A DETACHMENT of communications technicians from RAF Leeming based 90 Signals Unit have been deployed to Malaysia as part of Exercise Bersama Lima.

The deployed team have been working with their Royal Australian Air Force colleagues from 19 Squadron RAAF that are based at the Royal Malaysian Air Base at Butterworth Penang. At the airbase the 90 SU detachment have established comms links for the deployed II (Army Cooperation) Squadron, whose Typhoons are taking part in EX BL19.

The 19 Sqn RAAF technicians and the 90 SU technicians have worked together to integrate the RAF IT equipment into the RAAF internet access.

90 SU have also established a secure satellite comms system back to the UK using the specialist mobile satellite communications equipment that the unit can deploy with anywhere in the world. Once the equipment had been installed and tested, a specialist team has provided a 24-hour help desk to ensure any issues faced by the deployed personnel has been quickly resolved.

Sargent Jonny Snelling said: “My team have worked extremely well with our Australian colleagues who have been very welcoming and helpful. Together we have overcome the challenges that we faced to ensure we provided a reliable communications network for II (AC) Sqn to conduct the exercise."

For Exercise Bersama Lima 19 the RAF has deployed six Typhoon jets to RMAF Butterworth and an RAF Voyager aircraft has been deployed to Singapore for the first time to conduct air-to-air refuelling. Exercise Bersama Lima brings the militaries of Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom, who make up the FPDA, together in the region to develop training.