Spanish F-4 Phantoms on the Bardenas Reales under fire from EdA EF-18Ms.

We were on our way to the Bardenas Reales, Europe's largest desert and a significant bombing range used by the Spanish Air Force. Ground targets on this range include some EdA Phantoms, which I hoped to photograph. 

Regarding these beautiful jets, it would seem rude not to start with a Spanish Airforce RF-4C Phantom seen on a better day and before we discover the destiny of the F-4 Phantom targets. 

What follows is a little sad if you were a fond lover of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom.

CR12-55/12-64 RF-4C Phantom EdA departing the 1996 International Air Tattoo held at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. 

CR12-55/12-64 RF-4C Phantom EdA pouring on the power.

CR12-55/12-64 RF-4C Phantom departing for its home base at Torrejon de Ardoz. By 2002, it would become one of the preserved RF-4Cs at Torrejon.

So now we can look at the Bardenas Reales firing and bombing range and the EF-18Ms giving 'hell' to the ground targets.

The Bardenas Reales is a semiarid nature reserve. In fact, Europe's most immense Desert or 'Bad Lands, ' covers an area of 42500 hectares. It is an excellent destination for its Flora and Fauna, travelling on sand-compacted tracks in a highly weathered landscape. 

With its exceptional Biological importance and highest levels of environmental protection, the last thing you might imagine is a firing and bombing range at its centre.

For the unexpected, the first inkling is the signs.  

  

I have travelled to the Navarra region for many years, photographing the wildlife.

The Spanish Air Force units use the range nearly daily. We have seen Eurofighters, AV-8s, and F-18s, and during the 2015 NATO exercise 'Trident Juncture,' many NATO aircraft were to be seen firing at the targets. Most USAFE units, including Phantoms, A-10s, and F-16s, have bombed it.

CR.12-50/12-59 RF-4C Phantom EdA. 

CR.12-41 RF-4C Phantom EdA.

C.14-17/14-11 Mirage F.1M EdA. (Nearly dead but not quite).

CR.12-50/12-59 RF-4C Phantom with a target tank beyond. 

Ancient armoured personnel carriers rusting in the landscape.

The group of six Phantoms lie North of the dummy runway.

In no particular order:- C.12-04/122-02, C.12-09/12-06, C.12-14/122-07, C12-23/12-18,c.12-30/122-15, and C.12-40/12-32.

 

The rear F-4Cs with what looks like a bomb casing in the gypsum.

Closer view of the front three in the group.

View the runway and the 6xF-4C, 1xRF-4C, and the lone Mirage F-1M.

Shortly after this photo, we had to leave the immediate area for safety reasons.

Sadly, we were stuck looking towards the sun, but it was exciting and noisy when 3x Ala 15 EF-18Ms, fully armed, arrived from their Zaragoza airbase.

 

C.15-14/15-01 EF-18M Ala 15, with its Nato Tiger tail and live weapons.

C.15-14/15-01 EF-18M Ala 15, bomb away.

C.15-24/15-11 follows up with its nose-mounted 20mm Gatling gun working hard.

C.15-14/15-01 returns using the M61A2 Vulcan gun.

C.15-24/15-01 climbs from a staggeringly low flight and rolls over. The inert bomblet hooking device is seen underneath.

Heading for the target.

C.15-14/15-01 follows C.15-24/15-11.

C.15-30/15-17 EF-18M EdA climbing for the dive.

It's all over. With the jets departing for their home base, a Griffon Vulture passed through the now silent desert. 

Are some 12 F-4Cs and 1RF-4C listed as stored here? 

I need to find out where they are if they are on the Bardenas...

Spanish Air Force RF-4C Phantoms visited RAF Honnington in June 1993 during an exchange visit with 13 Sqn RAF. To see more, use the link below.

https://legendarymilavia.blogspot.com/2019/08/spanish-f-4cs-arrive-at-honington-and.html

Thank you for taking the time.

NATO Exercise Ample Train 1993 at RAF St Mawgan Cornwall.

The Ample Train Exercise 1993 was held at RAF St Mawgan in the United Kingdom. The participating jets deployed there on 23/5/1993.

Ample Train as an exercise was devised to improve the ability of NATO's airforces to work on and with each other's aircraft, with aircrews servicing another nation's aircraft.
Nine air arms, with two fast jets each, participated in the operations except the RAF, who participated with three Tornado GR1s. And if I remember correctly, it was a torrid time servicing them in the very damp conditions we all faced that week in May 1993.

We spent our days at the airfield and the nights in the small village of St Mawgan, staying at the Falcon Inn. Those nights turned into very late nights with great beer and food! Sorry, I digress, so here are the transparencies all captured on Kodachrome 64.    

 77-0113/CR of the 32nd TFW USAFE from Soesteburg Airbase in the Netherlands.

77-0113 and 77-0097 'CR' F-15As of the 32nd TFS USAFE.

 
F-104S ASA's MM6719/51-09 and MM6703/51-23 AMI/22 Gruppo 51Stormo.

Coming from Istrana Airbase.

MM6719/51-06 F-104S ASA AMI/22 Gruppo 51 Stormo.

MM6703/51-23 F-104S ASA AMI/22 Gruppo 51 Stormo.

MM6719/51-06 and MM6703/51-23 mission on.

FA-74 F-16AS FAB/31 Sqn 10 Wing.

FA-84 F-16AS FAB/31 Sqn 10 Wing.

 Two F-16Ds arrived from the TurAF/Öncel filo 4/cuAJU at Mürted airbase. This was the first  Turkish Air Force squadron to receive the F-16Cs and D's as the training squadron or Öncel. In 1999, it was later re-designated the 143rd Sqn.
Interestingly, in the same year as Ample Train 1993, the base became known as Akinci airbase; many years later, with its strategic position just Northeast of Ankara, it became the centre of the failed 2016 coup d'etat attempt.
Following the failed coup, Akinci was re-designated to its former name, Mürted.

86-0196 F-16D TurAF/Öncel Filo 4 cuAJU.

86-0195 F-16D TurAF/Öncel Filo 4 cuAJU.

J-616 F-16AS KLU/311Sqn.

J-622 F-16AS KLU/311Sqn.

201 Mirage 2000BG HAF/311 MPK, 141Pterix.

243 Mirage 2000EG HAF/331MPK, 141Pterix.

ZA475/JL Tornado GR.1 RAF 27 Sqn. Unfortunately, I did not photograph the other two aircraft, ZA474/JK and ZA491/JN, for technical reasons. I'm not sure of the reasons for them not flying, but locally, it was imagined to be the wet weather.

EF-18A Eda/Ala 15 recovers in that ever-changing weather.

C-15-33/15-20 EF-18A Eda/Ala 15.

FA-74 and FA84 F-16AS  FAB/31Sqn, 10Wing, recover late afternoon.

37+77 and 37+92 F-4F's GAF/JG-74. They were returning from a morning mission, and the weather had just disintegrated; listening to the scanner communication with the GAF pilots whilst landing was a tad exasperated in those difficult circumstances.

37+92 F-4F GAF/JG-74.

C-15-35/15-22 EF-18A Eda/Ala 15.

Mirage 2000's 201/243 HAF 331MPK/141 Pterix run for the break.

"Great days in Cornwall!"

Spanish Air Force F-4Cs arriving at RAF Honington 1993

When this squadron exchange with 13 Sqn occurred in June 1993, most of us were informed of the arrival times for the two RF-4C Phantoms of the EdA.

With the public relations officers at RAF Honington also up to speed and knowing there would be a gathering of enthusiasts alongside the approach fence, incidentally, it was just a timber post and rail fence in those days. We all appreciated the PR officers for their updates on the Spanish arrivals. When the Phantoms entered the airfield circuit, a considerable crowd was gathered in the farmer's field. The farmer himself had also ensured nobody walked on his crop.

The air was charged with excitement as we all took up our positions. I used my Canon F.2.8 300mm for a longer panning frame. 

CR-12-47/12-56 RF-4C Phantom ALA 12 Torrejon EdA.

CR-12-47/12-56 RF-4C Phantom of the EdA directly approaches RAF Honington.

CR-12-47/12-56 RF-4C Phantom EdA.

CR-12-47/12-56 RF-4C Phantom EdA prepares to land at RAF Honington.

CR-12-45/12-54 RF-4C Phantom EdA approaching RAF Honington June 1993.

CR-12-45/12-54 RF-4C Phantom EdA is about to touchdown at RAF Honington.

Local, ZA613/N Tornado GR.1 RAF.

91-0328/LN F-15E 494th "Panthers" 48th Fighter Wing USAF.

After the Spanish Phantoms had landed, I headed back down the road to Lakenheath. Much was the same as today. Only Thirty years have passed?

91-0319 F-15E Today flies with the 391st Fighter Squadron MO.

The best arrival of the afternoon.

057 (67-057) DHC-6-100 Royal Norwegian Air Force.
Fate to the civil Reg as N157KM.

66-0037/UH F-111E (Aardvark), 20th TFW, USAF overshooting.
Finally scrapped 5th Jan 2012.

37+57 F-4F German Air Force, late afternoon arrivals.

Happy days!