THE PENTAGON’S “COUNTERINSURGENCY WAR” ON LATIN AMERICA
The Pentagon announced on April 23 that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has begun a trip to South America, arriving in Colombia as part of a three-nation tour that will also take him to Brazil and Chile.
It is his first visit to the continent as Pentagon chief, though he has visited often in other capacities, including as director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Panetta’s meetings with top government and military officials in the three nations will follow those of America’s top military officer, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey, to Colombia and Brazil late last month.
F-22 Fighter Ready for War Despite Mystery Problem: U.S. Air Force
America’s most expensive fighter plane is ready for combat despite some of its pilots experiencing repeated and mysterious apparent breathing problems that have put a quick end to multiple training missions, Air Force officials said today at a special briefing.
In nearly two dozen cases in the past four years, pilots have reported experiencing “hypoxia-like” symptoms in the $143 million-a-pop stealth F-22 Raptor. Though the incidents are extremely rare, the Air Force is so concerned that they’ve taken a “911 call approach” – meaning that if a pilot gets the slightest indication that anything is wrong, he’s directed to end the training mission and turn back to base. The fleet of next generation fighters, which cost $77.4 billion total, have been considered combat operational since 2005, but none have been used in a single combat mission from Iraq and Afghanistan to Libya.
Italian Air Force Eurofighter Pilot Achieves 1,000 Flying Hours
Lieutenant Colonel Daniele L. of the Italian Air Force has become the first Italian Typhoon pilot to reach 1,000 flight hours on the aircraft. This milestone was achieved during an Air Defence training mission flown through Tuscany’s air space recently.
The officer, in service at Grosseto’s 4th Wing, with the role of Chief of Flight Safety, has spent his flight career on the Typhoon mainly as instructor pilot at the 20th OCU Group (Operational Conversion Unit), contributing to the transition of many pilots assigned to the Eurofighter.
The Drones in our Future
The backyard of my house in the piney woods of southern Chesterfield County is shaped like a half moon surrounded by very tall and skinny loblollies and gum trees. It faces north and can be a good place for aircraft watching.
I live maybe 20 miles as the crow flies from Ft. Pickett, a Virginia National Guard base that is used by military and law enforcement agencies such as Navy SEALs, the Marines, Air Force and Army Special Forces, Canadians, Secret Service, the FBI and Virginia State Police. It’s fairly common to hear the distinctive sounds of military aircraft flying about, such as the muffled roar of Blackhawks, the vibrating thunder of Sea Stallions and, the less frequent “whup, whup” of the old, Vietnam-era Hueys.
Indian Minister Explains Mirage 2000 Grounding
Following the accidents of Mirage 2000 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on 24.2.2012 and 5.3.2012, all routine training flying on the Mirage 2000 fleet has been temporarily stopped as a precautionary measure.
Based on the results of the initial investigations of the accidents, certain checks have been instituted by the IAF. Commencement of flying of the Mirage 2000 fleet is being undertaken in stages post completion of checks.
During the last two years (2010-11 and 2011-12) and current financial year 2012-13 (upto 19.4.2012), two Mirage 2000 aircrafts have crashed. Technical Defect was the cause of both accidents.
Turkey’s First Modernised T-38 Jet Trainer Is Delivered
Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI), as a prime contractor, was awarded a contract by the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) to design, develop and implement an avionics upgrade for the TurAF under the T-38 Avionics Modernization (ARI) Program.
In the framework of the program, a total of 55 TurAF T-38A aircraft are to be upgraded. The upgrade process of five aircraft is ongoing at TAI’s facilities whereas the remaining 50 production aircraft will be modified at TurAF 1st Air Supply and Maintenance Center with technical support of TAI.
USAF F-16s, MiGs Engage In Combat Training Over Bulgaria
U.S. pilots from the 555th and 510th Fighter Squadrons based out of Aviano Air Base, Italy, have been given a rare opportunity to train and share experiences with Bulgarian air force MiG-21 and MiG-29 pilots during their deployment here in support of Thracian Star 2012.
Since the start of the training mission on April 18, Bulgarian and American pilots have been flying together and working toward the goal of the exercise: to strengthen partnerships, increase interoperability between NATO allies and maintain a standard of excellence.
Bulgarian Mig-29 Crashes Without Casualties
The plane caught fire shortly after takeoff from the Graf Ignatievo air force base, the Defense Ministry in Sofia said in a statement 26 April 2011. Its two pilots were instructed to direct the aircraft toward an unpopulated area and eject. The MiG-29 fell between the villages of Tsarimir and Goliam Chardak and there are no civilian casualties, the ministry said.
F-35 training center begins formal training
While celebrating each F-35 Lightning II arrival, the integrated joint strike fighter training team also recently opened the doors for the first Air Force certification courses on the logistical support behind the nation’s newest weapons platform.
The 33rd Fighter Wing has eight basic familiarization courses now in session at the academic training center with courses currently scheduled through early next year. Approximately 100 maintenance students from three branches of service began the inaugural classes March 19.
First for China as Military UAV Flies Mapping Mission
Drone Completes Military Mapping Mission in NW China. An unmanned Chinese military drone recently completed its first digital mapping mission near north China’s Helan mountain, capturing high-definition imaging data during more than five consecutive hours of aerial photography.
Russian Air Force to Test Fly First UCAV in 2014
Russia will test fly its first domestically-produced strike unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in 2014, First Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Sukhorukov said on Friday. In February, Army General Nikolay Makarov, the chief of the Russian General Staff, said the drone would be first test flied in late 2012, a revision of the initial 2015 timeframe.
In early April, Russia’s Defense Ministry issued a technical specification for the development of the drone. The new aircraft is expected to have a modular structure and be able to carry various types of equipment and armament.
France to Upgrade 10 Rafale-Ms to Latest F3 Standard
The first ten Rafale Marine fighters delivered to the French Navy in the early 2000s will be upgraded from their current F1 standard to the latest F3 standard, according to Christophe Carpentier, head of the French defense procurement agency’s “Operation Rétrofit F1-F3”.
Carpentier says that his mission is to monitor contracts related to this modernization effort, and coordinate the work of different stakeholders. These include Dassault Aviation, MBDA, Thales, Sagem, and government agencies such as the aviation industrial service (SIAé), the Navy and the integrated structure for operational maintenance of defence ministry aviation equipment (SIMMAD).
First images of Mig-21s in Free Libya Air Force markings
The following Reuters images, taken on the runway at Tammahint, 15 km (9 miles) from the southern Libyan city of Sabha, on Apr. 3, 2012, are the first ones showing Libyan Mig-21s in Free Libya Air Force markings.
Although it is extremely difficult to determine because of the low quality of the video, what seems to be a Mig-21 was filmed overflying Sabha region on Mar. 29, 2012, during the recent unrest, in what could have been the first action of the new Libyan Air Force (or Free Libya Air Force) since the end of NATO’s Operation Unified Protector on Nov. 1, 2011.
On a side note: a stored LARAF Mig-25 was photographed on Nov. 1, 2011, at Al Jufrah airbase. I’ve often seen stored/unserviceable aircraft through satellite imagery, this is one of the few available from ground level.
New F-35 News Thread
First F-35 For The Netherlands Rolls Out Of F-35 Production Facility
The first F-35 Lightning II for The Netherlands rolled out of the F-35 production facility on April 1 . This is the latest step in the production process leading to its eventual assignment to Eglin AFB, Fla., later this summer. The Netherlands will use the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) jet, known as AN-1, for training and operational tests for pilots and maintainers. AN-1 will undergo functional fuel system checks before being transported to the flight line for ground and flight tests in the coming weeks.
Norway to Buy 46 F-35s, Puts Off Decision on 6 More
The New Norwegian Long-term Defence Plan. On the 23rd March the Norwegian Government presented the new Long term plan for Defence. In the proposed plan the established defence policy goals and ambitions are corroborated.
The Government’s ambition to procure 52 F-35 fighter jets is confirmed.
As a result of the gradual decreasing expenditure in Afghanistan, a reallocation of approx. 634 mill NOK will fund activity in Norway, specifically for the Army and the Home Guard. A temporary increase in the investment budget of 22-28 billion NOK is linked to the F-35 acquisition. The plan is now awaiting parliamentary approval, expected in June 2012.
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