4 RAF Typhoons from the joint UK-Qatar No. 12 Squadron have been deployed on the request of the Qatari authorities, citing growing regional tensions.
4 RAF Typhoons assigned to the joint UK-Qatar-manned No. 12 Squadron have been deployed to Qatar for “defensive functions” on the categorical request of the Qatari authorities, citing growing regional tensions as the rationale. The deployment additionally comes amid a construct up of U.S. forces within the Center East.
No. 12 Squadron recurrently deploys to Qatar, the place they interact in coaching workouts with the Qatar Emiri Air Pressure (QEAF) and different center japanese accomplice states resembling Bahrain and Oman. Workouts resembling EPIC SKIES and SOARING FALCON assist to allow the graceful integration of RAF plane into allied operations reinforcing the connection of the UK with its accomplice states within the Gulf.
UK Defence Secretary, John Healey MP acknowledged:
“Qatar and the UK are shut companions with historic defence ties going again many years. This partnership bolsters the nationwide safety of each our nations and helps stability within the Gulf area.
Immediately’s deployment builds on these shared goals as Storm jets from our joint squadron deploy to help its defence.”
The present deployment of 4 closely armed Typhoons takes place underneath the UK-Qatar Defence Assurance Settlement signed final yr in Doha by Healey, which commits the UK and Qatar to nearer defence collaboration and joint planning on threats that each nations face, on this case particularly Iran.
The UK and Qatar have an extended historical past of defence partnership, with each nations establishing joint squadrons collectively for the needs of flight coaching and defence expertise. No. 12 Squadron RAF, flying Typhoons, and No. 11 Squadron QEAF, flying Hawk 167s, had been established in 2018 and 2021, respectively, to assist put together Qatar for the arrival of its personal Storm plane. Collectively the squadrons characterize a good defence bond, which might now see RAF plane flying over Qatar within the defence of the nation.
#USAF United States Air Pressure / #RAF Royal Air Pressure – Center East Activity22 January 2026 – 2300z
Prior to now few hours there was affirmation from the British Ministry of Defence that No. 12 Squadron RAF has deployed to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Moreover, a 3rd… pic.twitter.com/0boNmZRhdW
— Armchair Admiral 🇬🇧 (@ArmchairAdml) January 23, 2026
Tensions within the Gulf look like escalating following current protests towards the Iranian authorities which were closely suppressed by its safety forces, with the U.S. threatening to intervene because of this. Latest occasions have seen the U.S. deploy the united statesAbraham Lincoln Service Strike Group (CSG) and F-15E Strike Eagles from the UK, together with a number of supporting parts resembling air-to-air tankers and transport plane, suggesting that the U.S. should still determine on intervention and regime change.
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Small scale protests started in December 2025, following the collapse of the Iranian foreign money and the final poor state of Iran’s economic system as end result from many years of financial mismanagement and battle, however they escalated dramatically with hundreds of thousands of Iranians taking to the streets in early January. The Iranian authorities and safety forces closely cracked down on the protests, leaving tens of 1000’s useless and a good increased variety of wounded, sparking worldwide outrage and requires regime change from opponents of the regime.
Twelve USAF F-15E Strike Eagles deployed from England to the Center East. pic.twitter.com/hH1b3YdYBo
— HACKTORIA || OSINT 🏴 (@hacktoria) January 23, 2026
In response to the disaster and the numerous variety of useless, President of the USA Donald J. Trump threatened navy motion towards Iran on Jan. 13, which had been reportedly solely narrowly held off after Iran declared its intention to not execute captured protestors. In keeping with The Conflict Zone, navy motion might need been delayed to permit for a construct up of forces within the Gulf, to higher put together for what can be the inevitable Iranian retaliation.
A U.S. Air Pressure F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron lands at a base within the Center East, Jan. 18. The F-15’s presence enhances fight readiness and promotes regional safety and stability. pic.twitter.com/QTXgOsOozV
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 20, 2026
In response to Trump’s threats, the Iranian authorities warned of retaliatory strikes towards the U.S. and its allies within the Gulf if the U.S. had been to help the protestors with navy pressure. This pushed the U.S. and UK to withdraw a lot of personnel from Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, which can have prompted Qatar’s authorities to think about asking for navy help from the UK, in case Iran had been to comply with up on its warnings.
The arrival of 4 Typhoons armed with eight air-to-air missiles in whole, together with 4 Meteors and 4 ASRAAMs, is a stark warning that future navy motion could also be probably. The loadout seen on the Typhoons deployed to Qatar was beforehand used additionally by the Typhoons flying QRA missions, but it surely was modified lately.
In actual fact, Fast Response Alert (QRA) missions and air policing missions within the UK and overseas, often function Typhoons armed with two past visible vary missiles, both AMRAAM or Meteor, in addition to two shorter vary ASRAAM for inside visible vary engagements. Though no official purpose has been discovered, that is probably attributable to a mix of a decrease risk evaluation of Russian plane close to NATO airspace, a small variety of targets per every QRA sortie, gasoline effectivity the place the decreased drag attributable to a smaller variety of missiles permits to maintain the Storm on station for longer, in addition to the conservation of flight hours per every missile.
Given the probably risk atmosphere of a massed missile and drone assault from Iran, it’s probably the RAF needed to maximise its firepower within the area, therefore the complete air-to-air fight load seen within the cowl picture.
It’s sure that Qatar is anxious with doable drone and cruise missile assaults by Iran in response to any U.S. intervention within the nation, as Qatar is separated from Iran by solely the Persian Gulf. This places the nation effectively inside vary of drone and cruise missile assaults which, as demonstrated by the Conflict in Ukraine, will be extraordinarily damaging to a nation’s folks and its economic system. Fortunately, the UK has some expertise taking pictures down Iranian drones, with a quantity downed by RAF Typhoons over Iraq and Syria in April 2024, throughout Iran’s first direct assaults on Israel.
The RAF didn’t take part in strikes on Iran in the course of the earlier battle and it’s probably that, if assaults had been seen towards Qatar, the RAF would equally act in a defensive position owing to the restricted scale of the deployed forces to the nation. This mentioned, the RAF additionally reportedly has a lot of Typhoons stationed in Saudi Arabia for the Spears of Victory annual workouts, which is able to final from Jan. 18 to Feb. 5, in addition to a lot of Typhoons nonetheless stationed in Cyprus for Operation Shader. In all, the RAF can be effectively positioned to intervene ought to battle erupt within the Gulf as soon as extra.
