Latest news with #RoyalNetherlandsAirForce
BBC News
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Thousands gather to watch RAF Cosford Air Show
Thousands of military aviation enthusiasts have gathered in Cosford for the RAF Air well as the Red Arrows and iconic Spitfires, display teams from Ireland, Poland, and the Netherlands took to the skies above the Shropshire base on Ldr Dave Kerrison, one of the organisers, said there was lots to event was first held in 1978, and has run most years since then. Sqn Ldr Kerrison said: "Everybody wants to see the Red Arrows [but] we've got quite a lot of flights that are coming in today, so it's going to be a fun-packed day."He said that as well as air displays, the Air Force would showcase everything it did, and not just touch upon its part in conflicts but highlight its role in humanitarian this year include the Great War Display Team performing a dogfight routine in replica British, French and German World War One aircraft. There are also displays by the Royal Navy Black Cats, and Chinook and Apache will also be a display from aerobatics pilot Mélanie Astles, the first woman to take part in the Red Bull Air chairman of the Royal Netherlands Air Force Historic Flight André Steur said it was an honour to attend the event."The ties [between ourselves and the RAF] are very close and have been for years so when we were asked to come here, we were very glad to honour it," he Midlands Railway advised that due to a late notice shortage of crew, there would be limited train services returning from the said queueing systems would be in place at Cosford and Wolverhampton during busier periods to manage the flow of people. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Observer
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Observer
His Majesty arrives in Netherlands
His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik arrived in Amsterdam on Monday evening, on a three-day state visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. When the Royal airplane entered the airspace of the Netherlands, it was escorted by military aircraft of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, in a manifestation of a warm welcome for His Majesty the Sultan. After that, the Royal airplane of His Majesty landed at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. At the foot of the ramp, His Majesty the Sultan was received by Rear Admiral Ludger Brummelaar, Chief of the Military House of the King, Reinette Klever, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, some officials in the Netherlands and members of the Omani embassy in the Netherlands. After that, His Majesty the Sultan proceeded to the main vehicle, passing between two rows of the Netherlands Royal Guard of Honour. Then, the motorcade of His Majesty the Sultan left the airport heading to his venue of residence in the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. The Royal motorcade was preceded by a group of motorcycles. King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands will on Tuesday hold an official reception for His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. — ONA
Muscat Daily
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Muscat Daily
H M Sultan Haitham accorded royal Dutch welcome
By OMAN NEWS AGENCY (ONA) Amsterdam, Netherlands – His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik arrived in Amsterdam on Monday on a three-day state visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. When the Royal airplane entered the airspace of the Netherlands, it was escorted by military aircraft of the Royal Netherlands Air Force in a warm welcome for His Majesty the Sultan. After that, the Royal airplane of His Majesty landed at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. His Majesty the Sultan was received at the foot of the ramp by Rear Admiral Ludger Brummelaar, Chief of the Military House of the King, Reinette Klever, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, other Dutch officials and members of the Omani Embassy in the Netherlands. His Majesty the Sultan then proceeded to an awaiting imperial vehicle, passing between two rows of the Netherlands Royal Guard of Honour. The Royal motorcade of His Majesty the Sultan left the airport heading to his residence in the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. The motorcade was preceded by a fleet of motorcycles. King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands will hold an official reception for His Majesty the Sultan on Tuesday.
Times of Oman
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
HM the Sultan arrives in the Netherlands
Amsterdam: His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik arrived in Amsterdam on Monday evening, on a three-day state visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. When the Royal airplane entered the airspace of the Netherlands, it was escorted by military aircrafts of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, in a manifestation of warm welcome for His Majesty the Sultan. After that, the Royal airplane of His Majesty landed at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. At the foot of the ramp, His Majesty the Sultan was received by Rear Admiral Ludger Brummelaar, Chief of the Military House of the King, Reinette Klever, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, some officials in the Netherlands and members of the Omani embassy in the Netherlands. After that, His Majesty the Sultan proceeded to the main vehicle, passing between two rows of the Netherlands Royal Guard of Honour. Then, the motorcade of His Majesty the Sultan left the airport heading to his venue of residence in the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. The Royal motorcade was preceded by a group of motorcycles. King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands will hold tomorrow an official reception for His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
B-52 Flies Close To Border Of Russia And Belarus
A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bomber today flew over the Estonian capital, Tallinn, on a sortie that brought it within roughly 50 miles of the Russian border, according to online flight-tracking data. The B-52 had earlier appeared over Tallinn to mark Estonian Independence Day, the national day of the Baltic State, but broader geopolitical developments in the region put the flight in a different context. While over Tallinn, the strategic bomber joined a formation with four F-35A stealth fighters and a pair of F/A-18 Hornets. The F-35s were very likely Royal Netherlands Air Force examples that are currently conducting the Baltic Air Policing mission out of Ämari Air Base in Estonia. Meanwhile, the F/A-18s were from the Finnish Air Force. American strategic bomber B-52 Stratofortress flying over Estonia near the Russian border. — Clash Report (@clashreport) February 24, 2025 USAF B-52 & fighter jets today for Estonia independence day, not far from Russia — Houston Air Watch (@houstonairw) February 24, 2025 Today, the Finnish Air Force, along with its allies, participated in the Estonian Independence Day parade in Tallinn with two F/A-18 Hornets. Elagu Eesti Vabariik! #ilmavoimat# — Ilmavoimat (@FinnishAirForce) February 24, 2025 While scheduled, the B-52 flight led to much speculation on social media, especially since it came three years to the day since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It should be noted that overflights of Tallinn have happened before for Estonian Independence Day and have also previously involved B-52s. On the other hand, the signaling of this type of flight cannot be entirely overlooked, especially coming amid something of a reset in relations between the United States and Russia — and between Washington and NATO — since President Donald Trump took office. The B-52, from the 5th Bomb Wing from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, is one of two currently at RAF Fairford in England as part of a routine Bomber Task Force (BTF) deployment. Such deployments regularly involve missions in and around the Baltic Sea, an area of considerable importance, especially since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent East-West tensions. Earlier today, after flying over Tallinn, the B-52 continued in an eastward direction, heading toward Saint Petersburg. Based on publicly available data from online flight-tracking websites, the bomber came to within around 50 miles of the Russia-Estonia border before turning south. Continuing its return leg, the B-52 flew through Latvia and Lithuania, before crossing into Polish airspace, via the so-called Suwalki Gap. This brought the bomber to within around 10 miles of the Belarusian border, again based on online flight-tracking data. It's worth noting that it's not unheard of for U.S. bombers to pass through this area. The Suwalki Gap provides the shortest land route between Belarus and the heavily militarized Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, a distance of roughly 40 miles. As such, this has become a choke point and an area of great strategic and military importance to NATO and Russia. Were a conflict ever to break out in the region, Russian control of the Suwalki Gap would cut the three Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia off from the rest of the European Union and it would create a land bridge to Kaliningrad. Again, the symbolic nature of a B-52 flight in these specific areas is hard to ignore. For the three Baltic States in particular, today's B-52 sortie may be seen as a reminder of U.S. commitment to their continued independence in the face of an increasingly belligerent Russia. So far, the U.S. Department of Defense has not issued an official statement about the flight. However, in 2023, when a pair of B-52s also flew over Tallinn for Estonian Independence Day, U.S. Air Force Gen. James Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa and NATO Allied Air Command, said: 'The United States and Estonia are close allies and share a strong partnership based on a common commitment to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. We remain steadfastly committed to the freedom and sovereignty of Estonia and all our Baltic allies as we deter and defend against any threats to our shared security.' Such commitment is now in shorter supply, at least as far as the messaging from the Trump administration. In recent weeks, Trump has branded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a 'dictator' and blamed Kyiv for starting the war with Russia. At the same time, there has been a sudden move to normalize relations between Washington and Moscow. For his part, Vance, speaking at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month, accused European leaders of suppressing free speech, failing to halt illegal migration, and betraying its 'most fundamental values.' Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said that the United States 'is no longer the primary guarantor of security in Europe.' These are words that will be of particular concern for the Baltic States, which rely to a huge extent on their NATO allies for defense. Traditionally, of course, NATO's posture in Europe has been backed up by plausible nuclear deterrence — reinforced by the nuclear-capable B-52 and regular BTF deployments. Amid a general realignment of U.S. foreign policy priorities, and Washington's changing expectations of NATO — that guarantee now looks rather more questionable. With that in mind, a show of force like the one conducted today carries some powerful signals not only for Russia, but also for the Baltic States and, more broadly, to other members of the NATO alliance who have no doubt been alarmed by recent messages from the Trump administration to Europe. Contact the author: thomas@
