Britain expands role in Iraq as warplanes monitor Isis positions

Britain is stepping up its military involvement in the fight against jihadi forces from the Islamic State in Iraq after the defence secretary Michael Fallon confirmed that British warplanes are flying deeper into Iraq in a mission that could last "months".

 

As David Cameron declared that Britain should be prepared to deploy its "military prowess" to help defeat the jihadis, Fallon said that Britain's involvement in Iraq is fast expanding beyond the initial humanitarian mission to relieve Yazidi refugees besieged on Mount Sinjar.

 

"This is not simply a humanitarian mission," the defence secretary said as it was confirmed that RAF Tornado jets, which were deployed to the region last week to identify the location of Yazidi refugees, are now monitoring Islamic State (Isis) positions deep into Iraq.

 

The UK move came as the US announced its most concerted bombing campaign yet over northern Iraq to drive Isis forces back, helping Kurdish forces to reclaim Mosul dam.

 

American warplanes and drones carried out more than 20 strikes at the weekend near the crucial dam that Isis forces took earlier this month. More than a dozen Isis vehicles were destroyed, the Pentagon said. The bombing is designed to help Kurdish forces regain the initiative in fighting for territory in northern Iraq that Isis has seized over the past three months.

 

"Mosul Dam was liberated completely," Ali Awni, an official from Iraq's main Kurdish party, told Agence France-Presse, a statement also confirmed by another party official and a Kurdish security forces officer.

 

Britain was encouraged by the progress over the weekend though Downing Street believes that the US, the Kurds and forces of the Iraqi state face a lengthy battle to defeat the Isis jihadis.

Fallon's declaration that British involvement was expanding beyond a humanitarian mission contrasted with the cautious language of Downing Street last week when officials said that the British mission was limited to providing humanitarian relief for Yazidi refugees besieged on Mount Sinjar.

Britain announced towards the end of last week that it would be prepared to arm Kurdish forces fighting the extremists.

 

Fallon said: "We and other countries in Europe are determined to do what we can to help the government of Iraq combat this new and very extreme form of terrorism that Isil [the Islamic State] is promoting."

 

The defence secretary was speaking at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus as six Tornado fast jets and a spy plane push beyond the Kurdish region in the very north of Iraq – the focus of the humanitarian crisis – into parts of mainland northern Iraq that were taken over by Islamist militants in the past two months.

 

The aircraft are providing footage and other intelligence on displaced families to assist with the humanitarian effort and also on the movement of jihadis on the ground. It is studied by British analysts before being used to help Kurdish and Iraqi security forces.

 

British intelligence is shared directly with the US military, which has been conducting air strikes against Islamic State positions for the past 10 days.

 

"We are helping the Iraqi authorities and the Kurdish forces build up a better picture of where Isis is, where it is likely to strike next," Fallon said in an interview conducted by the defence editor of the Times and pooled on behalf of the major newspapers including the Guardian.

 

This means that British information could be used by the Iraqi military in planning attacks against jihadis – a development that brings Britain closer to a direct combat role, which could cause alarm among some MPs who are concerned about mission creep.

 

The Rivet Joint spy plane, a sophisticated, electronic surveillance aircraft, has been conducting missions since last week. Its information is combined with intelligence from daily patrols conducted by pairs of Tornado fighter jets, kitted with surveillance pods.

 

The RAF is also flying planeloads of ammunition, rifles and machine guns from former Soviet bloc countries in eastern Europe into Irbil in order to strengthen the fighting power of the Iraqi Kurdish security forces who are combatting the jihadis.

 

In addition, the government is looking at what British gear, such as night-vision goggles and body armour, it could send directly to the country to boost the Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.

 

The defence secretary praised a group of about three dozen airmen and soldiers from the various different units at the RAF base for their work in distributing aid. Fallon then signalled an expansion of the mission which could last months when he said: "This mission isn't over. The humanitarian needs are there…There may well now be in the next few weeks and months other ways that we may need to help save life, protect people. We are going to need all of you again and the surveillance you are able to give us."

 

The signals from Fallon of a greater British military involvement, which will stop short of deploying combat troops, came as the prime minister laid the ground for greater British military involvement in confronting Isis.

 

In a Sunday Telegraph article Cameron warned that Isis has declared an "extremist caliphate" that could soon lead to a "terrorist state on the shores of the Mediterranean and bordering a Nato member [Turkey]".

 

The prime minister, who warned of a "generational struggle" against a "poisonous and extremist ideology" that will last for the rest of his political lifetime, wrote: "I agree that we should avoid sending armies to fight or occupy. But we need to recognise that the brighter future we long for requires a long-term plan for our security as well as for our economy.

 

"True security will only be achieved if we use all our resources – aid, diplomacy, our military prowess – to help bring about a more stable world. Today, when every nation is so immediately interconnected, we cannot turn a blind eye and assume that there will not be a cost for us if we do."

The prime minister, who was furious when Ed Miliband blocked his plans to launch military strikes against the regime of the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad last year amid fears of a repeat of the mistakes of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, said that people should make judgments on the world of today.

 

He wrote: "The creation of an extremist caliphate in the heart of Iraq and extending into Syria is not a problem miles away from home. Nor is it a problem that should be defined by a war ten years ago. It is our concern here and now. Because if we do not act to stem the onslaught of this exceptionally dangerous terrorist movement, it will only grow stronger until it can target us on the streets of Britain."

 

Sir Menzies Campbell, the former Liberal Democrat leader, said: "The prime minister is right to emphasise that the effects of any continuing instability in Iraq will not be confined to the region. But it will be necessary to meet the challenge of terrorism by constructing a coalition of allies from both the EU and Nato. A unified approach will be essential with no room for dissent or compromise between countries. The jihadists of IS [the Islamic State] will most certainly test political resolve as well as security challenges."

 

In his interview the defence secretary confirmed that a small number of regular British soldiers were also sent briefly into the semi-autonomous Kurdish north of the country. The troops from 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment were flown into Arbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, last week to prepare for a possible deployment of Chinook helicopters on a mission to save families from a little-known religious sect who were stuck on a mountainside.

UK operates first drone strike from own territory

The strike of a British Reaper drone, which took place in Afghanistan on Tuesday, is the first drone to be used in an attack controlled from a base situated on UK soil.

“A Reaper remotely piloted aircraft system, operated by pilots from 13 Squadron located at RAF Waddington, has fired a weapon during a mission supporting UK forces on the ground in Afghanistan,” a spokesperson of UK’s Ministry of Defense said.

No further details are available as the country’s military abstains from discussing details of specific missions for the sake of operational security.

Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) has previously controlled British and US Air Force Reaper and Predator drones from the Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, US during missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.

According to UK’s armed forces minister, Andrew Robathan, the country’s military launched more than 2000 unmanned aerial vehicle missions between October 2006 and December 31, 2012.

Britain remains the only nation that is sanctioned by Washington to purchase and operate armed MQ-9 Reaper drones, produced by the US-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems company.

The Royal Air Force has been using UAVs of such a class since 2008, with 13 Squadron currently being in possession of 10 Reapers, all stationed in Afghanistan.

The MQ-9 Reaper is the first hunter-killer drone designed for long-endurance, high-altitude surveillance, which is larger, heavier and more capable than the earlier MQ-1 Predator version.

It’s primarily used to gather intelligence on enemy activity on the ground, but also carries bombs and Hellfire missiles for precision strikes.

Armed RAF Afghan Drones Now Flown From UK

RAF pilots have operated drone missions over Afghanistan from British soil.

The missions were flown by members of XIII Squadron, based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.

Up until this week, all such missions in the Afghan conflict had been conducted at Creech air force base in Nevada.

The UK currently has five Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) - also known as remotely piloted air systems (RPAS).

Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed in 2010 that the fleet of Reaper aircraft would expand.

Delivery of the new aircraft is expected this summer.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed the commencement of operations from Lincolnshire in a short statement.

It said: "XIII Sqn have commenced supporting ISAF and Afghan ground troops in Afghanistan with armed intelligence and surveillance missions, which are remotely piloted from RAF Waddington."

Since 2007, British drones have flown some 45,000 hours in the Afghan conflict and fired around 350 weapons.

Their primary use is for surveillance, but they do carry precision guided missiles or Hellfire missiles on board for use when necessary.

The Waddington-based squadron numbers around 100 personnel who are specifically trained to fly the aircraft.

The drones take off and land under the guidance of pilots on the ground in Afghanistan but the pilots in Lincolnshire take over once they’ve reached a suitable height. They tend to fly at an altitude of between 15,000 to 20,000 feet.

The British Government insists it only flies its fleet of UAVs in Afghanistan - a country that it has an legal remit to be in.

But drones are controversial, largely because of their use in Pakistan and Yemen by the US government and a protest march is planned outside RAF Waddington this Saturday.

The pilots in Lincolnshire are operating in conjunction with British and American colleagues still based in Nevada - this is largely based on a shift pattern to reflect the time difference and to allow for 24 hour operations.

The MoD will only confirm one incident of civilian casualties involving its aircraft, when innocent people were killed by the blast of a missile that also killed two insurgents.

U.K. Airbus A400M Airlifter Costs Exceed Plan by $1.2 Billion

The Airbus Military A400M airlifter for the U.K. is now running over budget by 770 million pounds ($1.2 billion), according to the British Ministry of Defence. 

There is also a cost overrun on a Thales SA (HO) Watchkeeper drone program and a Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) electronic system for aircraft, Philip Dunne, a minister for defense, told Parliament in written answers to questions. 

The U.K. is acquiring 22 A400M transports to replace Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) C-130s, a program running 73 months behind plan, the National Audit Office said. The airlifter is scheduled to enter service with the Royal Air Force in 2015. Lead customer France should get its first plane by the middle of this year. 

“Project performance can be affected by a number of reasons, not all of which are in the contractor’s control,” Dunne said. The increases are against the ministry’s total cost baseline, and not contracts with the companies, he said. 

Airbus SAS and countries funding the development of the A400M restructured the program in 2010 to address cost increases and schedule delays. The U.K. trimmed its purchase to 22 units instead of 25 as part of the review. 

The Watchkeeper unmanned aircraft program for the army is 57 million pounds above estimate and Northrop Grumman’s aircraft identification beacon is 6 million pounds above projections, Dunne said.

Submarine 'got a hammering'

John Bishop wanted to fly with the RAF but when he went as a teenager to volunteer he was told "sorry, we're full up at the moment".

He ended up as one of the first radar operators on a British submarine, his shore base in Malta, his 25 patrols from there helping to cripple the Axis supply lines to North Africa and hasten Hitler's defeat.

Sitting in his Richmond dining room, the still-dapper 90-year-old tells his war story in a matter-of-fact way and sprinkles it with the natural humour of a Londoner. 

He says he was "about 17" when he joined the Royal Navy and was soon being trained in Scotland and England. 

"Radar was just coming in and it was quite secret." 

Early in 1942 he was assigned to the U-class submarine HMS Ultor, one of 49 that served in World War II. 

Small at 58 metres - think of two railway carriages, Mr Bishop says - they carried a crew of 27 to 31.

Originally designed as training vessels for surface ships to practise their submarine attacks on, they were slow, could only dive to 80 metres, and had crowded living conditions, but their smallness proved suitable for the Mediterranean. 

"They had a lot of drawbacks . . . but they were quick diving, and easy to maintain." 

They had to surface at night so that their diesel motors could charge the batteries used for underwater travel and during that time it was Mr Bishop's job to share radar duties with one other crew member, each working one hour on, one hour off, watching for enemy ships and planes. 

He says the equipment was primitive and "I think the skipper had more faith in it than I did, actually".

Once submerged the radar was inoperative and he was assigned to other duties - maybe going on the ship's wheel or cooking the meal. Watches were four hours and "you didn't get much sleep". 

HMS Ultor was painted deep blue because on a calm day submarines were visible 20 metres under water to patrolling aircraft looking down on the clear water. It was part of the 10th Submarine Flotilla, which fought out of Malta during the legendary siege when German and Italian bombers relentlessly pounded the island in an unsuccessful attempt to subdue it ahead of an Axis invasion that never came. 

Sometimes the Ultor submerged at its berth to avoid bombing raids. Between patrols the crew lived in an old stone building close to the shore. 

"There were more bombs dropped on Malta than on London during the Blitz," Mr Bishop says. 

Having already experienced that bombing as a teenage Civil Defence volunteer before joining the navy, he jokes that "I think the Germans had it in for me". 

The Ultor could be at sea for as little as 10 days or as long as three weeks, depending on how long it took to find targets for the four torpedoes it had in its tubes, and the four it carried to reload with.

"When you'd expended those, you might as well go home." 

Its mission was to sink ships supplying the Axis forces in North Africa. It accounted for 28, more than any other British submarine, Mr Bishop says, and it was often under attack itself. 

Enemy warships would pass overhead, their engines thrumming like an express train, and then the submariners would wait for the sound of depth charges exploding. 

 That's the hardest part, to see if they've thrown anything over the side or not. Half the time they probably dropped the depth charges miles away." 

Nine British U-class submarines were lost in the Mediterranean. The Ultor escaped unscathed.

Mr Bishop says he was too young to feel much fear, except once. On his last patrol they sank a supply ship which had a destroyer and aircraft escort and then found there was another ship nearby also escorted by destroyers and planes. The two groups joined up to hunt the Ultor, which "really got a hammering" while it manoeuvred underwater. 

"I can remember thinking, ‘What the hell am I doing here?'." 

He is more at ease talking about living conditions: canned food day after day, with 12 tins of M and V (meat and vegetables) a standard meal for the crew, one toilet for 15-18 men, with no privacy and a view of the turning propeller shaft, not enough water to wash. 

After the war Mr Bishop trained as a compositor in London and, intrigued by the stories a Kiwi workmate from Canterbury told, brought his wife and daughter to New Zealand in 1953. He worked on the Otago Daily Times, went to Tasmania for a year, came back to New Zealand and was employed by the then Nelson Evening Mail for the rest of his working life. 

He's been an RSA member and has attended many Anzac Day parades. He says when he thinks about the war, it's the "wicked waste" that comes to mind. He's not sure about tomorrow.

"I'll see how I feel. I'm not good at standing for long periods." 

The interview over, a framed text on the sideboard catches my eye. 

Dated September 1944, it's a citation awarding Able Seaman John Bishop the Distinguished Service Medal "for courage and skill serving in war patrols on HMS Ultor". He went to Buckingham Palace with 10 of his shipmates equally honoured, to get his medal from King George. 

He hadn't thought to mention it.

BAe 146 C.MK 3 aircraft delivered to the UK Royal Air Force

Prestwick, Scotland, BAE Systems Regional Aircraft has delivered on time and on budget two BAe 146-200QC (Quick Change) aircraft that have been converted from commercial to military configuration for use by the Royal Air Force.

After a period of familiarisation and operational trials, both aircraft have now been declared as Released To Service (RTS) by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence.

Known in RAF service as the BAe 146 C Mk.3, the two aircraft have been converted under a £15.5 million contract awarded to BAE Systems Regional Aircraft at Prestwick under an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) to augment tactical aircraft numbers, particularly the Lockheed C130 Hercules force, during the upcoming extraction phase of Operation Herrick, the current Afghanistan campaign.

BAE Systems has been responsible for the design and integration of the equipment to be fitted to the aircraft, the sourcing of the equipment and management of the supply chain and overall management of the conversion programme. The actual conversion was carried out at the Hawker Beechcraft Services, Chester facility under sub-contract to BAE Systems.

Among the military equipments fitted are a Defensive Aids System to enable these UOR aircraft to be protected to appropriate levels, at least equivalent to other UK aircraft operating in Afghanistan. Also installed is a Successor Identification Friend or Foe (SIFF) system.

A number of other upgrades have also been installed including HF and UHF radio communications systems and a SATCOM satellite communications system. An armoured flight deck has been incorporated along with fuel tank inertion, air conditioning upgrades and a fire protection D-C system in the baggage bay.

The BAe 146 C Mk.3 is equipped with a large 131 inch wide and 76 inch high (3.33m x1.93m) rear upward-opening freight door giving a large aperture for the easy loading of pallets, containers and awkwardly-shaped cargo. The large cabin volume of the aircraft will allow up to 23,500 lbs (10.6 tonnes) of freight to be carried.

The cabin floor of the aircraft has a freight loading system which allows either palletised freight or passenger seating fixed to pallets to be rapidly installed. The passenger layout of 94 seats is to full commercial aircraft standards with interior trim, carpeting, toilet and galleys available front and rear and overhead passenger service units for each seat row and overhead luggage bins. There are also two large underfloor baggage holds.

In order to further broaden the versatility of this aircraft BAE Systems has engineered two further interior options for the RAF. It has sourced and received Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approval for new cabin baggage platforms and containers and cargo pallets from VRR of The Netherlands.

When installed on the aircraft this gives an alternative layout of 54 seats and a significant amount of carry-on baggage allowance in storage containers that can carry Bergens and other bags. The containers and their associated pallet are fork-liftable, even when loaded to their maximum weight, thus aiding rapid turnaround.

BAE Systems has also cleared a palletised freight layout for use on these aircraft, rather than the usual BAe 146QC freight igloos, to allow easier transhipment of loads between differing aircraft types in the RAF transport fleet.

Both aircraft are assigned to the RAF’s 32 (The Royal) Squadron which already operates two BAe 146 CC Mk 2 aircraft, primarily in the VIP transport role from RAF Northolt in north-west London.

Vulcan bomber to make final flight in 2013

The last airworthy Vulcan bomber is set to make its final flight in 2013 as a result of the excessive technical and financial demands involved in keeping it operational, it has been announced.

Vulcan XH558, operated by the Vulcan to the Sky trust, has flown at more than 60 outdoor events, including the Queen's jubilee celebrations, and has been seen in flight by an estimated 10 million people since its refurbishment in 2007.

By the end of the 2013 display season, XH558's post-restoration flying life will be almost at an end, Trust chief executive Dr Robert Pleming said.

"We are sure you are aware that all Vulcans have a finite safe flying life and that XH558 is already well beyond the hours flown by any other aircraft of her type," he wrote on the trust's website.

Citing the need for a "challenging" £200k wing modification and the increased likelihood of engine failure, Pleming wrote that replacement engines would be too difficult to locate and restore.

Remanufacturing just one wheel for the bomber would cost over £70,000, if the engineering drawings can be found, he added.

"It is therefore with great sadness that we have told XH558's supporters that we are planning for next year to be the last opportunity anyone will have, anywhere in the world, to see a Vulcan in the air," he said.

"I'd like to thank everyone who by the end of 2013 will have contributed to achieving six fantastic years of Vulcan displays since the restoration; it's a remarkable achievement that many people said would be impossible. With the passionate and generous support of the British people, we returned an all-British icon to the sky and brought the excitement of engineering and aviation to new generations."

Trust director Michael Trotter said that once the aircraft has finished flying, the Trust intends to maintain XH558 in running order to conduct fast taxi runs and "develop further her role in education as the centrepiece of an exciting new type of inspirational engineering education centre".

RAF colours lowered in Kinloss for the last time

The RAF flag is lowered to make way for the army`s flags.

 MORE than 70 years of proud Royal Air Force tradition ended yesterday as the RAF ensign was lowered for the final time at the former frontline base at Kinloss in Moray.

The station, established 73 years ago as a pilot training school before becoming a key base for Coastal Command and then a maritime spy plane centre, passed into the history books in a simple but poignant ceremony at the heart of the 1,826 acre airfield.

As the colours of the RAF were lowered for the last time over the base they were replaced by the flag of the 39 Engineer Regiment, marking its new beginnings as Kinloss Barracks.

The fate of the station - one of two RAF bases in Moray - was sealed two years ago with the UK government’s decision to scrap the replacement fleet of Nimrod MRA4 aircraft as part of the strategic defence review.

At its height the base for the “Mighty Hunter” had supported almost 2,000 service and civilian jobs, bringing more than £60 million year to the Moray economy.

But the airfield officially ceased to operate as a frontline base last July when the three flying squadrons - 42 (Reserve), CXX and 201 (Guernsey’s Own) - were disbanded at a ceremony attended by the Duke of Edinburgh.

As the barracks for 39 Engineer Regiment - formerly based at Waterbeach, near Cambridge – Kinloss will become the new home to total of 716 Army personnel by the end of October.

Group Captain JJ Johnston, the station commander of RAF Kinloss, said yesterday that it had been an “incredibly poignant occasion”.

“There is clearly a tinge of sadness in what we’ve done but what it represents is an unbelievable effort by some 1,500 people to draw down this enormous estate and prepare it for transition to what I am pleased to say are new owners and indeed a future within Moray for defence from the Army,” he said.

“The RAF at Kinloss has played a significant role in Moray throughout the last 73 years, and I know that 39 Engineer Regiment will forge the same warm links with the local community.

“This is the start of a new military era in Moray but we know that the future is bright with the arrival of 39 Engineer Regiment.”

Richard Lochhead, the SNP MSP for Moray, said the lowering of the ensign marked the end of a “long and successful chapter in Moray’s story”.

Four Typhoon aircraft normally based in Lincolnshire are on call for the Olympics.

The RAF said the aircraft from RAF Coningsby have been stationed at Northolt in Middlesex since Tuesday.

It also said they could be called at short notice to intercept unidentified aircraft around the Olympic sites.

Sqn Ldr Gordon Lovett said: "There is no specific threat to the Games, but we have to be ready for all eventualities."

The RAF said it was the first time fighter aircraft had conducted operations from the airfield since World War II.

It said the fighter jets, which had recently been used in Libya, were one part of a "multi-layered air security plan to protect the London Games

RAF's newest transport aircraft named Atlas

The RAF's next generation military transport aircraft has officially been named Atlas at the Royal International Air Tattoo, which is taking place at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.

The RAF's Airbus A400M transport aircraft will be known as Atlas 

The aircraft, which has until now been known as the A400M, will replace the RAF's existing C-130 Hercules fleet and, along with the Voyager and C-17, will provide the UK military's future air transport force.

The UK is buying 22 of the aircraft from Airbus Military, and the first Atlas is expected to be delivered to the RAF in 2014.

Able to carry twice as much as the Hercules, Atlas can transport 32 tonnes of cargo over a range of 4,500km, providing unprecedented capability to support the UK Armed Forces.

It can move up to 116 paratroopers and large armoured vehicles such as Mastiffs as well as vast amounts of humanitarian and disaster relief. The aircraft's ability to land on semi-permanent runways and rough ground means Atlas can fly its cargo into the centre of operations, supplying tactical forward bases or evacuating casualties or refugees.

Five Airbus A400M test aircraft fly over Toulouse

The Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Peter Luff, said:

    "Atlas will be a uniquely capable aircraft and will provide both tactical and strategic airlift capabilities for use in peace, crisis and war. The name Atlas reflects the potential of this mighty aircraft to provide help and support to our Armed Forces and others in need across the globe.

    "The programme is a good example of how European partners can work together to deliver world-class military capability."

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, said:

    "Atlas is going to be a major capability for Defence and the Royal Air Force is looking forward to Atlas joining our world-class fleet of air mobility aircraft.

 NH90 military helicopter is loaded into an Airbus A400M

    "Atlas will offer a step-change in the Royal Air Force's capability, and with its significant payload it will be able to transport every type of UK protected mobility vehicle directly to where they are needed as well as supporting forces on the ground through significant tactical air drops.

    "Atlas, together with the C-17 Globemaster, C-130J Hercules and the new Voyager aircraft now entering service with the RAF, will give us the ability to rapidly move people and equipment around the globe for military and humanitarian operations for decades ahead."

The UK is one of seven nations who will be purchasing Atlas from Airbus Military. The development and build of the aircraft has created or secured work for 8,000 people in the UK.

Tornado Crash: Hopes Fade For RAF Crew

A search for two RAF airmen who went missing after a pair of Tornado jets crashed off the coast of Scotland has become a recovery operation.

Four personnel from RAF Lossiemouth were involved in the incident, in which the Tornado GR4s came down in the Moray Firth on Tuesday afternoon.

A rescue helicopter later picked up two people who were taken to hospital in Inverness, but the search for the remaining airmen was later suspended due to bad weather.

Fred Caygill, a maritime and coastguard agency spokesman, said this morning: "We are now in a recovery phase. We stand by to assist the Ministry of Defence in any way that we can if required."

On Tuesday, the Aberdeen coastguard contacted the RNLI for assistance at about 1.50pm after reports that the jets came down about 25 miles south of Wick.

About 15 lifeboat volunteers joined the rescue operation in boats from Wick, Invergordon and Buckie, the RNLI said.

The boats headed for the Beatrice oil field area, supported by a helicopter from Stornoway in the Western Isles.

Crew from the Buckie boat reported that two people were taken from the sea by helicopter and flown to Raigmore Hospital, although their condition is not known

Group Captain Ian Gale, the station commander, said his thoughts were with the families and friends of those involved.

"It is with great regret that I must confirm the loss of two Tornado GR4 aircraft, from this station, in an incident in the Moray Firth today," he said in a statement released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

"The circumstances remain uncertain but clearly this is a very serious incident.

"This incident involved four aircrew, all personnel from this station, and the thoughts of everyone here are with the families and friend of those involved."

He would not comment on the aircrew's condition or the circumstances of the incident.

He added: "I am confident that the Tornado aircraft on this station are operated as safely as they possibly can be - however, today's incident is a stark reminder that the military operations and training we conduct are not without risk.

"What happened today is under investigation and more details will be released by the Royal Air Force in due course.

First Minister Alex Salmond said: "This is clearly a very serious incident and my thoughts are with the loved ones of those affected."

Tornado aircraft have been involved in crashes in Scotland in recent years.

In January last year two RAF crew were rescued after their Tornado GR4 jet came down in the sea off the west coast of Scotland.

The crew, from RAF Lossiemouth, ejected from the plane before it landed in the waters at Loch Ewe, near Gairloch, Wester Ross.

RAF Lossiemouth, on the Moray Firth coast, is home to three squadrons of Tornado GR4s.

The Tornado GR4 is a two-seat attack aircraft, capable of delivering a variety of weapons and reaching a maximum altitude of 50,000ft (15,240m).

In July 2009 an RAF pilot and navigator were killed when their Tornado jet crashed into a hillside in Argyll.

Flight Lieutenant Kenneth Thompson, 27, and Flight Lieutenant Nigel Morton, 43, died in the crash near the village of Arrochar.

The aircraft was a RAF Leuchars-based Tornado F3 on a routine flight.

Andalucía, Costa de la Luz, Espana - Eight GR4 Tornados arrive in Gibraltar on Friday

The United Kingdom informed Spain some weeks ago of the military exercises which would be taking place in the Mediterranean

The armed forces on the rock say will be flying unarmed and carrying the minimum amount of aviation fuel to operate.

The Tornado can fire missiles with special precision and eight planes will be stationed on the Rock for ‘a month’, from where they will take part in the Mediterranean exercise on the high sea.

The eight GR4 Tornados will arrive from the Royal Air Force Ninth Squadron and their base in Norfolk.

The exercises over the Mediterranean will allow the pilots to ‘move the planes to their limits’. They will fly unarmed to lighten their weight and with as little fuel as possible.

British sources told Europa Press that the Mediterranean has been chosen because of the good weather conditions it offers.

Despite the fact that the planes will be parked at night at Gibraltar Airport, the Spanish Government has made no formal protest to the United Kingdom about the planes presence.

This despite the fact that the Spanish consider that the British slowly occupied the isthmus which now contains the airport. The isthmus was not mentioned in the 1704 Treaty of Utrecht.

Spanish diplomatic sources have said ‘The arrival and departure of British aircraft in Gibraltar ‘is not a motive for protest’, but they added that the lack of a protest has not changed the Spanish Governments position on the British ‘occupation’ of the isthmus one little bit.

The exercises will also see training for the SPAG Submarine Parachute Assistance Group, which is specialist in the rescue of the crew from British military submarines in an emergency.

The end of august will see more action from the Royal Navy, with the expected arrival of the destroyer HMS Diamond.