Successful deployments overseas with the Americans and Portuguese have been followed by a training session a little closer to home for the Sea Harriers of 801 Naval Air Squadron.

But the series of manoeuvres based at a Lincolnshire air station still had an international element.

The squadron detached to the North Sea Air Combat Manoeuvring Instrumentation (AMCI) Range at RAF Waddington, where French aircraft provided the opposition.

French Air Force Mirage 2000 RDIs and the formidable Mirage 2000 RDYs firing the Mica missile – a weapon with a similar performance to the Sea Harriers’ potent AMRAAMs – meant the Royal Navy pilots had a real challenge on their hands.

The ACMI range offers real-time tracking and a debriefing facility which gave the pilots a chance to fine-tune their air-to-air skills before embarking in aircraft carrier HMS Invincible later this year.

The serial was hampered by unhelpful weather on occasions, but the squadron still enjoyed a packed flying programme, working with and against both types of Mirage 2000, and the British aircraft and their pilots emerged with great credit against opponents who were both competent and aggressive.

The final mission saw four Sea Harriers and four Mirage 2000s defending a simulated HMS Invincible against seven Mirages, which were tasked with trying to sink her.

All the attacking aircraft were destroyed by the Sea Harriers and the defending Mirages, for the loss of only one friendly French jet.

When the pilots returned to the debriefing room, they were able to run through the combat again from a ‘god’s-eye view’, in which data gathered by a range of sensors confirmed kills and allowed the aircrew and controllers to glean far more tactical benefit from the sortie than would have been possible in open airspace – adding to the pilots’ experience and capability in the air-to-air arena.