Two incidents, Russian jets entering Turkish airspace during their strike against terrorists and the earlier incident of MiG-29s locking on the Turkish F-16s are not unusual and was expected. But what about the Turkish AF entry into Syrian airspace in violation? Anyways, Turkish AF violation seems to have stopped once the Russian entered the scene.

MiG-29s, most probably of SyAAF, might be the ones giving top cover for the strike aircrafts (either Russian or Syrian) near the Turkish border due to the threat posed by the Turkish AF. SyAAF, probably, for quite a while now have been keeping a low profile near the Turkish border due to this threat but that might have changed now after the Russians entered the theater. Since Turkey have been continuing their game of CAP to support their fellows on the ground, those 10 x F-16s might have been there to chase away the Syrian (or even Russian) strike aircrafts. The two F-16s that got locked-on by a MiG-29 might have threatened or behaved dangerously against the Syrian/Russian strike aircrafts and hence they probably was given a clear message by that ‘unknown’ MiG-29 as to what might happen if those F-16s engaged the Syrian (or Russian) strike aircrafts.

Are the German Patriots still on the move? Shouldn’t Turkey be in its right to request they remain on station?

Yes.it,s way more efficient to beef up the chicks of an inlet than to dual use the frame supporting the radar. And before you start arguing about maintainability, the enclosed antenna is maintenance free at squadron level.
300kg at 11g equate roughly to 3300kg of equivalent weight. That without speaking of dyn q or aeroelastic loads (flutter). I let you explain how marginal are the necessary modifications.

French To Boost Budget, Equipment Spending by 300M€

Of the total budget, funds for equipment will rise to €17 billion from €16.7 billion. Among the kit to be delivered next year are nine Rafale fighters, three A400M transport aircraft, five Tiger combat and six NH90 transport helicopters, one multimission frigate, 25 heavy vehicles for special forces, and a first batch of cruise missiles for the frigate and Barracuda attack submarine.

Contracts will be signed for upgrade of the Mirage 2000D fighter-bomber, a fourth multimission frigate and an Anglo-French naval anti-mine drone. Some €3.8 billion is earmarked for research and development, with €710 million for feasibility studies.

Nine Rafale for Fr would mean that production increase is already factored-in, unless there is a glitch in the news report.

Source:
DefenseNews.com

Sadly, you know, it’s would be the easiest way to temper the noise made by the Russian Air force tricked in a show of force that have only a few real strategic motives.

Easiest because of the Tech gap and the very Force structure of the Ru Army (fewer expeditionary assets in %).

Sad days indeed.

Dutch safety board announces MH17 investigation over, set to release report

Report would be made public on the 13th of October.

Those harrowing last moments will be told to the relatives of the victims in advance of the report’s public release on October 13.

Let’s pray/have a though for them.

The Board last night announced it was ready to make the report public, and also reveal its reconstructed fuselage of the aircraft shot down over east Ukraine last July[…]:“Using the recovered pieces of wreckage, part of the cockpit and the business class section have been reconstructed,” the Board said.

[…]

the Board said four critical factors would be answered:
– the cause of the crash
– the issue of flying over conflict areas
– why Dutch surviving relatives of the victims had to wait two to four days before receiving confirmation from the Dutch authorities that their loved ones were on board flight MH17
– […]the question “to what extent the occupants of flight MH17 were consciously (sic) of the crash.”

Source:
FoxNews.com

A really detailed and interesting piece about how the UK is training for the F35 and how it will be operating with Typhoon:

http://www.sldinfo.com/shaping-a-new-combat-capability-for-21st-century-operations-the-coming-of-the-f-35b-to-the-new-british-carrier/

One key point being that the new carriers were built specifically for the F35B so it will be fully integrated with them throughout the mission rather than just using them as a runway!

Great read. Thx for sharing.

Regarding your last point (see above), maybe that “Aegis is my wingmen” approach the correct answer?*

*something we have never envisioned here discussing the PakFa

SDB I and Laser SDB for AC-130W/J gunships

the Department of the Air Force requests information on integrating and fielding the SDB I and LSDB on board its Lockheed Martin AC-130W Dragon Spear/Stinger II and AC-130J Ghostrider gunships.

The request for information (RfI) covers integration, test, training, and sustainment of the SDB I and LSDB weapon systems on the AC-130W and AC-130J, including clearance of the SDB and LSDB systems from the BRU-61/A launcher rack at 150 to 200 kt, 10,000 to 25,000 ft, and with an aircraft bank of up to 30°.

See Cobham info page

The BRU-61/A carriage is capable of carrying and pneumatically ejecting SDB munitions at sub and supersonic speeds with the potential growth to be integrated on other fighter, bomber and unmanned aircraft.

Source:
janes.com