British aircraft and crews from 27 Squadron have deployed to Naval Air Facility, El Centro, California on Exercise Vortex Warrior.
The crews are primarily carrying out Desert Environmental Training for Aircrew, Engineers, and Enablers, but also some other specialist skills such as Low Ambient Light Operations (LALO), Mountain Flying, Gunnery and SERE.
This training enables British Service Persons to deploy operationally in regions with a similar, hot, and dusty environment.
The main difference to training in the UK is the heat; for aircrew it creates a more demanding working environment and puts the aircraft at the edge of its operating envelope; for the engineers, every task becomes more difficult and exhausting as they work under the punishing conditions.
Training of this type improves operational capabilities for our personnel as it makes Engineers, Aircrew and the Enablers used to, and comfortable in working in similar conditions. There are also a few specialist skills, such as LALO and night mountains that, given the climate and location are significantly easier to achieve in El Centro than they would be in the UK. When our aircraft and personnel are training in Desert Environments, the heat provides the biggest challenge.
AS1 Jason Russell RAF – UK MOD © Crown copyright 2023
The dusty conditions can cause detritus to be ingested into all parts of the aircraft, causing extra work for the engineers and less-than-ideal conditions for the aircrew.
The extended logistics chain between the deployed crews and their home base at RAF Odiham can present additional challenge, however our deployed personnel are well supported by their counterparts back home and can get the supplies and equipment replacements that they need quickly, despite the distance.
The Chinook, a heavy-lift helicopter with its distinctive twin engine, tandem rotor heads, arrived into RAF service on 22 November 1980. Throughout its 40 years of service, the Chinook has operated in every major conflict since the Falklands War in 1982 including life-saving medical evacuations. It has made an immeasurable contribution to the Service, supporting communities across the UK with its extensive and adaptable lift capability including flood relief efforts and life-saving patient transfers in the UK.
27 Squadron is based at RAF Odiham, home of the UK Chinook Force. The Squadron has covered roles from reconnaissance, night-fighter, anti-shipping to support helicopter. Aircraft flown include the Elephant, Dakota C4, Tornado GR1 and Puma.
27 Squadron provide tactical air transport to front-line troops in Iraq (Operation TELIC) and Afghanistan (Operation HERRICK).
Photos: MOD News Licence.
