Keep your eyes on the skies over the coming weeks as the North Sea hosts one of the largest military exercises for a decade. According to the RAF over seventy aircraft will be conducting ‘high intensity tactical training together over the North Sea and North East of England’.

Exercise Crimson Warrior runs until 5 November and includes aircraft from the RAF, Royal Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Air Force. Taking part are fast jets, multi-engine aircraft and helicopters operating from a number of RAF stations across the country.

It is expected that many of the aircraft will be visible from Filey at some point during the coming days. The new RAF and US Marine Corps F-35B Lightning jets, built jointly in Britain and the USA, will be at the heart of the exercise as they build up to next year’s first operational deployment of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.

F-35 Lightning jet on board HMS Queen Elizabeth

Already on Thursday what appeared to a Royal Navy River Class corvette was seen off Filey Brigg. It was followed later by an unidentified high-speed launch.

Royal Navy ‘River Class’ Corvette