Four low flying RAF Typhoon fighter jets ‘terrify’ Northern Ireland residents during sortie

A Ministry of Defence spokesman told the News Letter that the four jets were RAF Typhoons which flew a sortie over NI lasting half an hour this morning.

They are staying at RAF Aldergrove for the weekend, he added.

"Northern Ireland is officially classed as Low Flying Area 19," he added. "Going forward they will be doing such sorties as and when."

Up until now low flying RAF fighter jets are virtually unheard of across NI, particularly in light of local political sensitivities.

However it is understood that yesterday's sortie marks a new era when the RAF will carry out such sorties on a regular basis, just as with low flying areas in England.

Co Down residents took to Banbridge Area News on Facebook to express their shock at the unexpected sortie.Annie Chambers said: "Noise was unreal between Loughbrickland and Scarva! Dogs and horse terrified, and I wasn't far behind!"Eleanor McKay added: "Heard them all right! Thought they were landing over carriageway!".Fiona Lively saw and heard them in Loughbrickland."Noise was unreal and the speed of them!".She added that she did not know who was most shocked - her or her dog - "terrified by the noise".Donna Hutchings added: "They were really low! Noise was horrendous".A Tandragee resident told the News Letter the jets were "certainly" much lower than the official limit of 5,000 for such jets."Scared the wits out of the dogs and me," they said.They saw the jets flying in formation from Newry towards Aldergrove.

Michael Lyke from Newtownabbey is an aircraft enthusiast who snapped the planes as they came in to RAF Aldergrove."As far as I am aware these are Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 variants from 3 (F) Squadron based at RAF Conningsby, although one of them is sporting the tail badge of 1 (F) Squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth," he told the News Letter."The visitors today were unlikely to be armed aircraft but would typically be used for ground attack or close air support. They were probably on a training or familiarisation visit."

"What you see under the wings are large full tanks and what looks like a missile is more-than-likely a sensor or jammer pod of some description."

"Normally aircraft arriving from UK mainland would approach Northern Ireland over County Down.

Today I understand from fellow aviation enthusiasts that they routed via Omagh, Portrush & Causeway areas before arriving at Belfast Aldergrove airport."I also heard mention they may be over for an Air Cadet event this weekend."

The News Letter asked former NATO Intelligence Col Philip Ingram, from Co Tyrone if the ‘new normal’ of low flying RAF fighter jets training over NI might be as a result of increasingly belligerent military rhetoric from Russia - and due to the fact that the Republic of Ireland's comparatively sparse navy and airforce leaves it as a weak link on the eastern flank of NATO.He replied: "It is important that the RAF familiarise themselves with the Airspace over the whole of the UK but maintaining the ability to intercept threats over the whole airspace on the Island of Ireland is something the Government in the Republic continues to rely on the RAF to do if needed as the Irish Republic lacks that capability and have agreements in place."