The loud screech of a Typhoon and F-35 jet rips through the night sky above RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. It's followed by the heavier rumble of the larger refueling aircraft that will join its mission - hunting down Iranian drones.
The RAF Voyager is the giant petrol station in the sky for the Typhoon and F-35 jets which have been patrolling the skies over Cyprus and Jordan for the past month.
The BBC is among the first news outlets to witness these defensive missions in the air being conducted day and night, ever since the US and Israel began their bombing campaign against Iran.
From the cockpit of the Voyager we watched the shimmering lights of Cyprus fade into the distance. We were getting closer to the coast of Israel and Lebanon.
From that direction, we see a brief flash of orange light. One of the crew points to it and mentions, Quite often you can see either incoming missiles from Iran or the Israeli response. The pilot adds, It might be the Iron Dome from Israel, referring to the country's air defense system.
Evidence, then, that even after a month of heavy bombing, Iran still poses a threat and is still firing missiles and drones.
During this nine-hour mission, the Typhoon and F-35 jets refuel seven times - taking on a total of 30 tonnes of aviation fuel. We see them appear out of the dark at speed to make the delicate maneuver to feed their fuel-hungry jets - locking on to a hose trailing from the tanker wing. For the fighter pilots, it's routine. It's the hunting down of Iranian drones which poses more of a challenge.
Over the past month, British jets operating out of Cyprus and Qatar have shot down several. They won't say exactly how many times they've fired their sophisticated advanced short-range air-to-air missiles (ASRAAM) to take down a drone, but it's in the single figures. It's an expensive golden bullet to bring down a relatively cheap fiberglass drone.
Squadron Leader Bally, an RAF F-35 pilot, explains the complexity of the mission: Operating on a fast jet is already a dangerous business. Let alone when trying to target something close to the surface. He notes, there are risks of flying too close to other jets operating in the area.
Despite criticism, government ministers have reiterated they made sufficient preparations - moving in additional jets, air defense systems, and personnel to Cyprus weeks before the conflict. Major General Tom Bewick, Commander British Forces Cyprus, has insisted that there'd been prudent planning before the war.
However, a drone hit the base on the second night of the war, likely launched from Lebanon, hitting a hangar used by the US Air Force. Luckily, the damage was minimal.
Currently, there are eight Typhoon jets and eight F-35 jets at the base, supported by the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon, which provides additional air defenses. With the increased Iranian threats, the RAF Akrotiri base has now improved its defensive measures. Gen Bewick emphasizes he would be a fool not to take the Iranians at their word about potential threats to the base and acknowledges that it could easily be attacked again.
As the conflict continues, the overall defense posture remains heightened, with UK armed forces now stretched thin amid ongoing operations.
