USAF Patch Fighter USAFE b 48 TFW Tactical Fighter Wing F 111 r Exc c

USAF 48 TFW Exercise Excalibur USAFE Tactical Fighter Wing Competition VII F 111 1993 RAF Lakenheath embroidered on twill merrowed edge 100mm three and seven eighths inches diameter

USAF 48 TFW Exercise Excalibur

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History USAF 48 TFW Exercise Excalibur Patch USAFE Tactical Fighter Wing F 111

Excalibur was a joint USAF and Royal Air Force annual bombing strafing and gunnery competition commenced with Excalibur I in 1985 to provide USAF and Royal Air Force aircrews and ground crews to fly fight together and compete together with the focus on surface attack missions testing equipment procedures and leadership skills to improve lines of communication and tactical abilities between the USAF and the RAF. The competition was hosted by 48 Tactical Fighter Wing TFW at RAF Lakenheath and used the extensive ranges at RAF Holbeach and RAF Wainfleet Lincolnshire for the various ground attack competition categories and tasks.

The USAFEs 48 TFW competed with its F 111 Aardvark fighter bombers and hosted Squadron teams from 50 and 401 Tactical Fighter Wings operating F 16s with the RAF fielding Jaguar F 4 Phantom and Tornado fighter bombers. Although each teams aircraft had different capabilities the competition pitted pilot against pilot judged on how well they dropped BDU 33 practice freefall bombs on specific targets from defined altitudes speeds and angles including 45 degree High Altitude Release Bomb 30 degree Dive Bomb 20 degree Low Altitude Low Drag 10 degree Low Altitude High Drag and Low Angle Strafe. Awards for the top scoring pilot aircrew and aircraft in each individual events together with awards for the top scoring Flight and Wing were presented at the end of the competition.

The Competitions were given ascending roman numerals for each year starting with Excalibur I in 1985 Excalibur II in 1986 Excalibur III in 1987 Excalibur IV in November 1988 Excalibur V in October 1989 Excalibur VI in July 1990 Excalibur VII in 1991 Excalibur VIII in 1992 and Excalibur IX in June 1993. The Excalibur Competition was discontinued after Excalibur IX 1993 following the retirement of the F 111 from USAFE service.

The Competition was reinstated with Excalibur 2004 at RAF Lakenheath with 48 Fighter Wing F 15Es competing against F 16s and A 10As from 52 Fighter Wing Spangdahlem AB Germany and 31 Fighter Wings Aviano AB Italy together with RAF Jaguars from 6 and 41 Squadrons RAF Coltishall and Tornado bombers from 9 Squadron RAF Marham in August 2004. Excalibur 2005 took place in August 2005 but after Excalibur 2006 in August 2006 the Competition was again stopped as pilots were gaining ground attack experience with the RAF and NATO via combat missions during joint operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This patch dates from 1993.