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Exercise Joint Warrior this spring was an expansive event that had some enthusiasts make the long trip north to Lossiemouth for the patrol aircraft contingent and Leuchars for the French carrier group deployment but few would have ventured further north to the landings at Cape Wrath. It was good then that the last part of the exercise was nearer home in the Northeast, Carlisle and South West Scotland and attracted a good number of aircraft and helicopters. Carlisle Airport was the centre for part of the ground assault on West Freugh airfield and this not only gave a great up close view of a medium sized helicopter operation and how our taxes are spent but also an opportunity to see how one business namely, Eddie Stobart, has diversified in the recession.  My second arrival at Carlisle inside 2 weeks found a Royal Navy Sea King ZA299 on the arrivals ramp with the French Army contingent for the exercise of 2 Pumas and 2 Gazelles including code DCV code GAY parked out in the background at the northern threshold of the short runway.  Also parked there were 2 British Army Apaches.  On the southern end of the short runway a refuelling point had a Lynx XZ678 and an RAF Chinook, while 2 others were parked with the Dutch Tac Blaze contingent of 3 Chinooks and 3 Apaches.  A total of 16 helicopters were scattered around the airfield and made Carlisle look a very busy place.

In the early afternoon a group of about 60 British soldiers in full kit were marched out on to the airfield to wait around in the wind and rain for 90 minutes before a Chinook ZH898  that had also been waiting came along side and they loaded up. ZH902 boarded the remainder while the third had its rotors running as a spare.  The Chinooks took off to the east side of the airfield and both picked up a large Landrover with mounted heavy cannon at the ready and with this underslung load returned overhead and flew west towards West Freugh.  They were joined in the airfield overhead by the 2 French Pumas and Sea King with troops on board and an Apache and all set off together in line astern to the Chinooks.  As this formation had assembled the Dutch helicopters, on the second last day of their deployment, also made departures; 2 Apaches as Redskin to Warcop and 2 Chinooks as Grizzly to Spadeadam.

According to the MOD website the attack on West Freugh airfield was in co-ordination with a para-drop of 1,300 troops from 16 Air Assault Brigade, the British Army’s rapid reaction force, and 300 French troops from the 11th Parachute Brigade. The exercise scenario tasked them with stabilising an area disputed by 2 fictional nations divided by economic and ethnic factors. The website also noted that a joint force from 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA) and the French 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment parachuted in to capture Castle Kennedy Airfield. The French and German Transalls from Leeming and an RAF Hercules using Dogfish were busy all afternoon on the airwaves presumably on this operation.

The Carlisle Airport had been taken over by the army with massive additions to the Dutch tented areas and vehicles.  The Stobart café was doing a great trade, at least one hanger and outbuildings were occupied by the Army, trucks, Landrovers and vehicles were everywhere, the museum Vulcan was surrounded by refuelling bowsers with Sobart air vehicles, fire trucks and portaloos in support.  The airport takeover must have generated a good income from MOD and EU funds.

Trip log Carlisle Thursday  25.4.13.

                  
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