End of “Eagle” augurs beginning of Combined Expeditionary Force.

RAF Leeming hosted a Combined Joint Anglo-French Expeditionary Force of eight RAF Typhoons and four French Air Force (Armée de l’Air) Mirage 2000Ns for Exercise Capable Eagle, which concluded today. Capable Eagle was the air component exercise that ran concurrently with Exercise Joint Warrior. More than 700 RAF, FAF and Army personnel spent the eleven-day exercise working shoulder to shoulder as a corner of the Leeming airfield became a Deployed Operating Base in ‘Dragonia’.

Wing Commander Mike Bracken, the head of Expeditionary Air Wing Operational Training led the planning for the exercise. “Over the last 18 months we’ve been tasked to re-engage with contingency operations for the RAF and in doing so we have looked at the Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) concept and we’ve tried to reinvigorate a training process to enable our people to face contingency in whatever operational environment they are given.”

Wg Cdr Bracken believed personnel would leave the exercise feeling better prepared for operations and proud that they have been through the first major collective training exercise that the Air Force has delivered since about 2007. “On the CJF (Combined Joint Forces) side we’ve really developed the concept of operation and we will now be able to build on the employment of the CJF. For Marham and Coningsby EAW they are ready at short notice go and deliver what’s required of them for the Air Force.”

Key to the exercise was the deployment of 1(F) Squadron from RAF Leuchars. Officer Commanding, Wing Commander Mark Flewin, explained how it tested the Typhoon’s multi-role capability. “We’ve been involved in a diverse range of mission sets from close air support to air interjection to defensive counter air.” He went on to explain how closely they have been working with the four Mirage 2000Ns. “We planned together, we swept them in to allow them clear passage to their target and then we protected the four Mirages on their way out. “We are both very professional and adaptable air forces and we’ve proven that on this exercise in austere conditions, and I would say that the missions have gone very well indeed and we have worked very well with our French counterparts. “As part of the on-going Anglo-French defence agreement I would see this as one of the stepping stones towards a closer relationship and I would see permanent joint exercises very much being a feature of the future.”

The exercise has also provided an opportunity to help medics carry out a pioneering and potentially life-saving equipment test under tactical conditions. The ground-breaking trial involved a C130J Hercules of 47 Squadron deployed on the exercise parachuting a package of simulated blood into the sea for HMS Southampton to pick up.

The magnitude of this exercise has meant that personnel from just about every RAF branch and trade were involved including Gunners, Intelligence Analysts, Medics and even an RAF Lawyer. One group that had an impact on everyone’s morale, in particular the French, were the chefs and stewards of 3 Mobile Catering Squadron who operated at a speed of “534 meals per hour”. “I was really surprised at the quality of the food,” said Lieutenant Ben Reymond of 24 Sqn, FAF, a maintenance engineer on the Mirage 2000N. “I did not expect this standard of meals for two reasons: Firstly, because it is English food and, secondly, because it is exercise food. It’s easily as good as anything the French Air Force could produce.” (See the Royal Air Force YouTube channel for a short video of 3 MCS filmed on exercise).