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Tornados flown to Falklands inside C-17s

Posted by bdk on Tue Jan 29, 2002 04:46:28 PM

Tornados flown to Falklands inside C-17s
Defence Systems Daily 1/29/02

The RAF's new heavy airlifter, the C-17, has proved so capable that it has been able to
carry Tornado F3 fighters all the way to the Falklands, with significant savings on
cost.

A flight of Tornado F3 aircraft are based in the Falklands at RAF Mount Pleasant. The
aircraft are regularly rotated back to the UK for major overhauls, and until now the
transfer of the fighters has required a very long range ferry flight with extensive air-to-air refuelling from RAF tanker aircraft plus support from transport and maritime patrol aircraft.

However, it has proved possible to fit a Tornado, with its tail and wings removed, inside the vast hold of the C-17s operated by 99 Squadron. The C-17 is then able to fly the entire Tornado all the way to the Falklands via a refuelling stop at Ascension Island.

Copyright(c) 1996 - 2002 Defence Data Ltd.

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