The agreement was signed by Defense Minister Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah and his British counterpart Michael Fallon, QNA added. The recent acquisition of QEAF opens the door to a potential new British-Qatari hawk squadron that would further deepen the UK`s defence ties with Qatar and contribute to the security and stability of the Middle East. The United Kingdom and Qatar announced the signing of an interim military agreement to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of defence. Today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the long-standing defence relationship between the UK and Qatar and the strengthening of ties already shared by our armed forces. Under the terms of the agreement, RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire will become the British base for the new Hawk Joint Training Squadron between the UK and Qatar, using Qatar`s recently acquired fleet of nine Hawk T2 variant aircraft. The agreement provides for the use of the British base by the Qatari Air Force, which recently purchased nine Hawk aircraft. Defence relations between the UK and Qatar will be strengthened by the Memorandum of Understanding. British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “The UK`s defence relationship with Qatar is strong and enduring and it was a great pleasure to welcome His Excellency Dr Khalid to RAF Leeming. The updated defence agreement provides valuable training opportunities for both countries and also provides for the deployment of RAF Voyager to Qatar to provide regular in-flight refuelling training for the Uae Qatar Air Force `QEAF) fleet of high-speed aircraft.
The statement reports that Qatar`s Minister of State for Defence Affairs, Khalid Bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah, and his British counterpart Ben Wallace signed a cooperation agreement during their participation in the opening ceremony of Joint Squadron Command Building No. 12 at Coningsby Base in Lincolnshire, UK. On the 19th. In October 2021, at the Global Investment Summit in the UK, Qatar Energy and Royal Dutch Shell signed an agreement to work together on the UK`s blue and green hydrogen projects to promote decarbonisation and help achieve the UK`s goal of net-zero carbon emissions. [25] Defence Minister Ben Wallace and his Qatari counterpart pledged today to strengthen defence relations between the UK and Qatar during a joint visit to RAF Coningsby. The new agreement builds on the existing partnership signed in October 2020 (photo). Together, the Enhanced Defence Partnership will strengthen Qatar`s ability to address our common security challenges in the Middle East, contribute to regional stability and protect the UK`s prosperity and security on its territory. In a speech on the sidelines of the event, the British minister reaffirmed the beginning of a new phase of long-standing cooperation between his country and Qatar in the field of defence. “This will be the first major defence treaty with Qatar, one of the UK`s strategic partners,” the BRITISH Ministry of Defence said in a statement, adding that negotiations on a deal had taken several years. British Prime Minister David Cameron visited Qatar in 2011, and the then Emir of Qatar paid a 3-day state visit in October 2010. [6].
The new squadron will train eight Qatari pilots each year with the advanced version of the Hawk trainer. “The letter of intent includes the ministry`s intention to purchase 24 modern Typhoon aircraft with all their equipment,” the official QNA news agency reported on Sunday. During Operation Herrick in Afghanistan and Operation Telic in Iraq, the Royal Air Force stationed troops at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. After the withdrawal of these forces, the air base became the headquarters of the No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group, the RAF headquarters for military operations in the Middle East. [11] Since 2014, the airbase has supported Operation Shader, the British intervention against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. [12] [13] It also hosted RAF Boeing RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft in support of this operation. [14] Initially, the British were reluctant to interfere in internal affairs. However, when oil was discovered in the region in the 1930s, the race for oil concessions intensified. In 1938, the Anglo-Persian Oil Company began drilling its first well at Dukhan and a year later with the well-beaten oil. [3] BAE Systems and its partners will support QEAF`s new fleet of Hawk Mk 167s. Defense Minister Ben Wallace and his Qatari counterpart, Dr.
Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah, announced an expansion of relations between the air forces of the two countries. Elizabeth Piper reports; Publisher: Greg Mahlich The formation of a second joint squadron between the UK and Qatar, initially announced last year, will provide additional flying hours for RAF pilots and enable long-term international investment in new infrastructure and training facilities at RAF Leeming. .
