Royal Danish Air Force Exercise at RAF Coningsby

In May 2013 Number 29 (Reserve) Squadron RAF took part in a Dissimilar Air Combat Training (DACT) exercise with F-16s from the Royal Danish Air Force at 29(R)’s home base of RAF Coningsby. The Danish provided four F-16AMs for the exercise and flew as 1v1, 2v1 or 2v2 sorties against the Typhoons of the RAF. To maximise the training potential the RDAF rotated the aircraft of a daily basis to allow as many pilots to take part as possible.

On the 1^st May the F-16s flew a morning sortie using the RAF callsigns Warlord 41 and 42. After the sortie was complete they recovered back to Denmark as Danish Air Force 3276 to 3279. The next four F-16s arrived late in the afternoon as Danish Air Force 3271 to 3274 and would then night stop before flying their DACT sortie the next day.

RDAF F-16AM E-005	RDAF F-16AM E-024

Whilst the RDAF F-16s don’t wear squadron marking and all look similar (with the one exception of E-024 which has a tail flash in the colours of the Danish flag with “CET Vikings 2010” on it) the four arriving in the afternoon on the 1st had differing histories. Both E-603 and E-608 were part of the original order of F-16s that were built under licence by SABCA and were delivered a Block 15 aircraft. E-005 was part of the follow on order build under licence by Fokker and also arrived as a Block 15 aircraft. E-024 was the part of an attrition order made after the follow order. The aircraft was originally 82-1024 with the USAF (704 Fighter Wing) and arrived as a Block 15 aircraft. All of the RDAF F-16s have since been upgrade to Block 20 as part of a midlife upgrade.

RDAF F-16AM E-603	RDAF F-16AM E-608