Amiri Air Force, RAF pilots to fly as joint squadron for the first time in Qatar

Dec 9, 2020

Qatar has been making great strides in the field of defense to boost its security and safety.

In September 2017, the country locked a £5.1 billion deal to buy 24 Typhoon fighter jets from the UK, marking a significant moment in the two nations' defense ties.

Later in July 2018, the Qatari Amiri Air Force and the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) agreed upon a partnership to establish the Joint Squadron.

Earlier this year, the Qatar-UK defense cooperation achieve a key milestone as the Qatar-UK Typhoon Squadron, known as No.12 Squadron, began flying as a Joint Squadron in the UK.

The Typhoon fighter jets from the No. 12 Squadron have made their way to Qatar to perform 'Exercise Epic Skies,' Qatar's Ministry of Defense announced yesterday.

According to the Ministry's statement, pilots from the Amiri Air Force and RAF will fly the Typhoons as a joint squadron for the first time in Qatar.

The exercise is meant to further cement the close ties between Qatar and the UK.

According to an article on RAF's website, "more than 130 personnel from the Royal Air Force have deployed to Qatar to support the two-week joint exercise."

The exercise will see Qatari pilots and engineers fly and maintain the Typhoon side by side their colleagues from RAF.

"Pilots from the joint squadron will be challenged in a range of air to air, and air to surface scenarios which will put their training to the test," the RAF article adds.

Deputy Officer Commanding Number 12 Squadron Air Lieutenant Colonel Faisal Al Ghanem underlined that the exercise seeks to advance stability in the Middle East, as it is a priority for Qatar and the UK.

The exercise would also strengthen Qatar's capabilities to tackle the security challenges the two countries face, he added.