Moray fighter jets carried out a training exercise with a United States B1B Lancer bomber this week over the North Sea.
Typhoons based at RAF Lossiemouth escorted the US bomber as it conducted air-to-air refuelling prior to its return journey across the Atlantic.
This came as the Lancer was taking part in a long-range nonstop training sortie from the United States to mainland Europe and back.
One of the Typhoon pilots was Major “Newtl” Campbell, a US Marine Corps Exchange Officer who described the experience of being involved with training exercise as “humbling”.
Major Campbell said: “It was fantastic for the squadron to escort the B-1B Lancer through UK airspace after its mission in the Baltic region.
“It was particularly humbling for me to play my part in this mission, escorting an American bomber in an RAF Typhoon as it flew through NATO airspace.”
The training sortie was part of regular training activities by the RAF with the US Air Force and NATO Allies.
The B-1B Lancer is a part of the 28th Bomb Wing, based at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, and was refuelled by a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refuelling Wing, which is based at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk.
The US sortie also included integration and interoperability training with Polish F-16s and MiG-29s joining the B1B to overfly Warsaw and then escort the bomber in an overflight of Latvia and Lithuania.
The Polish fighters then handed over to Danish F-16s to overfly Bornholm Island, Denmark, before the RAF Typhoons picked up the US Bomber over the North Sea.
Group Captain Roger Elliott the Director of the Joint Force Air Component Headquarters that oversaw the sortie said the training showed the importance of working with NATO Allies to further understanding of operations.
Mr Elliott said: “These flying missions illustrate what the Royal Air Force is all about; opportunities for the RAF to work together with our NATO Allies developing our understanding of each other’s operating procedures and capabilities.
“By operating alongside the USAF, we demonstrate our capability, flexibility, and our commitment to NATO.”
