Royal Air Force members participate in upgrade training

by Ryan Hansen
55th Wing Public Affairs

5/22/2013 - OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- Over the past two years, 103 Airmen from the U.K. Royal Air Force have graduated from the RC-135 Rivet Joint initial qualification training course at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.

Recently, 60 of them were back in the states and on the installation for some RJ upgrade training.

"In the two-and-a-half years since the U.S. Air Force and Royal Air Force began this partnership, 51 Squadron has enjoyed the amazing hospitality of the 55th Wing, both in training and when flying together on operations," said RAF Wing Commander Garry Crosby, 51 Squadron commander.

In 2010, the Department of Defense and the U.K. Ministry of Defense came up with an agreement for the RAF to purchase three RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft.

The RAF is set to receive their first RJ later this year and this visit provided those aircrew members with the opportunity to participate in upgrade training.

"This training brings them up to latest upgrades ... equivalent to the capability being delivered to the U.K.," Crosby said.

The class took a little more than two weeks to complete and took RAF Airmen through classroom training, the simulator as well as flying the latest version of the RJ.

"Due to the extraordinary effort and efficiency of the 338th Combat Training Squadron, 343rd Reconnaissance Squadron and the 97th Intelligence Squadron, U.K. flyers achieved a 100 percent success rate in their conversion to the new standard," Crosby said.

While this latest upgrade training ensures the RAF aircrew are ready for the delivery of their first jet, they have already established themselves as great partners of the 55th Wing through what is known as co-manning.

Co-manning allows RAF aircrew to fly on U.S. Rivet Joints until the U.K.'s fleet reaches full operational capability. The first operational mission flown by 51 Squadron personnel was on June 21, 2011. Since then, they have flown more than 1,100 missions and accrued more than 20,000 man hours in the air on RJ operational missions. In addition, more than 10,000 hours have been flown on training sorties from Offutt.

"The U.S. and the U.K. have a special relationship and we're certainly proud that we have the honor of working so closely with them through this unique agreement," said Col. John Rauch, 55th Wing commander. "We have quickly proven the ability for our teams to work together and we couldn't be more pleased with their contributions to the fight."