RAF Northolt hosted VIPs with the arrival of French aircraft

Neighbours spotted the distinctive aircraft as the South Ruislip Royal Air Force plays hosts to a very important visitor

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Katherine ClementineContent Editor

19:33, 21 APR 2016
Updated19:35, 21 APR 2016

French Air Force Super Puma and Royal Navy Merlin at RAF Northolt (Image: MoD)

RAF Northolt has had a busy afternoon hosting VIPs as part of exercise 'Griffin Strike'.

Residents near South Ruislip 's award-winning Royal Air Force base , spotted distinctive helicopters and aircraft on Thursday (April 21), the same day The Queen celebrates her 90th birthday.

Exercise Griffin Strike sees the UK and France coming together, as the Combined UK and French Joint Expeditionary Force, (CJEF) to face its biggest development test to date - with more than 5,000 personnel.

An RAF Northolt spokesperson said: "RAF Northolt provided support to Exercise Griffin Strike, hosting some of the VIPs taking part in bi-lateral discussions."

French Minister of Defence, Jean Yves Le Drain, visited RAF Northolt before boarding a French Super Puma.

The Griffin Strike exercise will see a UK-French headquarters planning and executing major land, sea and air activity for the first time in a demonstration of the force’s ‘full validation of concept’.

Neighbour to the airbase, Alan Palmer, spotted some of the interesting aircraft movements.

Earlier in the day, RAF Northolt took to Twitter to wish The Queen many happy returns, ahead of the VIPs coming to visit.

Earlier this week, residents spotted military aircraft across west London ahead of US President, Barack Obama's visit to the UK.

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