#1487 Typhoon FGR4
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Description
Squadron Prints Lithograph No. 1487 - Typhoon FGR4, 1(F) Squadron, 2(AC) Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth. 135 EAW, Operation Biloxi.
The Royal Air Force’s Expeditionary Air Wings (EAW) were created on 1 April 2006 to improve the ability of the Royal Air Force to support overseas operations. A potential challenge to the effective conduct of deployed air operations is the dislocation of Air Force Elements (FE) from centralised command due to geography. The EAW solves this by providing a scaled unit designed to deliver the required force protection, emergency response, combat support, combat service support, media management and public affairs necessary for a particular operation. In addition, since they are deployed they are ideally placed to provide Host Nation and Partner Nation liaison at the tactical level. 135 EAW’s home station is RAF Leeming. 135 EAW first deployed in April 2014 to Šiauliai, Lithuania, for Operation AZOTIZE, a UK contribution to NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission. In April 2017 the EAW deployed to Mihail Kogălniceanu, Romania, for Operation BILOXI 17, the UK’s contribution to NATO’s enhanced Air Policing (South) in the Black Sea region. Led by Wing Commander Andrew Coe of RAF Leeming, the Force Element was provided by 3(F) Squadron operating Typhoon FGR4s. In April 2018 the EAW returned to Mihail Kogălniceanu, Romania, for Operation BILOXI 18. This time led by Wing Commander Chris Ball, the EAW comprised of personnel from across the Royal Air Force with the Force Element of Typhoon FGR4s provided by II(AC) Squadron for the first half of the deployment and 1(F) Squadron for the second. Operating alongside Romanian MiG-21 LancerRs, the EAW conducted peacetime Air Policing duties for four months as a part of NATO’s Assurance Measures, which had been declared in 2014 as a response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea.