http://www.asagumo-news.com/news/200907/090716/09071607.htm
1 to 7 July 2009:
Double-mounted L90 35-mm anti-aircraft guns.
9th Division, JGSDF.
Rokkasho firing range, Aomori Prefecture.
Final shooting, after 40 years.
Procured from Shouwa 48 to 56. [1973 to 1981.]
Replaced by Type 93 close-range surface-to-air guided missiles.
http://www.hokkoku.co.jp/subpage/E20090721002.htm
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20090722-00000199-mailo-l17
21 July 2009:
JASDF 6th Koukuudan and Komatsu AB [Ishikawa Prefecture] new commander, Major General Tsuruta Shin’ichi (47).
1984, graduated at defense university, and assigned 2nd Koukuudan, at Chitose AB, Hokkaidou.
1997 to 1998, one year and three months at Komatsu AB, repair team leader. Mainly responsible for aircraft maintenance.
His official profile:
http://www.mod.go.jp/asdf/komatsu/from_commander.html
Just wondering: in other air forces, is it common or rare for a ground mechanic to eventually become an air base commander?
] Wednesday, 15 July 2009:
] F-5F Zhong Zheng. Nose number 5410. Tail number 30136.
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090722/60/1nk9h.html
22 July 2009:
DNA tests on pilots’ relatives’ DNA samples and on recovered body parts confirmed the two pilots had bought the farm. R.I.P.
] First, the grammar of the five paragraphs in the Jap text is perfect, but what it
The Japanese text looks very logical and real, so I suspected it describes a scenario for a real exercise, and as the JASDF also has domestic tac air meets where reps from different JASDF squadrons participate, I Googled for any possible participation of F-4 #432 at a Jap tac air meet.
h ttp://http://www.mamboccv.com/F-4.html
has photos of #432, taken in November 1981 at Komatsu AB, and in April and May 1983 at Chitose AB. The captions say it participated at the Shouwa 56 (+ 25 = 1981) tac air meet, representing the 302nd Squadron, and had a two-tone camouflage that faded by 1983.
Plus, a fake white canopy painted on the front landing gear cover, as seen in
h ttp://http://www.mamboccv.com/F4EJ_415.432_302SQ_830510.jpg
I was yomping through the friendly neighbourhood Dutch Aviation Society/Scramble site, when I spotted these threads amongst its forums,
http://www.scramble.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=54192&start=15
http://www.flugzeugforum.de/forum/showthread.php?threadid=23096
and especially after gawking at the two scans at
http://www.cavok-aviation-photos.net/scramble/jap_ger1.jpg
http://www.cavok-aviation-photos.net/scramble/jap_ger2.jpg
I’m also agreeing this is an April Fool phantasy that’s still baiting clueless pedestrians, 25 years later.
While I know only a few German words, including the Luftwaffe ranks from O-1 to O-6, from when I played WWII flight sims, aeons ago; the Japanese text is easy to guess.
First, the grammar of the five paragraphs in the Jap text is perfect, but what it describes, seems to not totally match the photos (see below).
Also, technically, the “JaboG 35” in the second paragraph looks suspicious even to me, a civilian chickenhawk; not because it’s slanted, but because the “35” uses a different font from the “302” and “432” in the fourth paragraph. The “3” in “35” has a pointy upper right corner, while the “3” in the “302” doesn’t.
Second, a rough translation of the Jap text, and not verbatim:
“Began with damage reports from radar sites, Nike bases, then fighters being attacked, and in the middle of these, the second wave of enemy fighters are flying in…
“With the scenario said like this, on the 6th day (of the month?), JaboG 35 performed attack and defense.
“Previous page, middle. Ground crew in the middle of readying (the fighters) to launch an attack. Being held in the hand is the cartridge for engine start.
“Bottom. F-4EJ of 302nd Squadron waiting to launch, at the flight line. #432 in front (see below) has camouflage, under the nose is anti-glare, and on the front landing gear cover is a fake canopy painted.
“Triangle. 20 mm Vulcan rounds to a F-4EJ that returned from an attack…”
Third, the F-4EJ in front is obviously #434 or 07-8434, not #432. Also, IMO, it looks grey, not camouflage.
Although recent photos of #434 are easily available,
http://images.google.com.hk/images?q=F-4EJ+07-8434&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
photos of #432 are harder, because it crashed into the ocean on 29 October 1984, albeit its two crew ejected, and were rescued.
Thus, IMO, the Jap text is probably raided from a Jap mag in or before 1984.
http://www.mod.go.jp/e/publ/w_paper/index.html
http://www.mod.go.jp/e/publ/w_paper/2009.html
HOME > Publications> Defense of Japan (Annual White Paper)
DEFENSE OF JAPAN
DEFENSE OF JAPAN 2009 (Tentative Translation)
(IMO, probably more “China threat” essays.)
Sunday, 19 July 2009:
Fighter/bomber (reportedly a JH-7, but might be a Su-30).
PLAAF (reportedly 28th Division, based at Hang Zhou).
According to Russian and non-Xin Hua media: about 10 AM, during air-to-mud training, at 200 m AGL, suddenly slanted to one side, and crashed, 2 klicks south of Ming Xing Village, An Ding Town, Tao Nan City, near Tao Nan combined tactical training AB, Ji Lin Province, Shen Yang military district.
Pilot and WSO were reportedly KIA.
Chicom and Russian planes, based at Tao Nan AB, were practising for the Peace Mission-2009 joint exercise on 22-26 July, which involved about 1,300 Chicom and 1,300 Russians.
http://english1.cri.cn/6909/2009/07/19/189s502464.htm
http://hk.news.yahoo.com/article/090719/4/d9qa.html
http://hk.news.yahoo.com/article/090719/4/d9on.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090720/17/1ndwz.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090719/8/1ncnw.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090720/69/1neg4.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090720/17/1nds2.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090720/11/1nenl.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090720/8/1ndyg.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090720/5/1ndso.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090720/1/1ndyu.html
20 July 2009:
Taiwanese media reported: during holidays, at ROCAF Tai Nan AB, composite wing deputy commander Major General HU Kai Hong, as a private favour, allowed some civilian friends to test-drive the IDF simulator, several times.
The ROCAF is investigating whether proper invitation and security procedures were followed.
Politicians commented no wonder the ROC military requested to purchase more Wii.
(China Radio International reports it in English. Haven’t read the original Chinese report by Xin Hua yet. Seems the Russian media have reported it too, so it’s probably true. And it’s probably a JH-7, unless it’s a JJ-7 or similar two-seater.)
http://english1.cri.cn/6909/2009/07/19/189s502464.htm
“Chinese Military Aircraft Crashes at Joint Exercise”
2009-07-19 13:47:38 Xinhua Web Editor: Jiang Aitao
A Chinese military aircraft participating in the Sino-Russian “Peace Mission-2009” joint anti-terror exercise crashed at a military training base in northeast China early Sunday.
] the official news might come out later.
The Xin Hua site might have the official version tomorrow, IMO.
AFAIK, Chinese and Jap military pilots are trained to stay in their planes and try to control it, for as long as practical, when populated land is and will be under their line of flight, even when said land is, say, a hamlet with a population density of one person per km^2.
OTOH, US military pilots, whether in CONUS (such as San Diego 2008) or Japan (such as Yokohama 1977), don’t seem to have this same level of a sense of responsibility, IMO.
(OFF-TOPIC ALERT)
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2009-07/18/content_11729717.htm
to
http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2009-07/18/content_11729717_2.htm
18 July 2009:
17 Russian military cooks cooked for 1,000 Russian soldiers.
Probably old news:
http://www.db24h.com/blog/483/viewspace-277
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/camokenny/article?mid=7721&prev=7723&next=7706&l=a&fid=5
Czech Air Force JAS-39D 9244 in the 2009 Czech Air Force calendar.
A lot of humans are blocking the views though. 8(
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090716/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_female_pilot_2
“First female presidential helo pilot finishes tour”
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press Writer Darlene Superville, Associated Press Writer – Thu Jul 16, 2:48 pm ET
WASHINGTON – More history was made at the White House on Thursday when President Barack Obama climbed aboard his helicopter: An all-female crew was waiting to take him to Andrews Air Force Base.
Wednesday, 15 July 2009:
F-5F Zhong Zheng. Nose number 5410. Tail number 30136.
46th FS, 737th CW, ROCAF, based at Tai Tung AB.
11:36, during air-to-mud training, above sea, 3.5 klicks NE of Cao Yu (Grass Islet), Peng Hu area, lost radar contact, and later confirmed to have crashed into sea.
Two pilots were MIA.
Front-seater was First Lieutenant HUANG Ting Yu (26). 87th Class. 294 hours.
Rear-seater was instructor pilot Lieutenant Colonel ZHANG Liang Yuan (43). 70th Class. 3,023 hours.
11:14, 5410 took off at CCK AB. Runway at Tai Tung AB was being maintained/repaired.
11:40, five coast guard ships scrambled.
12:00, S-70C SAR helo took off.
12:50, found debris, reportedly including a bloody life jacket.
By 6 PM, more debris, including control surfaces, dinghy, helmet, two unopened life jackets, with suspected body parts. 8(
F-5F, in 32 years of active service, before today, 30 accidents/crashes, and 32 pilots were KIA. Four accidents/crashes in past eight years. Previous crash was 17 June 2008, at Tai Tung AB.
Five crashes in past five years. Three KIAs, and four MIAs.
5410 photos:
http://www.asia-image.com/modules.php?name=Gallery&file=displayimage&pos=-4163
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090715/1/1n3hl.html (Dated 2004, and taken at Tao Yuan AB.)
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090715/11/1n46e.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090715/1/1n3pq.html
All 33 existing F-5Fs temporarily grounded. 46th FS already wasn’t tasked as aggressors anyway.
5410, of 737th CW, was second of flight of two, and unarmed.
Pilots’ photos:
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090715/8/1n3l6.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090715/5/1n3no.html
The pilots’ birthdays are on the same day, but not the same year.
Left: Huang’s was 26 August 1983. Assigned to Tai Tung AB on 17 July 2008. Unmarried, with a girlfriend.
Right: Zhang’s was 26 August 1966. Married, with two sons.
Huang’s girlfriend, urgirl’s blog:
http://www.wretch.cc/blog/urgirl
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090715/17/1n3ld.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090715/8/1n3a6.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090715/5/1n3ic.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090715/1/1n3hl.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/090714/1/1n0wj.html
14 July 2009:
From 16 July 2009, ROCAF CIC, PENG Sheng Zhu, will be replaced by now ROCAF 2IC, LEI Yu Qi.
Peng is a F-5 pilot. Lei is a Mirage 2000 pilot.
] Perhaps just a mistake by the museum?
That blogger thinks the museum staff got a bit too creative. XD
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,532023,00.html?test=latestnews
“Boeing’s Two Flying Lasers Face Different Futures”
Monday, July 13, 2009
By Erik Sofge
The Advanced Tactical Laser aircraft flies over Albuquerque, N.M.
For years, the Pentagon’s research budget has funded not one, but two planes armed with laser turrets.
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!WkARg2yXExr8Hs4ytfZ3/article?mid=7866
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!i34GEAOFEhtnzIAVTuXRIuA-/article?mid=1704
2009/06/03 12:22:
ROCAF F-104G 4186, retiring on Jin Men Island… Its left wing is carrying a Falcon AAM or Maverick AGM? 8(
] Originally Posted by Don Chan View Post
] The late Rock Iwasaki, who belonged to the AIRock Aerobaticc Team,
] http://www.airock.co.jp/ARtop06_2.htm
] was a former JASDF F-104 Maruyon driver, who was famous for being able to shoot down an USAF F-15 in air combat training.
ISTR it was a 2 vs 2 fight. After they engaged, Rock and his wingman lost sight of one of the bandits, and concentrated on the other bandit.
While Rock’s wingman baited the bandit, Rock ambushed him, and shot down him. The killed bandit at first wasn’t amused, but respected Rock’s tactic during the debrief.
http://club.mil.news.sohu.com/r-shilin-2233632-0-11-900.html
Historic old models and pics of J-10.