Within the framework of the combined Snowrider exercises, carried out together with the Finnish Air Force, the Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter jets have participated in various tests to perfect their ability to operate in extreme weather conditions. Particularly, these were aircraft belonging to the 41st Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES), based at RAF Coningsby, which carried out various flights from the Finnish bases of Tikkakoski and Halli.
Gathering some details of the tests, it should be mentioned that these were carried out not only with elements of the Air Forces of both countries but also with the support of the defense technology company QinetiQ. Their participation was key to conducting up to 285 friction measurements on the Finnish runways from which the Eurofighter jets operated, in order to evaluate the aircraft’s performance at aerodromes located in areas with extremely low temperatures, where this variable is usually lower compared to regular runways.
Explaining these aspects, Lieutenant Louis King, who serves as operations officer of the 41st TES, stated:“Since the Finnish air was so dry, we had to create our own reduced friction surfaces by spraying water and letting it freeze (…). The airfield maintenance team then drove their friction reader along the runway to obtain an accurate measurement of the surface friction until the right conditions for the test were met.”
For his part, Air Marshal Alan Marshall, current Air and Space Commander of the Royal Air Force, stated:“Exercise Snow Rider has been a great success and has once again demonstrated our ability to operate in all environments.” Later describing it as very “rewarding and valuable.”
Finally, it should be noted that this is not the first time that Eurofighters have operated from Finland to evaluate their performance and flexibility for deployment in adverse conditions, with previous precedents involving aircraft from the German Air Force. As we reported last September, three aircraft from the 71st Tactical Air Force Squadron Richthofen were deployed alongside U.S. F-35 stealth fighters in Finnish territory, in exercises that included landings on highways near the town of Hosio; also contributing to the preparation of strategies for the decentralization of military resources in the face of concerns over large-scale attacks on the country’s main bases.
Image credits: RAF
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