Together for the ninth time, Polish and American C-130 crews trained at Powidz, Poland, as Krzysztof Kuska reports. C-130E 1505 (70-1276) kicks up dirt on the grass strip at the 33rd Transport Aviation Base. The operating unit for the Polish Hercules fleet is the 14. Eskadra Lotnictwa (14th Aviation Squadron) home-based at Powidz. All photos […]
AFM concludes its review of Europe’s helicopter gunship fleets with a focus on the British Army Air Corps Apache. FLEET SURVEY GUNSHIP HELICOPTERS PART 4 A line-up of AAC Apaches at Royal Naval Air Station Merryfield, Somerset, during a major 16th Air Assault Brigade exercise held between Dartmoor and Salisbury Plain. Rich Pittman United Kingdom […]
THE PORTUGUESE government has authorised the purchase of five helicopters to replace the Força Aérea Portuguesa (FAP, Portuguese Air Force) fleet of Alouette IIIs, which has been operated for more than 50 years. The order, signed by the defence minister, authorises the purchase of five helicopters plus two options, training, spare parts and support material, […]
THE HELLENIC Air Force marked the final flight of its RF-4E Phantom IIs with 348 MTA at Larissa on May 5. To mark the occasion, this RF-4E (7499) received special markings. More details on the retirement will follow next month.
THE US Air Force has authorised a service life extension for its F-16 Block 40/42/50/52 fleet, numbering up to 300 aircraft. The Lockheed Martin Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) will incorporate structural modifications to increase the F-16’s original design service life of 8,000hrs to 12,000 equivalent flight hours. The USAF will be able to operate […]
A US Air Force RC-26B of the Arizona Air National Guard paid a visit to Seattle’s Boeing Field on April 20. Aircraft 92-0369 (s/n DC-831M) used the callsign ‘Bear 26’. Unlike the same type that is based with the Washington State ANG, 94-0262, the Arizona aircraft wears a white colour scheme. Joe G Walker
THE US Air Force’s 416th Flight Test Squadron (FLTS) is continuing evaluation of the Northrop Grumman APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) on the F-16. Integration and testing of the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar is being conducted at Edwards Air Force Base, California as part of the F-16 Radar Modernization Program (RMP). The […]
MARINE FIGHTER Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 and Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron (MAWTS) 1 have conducted the first ‘hot loads’ with the F-35B Lightning II. A ‘hot load’ involves installing a weapon while the aircraft’s engine is running. The event took place during the sevenweek Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) 2-17 course at Marine […]
FLYING IN the Northern Edge 2017 exercise in Alaska in early May, 18th Aggressor Squadron F-16C Block 30 86-0268 ‘AK/068’ was seen at Eielson Air Force Base carrying a Sniper advanced targeting pod, a store not previously associated with the aggressor mission. The jet also carries an apparently new threat simulation pod under the port […]
WITH THEIR usual stopover location of Morón Air Base in Spain not accepting transient traffic, RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, was the recipient of six F-22A Raptors from the US Air Force’s 525th Fighter Squadron ‘Bulldogs’, part of the Pacific Air Forces’ 3rd Wing. The fighters were returning home to Joint Base Elmendorf- Richardson, Alaska, which they […]
F-15C 84-0026 of the 123rd Fighter Squadron, 142nd Fighter Wing, arrives at RAF Mildenhall, Suff olk, on March 25. The Eagle passed through the base on its return home to Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon. On February 28, a flight of six Oregon F-15Cs (‘Trend 31’ flight) passed through RAF Lakenheath, Suff olk, for […]
AN INERT B61-12, the latest upgraded version of the US Air Force’s B61 nuclear bomb, has been dropped from an F-16C during a development flight test at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The first test is part of a lifeextension programme for the bomb to improve its safety, security and reliability. The F-16 from the […]
THE US Army has awarded Milestone B approval to the Block 2 version of the CH-47F/ MH-47G Chinook, making it a formal programme of record. The decision means the Chinook Block 2 has moved from the Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction (TD) phase to Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD). Milestone B for Block 2 was […]
THE ‘PELICANS’ of Patrol Squadron 45 (VP-45) completed a sevenmonth deployment to the US Sixth Fleet area of operations (AOO) as the last P-8A maritime patrol aircraft returned to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, on April 8. The squadron had been attached to Commander, Task Force 67 (CTF 67) with a detachment of seven Poseidons […]
SIKORSKY IS continuing to demonstrate PZL Mielec M28 SP-DGW to potential customers in Latin America. Between April 4 and 7 the multi-mission turboprop was displayed at the LAAD Defence & Security tradeshow in Rio de Janeiro. The aircraft arrived at Rio’s Jacarepaguá Airport on April 3 after previous demonstrations to operators in Trinidad and Tobago, […]