Operation Kipion is a long-standing air and maritime presence by the United Kingdom in the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
and
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
to promote enduring peace and stability in the region, and ensure the safe flow of oil and trade. Up until the early 2020s, a permanent presence of 4 minesweepers formed the Mine Countermeasures element (
9 Mine Countermeasures Squadron) of this tasking. With the gradual withdrawal of the s from the Royal Navy, and their planned replacement with autonomous minehunting systems, the configuration of 9 Mine Countermeasures Squadron is likely to change. The
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
operations in the broader Middle East also fall under this operation.
Royal Navy
* with a
AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2 from
815 Naval Air Squadron (815 NAS) on board - (December 2022 – Present)
* (June 2022 – present)
* Mine Countermeasures Vessels
**
HMS Bangor
**
**
Historical:
* with a
AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2 from
815 Naval Air Squadron (815 NAS) on board - (September 2016 - April 2017)
* with a
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose twin-engined military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to t ...
HMA.8 from
815 Naval Air Squadron (815 NAS) on board - (January 2015 - June 2015)
* with a
AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2 from
815 Naval Air Squadron (815 NAS) on board - (September 2018 - April 2019)
* with a
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose twin-engined military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to t ...
HMA.8 from
815 Naval Air Squadron (815 NAS) on board - (October 2014 - December 2014) and (December 2015 and July 2016). With a
AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2 from
815 Naval Air Squadron (815 NAS) on board - (August 2019 - March 2020)
* with a
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose twin-engined military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to t ...
HMA.8 from
815 Naval Air Squadron (815 NAS) on board - (March 2015 - December 2015). With a
AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2 from
815 Naval Air Squadron (815 NAS) on board - (July 2019 - August 2019)
* with a
AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2 from
815 Naval Air Squadron (815 NAS) on board - (March 2017 - December 2017)
* with a
AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2 from
815 Naval Air Squadron (815 NAS) on board - (August 2019 - December 2019)
* with a
AgustaWestland Wildcat AH1 from
847 Naval Air Squadron (847 NAS) on board - (August 2019 - February 2020)
* with a
AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2 from
815 Naval Air Squadron (815 NAS) on board - (March 2020 - September 2020)
*
with a
Westland Wildcat HMA2 from
815 Naval Air Squadron (815 NAS) on board - (June 2017 - May 2021)
* with a
AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2 from
815 Naval Air Squadron (815 NAS) on board - (April 2019 – November 2022)
* (May 2021 – April 2022)
* with a
AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2 from
815 Naval Air Squadron (815 NAS) on board - (November 2023 – June 2024)
Royal Air Force
Al Udeid Air Base,
Qatar
Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
-
901 Expeditionary Air Wing RAF
RAFO Musannah,
Oman
Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...
-
902 Expeditionary Air Wing RAF
Al Minhad Air Base,
UAE -
906 Expeditionary Air Wing RAF
See also
*
Standing Royal Navy deployments
References
External links
*
Military operations involving the United Kingdom
Conflicts in 2014
Conflicts in 2015
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