F-35B Ligtnings from 617 Squadron have conducted Air-to-Air Refuelling from a US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet for the first time. The 617 Squadron jets are currently embarked aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth as part of the Carrier Strike Group 21 deployment to the Indo-Pacific Region. The refuelling occurred during exercises with the US Navy aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan and USS Carl Vinson in the Pacific region.
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As part of this interoperability training, the opportunity was taken to conduct what is known as buddy-buddy refuelling. The F-35B Lightnings, flown by RAF and Royal Navy pilots, regularly carry out Air-to-Air Refuelling from RAF Voyager aircraft but this was the first time they had refuelled from a US Navy fighter jet.
A Super Hornet configured with external fuel tanks and Air-to-Air Refuelling equipment provided a valuable opportunity to carry out this training and enhance interoperability between UK and US aircraft carriers and their respective carrier borne aircraft.
The UK Carrier Strike Group is now preparing for the return journey of the deployment through the Indian Ocean, Middle East and the Mediterranean during which further exercises will be conducted with other nations.
During the exercise RAF Marham based 617 Squadron also took the opportunity to conduct a joint fly past with US Navy and US Marine Corps jets over the combined fleet of carriers and their escorts (Picture source: RAF)
