Six years of Anglo-French military exercises to prepare for future conflicts are culminating in a major operation, partly staged at RAF Leeming. Stuart Minting reports

WE'RE deep inside a labyrinth-like complex of tents, being briefed about Griffin Strike, a mission to safeguard the kingdom of Avalon from aggressors in the neighbouring territories of Pastonia and Dragonia.

It feels like being on the set of a fantasy blockbuster, but this operation, RAF Leeming station commander Group Captain David Bradshaw says, is both immersed in reality and vital to the safeguarding of the UK and France.

The expansive canvas complex has been hastily erected at the RAF base near Bedale as part of an Anglo-French exercise involving 5,400 military personnel from both sides of the Channel, at various locations, to test and improve their skills and working relationship.

"These are complex exercises, which are providing really high quality training which will, when required, enable us to fight more efficiently and effectively", says Gp Cpt Bradshaw, a man whose confident demeanour masks the pressure and scrutiny the base will be under for the two-week operation.

After handing in any devices capable of transmitting to preserve the top secret environment, a group of media - which is, unwittingly, part of the mission as the military tests its operational public relations - is told Griffin Strike is a command centre for flying operations to protect the North Atlantic.

The tented base is quite dimly lit by lamps and despite being festooned with cables, is surprisingly low-tech, with laptops on tables, charts and maps.

Officers with an array of specialties, ranging from protecting the base and providing meals to coordinating the deployment of 12 of the world's most deadly fast jets, including eight RAF Typhoons and four Rafael planes from the Regiment de Chasse Commando Parachutiste, appear ready for anything the operations planners may throw at them.

Most of the British officers are working alongside their French counterparts, as they would if they were jointly leading the evacuation of a country, fighting a conflict or on a humanitarian mission.

Gp Cpt Bradshaw, also the commanding officer of 135 Expeditionary Air Wing, says the operation makes him feel like he could be anywhere in the world.

"It feels like we are deployed", he says, "even though we are at home. It is a very strange feeling."

To increase the realism, a flight lieutenant relates details about febrile political, economic and social situations in the fictitious countries and the east European-sounding Skalvian Treaty Organisation, which those leading the operation deny is based on the conflict in Ukraine.

Amid talk of violent separatists, enclaves and broken ceasefires, the purpose of the mission is to reduce potential for the conflict spreading across the region.

Alongside a number of small scale scenarios that will be sprung upon the British and French personnel at Leeming, such as a fire and a hole in the compound fence, we're told plans are afoot to scramble the fighter jets for action within hours.

All personnel put forward to speak appear very on-message, describing the exercise as an unmitigated success.

Within minutes the rather oppressive environment of the tent is swapped for a huge expanse of Tarmac where a Rafale and Typhoon - worth a combined total of more than £200m - are parked ready for action, with General Gilles Peronne, of the Armee de l'Air and Air Commodore Johnny Stringer looking on.

Buffeted by winds which will eventually force the abandonment of plans to dispatch the jets, Gen Peronne said the high intensity of Griffin Strike would provide both forces with "a plug and play tool", which could be used efficiently, rapidly and in a variety of situations.

The two aircraft, the equipment they flew with and the culture in both air forces had been found to be very similar, says Air Cdre Stringer, adding: "It makes life incredibly easy when you are operating together.

"What you are seeing at Leeming is not a culmination of things, it's not a bit of near-term activity, it's not a bit of show, it actually speaks to a relationship between our two air forces forged originally over Flanders and Ypres in World War One, built in all the decades that have followed, and now, particularly in the fight against Daesh."

Air Cdre Stringer stops short of detailing how the cultural differences between the British and French personnel have manifested, but does say building trust between the forces and personnel in the exercise would probably be its most important result.

Gen Peronne adds: "It's not the beginning, but it's not the end also because we have a lot of work to do in the following months. It's very important to improve and enhance the relationship."