Unique formation: F-15, F-22, Su-30, MiG-29N, BAE Hawk and F/A-18 flying together

Published on: June 20, 2014 at 2:30 PM

A formation of U.S. Air Force and Royal Malaysian Air Force aircraft including an F-15 Eagle from the 131st Fighter Squadron, 104th Fighter Wing, Barnes Air National Guard Base, Mass., an RMAF SU-30MKM Flanker, a USAF F-22 Raptor from the 154th Wing, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, an RMAF MIG-29N Fulcrum, an BAE Hawk, and an RMAF F/A-18 Hornet fly over Georgetown, Malaysia, during Cope Taufan 14, June 18, 2014. Cope Taufan is a biennial large force employment exercise taking place June 9 to 20 designed to improve U.S. and Malaysian combined readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jason Robertson/Released)

Here’s something you don’t see too often!

As already explained, Cope Taufan 14 is a biennial Large Employment Exercise taking place from Jun. 9 to 20 in Malaysia, to improve U.S. and Malaysian cooperation.

During the exercise, which also featured DACT (Dissimilar Air Combat Training) between U.S. F-15s from 104th Fighter Wing, from Barnes ANGB (Air National Guard Base), Massachusetts, and F-22 Raptor stealth fighters from the 154th Wing, Joint Base Peal Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, participating units arranged a quite unique mixed formation of U.S. Air Force and Royal Malaysian Air Force aircraft.

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On Jun. 18, RMAF MIG-29N Fulcrum, Su-30, a BAE Hawk, and an F/A-18 Hornet formated off the coast of Penang, Malaysia, with the U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle and F-22 Raptor, for a photo-session.

Such large, dissimilar formations are usually arranged to celebrate the end of large multi-national exercises with at least one aircraft belonging to each of the participating units.

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By David Cenciotti

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David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.