The A400M aircraft left Oxfordshire’s RAF Brize Norton this morning to monitor developments in the waters between the UK and France.
A Royal Air Force Atlas has taken off to support Border Force operations in the English Channel.
The A400M aircraft left Oxfordshire’s RAF Brize Norton this morning to monitor developments in the waters between the UK and France.
More than 4,000 migrants have reached the UK in 2020 by crossing the English Channel in small boats.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) said the Defence Secretary authorised the use of the Atlas as a “surveillance aircraft” and “an initial offer of assistance”.
According to the RAF, the aircraft is usually used for transporting personnel and hardware.
The MOD last week received a formal request from the Home Office to support UK Border Force in the Dover Straits, where migrants have been attempting to enter the UK.
The Chancellor Rishi Sunak recently declined to rule out using the Royal Navy to patrol for migrants crossing the English Channel.
Meanwhile, a former Royal Marine has been appointed to lead the UK’s response to tackling illegal small boat crossings across the Channel. Cover image: An RAF A400M Atlas (Picture: MOD).
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