Categories: Military Aviation

Ten Spanish Typhoons Enroute To Nellis Air Force Base For Red Flag 20-2

Nato Tiger Meet 2018 Typhoon in distinctive Tiger livery is among the aircraft deploying to Nellis AFB for RF 20-2. (All images: APS - Associação Portugal Spotters - Portuguese Spotters Association)

The Ejército Del Aire is deploying Eurofighters to Nellis Air Force Base. Support is provided by Spanish C-130H, CN235 and P-3M, along with RAF Voyagers.

Ten Spanish Air Force EF2000 “Tifóns”, pooled from ALA11 and 14, split in two cells and supported by 2x RAF A330 Voyager tankers are currently on their way to Nellis AFB where they will take part in RF 20-2. The Euro-canard aircraft along with their SAR support party made of a P3M P.3M-08/22-31 and a CN235 T.19B-12/D.4-01 along with a KC-130H TK.10-11/31-53 (that carried the support team), made a stopover in Lajes, Azores, on Feb. 29, 2020, before continuing their trip across the Pond via Dover AFB on Mar. 1.

According to some sources, only 8 aircraft will eventually deploy as two Typhoons act as spares.

C.16-62 10047 /14-21. (All images: APS – Associação Portugal Spotters – Portuguese Spotters Association)

Noteworthy one the Eurofighters (C.16-73 /14-31) is the Typhoon that was prepared for the NATO Tiger Meet 2018 and sports its distinctive special “Tiger tail”.

First cell:

AME1401 EF2000A C.16-45/14-10 ALA14
AME1402 EF2000A C.16-62 10047 /14-21 ALA14
AME1403 EF2000A C.16-74 10202 /14-32 ALA14
AME1404 EF2000A C.16-73 /14-31 ALA14
AME1405 EF2000T CE.16-12 10000 /14-71 ALA14
RRR9211 A332 ZZ338

Second cell:

AME1406 EF2000T CE.16-14 10015 /11-14 ALA11
AME1407 EF2000A C.16-43 /11-43 ALA11
AME1408 EF2000A C.16-52 11052 /11-52 ALA11
AME1409 EF2000A C.16-35 /11-35 ALA11
AME1410 EF2000A C.16-64 10053 /14-22 ALA14
RRR9212 A332 ZZ335

Support a/c:
AME3130 KC130H TK.10-11/31-53
AME4810 CN235 T.19B-12 / D.4-01
AME2206 P-3M P.3M-08/22-31

The two-seater EF2000T CE.16-12 10000 /14-71.

EF2000A C.16-64 10053/14-22

EF2000A C.16-35/11-35

One of the two RAF Voyagers that supported the Spanish Typhoons.

Also present on the ground at Lajes was an Egyptian Air Force C-130H:

Egyptian Hercules SU-BAR/1285.

Interestingly, this will be a sort-of “European Red Flag” considered that along with the Spanish team, RF20-2 will be attended by the Italian F-35A and F-2000 Typhoons, and by the German Eurofighters.

About David Cenciotti

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.

David Cenciotti