Mission complete: Typhoons scrambled more than 20 times to defend Nato airspace
Operation Chessman - the RAF's contribution to Nato Air Policing in Poland - has come to an end, with the operational phase being wound down ahead of a farewell ceremony.
A debrief was delivered by Air Specialist (Class 1) Izzy Doherty, an Air & Space Operations Specialist with II Army Cooperation (AC) Squadron.
AS1 Doherty, who's known as an "Opsie", pointed out how during the four-month mission to provide enhanced Air Policing, the Typhoons had been scrambled more than 20 times to defend Nato airspace.
AS1 Doherty said the Typhoons had completed more than 460 hours of flying from 22nd Tactical Air Base Malbork in Poland - the equivalent of completing 10 trips around the world.
She said: "Overall, this has been a successful Air Policing operation for Nato, and personally an enjoyable and productive deployment."
The aim of Nato's ongoing Air Policing programme is to safeguard allied airspace in areas with limited local air defence resources.
Op Chessman served as a reminder of the UK's commitment to Nato's collective defence and the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the region.
It also provided an opportunity for the RAF to operate alongside Nato partner nations, including Sweden, which only joined the alliance last year.
It was a chance to see the JAS39 Gripen in action - a capable warplane that is said to be cheaper to maintain and operate than some other Nato jets.
II (AC) Squadron, which is based at RAF Lossiemouth, is one of two Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) stations in the UK.
The squadron was one of the first fixed-wing units of the Royal Flying Corps.
The aircraft flown during its long history have included the Spitfire XI, the Phantom FGR2 and the Tornado GR1A.
II (AC) Squadron has also conducted QRA missions from Estonia as part of Nato's Baltic Air Policing mission.
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