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A major exercise will take place at RAF Lossiemouth tomorrow, 18 September. The exercise will test the Station’s response and procedures following a simulated aircraft crash.
The annual test of RAF Lossiemouth’s response to a major accident within its perimeter will involve local emergency services as well as RAF assets.
Squadron Leader Martin Cannard is the exercise director; he said: “It is RAF policy to continually assess and improve our everyday working practices and emergency procedures. Carrying out exercises such as this one allows us to test and evaluate RAF Lossiemouth’s response to a major incident on the Station.
“A major accident exercise will ensure that, should the worst happen, we are able to respond quickly and safely, and work seamlessly with the civilian emergency services.”
Vehicles and personnel from civilian emergency services, including Police Scotland, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, Scottish Fire And Rescue, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and the Scottish Ambulance Service, will take part in the exercise in order to assure their own procedures and interaction with RAF Lossiemouth.
The exercise will not affect RAF Lossiemouth’s ability to provide its Quick Reaction Alert response or QRA. The strategically important position of RAF Lossiemouth continues to make it an ideal location to maintain aircraft and crews on high alert in order to scramble and intercept unidentified aircraft approaching UK airspace. This is the basis of QRA and is a duty that has been maintained by the Royal Air Force on a 24/7 basis for decades and at RAF Lossiemouth since 2014.