Where are the UK's response jets scrambled from?

What with todays news of the foiled terror attack involving airliners here in the UK, one can't help comparing the events to those building up to 9/11.

Whether it's just scaremongering or not, Sky are quoting goverment sources as saying it had the potential to be bigger than 9/11, a scary thought indeed but a no brainer i guess......more planes involved = more potential risk.

So if we had seen a hijack scenario with this, where are our UK fighter jets scrambled from to intercept a threat of this kind? There seems to be a lot of controversy over the jets scrambled on 9/11, i'd like to think that as Britain is tiny compared to the US our jets could get to a target sooner. Then again that means the target could get to it's target sooner too so i'm not sure it makes much difference.

What jets are responsible for intercepting targets of this kind, and are our proceedures for this kind of alert the same as the US?

Thanks,

CX.

without doing any further reasarch :

RAF Coningsby would be the first choice .

they could have rotated the QRF to another squadron / station . but like i said that would need looking up

i started a thread last year :

my thread


and the BBC NEWS link is still valid

hope this helps

of course comparing the reactions of the RAF today with the USAF response to 9/11 is invalid , as the QRF @ RAF Coningsby was formed post 9/11

The purpose of aircraft or airborne interceptors is to shoot down these airliners to protect governments or people in the ground....buisnesses..etc.

This is not a concept most peoples in thier ignorance or beliefs about being safe and secure behind thier television sets are prone to think through.

It is my belief that the airliner in Pennsylvania was shot down. I also believe these plans and arrangements have been in force here in the United States since way back when so many people were Hijacking airliners back to Cuba in the 70s and 80s. Someone obviously thought this through and instituted these plans as a contingency. This is not a concept which would ever be made public but it is a very harsh reality. Fighter Pilots would be carefully screened for security in these instances. This is a very difficult call but a necessity and the pedigree for this type fo thing goes back here in America to the Cuban buisness I mentioned.
IF we have these plans the UK also has them especially today. IF they were not put into force back in the days of the IRA they most certainly have been put into force with the advent of 9/11 and reinforced with the subway bombings.

One more thing for those of you in the UK. IF you dont understand the seriousness by which the government is taking this buisness...while this event was tragic..the shooting of that man in the head several times illustrates the seriousness with which your government is taking this buisness ..particularly after the subway bombings. It is tragic that they got the wrong man..but make no mistake...your government is taking no chances...they will shoot first and err on the side of public caution. I dont believe many in our ignorant government are smart enough to understand this ..they here are still asleep at the wheel.

I appears to me that this buisness just yesterday with these arrests is a intelligence coup. My hat is off to the various agencys who "definitely " need to remain unknown to the public in this. They appear to have gotten thier man so to speak before the plot unfolded. Good work on the part of everyone involved here.
I salute those involved on your side of the big pond as well as ours.

Thanks,
Orangetom

I have just returned from a very hot and sunny Yorkshire. Temperatures in the low 90's and perfect flying weather, and fly they certainly did. I think there was a flyex or perhaps a TACEVAL or even an OPEVAL because the Tornados, Harriers and Hawks were being thrown all over the place and at times, you could almost reach out and touch them.

The Tornado F4 ADF varient is based at RAF Leeming and RAF Lossiemouth and also at RAF Conningsby, whilst the Harrier GR7 at RAF Wittering may also be used.

On a side note, my thanks to Orangetom. I find it refreshing to read somebody's post and think 'YES!', he's so right.

But what I find most amazing is that, given our outstanding success in preventing a massed attack on aircraft in UK airspace, foreign agencies have suddenly jumped on the bandwagon and claimed responsibility.

Don't know about the rest of you Brits, but for my part, WE have scored a tremendous coup against these wannabe terrs.

That somebody born and raised in this country could, for whatever reason, plan an operation of such magnitude and complexity is frankly, quite beyond me.

For my part, I too have shared that intense rush or buzz of adrenalin as the brown stuff hits the fan but to be honest, once you're dead, you're dead. If you died bravely, there may be a medal and perhaps some will speak of your bravery in hushed tones. If you died running away, nobody will have noticed.

But there is no Garden of Paradise where veilled virgins tend to all your sexual whims; there will be no Allah to greet you as a conquoring hero; yes, you will be a hero to some of the young hotheads that frequent the more radical Mosques, but to the Master who summoned you and sent you to your death, you were just another Notch on his bedpost. There are plenty more where you came from.

Originally posted by fritz
I have just returned from a very hot and sunny Yorkshire.

Do you mind if i ask where abouts in Yorkshire you saw these Fritz? Only that i'm heading up that way soon and might keep an eye out. Anything to keep the kids quiet on a 4 hour drive!

CX.

Ive been listening to the radio stations on the Musliim terror hijacking attempts.

Do I understand correctlly that some of the people arrested and involved in this are Anglo converts to Islam. Did I misunderstand the gist of the news broadcast? This was the impression I got concerning this from the news.

I understand that some of these peoples are Islamics born in England. It is very disturbing to think that some are Anglo Converts to Islam.

I make this point in illustration of how seductive a religion can be to those unawares of this fingerprint....this potential. I also gather that many of them were very young ..in thier influential years. This does in no way diminish the seriousness of what has happened.

CAn some of you please bring me up to date concerning what has not been made clear to me in the local broadcasts.

Thanks,
Orangetom

Originally posted by fritz

Don't know about the rest of you Brits, but for my part, WE have scored a tremendous coup against these wannabe terrs.

We've seen too many of these things turn out to be damp squibs for me to buy into it at once. The 'dirty bomb' in Forest Gate that turned out to be nothing at all, the 'Ricin Plot' where there was no ricin and no plot, and poor de Menezes (identified by the police as a terrorist in early reports).

Let's see if there's any actual evidence this time. If it's real , then it really is quite a coup.

Originally posted by orangetom1999
Do I understand correctlly that some of the people arrested and involved in this are Anglo converts to Islam. Did I misunderstand the gist of the news broadcast? This was the impression I got concerning this from the news.

Yes, the majority of them were British born citizens of Pakistani decent but 3 were converts to Islam. Here is an article about the 3 converts, and here is an old article (predates this incident) that talks about this situation in Britain. Link


[edit on 11-8-2006 by WestPoint23]

no tornado f4 would ever be scrambled


there is no such plane. Think you are getting confused with the gr4, the ground attack variant and the f3 the air defense variant. The f4 was the phantom air defense fighter

WOW!!!!!

Thanks for the info and the links. Very informative these articles. I have been curious about this route since the buisness in Afganistan and that American caught in that Jail side raid. Musar al Sharif as I recall the place. I think his name was Lindh. John Walker Lindh. The "American Taliban" is what I believe the media has labeled him.

This has to be very distressing to the Brits.
I have been hearing stories that many formerly very liberal Brits have been turning to the conservative views after the subway bombings. They are irate over events and the changes in their country.

Once again this shows the hold this type of religion can take over ones soul if allowed to take root. I am concerned because they have been making steady inroads with this type of indoctrination in our public schools and colleges. Not quite as far as in England but in the same direction and with the same sponsors. Same pattern of operation.

Thanks again for the info and the links,
Orangetom

Anything north of the wash ,F3 tornados would intercept from RAF Leuchers ,south of the wash F3s would be scrambled from RAF Marham

Originally posted by orangetom1999

WOW!!!!!

Thanks for the info and the links. Very informative these articles. I have been curious about this route since the buisness in Afganistan and that American caught in that Jail side raid. Musar al Sharif as I recall the place. I think his name was Lindh. John Walker Lindh. The "American Taliban" is what I believe the media has labeled him.

This has to be very distressing to the Brits.
I have been hearing stories that many formerly very liberal Brits have been turning to the conservative views after the subway bombings. They are irate over events and the changes in their country.

Once again this shows the hold this type of religion can take over ones soul if allowed to take root. I am concerned because they have been making steady inroads with this type of indoctrination in our public schools and colleges. Not quite as far as in England but in the same direction and with the same sponsors. Same pattern of operation.

Thanks again for the info and the links,
Orangetom

Orangetom don't be too sure. I'd be wary of selective information presented by someone who doesn't even live here.

Have some selective opinion from someone who does - by way of balance

Many people in the UK are also concerned about the demise of liberty and free speech in the cause of 'peace'. Many also recognise we're paying the price for our craven acceptance of our support role in illegal wars and blame Bliar and the young brit jihadis equally. Our PM has put us in the firing line and we're paying the blood price eg 7/7 and the next tube bombings which, no doubt, will happen soon.

Most people also know the real culprits are the saudis who've used their oil wealth to flood the islamic world with hard-line wahabbi versions of the Koran which has fueled / justified the hardline being taken by the extremists. We also know our govt (and yours) has allowed this to happen due to either ignorance, fear of loss of investment or mis-placed 'cultural sensitivity' - probably a mixture of all 3.

Britain is not awash with miltant wannabe jihadis, nor are we about to slide into some intolerant, right-wing neo-nazi slough of despond.

BTW what is 'this type of religion'??

For the record that information is right out of two British news sources, unless you have something that contradicts it I don’t see why you’re "weary" about it.

No mate they're links from the Telegraph and Sky news (AKA the Torygraph and FOX UK).

If I could be bothered I'd post links from the BBC and the Gaurdian etc etc by way of balance but as you're the expert you can find them yourself.

Yes, British news sources, I’m not sure what you guys over there consider a credible news source; there wasn’t any agenda or bias on my part. If those two sources regularly post false news then that’s an unintentional error or on my part.

Originally posted by CX

Originally posted by fritz
I have just returned from a very hot and sunny Yorkshire.

Do you mind if i ask where abouts in Yorkshire you saw these Fritz? Only that i'm heading up that way soon and might keep an eye out. Anything to keep the kids quiet on a 4 hour drive!

CX.

Catterick old son. In that general area and across the Trg A, most notably at Belerby and surrounds.

T F4's were bombed up with either blue or white ordnance depending, I suppose on what they were doing.

Originally posted by WestPoint23
Yes, British news sources, I’m not sure what you guys over there consider a credible news source; there wasn’t any agenda or bias on my part. If those two sources regularly post false news then that’s an unintentional error or on my part.

Sorry it came across a bit spiky - not aimed at you.

The two sources you cite are slightly right-leaning and as such not what I would consider representative of the thinking in the UK - although they do represent a section of the current thought. There are, of course, extreme views stoked up by the usual suspects; racists, islamaphobes etc etc.

There is another common strand of thought that is saddened by the fact that we've joined in, without question, this WoT and (so it seems) given up our previous, considered, even-handed approach to the world's problems. This strand (represented by the BBC, the Independent and the Guardian etc) would see the rise of islamic extremism in sections of the UK's muslim population as a direct reaction to our own govt's actions and although inexcusable it is, in part, understandable.

I think the state of community relations is best expressed by the fact that attacks on mosques (and most large towns have at least one) have been very rare - even after the latest tube bombings (7/7).

Hopefully our community relations will survive this latest challenge - that's one of the most precious things we have in the UK and it'll take more than a few hot-heads to destroy that.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back on track?

Not only were there British fighters up there but there were a couple of guys posting saying they seen some American F15s buzzing about. It would be an interesting situation if they were the closest to an aerial threat at the time. Would they be authorised to shoot at a British airliner over the UK or would they have to wait for the British fighters?

Most of the news sources here in America are very left leaning and anything but balanced..and I mean anything but..

The bulk of the media here represent the media themselves and the political partys for which they shill. American standards in the media are deteriorating rapidly to become more of the tabloid type of "excellence" as is done in Europe and especially the UK type news reporting. Here it has become more of Opinion making rather than news reporting. All the media do this while claiming middle of the road or trying to give this impression. I dont buy into this from any of them.

Here it has become such that one or two dissenting voices in the media... after years of having the field to themselves ...is to much dissent. It has become whining and moaning..I have little respect for this type of "victimization whining" among the media. Any of them.

Many Americans have become aware of this and making the decisions for themselves and turning to the web for thier news or just voting against the bulk of the "Whining media" with thier remote controllers.

I want to point out one concept of importance to me...."Balance" especially as a concept taught by public schools and the politicians who finance public schools is not necessarily about what is true...it is about politics...
Dont worry..most Americans today educated by public schools....television education ...will never figure this out. THey are raised in front of television ..to be emotional ..not thinkers.

I am well aware of the real position of Islam on this issue ..not the one posted by the over emotional media. THe media is mostly lying throught their teeth about this. I also know about the Wahabee sect and what they are up to ..with the help of the Saudis. Most Americans havent a clue...they are asleep at the wheel here.

Thanks,
Orangetom

Originally posted by mojoberg
no tornado f4 would ever be scrambled


there is no such plane. Think you are getting confused with the gr4, the ground attack variant and the f3 the air defense variant. The f4 was the phantom air defense fighter

So, you think I don't know what I'm talking about, eh? I served 5 years with a Tornado Wing and I guess that I have seen it all.

As to the F4 version, ah well - I guess that books and films only show so much, don't they?

If I'd have wanted to say Phantom F4 or F4 Phantom, I'd have done so but I didn't, did I?