while Nero fiddles…
The article serves to reinforce my view that the MOD is not fit for purpose.
ZZ336 was scrambled 5hrs ago to assist 2 fast jets intercepting a Russian plane that was too close for comfort.
Here’s some images of her last Friday in test with 2 of the F35b:
I assume from this that ZZ336 is a capable air tanker
But would you want to be flying something as easy to see as that in a combat zone? Especially considering what it’s carrying!
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Quite convenient that it has been scrambled already to prove its dual function use for those who doubted it as another vanity project.
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It’s been used as an air tanker for years Mat.
If the Russians were that close why did the jets need refuelling?
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Well… we all drive past one filling station in the hope that fuel is cheaper at the next, this must be what they did, although it is tricky pushing a plane to the next refuelling plane when you have run out.
Surely this can’t have just been a publicity stunt?
Interesting that when this happened to protect our shores from potentially invading Russians that there was a photographer flying nearby to take such a good photo.
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The fact is the Defence budget is so huge a million pounds here or there to paint a plane isn’t even small change, it’s the stuff lost in the settee.
Not sure where the F35’s were before, you can liken it to refilling your car once you’re close to home, you may have returned from a long trip, could be the case.
I spent quite a lot of my life living on airbases and know quite a bit about the range of interceptor aircraft. I see this as being no more than a publicity stunt.
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… demonstrating, amongst other things, that Britain surpasses all rivals in its claim to uniquely vulgar braggart ugliness. Shameful, but what’s new?
I tend to agree, all seems a bit too convenient 
Bloody ridicules IMO, a laughing stock across the World 
The message said the were scrambled Nigel. That means the pilots were sitting in deck chairs enjoying the spring weather, listening to music or reading a book when they were ordered to take off 
Maybe the F35s were refuelling the Airbus 
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maybe there was no fuel transferred (‘cos the tanks have been taken out to increase Doris’ “shagging space” but the feeder lines were retained to make it “look good” and it was merely a training exercise with rookie pilots to give them a bit of practice rather than potentially wipe out a much needed resource (since the AC Queen Elizabeth still leaks like a sieve) 
I believe I’m correct in saying the F-35 Lightning is based in Marham, Norfolk.
I had a friend who, with friends, was in the process of restoring an English Electric Lightning when he sadly passed away. Very interesting bloke and a very interesting aircraft with ferocious fuel consumption and little range. They could have done with the Bojo fuel tanker in their day.
Didn’t that aircraft fly on avgas rather than jet A1?
UPDATE: after seeing the photo posted by @anon57427786 at Hatfield, I can see it was a jet, not a propeller driven aircraft so it would have used Jet A1 not avgas… 