its Hawk aircraft at airshow displays, citing "an incident involving the Hawk display aircraft". The vague statement has led to speculation as to the reasons behind the RAF's move.

More RAF Tornadoes to Afghanistan

The RAF is increasing its Tornado detachment in Afghanistan from eight to ten aircraft, boosting the detachment's monthly flying hours by 25%.

RAF may be forced to scrap Tornado fleet

Severe budget cuts and the UK Treasury's insistence that the Ministry of Defence fund the replacement of Britain's Trident missile deterrent could force the retirement of the entire RAF Tornado fleet