The Royal Air Drive’s latest plane fleet has reached full-service functionality with the supply of a second Envoy IV CC Mk1 jet transport. Operated within the Command Help Air Transport position, the plane present assured, safe, well timed and discreet air transport of excessive precedence navy personnel and small objects of mission vital freight to, from and inside operational areas. The declaration of full-service functionality comes solely two months after supply of the primary plane. The Envoy IV plane are flown by combined crews of RAF and civilian pilots with the Command Help Air Transport service supplied by Centreline AV Ltd from RAF Northolt. The Envoy replaces the BAe146 which was retired from service in April this yr, and supply a step change in vary, effectivity, and working prices. From April 2024, the plane will likely be modified with navy upgrades and operated solely by RAF crews from 32 (The Royal) Squadron.
“Establishing the brand new Command Help Air Transport service with Envoy IV is the fruits of months of exhausting work on the a part of the RAF, Defence Tools & Help and our trade companions, Centreline AV Ltd. The plane will likely be working equally exhausting to ship UK affect and diplomacy around the globe within the coming months and years,” Air Commodore Martin Assistant Chief of Workers, Air Mobility RAF stated.
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“I’ve been vastly impressed by the way in which that Envoy IV has entered service. Integrating a brand new plane into the Air Mobility fleet is rarely a simple process, however our groups have pulled collectively magnificently to make sure it has been seamless. I might additionally wish to pay tribute to Centreline AV Ltd who’ve been an distinctive trade companion,” Air Commodore Lyle Air Mobility Drive Commander, RAF
Supply of each Envoy IV plane follows exhausting on the heels of a speedy and agile procurement course of to make sure a seamless provision of Command Help Air Transport for UK Defence. It demonstrates one of many best possible examples of good procurement that we’ve got seen in recent times,” James Evans, Air Transport Defence Tools & Help.
The Envoy IV plane carried out its first operational flight on seventh June 2022. Full-Service functionality for Command Help Air Transport is supplied by two Envoy IV plane working from RAF Northolt. A brand new plane kind to Royal Air Drive service is to be named the ‘Envoy IV’ in a nod each to its essential position in defence diplomacy and to earlier Envoy plane in RAF service. Two new Dassault 900LX plane have been bought to interchange the BAe146 plane that have been withdrawn from Service in March. The brand new Envoy plane will likely be based mostly at RAF Northolt with No 32 (The Royal) Squadron, initially beneath contract with Centreline AV Ltd. For the primary two years, the plane will likely be operated by combined crews of RAF and Centreline workers, earlier than upgrading to a full navy and operational functionality in 2024. The title displays the position of the plane in defence diplomacy and relationship constructing. The unique Envoy plane in RAF service was referred to as the Envoy III. It was a twin-engine gentle transport plane, utilized by the RAF earlier than and through World Struggle 2 within the communications position; one in all which served with the ‘King’ s Flight’ – a precursor to as we speak’s No 32 (The Royal) Squadron.
