RAF Beechcraft Shadow R.1 surveillance flights over Gaza

Above; Beechcraft Shadow R1 of  14 Squadron based at RAF Waddington from Ryan Kirkpatrick "RAF Waddington Spotting". The Shadow is part of the Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) group of systems.

According to published sources RAF Shadow R.1 aircraft are still flying surveillance flights from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus over Gaza, primarily to assist in locating hostages taken during Hamas’s October 2023 attack. These flights have been ongoing since December 2023, have totaled hundreds of missions, and have continued through the summer of 2025 as recently reported on 'The Aviationist' blog.

A written'Parliamentary answer' published on 24 March 2025 confirmed that the UK has been flying unarmed surveillance flights over the Eastern Mediterranean, including Gaza, with a mandate strictly focused on hostage recovery (UK Parliament). Various independent defence reporting (UK Defence Journal blog) noted that Shadow R.1 aircraft continue operations from RAF Akrotiri toward Gaza, with the same limited mandate to “secure the release of hostages”. According to Wiki and other analyses, there have been:

Over 250 flights from December 2023 to June 2024;

And by March 2025, more than 500 flights had taken place.

A Times report in early August 2025 revealed the UK Ministry of Defence outsourced some flights to Sierra Nevada Corporation (US contractor). The move followed maintenance or deployment issues affecting the UK’s Shadow fleet; none of the eight RAF Shadow R.1s were stationed at Akrotiri at that time. 

The 'Shadow' was developed from the Beechcraft King Air by Raytheon to improve intelligence gathering and the RAF's aircraft - based at Waddington - carry a bank of sophisticated electro-optical and electronic sensors with satellite communications links for inflight data transfer.

Permission at http://www.defenceimagery.mod.uk for reuse under the OGL (Open Government License).

Screen captures from Ryan Kirkpatrick Waddington Spotter video (April 2025) of Shadow R.1 coded ZZ 507.

Breguet 1050 Alizé - Alizé Marine not at Duxford next weekend

 

Also due at Duxford next weekend was another French owned and registered 'warbird' the only flying Breguet Alizé. But as the IWM just posted on FB; 

 " We regret to announce that the 1050 Alizé will no longer be displaying at the Duxford Battle of Britain Air Show next weekend. While we always aim to deliver a full and exciting flying programme, aircraft participation is subject to a range of operational as well as logistical factors and subject to change. We’re continuing to work hard to bring together the best possible flying list for the show and look forward to welcoming you to IWM Duxford..." 

Back in April though the Alizé Marine Association already announced the premature end of operations by its rare Breguet Br-1050 Alize ex-French Navy carrier-based anti-submarine warfare aircraft as reported on the European airshows website; 

"..The Association Alizé Marine, owner/operator of the world’s last remaining airworthy Breguet Br-1050 announced that as of 30 April 2023, Alizé No.59 (F-AZYI) will be grounded. The Association is being forced out of its hangar at Nîmes Grande Provence Méditerranée airport by the municipal authority, which owns the airport and has not provided any alternative accommodation..[..] Alizé Marine will hold an extraordinary general meeting, at which it will consider the possibility of liquidation... "

Then in May Key Aero reported that the historic anti-submarine warfare aircraft had found a temporary new home. On 19 May, it was ferried to Base Aérienne 701 at Salon de Provence, where the French Air Force offered hangarage for a limited period. The Alizé appeared at the Patrouille de France aerobatic team’s 70th anniversary airshow the following weekend. In a statement on Facebook, Alizé Marine added that, “for operational reasons”, it will probably have to move to Cuers-Pierrefeu airfield at “an undetermined date”, this being the location where numerous current French Navy aircraft types receive major maintenance. The association went on to say that it still hopes to negotiate “a permanent hangarage solution” back at Nîmes, where serial 59 — which has been flying as a civilian aeroplane since 2013 — was based during its active Aéronautique Navale career. 

 So there was a very good chance all along that the Alizé was not going to make it to the UK, which is a shame. For one, there are very few aircraft still flying powered by the Rolls Royce Dart. Having said that, the Breguet was at Le Bourget back in June, which is where I took this photo..

Mistral Warbirds F-86 Sabre in the UK, summer 2025

As you may have noticed, a number of UK air displays have announced the French based Canadair CL-13B (F-86E) Sabre Mk 6 operated by Mistral Warbirds will be attending their events. The aircraft is flown by well known French display pilot, Frédéric Akary. The aircraft will be using IWM Duxford as a temporary base during much of the summer.. Martin Eames photos from the Duxford Flying evening held on 16 August in the setting sunshine and, bottom, some shots from Paris Le Bourget in June where the aircraft was on static display. The aircraft will be flying at the Battle of Britain airshow Duxford on 6-7 September..