Full-on The Forcesit' e Korean favourer action Win! pap l See R'n'R page 3
Giant of comedy Win! classics
Friday, 7 April, 2023 No. 1557 £1.20
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Dambusters 80th
From crippling the WWII Nazi war machine to fighting Daesh in Iraq
Rugby
Cokaynes a top team
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Gridiron Forces first
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Boxing
Lyall makes RAF history
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Nordic alliance Simon Mander AIR FORCE Typhoons have been flying alongside jets from Nato’s latest member country in Estonia. British and German Eurofighters on an integrated detachment at Amari Air Base flew training sorties alongside four Finnish Air Force F/A-18C Hornets. The exercise came just days before Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed all 30 Allies had ratified the accession protocol allowing
Helsinki to formally join the pact. The training also involved four Dutch F-35As, two Polish F-16s, two French Rafales and two US F-15 Strike Eagles, alongside a German A400M tanker. Detachment Commander Wg Cdr Scott Maccoll (right) said: “This sevennation event demonstrates the RAF’s flexibility to concurrently deliver the Air Policing Mission, whilst training with Allies.” The exercise was the first time
Finnish F/A-18s have flown from Amari Air Base since the Covid pandemic. Confirming Finland’s accession, Mr Stoltenberg said the country had highly capable forces, advanced capabilities and strong democratic institutions. “All Allies made a historic decision last year to invite Finland and Sweden to join our Alliance. “Since then, we have seen the fastest ratification process in Nato’s
modern history,” he said. “I look forward to also welcoming Sweden as a full member of the Nato family as soon as possible.” Earlier, Air Force commanders from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark signed a letter of intent to create a unified Nordic air defence to counter the rising threat from Russia. The move makes available a combined fleet of more than 300 jets for operations, comparable to the Air Force of a large European country.
" I am enormously proud to lead our people and will work tirelessly to support them... " CAS Designate Air Marshal Sir Richard Knighton
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