All female Tornado crew cruise over Afghanistan
22 Dec 09
Tornado Pilot Flight Lieutenant Juliette Fleming and her navigator, Squadron Leader Nikki Thomas, are currently the only all female Tornado crew working in Afghanistan. Their role is to provide close air support to troops on the ground.
A XV Squadron Tornado GR4 flying over western Scotland
[Picture: Sgt Jack Pritchard RAF, MOD/Crown Copyright 2004]
Flt Lt Fleming, known as Jules, is actually the only female Tornado pilot in Afghanistan at the moment, but she insists, she is just 'one of the boys' amongst her colleagues from 31 Squadron, based at Royal Air Force Marham in Norfolk.
She joined the RAF ten years ago, and after a tour in Iraq last year, Christmas 2009 will see her flying as part of the Tornado Force on Operation HERRICK. She said:
"Our role out here is Close Air Support. It's all about supporting the troops on the ground, whether that is searching for Improvised Explosive Devices [IEDs], providing armed over watch of patrols taking place or being on ground alert, on call, for when troops are in contact with the enemy.
"Since October I've flown over 20 missions, which has been almost 100 hours in the air. We've been supporting all the Allied troops, including the Americans and our British Army colleagues."
So far it's been a busy tour for Flt Lt Fleming. She continued:
"On my first sortie in theatre we were airborne for just five minutes before we were called to assist troops in contact. They had been fired upon, and we were asked to look at the site that the rockets had been launched from. Staying in the overhead position we then escorted the patrol of eight guys back to their base.
Flight Lieutenant Jules Fleming, a pilot with 31 Squadron from Royal Air Force Marham, in the cockpit of a Tornado in Afghanistan
[Picture: Cpl Steve Bain RAF ABIPP, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
"When they are under attack you can hear it on the radio, hear the guys running and panting - you want to do your best to help them. As they came under fire again, we were then able to help direct an Apache helicopter to come to their aid on the ground."
Flt Lt Fleming remembers one particular mission as it emphasised the importance of her role:
"It was a Show of Force we carried out in November. After receiving some intelligence that there may be a rocket attack on the base, we were called overhead Kandahar airfield itself to survey the area.
"Noticing some guys hanging around in a ditch, we flew fast and low as we have been trained to do, and they dispersed. It's a great feeling to be able to help protect personnel, to play your part in that."
Flying in the back seat of the Tornado jet is navigator Sqn Ldr Nikki Thomas, making them the only female crew on their Detachment.
Sqn Ldr Thomas, who is Flt Lt Fleming's Flight Commander on the ground, said:
"We usually fly together as it makes it easier to share a bedroom, just the one alarm clock going off at the same time in the morning!"
Squadron Leader Nikki Thomas, a navigator with 31 Squadron from Royal Air Force Marham, in the back seat of a Tornado aircraft in Afghanistan
[Picture: Cpl Steve Bain RAF ABIPP, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
She already has several tours of Iraq under her belt and is the 'Warlord' for the Squadron in HERRICK, responsible for running the day-to-day operations:
"Really for me the best bit of my role is the operational flying. To spend years training to do a job and to do it well it is very satisfying, and you really get to see the results on Operations.
"It may also sound really cheesy but life on a Squadron is brilliant, everyone pulls together to get the job done and everyone has a vital role to play."
Sqn Ldr Thomas points out that there is also no such thing as a typical day on the job, but says that it is the variety and challenge that she loves:
"We can perform a range of different tasks out here, from Shows of Force to the provision of precise lethal force utilising a variety of advanced weaponry.
"The intention is to always use the minimum force required to provide the effect needed by the guys on the ground. We will do what ever they need to help them out in a sticky situation, be that just a radio relay between the ground elements to dropping precision weaponry on insurgents.
Pilot Flight Lieutenant Jules Fleming (left) and Navigator Squadron Leader Nikki Thomas leaving their Tornado aircraft at Kandahar airfield, Afghanistan
[Picture: Cpl Steve Bain RAF ABIPP, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
"We can also provide imagery for live down-link to the guys on the ground. This means they can see the same picture as us, and hopefully be able to identify possible threats or a safe passage home."
Speaking about being in an all female crew she added:
"I have never really noticed a difference. As we have all had the same training and had to reach the same standards, flying with a female is no different than a male.
"The only difference is from other people. When you are Air-to-Air refuelling they are a lot chattier with us compared to the guys, and the guys on the ground recognise your voice very quickly.
"The banter is always there though. To be honest you will always get banter for something in the RAF, so being a girl is great because you know what it is going to be!"