SPECIAL RAF Marham Show F35A & Typhoon Low Approaches, F-35B STOVL 5th Gen Stealth Action 17.01.23

This is a special treat of a show from RAF Marham from today (17th January 2023) with lots of the home based F-35B Lightnings of 617 Squadron and 207 OCU. However, there were visitors too such as the 'Castle' flight of two F-35A Lightnings from RAF LAKENHEATH that stole the show. The Castle flight produced one of the finest Low approach we have ever seen. And if this wasn't enough, Coningsby paid a visit as well to check in on our Squadron Leader Ted, with a few Low Approaches from our Typhoons.

HIGHLIGHTS
04:29 Three-Ship Formation and into the break F-35Bs
07:25 'VL' F-35B Vertical Landing
12:00 Scheibe SF-25C Falke (G-FLKE) Departure
27:02 Two F-35As 'Castle' flight - 1st Low Approach
31:09 A spectacular Low Approach from the two F-35A
36:04 RAF Coningsby Typhoon Low Approach

RAF Marham was first opened in 1916 to defend Norfolk from raids by the German Zeppelin airships during World War One.

After being mothballed between the wars, Marham re-opened as the RAF began expanding in 1937. By the time war broke out in 1939, it was home to a fleet of Wellington bombers, which flew on some of the first raids of the war.

Twin-engine Mosquitos and Stirling heavy bombers were also based at Marham during the war. Through the 1950s and 1960s, it was home to a succession of flying tanker units, as the RAF pioneered air-to-air refuelling.

During the Falklands conflict, a Vulcan bomber was re-fuelled in-flight on its way to bomb Port Stanley airfield to deny it to the Argentines.

617 Squadron History
1943 - Formed at RAF Scampton, specifically for an attack on dams in the Ruhr Valley using the Barnes Wallis-designed Upkeep 'bouncing bomb'. Flown on 16/17 May, the raid destroyed the Eder and Möhne dams. The unit returned to combat in July

1944 - Now flying from RAF Woodhall Spa, 617 Squadron began dropping the 12,000lb Tallboy and, later, 22,000lb Grand Slam bombs. As well as bombing, the unit supported the D-Day assault with Operation TAXABLE, a radar-spoofing mission. Between them, IX and 617 Squadrons, both employing Tallboys, sank the battleship Tirpitz in November

1946 - Toured India, before returning to the UK and re-equipping with Lincolns. A North America tour followed in 1947. The piston-engined bombers gave way to Canberra jets in 1952

1955 - After flying combat missions over Malaya, 617 Squadron returned to the UK and disbanded

1958 - Re-formed at RAF Scampton on the Vulcan B1, taking the Vulcan B2 from 1961. Introduced the Blue Steel stand-off missile into service in 1963, then switched to low-level missions from 1968. Disbanded in 1981

1982 - Stood up as a Tornado GR1 unit at RAF Marham, declaring operational capability on 16 May

1990 - Deployed to the Gulf, under Operation GRANBY, and fought in the campaign to free Kuwait from Iraqi invasion in early 1991

1994 - Transferred to RAF Lossiemouth and the Tornado GR1B, operating in the anti-shipping role alongside 12 Squadron

2003 - Contributed to the RAF Tornado GR4 force deployed for Operation TELIC, flying missions against Iraqi targets from Kuwait. Flew the first operational Storm Shadow mission, on 21 March. The squadron continued rotating into theatre until 2009, when regular rotations to Afghanistan, under Operation HERRICK, began

2011 - 617 Squadron crews flew Storm Shadow attacks during Operation ELLAMY over Libya, while the unit also continued deploying to Afghanistan

2014 - Disbanded on 28 February, after returning from a final HERRICK deployment on 30 January. Began re-forming in 2016, in preparation to become the UK’s first frontline Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning unit

2018 - Four 617 Squadron Lightnings landed at RAF Marham, the unit’s new home

2019 - Lightning Dawn saw 617 Squadron deploy to RAF Akrotiri for Operation SHADER sorties and subsequent training alongside Israeli and Italian F-35s

2020 - In June, 617 Squadron embarked operational Lightnings aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth for the first time. In September, the unit returned to the ship, alongside visiting US Marine Corps F-35Bs, in preparation for the vessel’s Carrier Strike Group 21 first operational sailing in 2021

#aviation #watchnow #special

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