12 Squadron to continue as joint UK-Qatari Typhoon unit

12 Squadron will continue as a joint UK-Qatari Typhoon unit until 2025. (Crown Copyright)

The Qatari and UK governments are to continue 12 Squadron as a joint Eurofighter Typhoon, overturning an earlier decision to revert it to being a Royal Air Force (RAF)-only unit after 2023.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the decision on 9 March, saying the bilateral nature of the squadron will continue until 2025.

News of the extension came weeks after the MoD told Janes in February that it was considering this option now that the unit's original remit of supporting the stand-up of the Qatar Emiri Air Force's (QEAF's) Typhoon-equipped 7 Squadron, 1 Wing, at the newly constructed Dukhan Airbase, as well as providing security for the FIFA World Cup 2022 had been completed.

For that event, the squadron's eight Typhoons and 160 mixed-national personnel conducted their six-month Project ‘Thariyat' deployment out of Dukhan Airbase, returning to their UK base at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire on 3 February.

It is from RAF Coningsby that the unit will now continue to operate.