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Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023-1 (CW23-1)
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Author:  Tally-ho [ 21 Feb 2023, 11:05 ]
Post subject:  Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023-1 (CW23-1)
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Time to start a stand-alone thread on the upcoming Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023-1, hosted by the RAF, over a three-week period in March. Various sources have the following information:-

Participants –
- RSaudiAF (Saudi) Typhoon x 6
- Blu (Belgium) F-16 x 6
- FinAF (Finland) F-18 x 6
- IndianAF (India) Mirage 2000 x 5
- TurkAF (Turkey) F-16 x 3 (Cancelled)
- RAF

Support aircraft –
- RSaudiAF Airbus A330 MRTT and Lockheed C-130 Hercules
- Blu (Belgian) A-400
- FinAF (Finland) Learjet 35
- IndianAF (India) C-17 and IL-78MKI

The Turkish Air Force has cancelled its participation, probably due to the recent earthquakes and state of emergency in much of southern Turkey.

The Saudi Typhoons are to operate from RAF Coningsby and the other fighter assets from RAF Waddington.

Arrivals are due from 26 Feb with the three-week exercise starting on 6 March.

Edit: Updated 26 Feb
Edit: Updated 27 Feb
Author:  Dean [ 21 Feb 2023, 11:33 ]
Post subject:  Re: Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023-1
Look forward to your photos.
Author:  Deltawingman [ 21 Feb 2023, 21:26 ]
Post subject:  Re: Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023-1
It will be good time to visit my sister, who lives in Bracebridge Heath. That's in sight of the North end of the runway of RAF Waddington. :D
Author:  Tally-ho [ 24 Feb 2023, 07:05 ]
Post subject:  Re: Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023-1
For reasons unknown, but with much speculation and the rumour mill grinding away, the Indian Air Force (appears to) have withdrawn their participation in Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023-1.

Final confirmation is awaited, or simply see what, if anything Indian, turns up next week ...
Author:  Tally-ho [ 24 Feb 2023, 11:38 ]
Post subject:  Re: Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023-1
Exercise Cobra Warrior (March 2023) will be loud - you have been warned! :)

Public relations exercise and informative messaging by the RAF, as can be seen on their Facebook page, aimed at residents in the surrounding residential areas at Waddington Airbase.

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Author:  Tally-ho [ 26 Feb 2023, 10:05 ]
Post subject:  Re: Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023-1
And so it begins, sooner than expected:-

Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) support assets on route (in the air) from Saudi Arabia. Airbus A330 MRTT and Lockheed C-130 Hercules expected in England later today.
Author:  Tally-ho [ 26 Feb 2023, 14:30 ]
Post subject:  Re: Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023-1
Just going to leave this here... :D

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Author:  Dean [ 26 Feb 2023, 15:22 ]
Post subject:  Re: Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023-1
Excellent, glad the rumours regarding India and Saudi Arabia withdrawals were wrong.
Author:  Tally-ho [ 26 Feb 2023, 17:36 ]
Post subject:  Re: Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023-1
Indeed Dean! \:D/

Today's arrivals:-
- Saudi A-330 MRTT (RSF1332) landed at 14.00 local at RAF Waddington
- Saudi C-130 (RSF1301) landed at 13.00 local at RAF Coningsby
- Saudi C-130 (RSF1300) on route ETA 18.00 local at RAF Coningsby

Pictures of the A-330 at Waddington to follow soonest!
Author:  Tally-ho [ 27 Feb 2023, 12:59 ]
Post subject:  Re: Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023-1
Photo set 1

Royal Saudi Air Force, Airbus A-330 MRTT (2406) touched down at just before 14.00 local at RAF Waddington on Sunday 26 Feb.

Approaching from the west onto runway #02 - yes, we were going to shoot into the sun - it made the shortest of possible landings for a large aircraft. Reverse thrust kicked up clouds of dust and whatever else could fly, not mentioning the heat the wheel brakes must have generated. The plane then turned to starboard wanting to take a 'short-cut' taxiway to its designated dispersal area (1st picture).

Then it stopped dead in its tracks, at a 45 degree angle to the runway - CONFUSION!

Some seconds passed and the aircraft steered back onto the main runway, taxiing at its very slowest, towards the end of the runway, where it U-turned to go to its designated area. I would love to know the conversation between tower and flight deck, as to what was the 'issue'?

I need to ascertain the meaning of the graphics.

As I understand it, the Saudi planes can refuel by both 'flying boom' and 'probe-and-drogue'.

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Note the dust

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God Bless You, it says next to the flight deck windows ....

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This 'manual' marshalling I've not seen before at Waddington

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Thank you! :smt023
Author:  Tally-ho [ 27 Feb 2023, 21:50 ]
Post subject:  Re: Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023-1
Just to keep the ball rolling ...

Today's arrivals:-

RAF Coningsby
2 x Saudi C-130 Hercules which departed after unloading equipment
2 x Saudi A-330 tankers which diverted to East Midlands Airport after completing their refuelling of...
6 x Saudi Eurofighter Typhoons which will be based at Coningsby for the duration of CW2023-1

Each Saudi A-330 tanker had charge of 3 Typhoons as they came across from Saudi Arabia direct non-stop.

RAF Waddington
1 x Belgian A-400 with equipment
Author:  Tally-ho [ 28 Feb 2023, 18:04 ]
Post subject:  Re: Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023-1
Photo set 2

A wet, drizzling, RAF Waddington this morning (28 Feb) - alas! Not always can you have perfect line-ups and everything happening just as you want it. Weather, this is England. :)

However, for the second day running a Belgian Air Component Airbus A-400M brought in equipment for their F-16's, re the upcoming Exercise Cobra Warrior deployment. The A-400M made full use of its short-field capabilities, taking the 'short cut' to the designated Belgian dispersal area - no parading passed us at the fenceline. Take-off same story ... :( :)

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Author:  Tally-ho [ 02 Mar 2023, 10:07 ]
Post subject:  Re: Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023-1
Photo set 3

What a day ... weather, wet, regular rain showers ... :roll: :)

Arrivals at RAF Waddington 1 March:-
- 1 x Belgian A-400M
- 1 x Finland Air Force Learjet 35
- 6 x Belgian F-16's
- 1 x Indian C-17
- 1 x Saab 200 (Finnish Air Force charter)
- 6 x Finland Air Force F-18's
- 1 x Indian Air Force Ilyushin 78MKI tanker
- 5 x Indian Air Force Mirage 2000

The sad news, the Indian assets arrived at dusk, and I missed them arriving ... no worries ... I will catch them in the days coming! :)

And just to add colour to the proceedings the Red Arrows were up regularly, in the rain, to do 'flying the flag' flypasts.

Much sorting and editing to be done, however here is a teaser! More to follow soonest.

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Belgian F-16 in Tiger stripes
Note AMRAAM-120 on the outer pylons and AIM-9 on the inner pylon
Author:  Dean [ 02 Mar 2023, 11:42 ]
Post subject:  Re: Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023-1
Ooh, nice! :smt023
Author:  Tally-ho [ 03 Mar 2023, 06:39 ]
Post subject:  Re: Exercise Cobra Warrior 2023-1
Photo set 4

All of the following arrived on 1 March. As mentioned before I had left Waddington by the time the Indian contingent arrived at dusk, but I will get pictures of Mirage 2000's in the days and weeks ahead. The Saudi Air Force contingent, 6 x Eurofighter Typhoons are based at RAF Coningsby, I've not yet gone there to view them.
All pictures are from my *flickr* page, if you want to see LARGE versions just click on the pictures or visit the link at the bottom. :) :smt023

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Finland Air Force Learjet 35

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Indian Air Force C-17

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Saab 2000 charter used by the Finland Air Force

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Belgian F-16

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Finnish F-18's

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Finnish F-18's
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