War in Ukraine continues to rage with questions continuing to be asked about the West's response to the brutal Russian invasion. With more military personnel from Nato being deployed to Eastern European countries bordering Ukraine, there is even more interest in the movements of military planes above the UK and Europe.
People in Britain have been casting their eyes skyward as the distant - or not so distant - rumbling and screams of bombers and fighter jets streak above them. Many of these flights are pre-planned and routine training exercises, but some also have the role of showcasing Nato military might against any adversaries.
Aircraft from the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force have been criss-crossing UK airspace. Some have flown over from the States, others from bases including RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk and RAF Marham in Norfolk.
They include B52 bombers, F-35B and F-16 fighter jets, as well as a specially adapted nuclear-proof airplane from Andrews Airforce Base in Washington to RAF Mildenhall in the UK. The Boeing 747 E4-B is fitted with nuclear and thermal shielding and is nicknamed both the Doomsday plane and the Flying Pentagon.
Below, we look at some of the planes that have flown over the UK in the past month. There are also videos about the aircraft.
Boeing 747 E4-B 'Doomsday' plane
The United States this week sent a specially adapted nuclear-proof airplane from Andrews Airforce Base in Washington to RAF Mildenhall in the UK. The Boeing 747 E4-B is fitted with nuclear and thermal shielding and is nicknamed both the Doomsday plane and the Flying Pentagon, reports WalesOnline.
The plane, officially called Nightwatch, has steel-mesh reinforced windows and three decks of monitoring and communications equipment, and is a mobile war room and aerial command post - effectively a Situation Room in the sky.
RAF Navy Hawk jet
An RAF Navy Hawk jet shocked Plymouth residents on Thursday (March 24) after flying past the city, PlymouthLive reports. The jet took off from the Lizard Peninsula before flying past Falmouth and Fowey, then headed up towards Tavistock before arcing back towards the sky east of Plymouth.
Last week four of the jets made a special farewell flypast over the city, startling and delighting people on the Hoe. An RNAS Culdrose statement said: "The Hawks have played a significant role in defence for 40 years, playing the role of hostile aircraft or incoming missiles to train ships' companies and Royal Navy fighter controllers in air defence. Now we bid farewell to these veteran aircraft."
U2 Dragon Lady spy planes
These aircraft are packed with the latest surveillance technology and have been based at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire for a number of years. Their unusual look is matched by their unusual way of landing - having to be guided onto the runway by a 'chase car'.
They need a car because the plane offers 'extremely limited visibility' when landing. You can see a video of the landing above.
Routinely flown at altitudes over 70,000 feet, the U-2 pilot must wear a full pressure suit similar to those worn by astronauts. A second pilot is needed in case the pilot becomes ill or some incident means they are unable to fly.
F-35B Lightning planes
Three of these ultra futuristic F-35B Lightning planes, worth a total of £300 million, landed at RAF Marham in Norfolk earlier this month after flying over from Texas. They can carry 22,000lbs of firepower including eight Paveway laser-guided bombs, as well as being equipped with a terrifying "beast mode".
With a top speed of 1,200mph and capable of flying at 50,000ft, the F-35B jets infrared homing missiles are designed to outrun other airborne bombers. They are the first to evade radar stealth technology with supersonic speeds with a wing span of 35ft and needing just a 450ft runway to take-off, as reported by The Mirror.
The F-35B jets stealth jets are a game-changer for the military as they can take off and land vertically and will be jointly manned by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, operating from land and sea. Three more of the stealth jets will arrive this year and seven more in 2023. There is an expectation that all of the 48 in the first batch will be delivered by the end of 2025.
RAF Eurofighter Typhoon and USAF F-16 Fighting Falcons
These aircraft were involved in Enhanced Vigilance Activity, a NATO-led operation initiated in light of the unfolding events in eastern Europe. An RAF Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft was spotted flying over Grimsby on Wednesday, March 9 at the same time as the F-16s were seen flying out at sea just off Donna Nook in Lincolnshire, GrimsbyLive reports.
The RAF confirmed the activity carried out by these aircraft is part of a pre-planned Enhanced Vigilance Activity, a NATO-led operation initiated in light of the unfolding events in eastern Europe. But according to a spokesperson, the sightings of the planes over Grimsby and Donna Nook were merely part of a training exercise.
RAF spokesman Martin Tinworth said: "RAF Typhoons and USAF F-15s regularly train over the whole of the UK and frequently/on a daily basis utilise training areas over the North Sea and also continually use Air Weapons Ranges such as RAF Donna Nook.
"The RAF and in this case, RAF Typhoon and US F-15 pilots use a variety of training areas around the whole of the UK for training and vary their routes and training locations to maximise training benefit; recently our Aircraft have been training across large parts of Scotland, Wales, North East England, the North Sea, Norfolk, the North West/Liverpool, the South Coast and Isle of Wight.
"Use of such training areas enable RAF and US pilots to train in varied environments in preparation for operations across the globe, such as those ongoing in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
"The RAF Typhoon force continues to be on high readiness to deploy around the world in support of operations – an example is the recent deployment of additional aircraft to Cyprus to patrol NATO/Romanian airspace post Russian aggression in Ukraine."
USAF F-15s
These loud jets were heard flying over Swansea on Tuesday, (March 8) According to a flight tracker website it appears as if at least one of the American air force planes set off from RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, England, before heading directly south west for Swansea, WalesOnline reported
It was first heard in the skies at around 1.45pm and was seen on the tracker completing a flat loop shape over Swansea, taking it out into the Bristol Channel and back again. Most recently the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle was tracked taking a wider circle from Gower over Llanelli and Burry Port.
The F-15 is said to be a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft with a top speed of 3,018 km/h and a range of 4,815 km. The Ministry of Defence said there were also RAF Typhoons operating in Welsh skies today; the USAFE F-15s having left RAF Lakenheath, and the Typhoons from RAF Coningsby.
A spokesman said: "Typhoon fighters from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, were completing a variety of routine air-to-air and air to ground training in Wales and south west England today.
"The RAF and in this case, Typhoon pilots, use a variety of training areas around the whole of the UK for training and vary their routes and training locations to maximise training benefit; recently our aircraft have been training across large parts of Scotland, Wales, North East England, the North Sea, Norfolk, the north west, Liverpool, the south coast and Isle of Wight.
"Use of such training areas enable RAF pilots to train in varied environments in preparation for operations across the globe, such as those ongoing in the Middle East and eastern Europe.
"The RAF Typhoon force continues to be on high readiness to deploy around the world in support of operations – an example is the recent deployment of additional aircraft to Cyprus to patrol NATO / Romanian airspace post-Russian aggression in Ukraine".
B-52 Stratofortresses
Four of the huge B-52 bombers are based at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and have been regularly seen and heard in the skies above England and Wales. The planes, along with a number of different RAF aircraft, have been spotted departing and returning to Fairford and Brize Norton just over the border in Oxfordshire amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, GloucestershireLive reports.
The USAF have issued an update on the activity, stating that the B-52s have been in Europe to "integrate with NATO Allies over Europe" as part of the 'Bomber Task Force Europe'. The statement reads: " B-52 Stratofortress aircraft from the 5 th Bomb Wing, Minot AFB, North Dakota conducted a series of integration flights connecting with Romania, Greece, and Italy, March 7, 2022.
"The B-52 aircraft took off from RAF Fairford and flew over central Europe to meet up with Romanian Joint Terminal Attack Controllers, this integration provided crucial Close Air Support training. Before returning to base the B-52 aircraft integrated with Italian and Greek aircraft. The purpose of these integrations was to practice bilateral operations and bomber aircraft intercept procedures.
"Given the inherent speed, flexibility, and range of strategic bombers, Bomber Task Force missions highlight U.S. capabilities and commitment to work closely with our Allies and partners." The new F35s and U2 spy planes have also been spotted arriving at the airfield. The latter can cruise at 70,000 feet and are used for intelligence gathering.
