Tri-Service
Jet Fighters At Lakenheath Increase Flying By 300%
The U.S. Air Forces 48th fighter wing based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk are carrying out their quarterly sortie surges.
Over the next four days the F15E Fighter jets increase their flying by 300 percent. Their flying goes up from 14 to 40 flights per day.
65 Air Crew are involved from 4 ninety second fighter squadron - on top of that ground crew, the control tower, the weather team and the safety office all ensure the flights run as smoothly and safely as possible.
The jets stay over land across East Anglia at around 20,000 feet high to avoid excess noise pollution, they then orbit 20 nautical miles around any given area or target before returning to RAF Lakenheath.
The F15E jets can be part of either air to air exercises – that's aircraft fighting other aircraft or air to ground exercises which includes dropping precision guided weapons onto targets.
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