Exercise "Cobra Warrior" (CW2023/1) full photo report on the UKs premier Military Aviation Exercise.

For weeks, the aviation social media sites have been full of what is now firmly the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force's most significant major exercise, and Cobra Warrior (CW23-1) was not going to disappoint.  

Early March saw the participants arriving at RAF Waddington and Connigsby, both in Lincolnshire, and this first stage of the 2023 exercise would feature three new airforces. Five India Mirage 2000s from 40 Wing at Gwalior air base would join Finnish Air Force F/A-18c's Hornets from HavLLv 31 at Kuopio-Rissala. They were joined at Waddington by previous participants, the Belgian Air Force, with six F-16AMs visiting from 10 Wing at Florennes.

The final first-time participants came from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, arriving at RAF Conningsby in late February. The RSAF bought six Eurofighter Typhoons from the 10 Wing at Taif/King Fahd Air Base. They were made up of five single-seat Typhoons and a two-seat Typhoon T.

The weather was the usual miserable English: damp, grey, and cold. Yellow, no parking cones lined the local roads. The A-15 crawled with continuous bumper-to-bumper juggernauts, and while the Wave cafe and parking swelled daily to beyond bursting, the fast jet action made it all well worth the visit.

So here it is.

 The weather was very mixed on all the days I attended.

  

KT208 Mirage 2000TI of the Indian Air Force from 40 Wing at Gwalior/Maharajpur Airbase. 

KT211 Mirage 2000TI following KT208 for take-off on Waddingtons runway 03.

You cannot beat a Mirage 2000TI taking off, especially when they are Indian Air Force machines.

HN422/22 F/A-18C of the Finnish Air Force, one of the six participating from HävLLv 31 at Kuopio-Rissala Airbase.

HN424/24 F/A-18C HävLLv 31 with sqadron marks.

 

KF112 Mirage 2000I taxis to 03.

KF118 Mirage 2000I of 40 Wing "Bharatiya Vayu Sena" Indian Air Force.

Indian Air Force Mirage 2000I Rolling on runway 03.

FA-77 F-16AM, BAF. from Florennes Airbase.

FA-116 F-16AM BAF with its two-sided 80th-anniversary scheme.

KT211 makes a low pass as it escorts KT208 for an emergency landing.

KT208 prepares for an emergency landing after declaring a technical issue. After a visual check, the emergency services were stood down.

KT211 Mirage 2000TI picks up some beautiful light against a very grey sky.

KT211 makes some low and fast passes as it awaits permission to land following KT208's technical issue.

KT211 Mirage 2000TI taxing in after the runway is changed to 21.

FA-116 F-16AM BAF shows its artwork from the opposite side.

FA-136 F-16AM "The X Tiger" wears another dramatic colour scheme to mark 70 years of the Belgium Airforce 31Squadron and 60 years of the NATO Tiger.  

KF211 Mirage 2000I Indian Airforce.

KF118 Mirage 2000I "Bharatiya Vayu Sena" Indian Air Force.

HN424/24, HN406/06, and HN422/22 are on the break for landing runway 21 at RAF Waddington.

FA-134 F-16AM BAF.

By the afternoon, sortie, the weather is not playing ball.

In fact, it was like a nighttime sky.

ZZ419 Shadow R1+ 14 Sqn RAF. Another day and better weather.

Early morning entertainment at RAF Waddington.

Two Royal Saudi Airforce Typhoon F.2 arrived at RAF Waddington from RAF Coningsby.

1019 Typhoon F.2 Royal Saudi Airforce. 

8019 Typhoon F.2 Royal Saudi Airforce lands at RAF Waddington.

Meanwhile, across at RAF Coningsby, it's swift-moving.

ZK318/318 Typhoon FGR.4 RAF.

ZK432/432 Typhoon FGR.4, 6 Sqn. RAF.

ZK432/432 Typhoon FGR.4, 6 Sqn. RAF.

1019 Typhoon 10 Sqn Royal Saudi Airforce from  10 Wing at Taif/King Fahd.

Happy Days?

316 Typhoon F.2 3 Sqn RSAF.

8018 Typhoon F.2 80Sqn RSAF.

ZK342/342 Typhoon FGR.4 29(R) Sqn and ZK432/432 Typhoon FGR.4 6 Sqn lead Typhoon T.3 ZK382?382 on the break for landing back at RAF Coningsby.

ZK368/368 Typhoon FGR.4 29(R) Sqn.

Royal Saudi Airforce Typhoons in the break for landing back at RAF Coningsby.

8019 Typhoon F.2 80 Sqn RSAF.

8018 Typhoon F.2 80 Sqn RSAF.

 

316 Typhoon F.2 3 Sqn RSAF.

1019 Typhoon F.2 10 Sqn RSAF.

8019 Typhoon F.2 RSAF. Overshoots due to runway congestion.

8019 Typhoon F.2 80 Sqn RSAF.

ZJ937/937 Typhoon FGR.4 29(R) Sqn RAF.

ZK433/433 Typhoon FGR.4 41(R) TES.

ZK318/318 Typhoon FGR4.RAF departs RAF Coningsby as we do.

Happy Days!

St Dizier Airshow 2022 "Journées Portes Ouvertes" at Base Ariene BA113.

With the "Meeting National" 2022 staged at Cognac Chateaubernard, it was now time for BA113 at Saint Dizier/Robinson airbase to open their gates to the public with "Journées Portes Ouvertes."

Saint Dizier/Robinson is home to the French Air Force 4th Fighter Wing (4e Escadre de Chasse), which comprises three squadrons.

EC01.004 'Gascogne' EC02.004 'La Fayette' and ETR03.004 'Aquitaine' which is the combined Rafale training unit or 'Escadron de transformation' and includes Rafale M from the Marine alongside AdlA Rafales. 

Although JPO is secondary to the "Meeting National", it did not feel like it at St Dizier on the weekend of the 25th and 26th of June 2022. Blessed with relatively good weather on Friday, the 24th of June, we were treated to various military aircraft arriving from across France and Europe.

On Saturday, with an early start, we toured the base, photographing the flight line and preserved aircraft found stored around the base. It was also interesting to visit the maintenance hangers and see the levels of work being carried out on some of the Rafale jets.

Here are the results of a great weekend.

313/4-HI Rafale B ETR03.004 "Bison" seen recovering to  BA113 at Saint Dizier/Robinson.

A lineup of mixed Rafale types from ETR03.004 'Aquitaine' and the combined training unit  'Escadron de transformation'  lined up in the static display and armed with the varied armaments they could be seen to deploy with. 

The Patrouille de France arrived overhead St Dizier escorted by two home-based Rafales.

326/4-HY Rafale B EC01.004 "Gascogne" ESC BR66 "Faucon Eygtian".

314/4-HP Rafale B EC01.004 " Gascogne" SPA37 "Charognard".

Sheltered Rafale 326/4-HY  EC01.004 "Gascogne" ESC BR66 "Faucon Eygtian". 

345/4-FL EC02.004 "La Fayette" SPA81 "Levrier".

351/4-FR Rafale B EC02.004 "La Fayette" N214 "Tete de Soiux". 

Patrouille de France catches some attractive light as they arrive from Base 701 Salon-de-Provence in Southern France.

T-785 Falcon 900EX arrives early ahead of the two FA-18C's SwissAF.

J-5014 F/A-18C SwissAF is making a fast descent across St. Dizier.

643/3-JD Mirage 2000D  EC03.003 "Ardennes" BR44 "Sanglier assis" from Nancy-Ochey.

643/3-JD Mirage 2000D  EC03.003 "Ardennes" BR44 "Sanglier assis" holding the nose up for the photographers.

16/709FR PC-21 EAC00.315 from BA709 Chateaubernard at Cognac. 

Flying for the"Mustang-Ray" demonstration team.

17/709FS PC-21 EAC00.315 from BA709 Chateaubernard at Cognac. 

09/709FK PC-21 EAC00.315 from BA709 Chateaubernard at Cognac. 

ET-613 F-16BM RDAF touching down at St Dizier. (Have Glass V colours).

55/2-EU Mirage2000-5F EC01.002 "Cigognes" SPA103 'Cigogne deFonck".

55/2-EU Mirage2000-5F Sadly, they will soon be withdrawn from use.

55/2-EU Mirage2000-5F makes the photographers happy with a brake chute. 

E176/8-MB Alpha Jet E from EE03.008 "Côte de d'Or" at BA120 Cazaux in the Southwest of France.

They are some of the last still flying and are used in the aggressor role.

78/XE TBM700A CEAM.

117/XN TBM700A ET00.043 "Médoc" ECA43 from BA106 Bordeaux/Mérignac.

198/64-HF CN235M from ET03.062 "Vercors" at BA105 at Evreux.

Patrouille de France practise display.

E48/6 Alpha Jet E EPAA 20.300/PdF.

FA-67 F-16AM "Dream Viper" 2Wing BAF.

0019/F-RBAG A400M ET01.061 "Touraine" VB101 "Tete de Hibou".

I made the best display on the Friday practice and earned well-deserved applause from the photographers.

0019/F-RBAG A400M ET01.061 "Touraine" VB101 "Tete de Hibou". In action over St Dizier.

0019/F-RBAG A400M ET01.061 "Touraine" VB101 "Tete deHibou". Passing with a tremendous coloured sky behind.

0019/F-RBAG A400M ET01.061 "Touraine" VB101 "Tete deHibou". Landing after its display.

A124/11-RJ Jaguar A, EC 11

A113/7-HT Jaguar A, EC7. Both Jaguars are in front of the tower.

52-8997/1-PA F-84F. Near the main gate and marked as 29094.

046 CM-170 Magister.

16524/338-H T-33A

347/30-FB SO.4050N Vautour EC30.

16/AO Mirage 1VA is one of two preserved at St Dizier. The second one can be seen in photo number six under the landing Rafale, serial 61/CH Mirage 1VP and belongs to the Aeroclub Vol Moteur collection.

Access to the collection is from the other side of the airfield.

16/AO Mirage 1VA FAF.

Early morning at St Dizier.

16/AO Mirage 1VA and 0019/F-RBAG A.400M ET01.061.

16/AO Mirage 1VA and 0019/F-RBAG A.400M ET01.061.

55/2-EU Mirage 2000-5F EC01.002.

198/64-HF CN-235M.300 ET03.062.

The Patrouille de France.

Rafale taxiing.

ET-613  F-16BM FWS RDAF is taking off for its display.

ET-613  F-16BM FWS RDAF. (Dannebrog colours).

J-5002 F/A-18C Swiss Air Force display complete.

046/F-UJCL A330MRT ERVTS 01.031

046/F-UJCL A330MRT ERVTS 01.031 and 313/4-HL Rafale B ETR 03.004.

Very different flying speeds 313/4-HL Rafale B and F-GEKD a Robin DR400 from the St Dizier flying club.

 

F-AZTK as 3198/DL-UI Luftwaffe SK-15A Ex Swedish airforce 5020.

F-AZKT MD-311 ex 260/316-KT FAF.

N52533 PT-17BW  flying as 2390/297 USN and ex-USAAF 41-8831.

 

F-AZHR T-28A as 517749/749 USN ex FAF.

F-AZVN Havard T-6G as 49-2983/983 RCAF ex FAF.

F-AYFM TB-30 as 67/315-WJ Special colours EALA 9/72.

F-AYPT M-62A-3/PT-19 as 163 RNorAF, ex RCAF EW477.

F-BNDD MH1521M ex 240/330-IN.

F-GKJT MH1521M ex 106/33-JT.

F-AZCQ Havard T-6G ex SpAF E.16-193.

350/4-FQ Rafale B.

That's it from a great airshow 2022 at St Dizier.

"Happy days indeed".