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 Comment
Kickstart for the KC-390
E
mbraer’s KC-390 twin-jet airlifter was
given a valuable vote of confidence
by the Portuguese government’s July
11 announcement that it’s placed a firm order
for five of the indigenous Brazilian transports.
There’s been no shortage of international
interest in the KC-390, which has received
letters of intent (LOI) from Argentina (six aircraft),
Chile (six), Colombia (12) and the Czech
Republic (two). Until the Portuguese move,
however, firm export orders had proven elusive.
Developing a military transport to provide
a challenge to Lockheed Martin’s C-130
is no easy task, but significantly the Força
Aérea Portuguesa (FAP, Portuguese Air
KC-390 prototype PT-ZNF wearing the flags of confirmed customers Brazil and Portugal, plus two of the countries to have issued an LOI for a possible
purchase of the multi-mission airlifter: Argentina and the Czech Republic. Sgt Batista/Força Aérea Brasileira
Editor: Thomas Newdick
Assistant Editor: Jamie Hunter
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www.airforcesmonthly.com
03 Comments AFM Sep2019.indd 3
Force) will use its new KC-390s to replace
‘legacy’ Hercules from 2023. That’s a point
in favour of the Embraer product, which
the manufacturer describes as offering the
lowest life-cycle cost on the market.
Embraer Defense & Security president and
CEO Jackson Schneider said: “The Portuguese
KC-390 will meet new interoperability
requirements, in the areas of secure
navigation, data and voice transmission,
that will allow the KC-390 to integrate joint
operations in multinational alliances.”
Back in Brazil, the KC-390 is now in full series
production, and service entry with the Brazilian
Air Force is expected in the third quarter of the
year with follow-on deliveries of the 30 aircraft
on order scheduled throughout the year.
As the largest international partner in
the programme, Portugal’s KC-390 order
may not have been a surprise, but it was
a long time coming. OGMA-Indústria
their own precautions before parting with any information
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Aeronáutica de Portugal joined the KC-390
team as a partner in 2010, at which point
the FAP envisaged buying six examples.
OGMA is building centre fuselage panels,
elevators, fairings and landing gear doors.
Embraer must now hope that other countries
make good on their initial interest. To target
customers further afield, the Brazilian company
will look to a partnership with Boeing, under
which the US aerospace giant will help Embraer
“promote and develop new markets”. There’s
even a possibility that a KC-390 production line
could open up in the US – allowing it to confront
the C-130 head on in its own backyard.
Thomas Newdick
Email at:
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#378 September 2019 // 3
8/2/2019 2:16:17 PM
 Contents September 2019 #378
Features
3 Comment 50 Solenzara Stingers 70 Pilatus professionals at
AFM’s opinion on the hot topics Earlier this summer, 1 Squadron Zadar
in military aviation. ‘Stingers’ of the Belgian Air Component Martin Scharenborg and Ramon Wenink
departed their home base of Florennes flew with the Croatian Air Force’s Fixed-
for a two-week deployment to
Special Issue: NATO at 70 Solenzara on the French island of
Wing Squadron at Zadar-Zemunik to
report on its wide variety of tasks and
Corsica. Joe Campion joined them.
44 Restructuring Norway’s the challenges it is currently facing.
air defences 60 Staccato Pursuit
While introduction of the F-35A represents the 76 C4ISR at sea
RAF F-35Bs and USAF F-35As The 41° Stormo of the Italian Air Force at
most important element in the modernisation
joined Italian Air Force F-35As for Sigonella has introduced to service a true
of Norway’s air arm, changes within
joint drills at Amendola air base, and force-multiplier. As Dino Marcellino finds out,
airborne surveillance, search and rescue
David Cenciotti flew with them. the multi-role P-72A is suitable not only for
and other rotary components are helping
to redefine its future shape and capability, maritime patrol duty, but also offers powerful
as Ian Harding and Kevin Wills discover. C4ISR capabilities in a variety of scenarios.

CU S
THE RAF’S
UK FIGHTER FO
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July 2019 Issue 375

0M RAAF
Spanish Navy Harrie
rs ROCAF on the
The fist of the Armada

Hornet scho ol
road Taiwanese fighters
in action
Fighter agility
Close-in air combat
See pages 28-29 for details.
waffeforA40
01 Cover AFM Aug2019.indd

Luft ion Unit

1

awks’ 2 Operational Convers

Atlas airlifter No
Carpathian ‘Warh
in action
Changing fortunes 27/06/2019 16:32:19

Romanian ‘Vipers’ 28/05/2019 15:24:32

1
01 Cover AFM Jul2019.indd

4 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

04-05 Contents AFM Sep2019.indd 4 05/08/2019 16:04:21


94 207 back in the UK
The UK’s latest Lockheed Martin F-35B unit
returned to RAF Marham on July 16. No 207
Squadron is the Operational Conversion Unit
(OCU) and Jamie Hunter was there for the arrival.
Other features
90 Indian Flankers in France
The Garuda series of exercises involving
the French and Indian Air Forces is held
every three to four years, alternating
between both countries. Joris van Boven
and Alex van Noye attended the recent
iteration at Mont-de-Marsan.
News
All the world’s military aviation
news, by region
6-7 .................Headlines
8-9 .................United Kingdom
10-13 .............Continental Europe
17-20 .............North America
21 ..................Russia & CIS
22 ..................Middle East
23 ..................Latin America
24-25.............Asia Pacific
26 ..................Africa
27 ..................Australasia
Regular features
14 EXERCISE REPORT:
Dark Blade 2019
Dark Blade 2019 was the 13th Blade exercise
organised by the European Defence Agency
(EDA) and the first in the Czech Republic.
30 INTEL REPORT: UK’s
bright new ISTAR future
Alan Warnes compares the recent RAF
intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and
reconnaissance (ISTAR) orders with those from
the rest of Europe before looking at special-
mission highlights from the Paris Air Show.
36 EXERCISE REPORT:
Anatolian Eagle 2019
One of Europe’s largest air exercises took
place in June after a two-year hiatus. Anatolian
Eagle 2019 involved participation from Italy,
Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, the US and NATO.

40 EXERCISE REPORT:
Anatolian Phoenix 2019
Ahead of this year’s Anatolian Eagle,
Konya air base in southern Turkey played
host to another exercise, dedicated
to combat search and rescue.

54 EXERCISE REPORT:
Diamond Storm 2019
Phil Buckley and Mike O’Neill attended the
Royal Australian Air Force’s Exercise Diamond
Storm held in the Northern Territory.

62 COMMANDER’S UPDATE
BRIEFING: The art of avoiding
detection
Self-defence in aerial combat has been
transformed by stealth aircraft – but is it the
panacea that it was once considered?

65 Book reviews
AFM evaluates some of the latest
offerings in aviation literature.

66 SURVEY: Su-25 operators

Rest of the world
Our series profiling Su-25 operators around
the world concludes with two of the Frogfoot’s
more exotic customers: Peru and North Korea.

80 FORCE REPORT: Republic

of Korea Navy Part two
Mrityunjoy Mazumdar and Tetsuya Kakitani
conclude their review of the naval aviation
force of the Republic of Korea Navy.
Cover: Representing the tip of the spear of NATO air power in Europe, F-15E 96-0201 ‘LN’
from the 48th Fighter Wing’s 494th Fighter Squadron ‘Panthers’ based at RAF Lakenheath,
Suffolk, peels away from the camera ship on its arrival over RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, 85 Feedback
for July’s Royal International Air Tattoo. Known as the ‘Liberty Wing’, the 48th FW has long AFM’s letters page.
been the backbone of US Air Forces in Europe, playing a key role in support of NATO forces
during Operations Deliberate Force and Allied Force in the 1990s and since then seeing considerable
action in successive campaigns in the Middle East. Rich Cooper Above: In a scene that’s symbolic of 86 Attrition
the changes the NATO alliance has undergone in the last two decades, a Forțele Aeriene Române Dave Allport details the world’s
(FAR, Romanian Air Force) MiG-21MF-75 LanceR C gets airborne from Câmpia Turzii while the base
most recent military accidents.
hosted the F-16s of the 457th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron – part of Air Force Reserve Command’s
301st Fighter Wing – under Operation Atlantic Resolve. There are many more NATO air arms featured
in this issue, while the full story of the Texan ‘Vipers’ in Transylvania will be told next month. Dino van 98 Coming up
Doorn, Bas Stubert and Hans van der Wilt See what’s featured in your AFM next month.

www.airforcesmonthly.com #378 September 2019 // 5

04-05 Contents AFM Sep2019.indd 5 8/5/2019 3:48:18 PM

 NEWS
US begins to remove Turkey
from F-35 programme
One of the four Turkish F-35As already delivered is serial 18-0002 (AT-02, 15-5220), at Luke AFB earlier this year. The US is yet to determine the ultimate fate of
these aircraft now that pilots in training have been grounded. Rolf Flinzner
THE US Department of
Defense announced on July
17 that it had started the
process of ‘unwinding’ Turkey
from the F-35 programme
in response to Ankara’s
decision to buy S-400
surface-to-air missiles.
Turkey took delivery of
the first three shipments
of components from the
Russian-built air defence
system at Mürted air base
on July 12, and a fourth
shipment arrived a day
Sweden signs combat
air MoU with UK
SWEDEN AND the United
Kingdom have signed
an agreement on the
development of future
combat aircraft capabilities,
encompassing the
forthcoming Tempest fighter
as well as the Saab Gripen.
On July 18, Sweden’s
Minister for Defence
Peter Hultqvist and the
UK’s then Secretary of
State for Defence Penny
Mordaunt signed a ten-
year memorandum of
understanding (MoU)
regarding co-operation
on future combat air
systems. This commits the
respective governments
to work on a joint combat
air development and
acquisition programme,
6 // September 2019 #378
06-07 HeadlineNews AFM Sep2019.indd 6
Headlines
later. After rejecting a US Trachtenberg told reporters around 900 components – Turkey from the programme
counter-offer for the Patriot that America’s strategic including the centre fuselage is scheduled for completion
missile system, Turkey has partnership with Turkey and cockpit display. by the end of March.
emphasised that its S-400s remained unchanged and According to the DoD, Initially, Turkish F-35 parts
will not be integrated into “as long-standing NATO Turkish personnel – including production will be shifted
NATO warfighting networks. allies, our relationship is pilots in training at Eglin to US suppliers at a cost
In a statement, the White multi-layered and extends Air Force Base, Florida, of between US$500m and
House said the F-35 “cannot well beyond the F-35”. and Luke AFB, Arizona – US$600m, but there’s scope
coexist with a Russian Turkey had planned to buy had been reassigned away for other partner nations to
intelligence-collection 100 F-35As and had a major from the programme by expand their workshare too.
platform that will be used role in the manufacturing July 31. Other changes will As well as terminating future
to learn about its advanced and maintenance efforts, be made to the Joint Strike F-35 deliveries to the Turkish
capabilities”. However, including a projected Fighter supply base and the Air Force, Washington
Deputy Undersecretary of US$9bn workshare and aircraft supply chain and is expected to impose
Defense for Policy David J responsibility for making the process of removing sanctions against Turkey.
including development of
new concepts to meet both
nations’ future requirements.
The MoU does not
include any longer-term
commitments between the
countries, both of which
are permitted to continue
work on other studies
and with other partners.
Hultqvist stressed the
opportunities to incorporate
advanced technologies
onto the existing Gripen and
Typhoon, before employing
them in a future combat
air system. In a statement,
the UK Ministry of Defence
noted that both countries
share similar future combat Above: The second and third Gripen E prototypes, aircraft 39-9 and 39-10. The Swedish
air requirements, including company sees the MoU as “a starting point for exploring joint development of a future combat
the need for platforms air system which will also read across into the continued long-term development of existing
optimised for air defence. platforms including Gripen”. Linus Svensson/Saab
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 9:33:25 AM

Second UK-based Lightning squadron arrives First
THE NEXT six Royal Air
Force F-35B fighters flew
in to their home base at
RAF Marham, Norfolk
on July 16, allowing for
the establishment of No
207 Squadron, the type
Operational Conversion Unit
(OCU), which will begin pilot
F-35B ZM151, piloted by Wg Cdr Scott Williams, the commanding officer of No 207 Squadron, touches down for the first time
at RAF Marham. Crown Copyright
RAF Tucano fleet
winding down
AFTER OVER 30 years of
service, the RAF’s Tucano
T1 fleet is preparing for
retirement and replacement
by the T-6C Texan T1, which
will continue the role of
training future fast jet pilots.
The out-of-service date for
the Tucano is October 31,
when the final aircraft with
1 Flying Training School/No
72 Squadron will be officially
retired at RAF Linton-on-
Ouse, North Yorkshire. The
base will close next year,
as training on the new
Texans will now take place
at RAF Valley, Wales.
Only around 28 examples
remained operational at
Linton-on-Ouse by the
www.airforcesmonthly.com
06-07 HeadlineNews AFM Sep2019.indd 7
training in September. The
six jets completed a ten-
hour transatlantic flight from
Marine Corps Air Station
Beaufort, South Carolina.
A total of 18 are now in
UK hands, 15 of which
are at Marham – the
remaining three being with
beginning of July. Over
the last six months or so,
a further 22 have been
withdrawn from use and
are now stored at the
base awaiting disposal.
Additionally, 26 are in
storage at RAF Shawbury,
Shropshire, from where
aircraft have been rotated
regularly with the active fleet
to even out the number of
flying hours on each airframe.
Two others, previously flown
by QinetiQ, are stored at
MOD Boscombe Down,
Wiltshire, following their
retirement last December.
A total of 130 examples
were originally purchased
by the RAF and built under
No 17 Test and Evaluation
Squadron at Edwards Air
Force Base, California.
The latest arrivals in the UK
comprised serials ZM137,
ZM139, ZM149, ZM150,
ZM151 and ZM152.
Engineers have already been
trained at RAF Marham’s
Maiden flight for Korea’s
Light Armed Helicopter
THE KOREA Aerospace
Industries (KAI) Light Armed
Helicopter (LAH) has taken
to the air for the first time
at the company’s Sacheon
facility, according to a
July 4 statement from the
manufacturer. Two pilots
conducted a 20-minute
test flight. Derived from the
Airbus Helicopters H155, the
LAH is being developed for
licence by Short Brothers in
Belfast, Northern Ireland. The
type first entered RAF
service in 1988 and
since then just
three have been
lost in accidents.
Disposals began
over a decade ago
and at least 44 have been
sold to private owners on
the warbird market, the
majority of these having
ended up in the US.
Although one is preserved
as a gate guard at Linton-
on-Ouse, its future must
be in doubt when the
base closes, as the MOD
plans to sell off the site
completely. Dave Allport
Subscribe to www.airforcesmonthly.com for breaking news
stories. Email the news team at edafm@keypublishing.com
Integrated Training Centre,
part of a £550m investment
in the station which has
also led to the resurfacing
of runways and the addition
of new landing pads to
allow vertical landings. See
p94-97 for more on No 207
Squadron’s return to the UK.
the Republic of Korea Army
(ROKA). The service has a
requirement for 214 LAHs as
it aims to replace the existing
AH-1F and MD500 fleets
from 2022. Development
of the LAH began in June
2015 and the prototype was
unveiled last December.
Ground tests began in
January followed by a flight
readiness review in June.
Although the
RAF had not
flown the Tucano
as a display aircraft since
2014, the Tucano Display
Team has been re-formed
to mark its final year of
operations. Here, Flt Lt Liam
Matthews, a No 72 Squadron
instructor, puts ZF264 ‘264’
through its paces at the Royal
International Air Tattoo, RAF
Fairford, Gloucestershire, in
July. Rich Cooper
Typhoons
for No 12
Squadron
SEVERAL TYPHOONS
have been noted operating
with No 12 (Bomber)
Squadron at RAF
Coningsby, Lincolnshire,
following the unit’s official
re-formation. In late June,
ZK436 was allocated to
the unit, but it had been
transferred to No 29
Squadron by early July.
At the beginning of that
month, two former No
29 Squadron aircraft,
ZJ920 and ZK327, were
being flown by No 12(B)
Squadron at Coningsby.
None of the aircraft carried
squadron markings.
On December 14,
2017, the Ministry of
Defence announced
plans to re-form No 12(B)
Squadron, which would
temporarily integrate
Qatar Emiri Air Force
(QEAF) pilots and ground
crew to provide training
and support as part
of the QEAF purchase
of 24 Typhoons. On
July 24, 2018, the unit
officially re-formed during
a ceremony at Horse
Guards, London, as a
joint RAF/Qatari unit. The
squadron had previously
flown the Tornado GR4
from RAF Marham,
Norfolk, but disbanded
on February 14, 2018,
as part of the drawdown
of the RAF Tornado
fleet. Dave Allport
#378 September 2019 // 7
8/5/2019 9:33:30 AM
 NEWS
First flight for RAF’s Poseidon MRA1
The first P-8A Poseidon MRA1 for the RAF takes off for its maiden flight wearing temporary test registration N456DS. Construction of the aircraft began in
February with the laying of the keel beam at Spirit Aerosystems in Wichita, Kansas, before assembly was completed by Boeing in Seattle. Boeing
BOEING COMPLETED the
maiden flight of the first of
nine RAF P-8A Poseidon
MRA1s at its Renton,
Washington, facility on July
12. The initial aircraft, ZP801,
named Pride of Moray,
performed a 90-minute
test sortie in the hands of
Boeing test pilots and in the
presence of UK Ministry of
Defence (MOD) and RAF
personnel, plus Boeing
Wildcat gains hardpoints
Wildcat HMA2 ZZ513 under
test from the Leonardo
Helicopters facility in Yeovil,
Somerset, on July 15. The
rotorcraft is fitted with new
stub wings incorporating
8 // September 2019 #378
08-09 UKNews AFM Sep2019.indd 8
United Kingdom
P-8 programme leaders.
Since then the
manufacturer has begun
integrating mission systems
at its Installation and
Checkout facility in Tukwila,
Washington. Further testing
will take place here before
delivery to Naval Air Station
Jacksonville, Florida,
scheduled for October. Once
at ‘Jax’, ZP801 will undergo
additional preparation
pylons for the carriage of
the forthcoming Martlet
and Sea Venom missiles.
Trials work with the new
hardpoints began on July
2. Initially, the Wildcat has
and UK personnel will
continue training before
the aircraft flies home to
the UK early next year.
Air Commodore Richard
Barrow, the senior
responsible owner for the
UK’s P-8A programme, said:
“This is a great milestone
in the UK P-8A Poseidon’s
journey to the UK, as we are
one step closer to its arrival
in Scotland. The platform
been flown in a ‘clean’
configuration, but it will later
add dummy weapons before
eventually progressing to
live-firing campaigns.
Each stub wing can
will enhance the UK’s
maritime patrol capability
with advanced, state-of-
the-art technology.”
The first cadre of RAF
engineers and aircrew have
now been trained on the
Poseidon, which will be
based at RAF Lossiemouth
from autumn 2020. However,
due to scheduled runway
works, the P-8As will
temporarily operate from
Chris Gilligan
accommodate either ten
Martlet or two Sea Venom
missiles. Eventually, all 28
Royal Navy Wildcats will be
retrofitted with the pylons
under a £90m contract.
nearby RAF Kinloss. Initial
operating capability is
also expected next year.
Two RAF P-8A units will be
formed: No 120 Squadron
(established in April 2018)
and No 201 Squadron, to
be stood up in due course.
All nine aircraft
will be delivered by
November 2021 with full
operational capability
scheduled for 2024.
Reaper to
retire by
2024
THE UK Ministry of
Defence has outlined plans
to withdraw the RAF’s
MQ-9 Reaper unmanned
aerial vehicle by 2024, in
line with planned delivery
of the first of 16 Protector
RG1s “in the early 2020s”.
Until then, the Reaper
Force will undergo a
phased drawdown,
including termination of the
UK’s use of ground control
station (GCS) infrastructure
at Creech Air Force Base,
Nevada. The UK has
ordered seven new GCSs
to support operations for
the forthcoming Protector
fleet from RAF Waddington
in Lincolnshire.
Civil Aviation Authority
permission to conduct
Protector training
flights from Waddington
is expected in the
first half of 2024.
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 10:43:31 AM

ANALYSIS
Above: An artist’s impression of the Reaction Engines Sabre air-breathing hypersonic engine. The RAF is now looking at how to
incorporate this technology in existing supersonic engines as well as in potential future platforms under consideration by Team
Tempest. Reaction Engines
THE RAF Air and Space
Power Conference held in
London in July saw senior
officials outline an ambitious
series of programmes for the
service. During the event,
the then Defence Secretary
Penny Mordaunt provided
details of the Ministry of
Defence’s (MOD’s) space
programme, including £30m
to fast-track the launch of a
small satellite demonstrator,
under Team Artemis, which
involves US and UK defence
personnel. Other space-
related initiatives include
the UK joining Operation
Olympic Defender – a
US-led international space
defence coalition – and
seconding an RAF test
pilot to Virgin Orbit’s ‘small
satellite’ programme.
Reflecting the shift
towards the space domain,
the existing Joint Forces
Command – which
co-ordinates activity across
the British Armed Forces
– will be transformed
into Strategic Command,
responsible for air, land, sea,
cyber and space activities.
The new command will
be tailored to counter
so-called “grey zone”
threats, operating between
the different domains. As a
priority, the new body will
oversee the armed forces’
digital information network.
Under Team Artemis, a
demonstrator is planned
to be launched within a
year. A small, low-orbiting
www.airforcesmonthly.com
08-09 UKNews AFM Sep2019.indd 9
RAF looks to a future of space
and hypersonics
satellite, it is intended to be
cost-effective and quickly
replaceable. Eventually it
may be able to transmit
high-resolution video
to the cockpits of RAF
fighters in real time.
As the first international
partner in Olympic Defender,
the UK aims to “strengthen
deterrence against hostile
actors in space and reduce
the spread of debris in orbit”.
Specific threats highlighted
by the MOD include China’s
hit-to-kill interceptor missiles
and Russian anti-satellite
missile systems. The UK
will add eight personnel
to the Olympic Defender
coalition over the next 18
months at the Combined
Space Operations Center
(CSpOC) in California.
The RAF’s involvement in
the Virgin Orbit programme
will provide access to a
research effort in which
small satellites are launched
into space from under the
wing of a Boeing 747. A
first drop test of a rocket
was recently conducted
at 35,000ft (10,668m) to
evaluate the separation of
the rocket and aircraft.
AVM Simon Rochelle, chief
of staff capability, revealed
details of the RAF’s plans
for hypersonic technologies,
Future RAF squadrons announced
No 8 Squadron E-7 Wedgetail AEW&C
No 23 Squadron space command and control
No 216 Squadron experimental UAV ‘swarming’ technology
announcing a feasibility
study to examine developing
an indigenous hypersonic
weapon within four years, as
well as a £10m investment
in hypersonic propulsion
test work with the UK-based
Reaction Engines. The
RAF’s Rapid Capabilities
Office (RCO) is eyeing an
“affordable” Mach-5-capable
air-launched weapon that
could be fielded by 2023.
The two-year development
and test programme with
Reaction Engines will look
at how technology from the
firm’s Sabre air-breathing
hypersonic engine could be
adapted for military use.
Meanwhile, the Defence,
Science and Technology
Lab (Dstl) is also seeking
to improve the surveillance
capability of UK satellites
and identify potentially
hostile actors in space, with
a £2m competition to fast-
track new technologies.
The Dstl has also invested
over £1.5m in space
facilities at Portsdown
West, Hampshire, with the
installation of a new satellite
ground control station
to support future MOD
space research activities.
Conventional air power
is also set to receive
a boost after the RCO
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stories. Email the news team at edafm@keypublishing.com
announced the award of
three contracts to develop
the Mosquito technology
demonstrator, which will
explore the addition of
unmanned capabilities
onto fast jets – including
the future Tempest fighter.
The contracts fall under
the Lightweight Affordable
Novel Combat Aircraft
(LANCA) programme and
have gone to three teams
led by Blue Bear Systems
Research, Boeing Defence
UK, and Callen-Lenz (Team
BLACKDAWN partnered
with Bombardier Belfast and
Northrop Grumman UK).
The RAF plans for LANCA
to be deployed alongside
manned fighter jets such
as the F-35 and Typhoon
and believes it “could even
provide an unmanned
combat air ‘fleet’ in the
future”. After the 12-month
Phase 1, Phase 2 will select
up to two of the Phase 1
solutions to further mature
the designs and complete
manufacturing of the
technology demonstrator,
including a limited flight-
test programme.
In other Team Tempest
news, the RAF has awarded
a contract to Leonardo
to provide a large-body
test aircraft as part of the
initiative. The demonstrator,
based on a modified Boeing
757, will be used to conduct
airborne testing of sensors
and system integration
from the early 2020s.
In Brief
Chinooks to
remain in Mali
The RAF is extending its
Chinook HC5 deployment
in Mali for at least another
six months. Three of
the helicopters and
almost 100 personnel
are currently stationed
with the French counter-
terrorism mission in the
north of the country, where
they have been operating
since July last year.
Marshall prepares
for Wedgetail work
Marshall Aerospace
and Defence Group
has signed a contract
with Boeing to begin
preparatory work for the
E-7 AEW&C programme.
The risk-reduction
contract is the first
stage in the company’s
modification work that
will begin in 2021 and
provide the RAF with
five Wedgetail aircraft.
Aeralis and Thales
sign Tempest
training MOU
UK start-up Aeralis and
Thales have agreed
to develop a bespoke
training system for the
RAF’s Tempest future
fighter. The memorandum
of understanding
(MOU) between the
two companies will see
them develop concepts
for a ground-based
training and simulation
system to complement
the new warplane.
#378 September 2019 // 9
8/5/2019 10:43:34 AM
 NEWS
Bulgarian
parliament
clears
F-16V buy
The BVVS ‘Fulcrum’ fleet is made up of 12 single-seat
MiG-29As and three MiG-29UB trainers, all based at Graf
Ignatievo. ‘White 15’ and ‘White 33’ are seen performing
at the base on June 29, in an event marking the type’s
30th anniversary in Bulgarian service. Sam Wise
BULGARIA’S PLAN to
acquire eight F-16V Block
70 fighters is back on track
after the parliament in Sofia
overturned a presidential
veto of the US$1.26bn deal.
On July 23, President
Rumen Radev blocked the
purchase, citing a lack of
consensus over the deal
which he said had been
rushed through parliament.
LanceRs at Nörvenich
THE MiG-21 returned to
Germany after an absence
of more than ten years
when a pair of Forțele
Aeriene Române (FAR,
Romanian Air Force) MiG-
21MF-75 LanceR C fighters
stopped at the Luftwaffe
base at Nörvenich –
home of the Eurofighter-
equipped Taktisches
Luftwaffengeschwader
MiG-21MF-75 LanceR C serials 6807 and 6824 during their stop at Nörvenich on July 22 on
their way back to Romania. Holger Müller
10 // September 2019 #378
10-13 EuropeNews AFM Sep2019.indd 10
Continental Europe
A day later, however, a
parliamentary defence
committee vetoed Radev’s
move and the procurement
law was submitted again
to the national assembly,
which passed it on July
26. The president then
signed the bill into law.
There has been debate
in Bulgaria around a
25% cut in cost of the
31 ‘Boelcke’ – on July
18 and 22. The jets from
Escadrila 861 based
at Mihail Kogălniceanu
were participating in
the Royal International
Air Tattoo at RAF
Fairford, Gloucestershire.
Accompanied by a C-27J
from Baza 90 Transport
Aerian at Bucharest-Otopeni,
the LanceRs made stops
programme, compared
with the US$1.67bn
package approved by the
US State Department.
Critics have suggested
that the revised deal is
inadequate in terms of the
support package, including
equipment and training.
The new-build Fighting
Falcons – six single-seaters
and a pair of two-seaters
at Pardubice in the Czech
Republic and Nörvenich
on their way to Fairford
and back to Romania.
The type’s previous visit to
Germany was in June and
July 2008, when a single
aircraft made a stopover
at Erfurt Airport on its way
to and from participation
in the Bastille Day parade
over Paris. Holger Müller
– are scheduled to replace
the current Bulgarski
Voennovazdushni Sili (BVVS,
Bulgarian Air Force) MiG-29
fleet, and deliveries are due
to be completed in 2023.
Deputy Defence Minister
Atanas Zapryanov has said
that the country also plans
to buy an additional batch of
eight F-16s under a follow-on
deal, paid for in instalments.
Polish Air Force 4th Air
Training Wing changes
SIŁY POWIETRZNE (Polish
Air Force) Mi-2PSz serial
3607 of the 4. Skrzydło
Lotnictwa Szkolnego (SLSz,
air training wing) taxies
after landing at Dęblin on
May 8, weeks before the
unit’s Mi-2s and SW-4s
relocated to Radom.
Radom was closed to
fixed-wing traffic from June
15 for a two-year period of
expansion that will allow the
civilian airport to handle up
to three million passengers
annually. As a result, it was
decided to move Radom’s
M28TDs and PZL-130 TC-IIs
– operated by the 42. BLSz –
Second
Phénix for
French Air
Force
THE ARMÉE de l’Air
(French Air Force) has
taken delivery of its second
A330 Phénix Multi-Role
Tanker Transport (MRTT),
which arrived at Base
Aérienne 125 Istres-Le
Tubé on July 2, three
months ahead of schedule.
The air arm’s latest MRTT,
serial 042 (c/n 1808,
EC-338), was accepted by
the Direction générale de
l’armement (DGA, General
Directorate of Armament).
It is the first to be equipped
with a medical evacuation
capability, as the air arm
moves towards declaring
full operational capability
planned for the end of
October. The medevac
kit allows transport of a
dozen seriously injured
patients, or 40 slightly
injured patients.
The operating unit is
the 31e Escadre Aérienne
de Ravitaillement et de
Transport Stratégiques
(31st Air Refuelling and
Strategic Transport
Wing), established at
Istres in August 2014.
Marco Muntz
to nearby Dęblin. The M28s
moved to Dęblin in early June
while the PZL-130s arrived
there after the Orlik aerobatic
team had performed at the
Turku Airshow in Finland in
mid-June. In turn, Dęblin’s
rotorcraft relocated to
Radom in the second week
of June for the duration of
the runway closure. It’s not
been decided if these moves
will become permanent and
there remains a possibility
that helicopter training will
be transferred to Nowe
Miasto in the near future and
Radom closed as an active
military base. Marco Muntz
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 3:11:50 PM

Multinational MRTT Unit formally established
A CEREMONY was held
at Eindhoven Air Base in
the Netherlands on July
10 to mark the formal
establishment of the
Multinational Multi-Role
Tanker Transport Unit (MMU).
The first MMU commander
is Colonel Jurgen van der
Biezen and Eindhoven
will be the future main
operating base for the fleet.
The MMU is now
responsible for preparations
for the arrival of the first
MRTT aircraft next May 1.
The Multinational MRTT
Force (MMF) encompasses
eight A330 MRTT aircraft,
which will belong to NATO.
Five will be stationed at
Above: The third A330-243 for the MMU, EC-331 (c/n 1919), at Getafe, Spain, on July 25, shortly after its ferry flight from
Toulouse, France, for conversion to MRTT configuration. José Ramón Valero
Luftwaffe A400M
expands tanker
capabilities
A Luftwaffe A400M refuelled a pair of French Air Force Rafales for the first time on July 17. The French jets are also operating
from Azraq, under Opération Chammal. French MoD
THE LUFTWAFFE has
begun using its A400M in
the aerial refuelling role in
the Middle East. As part of
Germany’s Operation Counter
Daesh, an aircraft from
Flottille 35F
celebrates 40th
anniversary
MARINE NATIONALE
(French Navy) Flottille 35F
SA365F1 Dauphin 318
prepares to take off from the
aircraft carrier Charles de
Gaulle (R 91). The helicopter
wears a newly applied
special colour scheme to
celebrate the unit’s 40th
www.airforcesmonthly.com
10-13 EuropeNews AFM Sep2019.indd 11
Eindhoven and the other
three in Cologne, Germany.
The programme is still open
to interested partners, with
the contract holding the
potential for three additional
aircraft. The current delivery
schedule anticipates the
second aircraft arriving at
Eindhoven in June 2020,
while the third and fourth
will go to Cologne in
November 2020 and March
2021, followed by the fifth
to Eindhoven in September
2021. The sixth will arrive
in Cologne in April 2022,
with the seventh and eighth
both going to Eindhoven
in September 2022 and
October 2024, respectively.
Lufttransportgeschwader
62 (LTG 62, Air Transport
Wing 62) has been refuelling
coalition aircraft from its
deployment base at Azraq,
Jordan. A400M 54+10 and a
anniversary. The markings
include silhouettes of the
various types operated
by the unit over the years,
including the Alouette III,
Lynx, Super Frelon and
the current Dauphin.
Right: French Marine/Audrey
Agostinelli via Dave Allport
The MMF programme was
initiated with an agreement
between Luxembourg and
the Netherlands in November
2014, including planned
acquisition of the first two
aircraft. Germany and
Norway joined in June 2017,
resulting in five more aircraft
being added. Belgium
signed up on February
14 last year, boosting the
fleet to eight aircraft.
The first aircraft, A330-
243 F-WWKR (c/n 1830)
flew as a ‘green’ airframe
from Toulouse, France, on
November 15, 2017, and was
then ferried to Getafe, Spain,
as EC-340 on February
21, 2018 for conversion
contingent of 21 personnel
have joined a Luftwaffe A310
serving in the same role at
the base. Work to certify the
Luftwaffe A400M for tanker
operations began in August
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stories. Email the news team at edafm@keypublishing.com
to MRTT standard. After
conversion was completed, it
flew to Manchester, marked
as MRTT054/M1, on July
16, to be painted in NATO
colours before returning
to Spain. It will take up
Royal Netherlands Air Force
(RNLAF) serial M-001 when
it enters service. The second
aircraft, F-WWCC (c/n 1911,
to be M-002) flew from
Toulouse on January 21. It is
also now under conversion
in Spain. The third, F-WWCS
(c/n 1919, to be M-003)
first flew at Toulouse
on June 26, following
which it was delivered to
Getafe for conversion on
July 25. Dave Allport
last year. In this configuration,
the aircraft can refuel two
aircraft simultaneously and
deliver around 40 tonnes
of kerosene, refuelling up
to ten aircraft in an hour.
In Brief
New trainers for
Spanish Air Force
Spain’s Council of
Ministers has approved a
plan for a new integrated
training system for the air
force, valued at around
€225m between 2020
and 2022. Among others,
this calls for 24 new
basic trainers to enter
service before 2021,
when the current C-101
is due to be retired.
‘Romeos’ approved
for Greece
The US State Department
has approved a proposed
Foreign Military Sale to
Greece of up to seven
MH-60R multi-mission
maritime helicopters.
Total cost of the package
is around US$600m,
including mission
avionics and weapons.
French Navy Lynx
retirement advanced
The French Navy has
revealed its intention to
retire its Lynx Mk4(FN)
helicopters two years
early, in 2020, due to
rising support costs.
A total of eight Lynx
Mk4(FN) aircraft remain
in service with Flottille
34F at Lanvéoc-Poulmic.
More F-35As for
the Netherlands
Dutch defence minister
Ank Bijleveld has outlined
plans to buy another
eight or nine F-35As for
the Royal Netherlands
Air Force, which will be
added to the fleet of
37 Lightning IIs it has
already committed to.
Flottille 36F to
become UAV operator
The French Navy’s
Flottille 36F, based at
Hyères, will become the
service’s first shipborne
unmanned aerial vehicle
(UAV) squadron. The
unit will operate the
S-100 Camcopter from
the navy’s Mistral-class
amphibious assault ships.
#378 September 2019 // 11
8/5/2019 3:11:57 PM
 NEWS
RNLAF 40th anniversary F-16
THE KONINKLIJKE
Luchtmacht (Royal
Netherlands Air Force,
RNLAF) celebrates 40 years
of service for the F-16 this
year. To mark the occasion,
F-16AM J-642 assigned to
312/313 Squadron based
at Volkel Air Base received
Dutch F-35A returns to the US
KONINKLIJKE
LUCHTMACHT (Royal
Netherlands Air Force,
RNLAF) F-35A F-001
departed Volkel Air Base on
its return to the US on July
17, crossing via Bangor to
Edwards Air Force Base,
California. The Lightning II
French ISR King
Air in service
THE ARMÉE de l’Air’s
(French Air Force’s) recently
acquired Beechcraft 350ER
King Air arrives at Gran
Canaria Airport in the
Canary Islands on July 8.
The aircraft, equipped for
intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance (ISR)
work, entered service in
June. Built in 2006, the
second-hand King Air
wears air force roundels
but retains the civil
registration F-GYEE. The
12 // September 2019 #378
10-13 EuropeNews AFM Sep2019.indd 12
Continental Europe
these special tail markings.
A first RNLAF F-16 arrived
at Leeuwarden Air Base
in 1979. In all, the service
purchased 213 F-16s
(177 single-seat F-16As
and 36 dual-seat F-16Bs)
to replace its F-104G
Starfighters and later also
was one of a pair that arrived
in the Netherlands ahead of
the RNLAF Open Days in
June. One of the fighters left
a week after the event, but
departure of the second was
delayed for several weeks
by technical problems.
Before F-001 could
turboprop was previously
registered C-GAEO before
being re-registered as
N9104 in 2011 and was
supplied to the Armée de
l’Air by CAE Aviation. Its
operating unit is Escadron
Électronique Aéroporté
(EEA) 54 ‘Dunkerque’.
Stationed at Base Aérienne
105 Évreux-Fauville, the
unit operates the air
force’s specialist electronic
warfare fleet, including
the C-160G Gabriel.
the NF-5A/B Freedom
Fighter. The first aircraft to
enter service was F-16B
J-259 which is now used
as a ground instructional
airframe at Woensdrecht
Air Base. A total of 139
F-16s (114 F-16As and 25
F-16Bs) received the Midlife
leave, a spare part had to
be obtained from the US
and another Dutch F-35
pilot flown to Europe. The
RNLAF then had to wait for
a KDC-10 tanker to become
available for the return leg.
Back at Edwards AFB,
F-001 will continue to
Joris van Boven and Alex van Noye
Update (MLU) from 1998.
By January 1, 2016 the
F-16 inventory had been cut
back to 68, including seven
operational reserve aircraft.
Numbers will continue
to be reduced as F-35As
begin to be delivered to
the Netherlands later this
contribute to the operational
test and evaluation
programme, alongside
F-002. It’s likely that
both these test jets will
remain in the US for the
duration of their operational
careers. Joris van Boven
and Alex van Noye
Stefaan Eerebout
year. However, the F-16 will
remain the primary RNLAF
fighter until the F-35A
achieves initial operational
capability, expected by
the end of 2021. The final
RNLAF F-16s are scheduled
to be withdrawn at the end
of 2023. Manolito Jaarsma
Final
CH-47Fs
for Turkey
THE AVIATION command
of the Türk Kara
Kuvvetleri (Turkish Land
Forces) has received
the last four CH-47F
helicopters on order.
The service took delivery
of the final Chinooks
from a total order of
11 at the western port
of Izmir on July 31.
A letter of offer and
acceptance for six
CH-47Fs was reportedly
signed in July 2010. In
January 2015, Turkey’s
Undersecretariat for
Defence Industries
(SSM) approved plans to
purchase an additional
five CH-47Fs which
were contracted in
September that year.
Alejandro Hernández León
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 3:12:02 PM
 Subscribe to www.airforcesmonthly.com for breaking news
stories. Email the news team at edafm@keypublishing.com

First H145M
arrives in Serbia
THE FIRST of five
H145Ms ordered for the
Ratno vazduhoplovstvo
i protivvazduhoplovna
odbrana (RV i PVO, Serbian
Air Force and Air Defence)
has arrived in the country.
Serial 14501 (c/n 20231),
was flown to Serbia from
Germany on June 12, still
wearing the temporary
German registration D-HADD.
Currently based at
Batajnica, the RV i PVO
H145M fleet will eventually
move to Niš, where they
will serve with the 119. mhe
(mešovita helikopterska
eskadrila, mixed helicopter
squadron). Two will be
equipped for utility duties
while three will be armed
with seven-barrel launchers
for 80mm (3.15in) rockets The first H145M for
and pods for 12.7mm the RV i PVO was
M87 machine guns. officially unveiled
Serbia acquired nine at the Partner 2019
H145Ms, and the remaining defence exhibition in
four will be assigned to Belgrade on June 25.
the ministry of interior. Aleksandar Radić

Special marks for

338 Mira Phantom
THE ELLINIKI Polemiki
Aeroporia (Hellenic Air
Force, HAF) sent two F-4Es
to Volkel Air Show in the
Netherlands in June. One
of the jets, serial 01507,
belonging to the Andravida-
based 338 Mira ‘Ares’ – the
final HAF Phantom operator
Edwin Schimmel – received special colours on
its tail and both wing tanks.
Ares, the Greek god of war,
is painted on one side of
the tail, with the Phantom
‘spook’ and ‘338 Goes
Pholkel’ titles on the reverse.
Both Phantoms landed on
June 13 and departed on
the 17th, making a fuel stop
at Aviano Air Base, Italy.

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www.airforcesmonthly.com #378 September 2019 // 13

10-13 EuropeNews AFM Sep2019.indd 13 8/5/2019 3:12:05 PM

 Exercise
Report Dark Blade 2019

Blades
in the night
Hungarian helicopter pair: cannon-
armed Mi-24P serial 336 leads Mi-
17 serial 705. The ‘Hind’ – a former
East German example – had been
withdrawn from service and placed
in storage by 2011-12 but was one
of eight of the assault helicopters to
undergo modernisation in Russia.

Dark Blade 2019

was the 13th Blade
exercise organised
by the European
Defence Agency (EDA)
and the first in the
Czech Republic. Kees
Otten and Wim Das
witnessed the action.
T
he Czech Republic’s
first experience of
hosting a Blade exercise
coincided with the decision to
expand the range of elements
and composite actions. Colonel
Miroslav Svoboda was exercise
director and is base commander
of Náměšť nad Oslavou’s 22.
základna vrtulníkového letectva
(22nd Helicopter Base), part of
the Vzdušné síly Armády
České republiky (VzS
AČR,
AČ Air Component
of the Army of the
Czech Republic).
He told AFM:
“As a member
of the EDA, we
were committed to
the HEP [Helicopter Exercise
Programme] exercises for many
years and applied to host in 2019.”
While Náměšť nad Oslavou has
staged the Ample Strike series
of close air support exercises,
for Dark Blade 2019 (DB19) the
focus shifted to a variety of
different airmobile operations
including air transport, air
assault, air interdiction, convoy
escort, marshalling, personal
recovery, pick-up and drop-
off procedures, special patrol
insertion/extraction, airdropping
paratroopers and scuba divers,
night operations and live firing.
Composite air operations
(COMAO) were central to the
manoeuvres, so different air forces
with dissimilar assets learnt to
work with each other. The exact
mix of helicopters depended on
the scenario. Land forces also
took part in their own training that
ran concurrently. According to
Svoboda: “We don’t know them
all, but we know they are there
and might show up.” In the Czech
Republic, military helicopters
often train with airborne units
but there are limited options to
work with regular army units.
DB19 provided an excellent
opportunity for Czech soldiers to
team up with foreign helicopters,
as well as exchange Joint
Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC)
expertise with their counterparts
from Belgium and Hungary.

Night-time missions were a key part of the latest Blade

exercise. Czech Mi-171Sh serial 9926 awaits its next sortie,
the flight deck illuminated by NVG-compatible lighting.
All photos Jan Hlaváč/Czech MoD unless stated

14 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

14-16 Blades AFM Sep2019.indd 14 05/08/2019 15:29:27

 Co-ordinating missions between
air and land elements took a lot
of time in the planning phase.
For flying units, as much as
four hours of planning could
be required for one hour in the
air. In total, some 290 sorties
were performed, amounting
to around 500 flight hours.
COMAO concepts
Originating as an exercise to
bring an international helicopter
force together under HEP
working guidelines, the Blade
exercises now increasingly
involve multiple aims, with some
of the more ‘exotic’ tasks this
year including deploying military
dogs on a line from a helicopter.
www.airforcesmonthly.com
14-16 Blades AFM Sep2019.indd 15
Each day, a different type of
COMAO was practised, mostly
in the afternoon, while specific
adjustments were trained in the
morning’s ‘shadow’ operations. A
common concept was a four-ship
of transport helicopters escorted
by two to four attack rotorcraft,
but the total package sometimes
exceeded 12 helicopters.
Larger formations were typically
divided into three or four smaller
groups and elements could find
themselves re-tasked during flight.
Three Luftwaffe CH-53s from
Hubschraubergeschwader 64
(HSG 64, Helicopter Wing 64)
at Laupheim offered the biggest
payload potential, with the ability to
put a full platoon onto the ground.
Above: Helicopters assigned armed overwatch duty circled around the transport
rotorcraft when necessary. This Belgian NH90 door gunner is manning a
12.7mm calibre M3M heavy machine gun. Jozef Vanden Broeck/Belgian MoD
Hungarian Hinds
Hungarian detachment commander
Colonel Zoltán Rolkó, deputy
commander of the MH 86.
Szolnok Helikopter Bázis (86th
Helicopter Base), oversaw the
first operational deployment of
the country’s overhauled Mi-24s.
Two Hinds actively participated in
DB19 and one served as a spare.
The newly repainted Mi-24s are
now equipped with integrated GPS,
instrument landing system (ILS)
and night-vision goggles (NVGs)
capabilities. For the first time, the
EDA planned for a COMAO using
NVGs in DB19 – organisers judged
these missions as being three times
more demanding than daylight flying.
Rolkó admitted: “In the first
days the briefing was a little
chaotic, but this soon changed.
Later on, the outcomes became
much better and we moved
from confusion to forming strong
bonds with each other.”
Rolkó confirmed that a new
HEP exercise would be staged in
Hungary in 2022, by which time
the local inventory will include 20
H145M and 12 H225M helicopters.
Evolutionary process
Svoboda noted “the same
professionalism” among established
‘Bladers’ and new participants such
as Poland. For several members
of the Belgian Air Component,
DB19 was the first time they’d
taken their NH90s on exercise,
Above: Fixed-wing participation was
limited to the L-159A ALCA, including
serial 6066, taxiing at Náměšť nad
Oslavou. The jet is flown by the 212.
taktická letka (213th Tactical Squadron)
at Čáslav. Kees Otten and Wim Das
DB19 air assets
Nation Type(s)
Belgium 3 x A109, 3 x NH90
Czech 5 x Mi-24, 6 x Mi-171, 4
Republic x L-159
Germany 3 x CH-53
Hungary 3 x Mi-24, 2 x Mi-17
Slovenia 1 x AS532
Poland 1 x W-3A
#378 September 2019 // 15
8/5/2019 9:35:49 AM
 Exercise
Report

Above: A combat frogman leaps from the open cabin door of Belgian A109BA
H31 and into a reservoir. Kees Otten and Wim Das Below: The sophisticated
flight deck of a Belgian NH90. The helicopter’s fully glass cockpit, which
includes four multifunction displays and standby instruments, is compatible
with NVGs and helmet-mounted display systems. Below right: Czech Mi-24V
serial 7353 makes an interesting contrast with the later-generation Hungarian
‘Hind’. The Czech gunship is operated by the 221. vrtulníková letka (221st
Helicopter Squadron) at Náměšť nad Oslavou. Kees Otten and Wim Das

after converting from the A109.
Debutants are not spared
the most difficult parts but
are teamed with the more
experienced crews. Svoboda
added: “The EDA mentors [from
Austria, Sweden, the Netherlands
and UK] are phenomenal in
bringing people up to the same
standard in the planning and
execution phase.” Mentoring
Most of the missions were
COMAOs, in this case involving
a Hungarian ‘Hip’ and Luftwaffe
CH-53GS 84+25. One of the HSG
64 aircraft involved in DB19 was
adapted for medical evacuation.
is an evolutionary process and
it’s a position that Svoboda
hopes the Czech Republic and
Hungary will attain in future.
Ground attack
One of the main areas of focus
during Dark Blade was live firing
and training areas at Boletice,
Březina, Libavá and Prostějov
provided an excellent environment
for this. After becoming familiar
with the local terrain, Belgian
A109s, for example, began
to be successfully deployed
for convoy escort with door
gunners scanning the convoy
route for hostile elements.
Participating nations took up firing
practice as required and most
assets practised door-gunnery.
In the second week, the tactical
level moved up to air assaults
on well-defended targets. The
targets were now covered by
anti-aircraft artillery or missiles
so, shortly before attacking, a
specially tasked helicopter acted
in a suppression of enemy air
defences (SEAD) role. The threats
were real, ground units practising
the loading of missiles and guns
and locking on to the helicopters.
Another new dimension was
the presence of four of the VzS
AČR’s L-159 jets from Čáslav,
which joined the helicopters on
exercise in a close support role.
More to come
Speaking at the end of DB19
on May 30, the EDA’s project
officer rotary wing, José Pablo
Romera, looked forward to the
establishment of a new European
helicopter school, similar to the
multinational European Tactical
Airlift Centre (ETAC) in Zaragoza.
Romera noted that 18 countries
have already confirmed their
interest in joining the Multinational
Helicopter Training Centre (MHTC)
that will be established by the end
of 2021. Before then, the next
EDA helicopter exercise, Swift
Blade, will be hosted by Belgium
and the Netherlands next year. AFM

16 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

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 NEWS
Final AC-130U Spooky deployment
Above: AC-130U 90-0167 arrives at RAF Mildenhall on July 3, before crossing the Atlantic on its return to Hurlburt Field. Bob Archer
THE LAST scheduled combat
deployment for the USAF’s
AC-130U Spooky gunship
came to an end with the
return of serials 89-1056 and
90-0167 to Hurlburt Field,
Florida, after completing their
mission in the US Central
Command region. The two
aircraft arrived at Hurlburt
on July 8, departing the
Middle East via Ramstein
Air Base in Germany, and
RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk.
The aircraft are flown
by the 4th Special
USAF crew flies HH-60W
A USAF crew has taken to
the air in the service’s new
Combat Rescue Helicopter,
the HH-60W. A flight-
test crew from the 413th
Flight Test Squadron (FLTS)
conducted the sortie from
Sikorsky’s West Palm Beach
facility, Florida, on July
11. The unit has air force
personnel embedded with
the contractor to provide
“early warfighter involvement
and operationally relevant
developmental testing”.
The July 11 test flight
collected data ahead of the
programme moving into the
production and deployment
www.airforcesmonthly.com
17-20 USNews AFM Sep2019.indd 17
North America
Operations Squadron
(SOS) ‘Ghostriders’, which
received its first AC-130U
in May 1995. The squadron
saw action in the Balkans
during Operations Joint
Endeavor and Allied Force
between 1996 and 2001.
For the last two decades,
the unit’s Spooky fleet had
been regularly deployed
to the CENCTOM area of
responsibility, including
combat over Afghanistan
and Iraq. The ‘Ghostriders’
supported Operation
phase. The crew performed
an instrumentation and
telemetry checkout with
the control room, gathered
basic engine start data and
flew referred-gross-weight
level-flight speed sweeps
between 40kts and maximum
horizontal speed. Maj Andrew
Fama was the first USAF pilot
to fly the aircraft and used
the flight to complete his
qualifications on the aircraft.
Six aircraft are involved in
the HH-60W developmental
test programme and the
413th FLTS is scheduled to
begin operations on the type
at Duke Field later this year.
Enduring Freedom from
October 2001, and Iraqi
Freedom from March 2003.
The USAF ordered
13 AC-130Us between
1987 and 1992. Rockwell
performed the conversion
from the basic C-130H
airframe, before deliveries to
Hurlburt Field commenced
by July 1994. Aircraft
initially joined the 16th SOS,
briefly flying alongside the
AC-130H Spectre, before
being reassigned to the
4th SOS exclusively.
Carl Richards
Subscribe to www.airforcesmonthly.com for breaking news
stories. Email the news team at edafm@keypublishing.com
In March 2007 Boeing
was contracted to convert
four additional C-130Hs to
AC-130U standard, these
joining the 105th Airlift
Squadron at Nashville
International Airport, as
part of the Tennessee
Air National Guard.
It’s expected that the
majority of AC-130Us will
either be retained for training
or retired. Its frontline
mission has now been
assumed by the AC-130J
Ghostrider. Bob Archer
First F-35A for Air
National Guard
LOCKHEED MARTIN has
begun testing an initial F-35A
for the Vermont Air National
Guard – the first ANG
operator of the Lightning II
– from its Fort Worth facility
in Texas. Serial 17-5265 was
already wearing ‘VT’ tailcodes
when it made its maiden
flight on July 31. The first
of 20 Joint Strike Fighters
destined for the base is also
marked as the commander’s
jet of the 158th Fighter Wing
Special
operations
Osprey
squadrons
established
at Yokota
TWO NEW USAF special
operations squadrons
(SOS) responsible for
the CV-22B tiltrotor have
been formed at Yokota
Air Base, Japan. The 21st
SOS ‘Dust Devils’ and the
753rd Special Operations
Maintenance Squadron
will be responsible for
five Ospreys and will fly
missions on behalf of
the Special Operations
Command Pacific and
Special Operations
Command Korea. The
tiltrotor aircraft had been
operating from Yokota as a
detachment of the Okinawa-
based 353rd Special
Operations Group since
last October. An activation
ceremony for the two new
units took place on July
1. Ultimately, it’s planned
to station ten Ospreys
at the base supported
by 450 personnel.
(FW), stationed at Burlington
Air National Guard Base,
Burlington. The tail fins carry
the insignia of the Vermont
ANG’s ‘Green Mountain
Boys’, while the badge of the
158th FW’s constituent 134th
Fighter Squadron ‘Yellow
Scorpions’ is applied on the
engine intakes. First deliveries
to the wing are scheduled
for September, with plans
for 18 primary aircraft and
two spares to be fielded.
Lockheed Martin
#378 September 2019 // 17
8/5/2019 4:07:19 PM
 NEWS
Lightning IIs join Rapid Forge
USAF F-35As of the 421st
Expeditionary Fighter
Squadron ‘Black Widows’
– normally based at Hill Air
Force Base, Utah, as part of
the 388th Fighter Wing (FW)
– are continuing to rack up
milestones during their current
deployment to Spangdahlem
Air Base, Germany, as part
of a European Theater
Security Package (TSP).
Four F-35As touched
down at Powidz air base,
Poland, on July 16, to
Above: F-35A 15-5173 ‘HL’ taxies into place at Ämari air base, Estonia, during Operation Rapid Forge on July 25. US Army/Sgt Alexis Washburn-Jasinski
Spangdahlem
‘Vipers’ in Iceland
THE USAF’s 52nd Fighter
Wing (FW) at Spangdahlem
Air Base, Germany, deployed
six F-16Cs for the Iceland
Air Surveillance 19 (IAS19)
mission on July 25.
The jets are temporarily
deployed to Keflavík, where
they will fly air surveillance
over Iceland in order to
maintain the integrity of
NATO airspace. The six
Canadian fighter programme advances
The first of Canada’s former Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18As is now flying in RCAF colours, evidenced by CF-188A serial
188053, seen at Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, Alberta, on May 22. This was formerly A21-53 with the RAAF and arrived at
Cold Lake in February. Gary Cook
18 // September 2019 #378
17-20 USNews AFM Sep2019.indd 18
North America
take part in Operation
Rapid Forge – a forward
deployment readiness
exercise across Eastern
Europe. The manoeuvres
marked the first time F-35As
had landed in Poland,
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia
On July 18, F-35As landed
at Šiauliai air base in
Lithuania, joining F-15Es and
C-130Js that had arrived in
the country two days earlier.
During the manoeuvres,
an MC-130J Commando
F-16Cs – all with ‘SP’
tailcodes – comprised
serials 90-0813, 90-0833,
91-0402, 91-0351,
91-0358 and 92-3918.
Personnel from the 52nd
FW conducted scramble
training to prepare for
possible interceptions in and
around Icelandic airspace
before being certified for
the mission on July 27.
II landed at a remote
airfield where equipment
and fuel lines were set
up and an F-35A was
refuelled and relaunched.
Also on the 18th, two
F-35As from the unit visited
RAF Marham, Norfolk, for
joint training with RAF and
Royal Navy ground crew.
The first visit of the A-model
Lightning II to Marham
included ‘hot pit’ refuelling –
topping up the aircraft’s fuel
tanks with engine running.
F-16C 90-0833 ‘SP’ of the 52nd FW departs Spangdahlem for its ferry flight to Iceland with a
payload of AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles, plus twin baggage pods and a
Sniper pod under the intake. Mick Balter
On July 23, F-35As touched
down at Lielvarde air base,
Latvia, again working with
F-15Es and C-130Js.
Meanwhile, Strike Eagles
and Commando IIs arrived at
Ämari air base in Estonia and
Powidz in Poland for refuelling
and rearming operations. The
F-15Es were provided by the
336th Fighter Squadron/4th
FW, Seymour Johnson Air
Force Base, North Carolina,
also temporarily deployed
to Spangdahlem. The
MC-130Js were from the
352nd Special Operations
Wing at RAF Mildenhall,
Suffolk, while the C-130Js
came from the 86th Airlift
Wing (AW) at Ramstein AB,
Germany, and from the 317th
AW deployed to Ramstein
from Dyess AFB, Texas.
Operation Rapid Forge was
completed on July 25, when
F-35As arrived at Ämari,
together with F-15Es and
MC-130Js, for more rapid
refuelling of the fighters.
CANADA HAS announced
the next step in its future
fighter competition, issuing
the formal request for
proposals (RFP) to eligible
suppliers. The government
has sent RFPs to Airbus
Defence and Space
(Typhoon), Boeing (F/A-
18E/F), Lockheed Martin
(F-35A) and Saab (Gripen
E/F), and the suppliers
have until next spring to
submit initial proposals.
A contract award for 88
new fighters is anticipated
around early 2022, and the
first replacement aircraft is
expected to be delivered
to the Royal Canadian Air
Force (RCAF) in 2025.
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 4:07:25 PM
 Subscribe to www.airforcesmonthly.com for breaking news
stories. Email the news team at edafm@keypublishing.com

Raptors at Talisman Sabre In Brief

USAF F-22As assigned to
the 90th Fighter Squadron
at Joint Base Elmendorf-
Richardson, Alaska, arrive
at Royal Australian Air
Force Base Amberley,
Queensland, for Exercise
Talisman Sabre 19 on July
9. The month-long biennial
exercise – now in its eighth
iteration – involves US and
Australian forces, with
training elements including
amphibious landings, land
force manoeuvre, urban and
maritime operations, plus
special forces activities.
As well as Raptors, other
USAF assets deployed for
Talisman Sabre included
the E-3C from the 962nd
USAF/Staff Sgt Kyle Johnson
Airborne Air Control
Squadron, KC-10A from the
6th Air Refuelling Squadron
and B-52H from the 69th
Expeditionary Bomb
Squadron. The exercise
took place from July 10-24.
B-21 Raider to fly
in December 2021
USAF Vice Chief of Staff
Gen Stephen Wilson
announced that the new
B-21 stealth bomber is
expected to make its
maiden flight in December
2021. The USAF has
said it doesn’t expect
the aircraft to achieve
initial operating capability
before the mid-2020s.
F-35 set to fail 80%
mission-capable target
Supply shortages mean
the F-35 is likely to miss
the Pentagon’s goal of
an 80% mission-capable
rate by the end of the
fiscal year. According to
a report from Secretary

‘Ghost’ F-16 at Red Flag

TAKING PART in Exercise
Red Flag 19-3 at Nellis
Air Force Base, Nevada,
recently was F-16C 84-1220
‘WA/57 ATG’, which now
carries the markings of
the 57th Adversary Tactics
Group commander. The
jet’s new ‘Ghost’ aggressor
scheme replicates the
latest colours worn by the
Russian Su-57 fighter.
The finish was selected
after Brig Gen Robert
Novotny, the 57th Wing
commander, posted a poll
on social media to find
a new look for the 64th
Aggressor Squadron. The
jet was photographed
returning to Nellis on the
Nate Leong
first day of Red Flag 19-3,
carrying an ALQ-188
electronic attack training
pod under the wing rather
than on the centreline. The
exercise took place between
July 15 and August 2.
of the Army Mark Esper,
ahead of his appointment
as defence secretary, the
main issue is a shortage
of canopy transparencies.
More internal
weapons for Lightning II
Modifications to the F-35’s
weapons bay will allow
the fighter to carry a very
long-range anti-radiation
missile and, potentially,
six AIM-120 air-to-air
missiles. The anti-radar
missile is expected
to be the Advanced
Anti-Radiation Guided
Missile-Extended Range
(AARGM-ER). Lockheed
Martin is under contract
to complete the weapons
bay work by July 2022.
Raytheon selected

F-35As en masse
for B-52 radar upgrade
Raytheon has won a
contract to provide a

at Mountain Home new active electronically

Above: F-35A 15-5143 ‘HL’ from Hill AFB refuels in a ‘hot pit’ at Mountain Home on June 20. USAF/Airman First Class Andrew Kobialka
MOUNTAIN HOME Air Force
Base in Idaho hosted the
largest ‘off-station’ F-35A
effort to date when the 34th
Fighter Squadron (FS) ‘Rude
Rams’ from Hill AFB, Utah,
arrived there. The squadron,
part of the 388th Fighter
Wing, began operating out
of Mountain Home on May
30, while Hill’s runway is
under construction. The 34th
FS detachment at the Idaho
base comprises 17 jets and
around 300 personnel.
The squadron will continue
to receive new deliveries
while detached, as it builds
up to a planned fleet of 24
Lightning IIs. Meanwhile,
the other two squadrons
from Hill, the 4th and 421st
FS, are currently deployed
to Al Dhafra Air Base in
the United Arab Emirates
and to Spangdahlem AB
in Germany, respectively.
This summer, the pilots of
the 34th FS will have the
chance to fire more than
25,000 rounds of ammunition
and employ more than 70
precision-guided munitions
during training events flown
from Mountain Home. The
F-35As are also integrating
with F-15Es from the resident
366th FW in both offensive
and defensive air-to-air and
air-to-ground scenarios.
scanned array (AESA)
radar for the USAF’s
B-52H fleet. The
modernisation will
involve a derivative of
the company’s APG-
79/APG-82 radar family
and low-rate initial
production is scheduled
to begin in 2024.
USAF MQ-9s
move to Romania
The USAF’s MQ-9
operations in Europe
temporarily shifted
south after its recently
established detachment
of the unmanned aerial
vehicles moved from
Poland to Câmpia Turzii,
Romania, on July 3.
The 52nd Expeditionary
Operations Group
Detachment 2 was
previously flying from
Mirosławiec air base in
Poland. The Reapers will
remain in Romania until
construction at the Polish
base is completed.

www.airforcesmonthly.com #378 September 2019 // 19

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 NEWS
493rd FS F-15s return from Middle East
Above: F-15C 86-0163 ‘LN’ arrives back home at RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, on July 12 after a six-month deployment to the Middle East. USAF/Senior Airman
Malcolm Mayfield
AIRCRAFT AND airmen
from the USAF’s 48th
Fighter Wing/493rd
Fighter Squadron ‘Grim
Reapers’ and 748th Aircraft
Maintenance Squadron
recently returned from a six-
month deployment to an
undisclosed air base in the
Middle East. The 493rd’s
F-15Cs arrived back at RAF
An MQ-8C chained to the flight deck of the Independence-class LCS USS ‘Coronado’ (LCS 4)
during trials in the Pacific last year. US Navy/Ens Jalen Robinson
Orion soldiers on
with ‘Grey Knights’
US NAVY P-3C 159326
(c/n 5616) ‘RC-326’ departs
Boeing Field, Washington,
on June 19, while performing
a series of touch-and-goes.
This Orion belongs to Patrol
Squadron 46 (VP-46) ‘Grey
Knights’ based at Naval Air
Station Whidbey Island. As
well as being the last-active
duty P-3C squadron in the
US Navy, VP-46 is also the
navy’s oldest active maritime
patrol squadron and the
second oldest in the service.
20 // September 2019 #378
17-20 USNews AFM Sep2019.indd 20
North America
Lakenheath, Suffolk, in two
waves on July 12 and 21.
As the 493rd Expeditionary
Fighter Squadron, the
unit had been deployed
at short notice to support
ongoing combat operations,
replacing USAF F-22s when
the Raptors were brought
home to the US earlier this
year. The F-22s returned
VP-46 completed a final
overseas deployment to the
Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Fleet
areas of responsibility in
April. During the deployment,
VP-46 flew more than 600
sorties. The unit was relieved
by VP-40 ‘Fighting Marlins’,
which left Whidbey in late
March for its final deployment.
The ‘Grey Knights’ are now
in a six-month transition
period by the end of which
the unit will be fully equipped
with the new P-8A.
to the region on June 27,
when they arrived at Al
Udeid Air Base, Qatar – see
Raptors deploy to Qatar for
the first time, August, p18.
The 493rd had deployed
to the unspecified base
in the region on May 8,
having moved within
theatre to better position
the aircraft to defend US
forces and interests – see
Lakenheath F-15Cs deploy
to Southwest Asia, July,
p19. Images released by the
US Department of Defence
showed the unit’s F-15Cs
operating from Al Dhafra
Air Base in the United Arab
Emirates while supporting
Exercise Tri-Lightning,
which was intended to
Initial operational capability
for MQ-8C Fire Scout
THE US Navy declared
initial operational capability
for its MQ-8C Fire Scout
unmanned helicopter on
June 28. The milestone
paves the way for fleet
service and training using the
new sea-based, vertical lift
unmanned system. Intended
to provide reconnaissance,
situational awareness and
precision targeting support
for ground, air and sea
forces, the MQ-8C is a further
development of the MQ-8B,
offering increased payload
and endurance, including an
on-station time of up to 12
hours. The MQ-8C, which
enhance capability and
interoperability among F-35
variants from the USAF,
RAF and Israeli Air Force.
It is unclear whether this
is the base to which the
‘Grim Reapers’ had been
deployed or if they had
merely been temporarily
detached there solely for
this exercise. Dave Allport
is based on the commercial
Bell 407 airframe, has flown
in excess of 1,500 hours
with more than 700 sorties
to date. Northrop Grumman
is under contract to deliver
38 MQ-8C production
aircraft to the US Navy.
The MQ-8C will be
equipped with an upgraded
radar with a larger field
of view and a range of
digital modes including
weather detection, air-to-
air targeting and a ground
moving target indicator
(GMTI). It will deploy on
board Littoral Combat Ships
(LCS) in fiscal year 2021.
Joe G Walker
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 4:07:48 PM
 NEWS
Ukrainian Navy Ka-226
in Exercise Sea Breeze
THE SOLE Ka-226.50 in
Viys’kovo-Mors’ki Syly
(VMS, Ukrainian Navy)
service, ‘41 Yellow’ (c/n
03-02), participated in a
simulated rescue mission
at Mykolaiv-Kul’bakino,
Ukraine, on July 9, during
Exercise Sea Breeze
2019. The helicopter had
only entered service last
December and is operated
by the 10 mors’ka aviatsiyna
brihada (mabr, naval aviation
brigade) at Mykolaiv (see
Ukrainian Navy presents
Ka-226, March, p28).
This helicopter was ordered
by the then Ministry of
The sole Ukrainian Navy Ka-226, ‘41 Yellow’, performs a simulated rescue mission during a
display at Mykolaiv-Kul’bakino. US Navy/Mass Communication Officer 3rd Class Timothy Logan Keown
Il-112V reworked to cut down weight Candid over the Baltic
DURING A visit to
the Voronezh Aircraft
Manufacturing Company on
July 18, the General Director
of Ilyushin, Yuri Grudinin,
provided an update on the
Il-112V light military transport
aircraft programme. The
prototype has not flown
since its initial flight at
Voronezh on March 30 (see
The Il-112V prototype
being reworked in the
factory at Voronezh. UAC
www.airforcesmonthly.com
21-23 News AFM Sep2019.indd 21
Russia & CIS
Emergencies of Ukraine,
under a contract signed in
September 2007, and was
built in 2008. It was formally
accepted in September the
same year at the Kumertau
Aviation Plant in Russia.
In January 2009, it was
initially transferred to Vilnius,
Latvia, but Gelaksis – the
intermediary company from
which it had been purchased
– failed to pay for customs
procedures before going
bankrupt and leaving the
Ka-226 stuck in Latvia.
Around 2013, it was moved
to the Lviv State Aircraft
Repair Plant in Ukraine,
Maiden flight of Il-112V,
June, p21) and is now
back in the final assembly
shop for improvements
as a result of findings
during its initial flight.
The changes include
measures to reduce excess
weight by optimising
systems and removable
structural elements –
where it continued to
languish in storage. Never
delivered to the original
customer, it was eventually
handed over to the Ukrainian
Navy to supplement its
fleet, despite protests
from the State Emergency
Service which felt it had
been illegally seized by the
Ukrainian defence ministry.
It was officially transferred
to the navy’s 10 mabr
on June 8 last year, then
airfreighted to Mykolaiv a
few days later in an Il-76.
The rotorcraft made its first
flight from Mykolaiv last
December 8. Dave Allport
expected to cut around
one ton off the prototype’s
current weight. Speaking to
Russian news agency TASS
on July 2, chief designer
Sergey Lyashenko said
no firm date had been set
to resume flight testing
with the first aircraft, but
modifications could be
completed in time for it to
take to the air again at the
beginning of next year.
Production of the third
and fourth prototypes
has already begun at
Voronezh, using lighter
materials and increased
incorporation of composite
components. This should
cut the weight by up to 2.5
tons. The type is intended
to replace the An-26
and the Russian defence
ministry has indicated it
intends to order an initial
48 Il-112Vs. Dave Allport
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stories. Email the news team at edafm@keypublishing.com
More Su-35s delivered to
Western Military District
Above: New Su-35s ‘02 Red, ‘04 Red’ and ‘09 Red’. Their
delivery was announced by the Russian defence ministry on
July 21. Russian MoD via Dave Allport
THE LATEST three Su-35S
multi-role fighters for the
Vozdushno-Kosmicheskiye
Sily Rossiyskoy Federatsii
(VKS, Russian Aerospace
Forces) have been handed
over to the 790th Fighter
Aviation Regiment (790 IAP)
at Khotilovo, in Russia’s
Tver region. The new
fighters were received
from the manufacturing
plant in Komsomolsk-on-
Amur and flown more than
5,592 miles (9,000km) to
Uzbekistan plans
Su-30SM buy
THE UZBEK government
is planning to purchase
new Su-30SM fighters
from Russia, the state
news agency RIA Novosti
reported on July 8. The
aircraft will apparently be
acquired using a Russian
export credit, according to
the report which added that
a formal request should be
provided “soon”. Russia’s
Federal Service for Military-
Technical Cooperation
(FSVTS) has confirmed
Uzbekistan’s interest in
RUSSIAN AEROSPACE
Forces Il-76MD Candid
RF-78810 was among the
latest Russian military
aircraft intercepted by the
Royal Air Force during its
Baltic Air Policing (BAP)
rotation. It was met by No XI
(Fighter) Squadron Typhoon
FGR4s operating from
Ämari air base in Estonia
on July 28. The military
transport was approaching
their new home, with three
refuelling stops en route.
Khotilovo air base,
which is part of the 6th
Air Force and Air Defence
Army, headquartered in St
Petersburg, began to receive
Su-35S fighters to replace
existing Su-27s last December
and its pilots trained on
the new type at Besovets.
Khotilovo is also home to two
squadrons of upgraded MiG-
31BM interceptors, which it
began to receive in 2014.
the Su-30SM, but the
number of jets involved
has not been announced.
Uzbekistan was first linked
with a potential Su-30SM
acquisition in 2017.
The Uzbek Air Force
previously operated around
30 first-generation Su-27
and six two-seat Su-27UB
fighters, but none are
currently operational.
These Flankers were last
active with the 62nd Fighter
Aviation Regiment (62 IAP)
at Karshi Khanabad in 2015.
Crown Copyright
Estonian airspace from the
south and was identified
and monitored as it flew
close to NATO airspace.
The Typhoons continued
to escort the airlifter as it
transited north, away from
Estonian airspace. This
was the 14th quick reaction
alert (QRA) scramble and
intercept since the RAF took
over the BAP mission from
the Luftwaffe on May 3.
#378 September 2019 // 21
05/08/2019 15:14:06
 NEWS
Latest Saudi Strike Eagles pass through UK
SIX MORE F-15SAs for the
Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF)
arrived at RAF Lakenheath,
Suffolk, on the evening of
July 29, on delivery to the
Middle East. In landing
sequence, the Strike Eagles
comprised serials 12-1078,
12-1077, 12-1076, 12-1052,
12-1051 and 12-1050, using
RSAF F-15SA serial 12-1051 touches down at RAF Lakenheath. Peter R Foster
End of the line for Sde Dov
THE ISRAELI Air Force’s
(IAF’s) first air base, Sde
Dov, near Tel Aviv, was
closed down on July 1 after
71 years of service. The
original runway at the facility
was inaugurated in 1938 and
when the 1948 Arab-Israeli
War broke out, six light
transport aircraft operated
by the Sherut Avir – the IAF’s
paramilitary predecessor
– were evacuated there
from Lod. On their arrival,
the airfield was named
Tel Aviv Airport and a first
Iranian Army inducts
Mohajer-6 armed UAV
Above: Qods Mohajer-6 serial P71A-030 was one of the three
joining the Islamic Republic of Iran Army Aviation inventory
on July 17. It is the largest UAV to enter IRIAA service to date.
IRIAA
THREE INDIGENOUSLY
developed Qods Aviation
Industry Company
Mohajer-6 unmanned
aerial vehicles have been
inducted into the Islamic
Republic of Iran Army
Aviation (IRIAA) inventory.
They were officially handed
over during a ceremony
at Gonabad, in Razavi
Khorasan province,
northeast Iran, on July 17.
The UAVs will be used for
border patrol, along with
counter-terrorist operations.
22 // September 2019 #378
21-23 News AFM Sep2019.indd 22
Middle East
the callsigns ‘Retro 61 to 66’.
In March 2012, Boeing
was awarded an US$11.4bn
Foreign Military Sales
contract to manufacture 84
new-build F-15SAs, plus
associated systems and
munitions. Deliveries got
under way in December 2016
when the first two aircraft
operational unit (the Tel Aviv
Squadron) was established.
All the site’s units and
aircraft have been relocated
to Hatzor Air Base. An
official decommissioning
event was held at Sde
Dov on June 30 and the
following day a ribbon-
cutting ceremony took place
at Hatzor to inaugurate 100
‘Flying Camel’ Squadron’s
new facilities there. The unit
operates Beech A36 Chofit
(Bonanza) and Beech 200
Zufit (King Air) aircraft.
Production of the type
began in February last year,
with an initial ten being
produced for the Islamic
Revolutionary Guards Corps
(IRGC) Ground Forces
and 40 are planned for
IRGC Naval Aviation. One
of those delivered to the
IRIAA carried serial P071A-
030 and as that numbering
system appears to run
consecutively from P71A-
001, this implies that at least
30 have been manufactured
to date. Dave Allport
(accompanied by two F-15S
conversions) were delivered
via Lakenheath. Subsequent
batches of new build aircraft
followed in February 2017
(three), March 2017 (five),
August 2017 (six), September
2017 (six) and December
2017 (six). Last year, four
more transited Lakenheath
Above: Super King Air serial 844 – a B200T Zufit 5 of
100 ‘Flying Camel’ Squadron – during the final day of air
operations at Sde Dov. Anthony Hershko
Additional F-35I Adirs for Israel
THE ISRAELI Air Force
(IAF) has received two
more F-35I Adir fighters,
which arrived at Nevatim
Air Base in the south of
the country on July 14.
The most recent deliveries,
serials 925 (AS-16) and
926 (AS-17), increase the
local inventory to 16 jets,
operated by 140 ‘Golden
F-35I Adir 925 (AS-16) arrives at Nevatim. IAF/Amit Agronov
in March, four in May, five in
July, four in late September
and four in December. Prior
to the latest transfers, the
previous six aircraft were
flown to Nellis Air Force
Base, Nevada, to participate
in Red Flag 19-2 before
being delivered to Saudi
Arabia in March this year.
Eagle’ Squadron. The
latest aircraft made their
respective maiden flights
on April 26 and May 24 and
flew to Israel via a stopover
at Lajes Field in the Azores.
The Israeli government has
approved the purchase of
50 F-35Is and the first two
examples were delivered
to Nevatim in December
In Brief
Second batch of
Rafales arrives in Qatar
Five more Rafales have
been delivered to the Qatar
Emiri Air Force. Touching
down at Tamim Air Base
on July 3 were single-seat
Rafale EQ serials QA217,
QA219 and QA221, plus
two-seat Rafale DQ serials
QA202 and QA203. These
jets join five examples
previously delivered to
Tamim on June 5.
Kuwait ends talks on
possible Hawk purchase
The Kuwaiti government
has terminated talks over
the possibility of ordering
a reported 12 additional
Hawk Advanced Jet
Trainers from BAE Systems
to equip a new Air Training
College. The Kuwait Air
Force currently operates
six Hawk Mk64s, the
survivors of 12 delivered
in the mid-1980s.
Switzerland orders
Pilatus to cease activity
in Saudi Arabia and UAE
Switzerland’s Federal
Department of Foreign
Affairs has determined
that Pilatus must terminate
its activities in Saudi
Arabia and the United
Arab Emirates, since
they are deemed to be a
breach of “foreign policy
objectives”. On June 26
the Swiss company was
given a 90-day deadline to
wind up technical support,
parts management and
repair of PC-21s used
by the two countries.
2016. Three more followed
in April 2017, then came
further pairs in September
and November that year.
In June 2018 three aircraft
were handed over and
two in November.
Aircraft AS-15 hasn’t
been delivered yet and
is thought to have been
earmarked for trials work.
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 12:23:28 PM
 NEWS Latin America Subscribe to www.airforcesmonthly.com for breaking news
stories. Email the news team at edafm@keypublishing.com

Argentina
selects
FA-50?
THE FUERZA Aérea
Argentina (FAA, Argentine
Air Force) has reportedly
chosen the Korea
Aerospace Industries (KAI)
FA-50 as its interim fighter.
An unidentified defence
source told Argentine
media that the two-seat
Fighting Eagle was chosen
after an evaluation in
Korea in September 2016.
The same source said
they expected Buenos
Aires to sign off on the
planned procurement
“in the near future”.
Argentine national media
has reported that the initial
deal covers ten aircraft.
Meanwhile, Leonardo
officials have said they
remain confident that
their rival M-346FA will
win through in Argentina.
The Italian company is
also offering technology
transfer and local
industrial participation.
Guyana gets Skyvans
Above: Newly acquired Guyana Defence Force Air Corps Skyvan 3M-100 8R-GBW at Air
Station London, Timehri, following its delivery. Guyana Department of Public Information
A PAIR of second-hand
Short SC.7 Skyvan 3 Variant
100s has been delivered to
the Guyana Defence Force
(GDF) Air Corps after being
acquired from an operator
in the UK. GDF serials
8R-GBW and 8R-GWJ
arrived at Air Station London
(Cheddi Jagan International
Airport), Georgetown-
Timehri, on June 27.
The Skyvans were
previously registered in the
UK as G-BEOL (c/n SH.1954,
ex JA8803/Japan Maritime
Safety Agency, VH-IBO
and ZS-OIO) and G-PIGY
(c/n SH.1943, ex 5T-MAM/
Mauritanian Air Force,
LX-JUL), but were cancelled
from the UK register on June
12. They had previously
been operated by Liberty
Aviation of Whitstable,
Kent, which leased them
out, primarily for skydiving.
The Guyana Department
of Public Information said
they had been delivered
via the US from Poland.
The GDF previously
operated five other Skyvans,
acquired from 1979-81, but
none are thought to remain
operational. One was written
off, one scrapped, another
sold off to a commercial
buyer and one is stored at
Air Station London. The fifth
aircraft, 8R-GGK, sustained
extensive structural damage
after a nosewheel collapse
and is not believed to have
been repaired. Dave Allport
Guatemala
is first export
customer for
Pampa III
THE ARGENTINE defence
ministry announced on
July 2 that Guatemala
will buy two IA-63 Pampa
III advanced trainers,
becoming the first export
customer for this latest
version. The deal is worth
US$28m and will involve
two aircraft produced
by Fábrica Argentina
de Aviones (FAdeA) at
its Brigadier San Martín
facility. The contract will
also cover training and
maintenance services.
The sale is part of a wider
agreement signed in the
presence of the presidents
and defence ministers
of both countries.
The Fuerza Aérea
Guatemalteca (FAG) will
use the jets for training
and border control and
they are expected to
be delivered before
the end of the year.

Panama receives six UH-1Hs Venezuelan Su-30

SIX BELL UH-1H(S) Iroquois
(UH-1H Huey II) helicopters
have been delivered
to Panama by the US
government as part of the
Merida Initiative – a security
co-operation agreement
to combat drug-trafficking,
transnational organised
crime and money laundering
in Central America. Formal
transfer of the six Huey IIs
took place on June 28 at the
Servicio Nacionale Aeronaval’s
(SENAN’s, National Naval Air
Service’s) Teniente Octavio
Rodríguez Garrido air base
in Panama Pacifico.
The helicopters, which had
previously been operating
Above: The former US Department of State Air Wing UH-1Hs at the handover ceremony at
Teniente Octavio Rodríguez Garrido air base. SENAN
in the country as part of
the US Department of
State Air Wing, comprised
70-16276/N276WR (c/n
12581), 72-21636/N636WW
(c/n 13335), 72-21637/
N637WN (c/n 13336),
73-21668/N668WC (c/n
13356), 73-21786/N786AW
(c/n 13474) and 72-22448/
N448WC (c/n 13772).
They will be used to carry
out operations for SENAN
and the Servicio Nacional
de Fronteras (SENAFRONT,
National Border Service),
including security missions,
search and rescue, medical
evacuation and humanitarian
aid. The helicopters were
supplied through the
aviation programme of the
US Bureau of International
Narcotics and Law
Enforcement Affairs (INL)
and the US government
will continue to provide
maintenance and training on
the type for SENAN pilots
until 2023 under a project
valued at US$30m. Since
2014, the INL helicopters
had conducted 6,800
flight hours in support of
Panama’s security agencies,
strengthening their presence
in remote areas, a role which
SENAN can now undertake
itself with the same
helicopters. Dave Allport
“aggressively shadows”
US Navy EP-3
Above: The image of the Venezuelan Su-30MKV as it
“aggressively shadowed” a US Navy EP-3 over the Caribbean
Sea. The 23 Venezuelan ‘Flankers’ are operated by the
Aviación Militar Bolivariana’s Grupo Aéreo de Caza (GAC) 11
at El Sombrero and GAC 13 at Barcelona. SOUTHCOM
US SOUTHERN Command SOUTHCOM determined
(SOUTHCOM) reported that the Su-30 had endangered
a Venezuelan Su-30MKV the safety of the US Navy
fighter made an unsafe crew and jeopardised the
approach to a US Navy EP-3 mission. According to
EP-3 Aries II intelligence- a SOUTHCOM statement,
gathering aircraft operating the Aries II was adhering to
in international airspace over international standards and
the Caribbean Sea. During rules as part of a routine
the incident, on July 19, the “detection and monitoring
Flanker approached the mission” in the region.
EP-3 in “an unprofessional In response, Venezuela’s
manner” before the US defence minister Vladimir
reconnaissance aircraft was Padrino López said the
“aggressively shadowed” EP-3 was intercepted within
at an “unsafe distance” the country’s exclusive
for a prolonged period economic zone and had
of time. After reviewing been one of “dozens”
video documentation, of similar incursions.

www.airforcesmonthly.com #378 September 2019 // 23

21-23 News AFM Sep2019.indd 23 8/5/2019 12:23:29 PM

 NEWS
Singapore withdraws Stratotanker
THE REPUBLIC of Singapore
Air Force (RSAF) has
withdrawn its KC-135R
fleet after 20 years of
operations. A retirement
ceremony, attended by past
and present Stratotanker
crew, was held on July 10
at Changi Air Base (West),
with all four aircraft present.
No 112 Squadron ‘Twisters’
had operated the type
from this location, sharing
facilities with Changi Airport’s
RSAF KC-135R serial 753 departs RAAF Base Darwin in August 2018 during a mission at Pitch Black 2018. The type has been heavily involved in RSAF fighter
deployments as well as supporting international air exercises. Roy Choo
ANALYSIS Latest US DoD report on Afghanistan
THE US Department of
Defense’s (DoD’s) latest
semi-annual report,
Enhancing Security and
Stability in Afghanistan,
provides an update on
the current status of the
Afghan Air Force (AAF).
The report, delivered to
Congress on July 12, covers
progress from December
1, 2018 to May 31, 2019.
The current AAF inventory
comprises 162 aircraft, of
which 126 are in-country
and currently available or
on short-term maintenance.
The AAF has taken delivery
of ten AC-208 Eliminator
aircraft, the first arriving
in Kabul in February to
support the AAF’s emerging
intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance (ISR) and
precision-strike capabilities.
Of the 19-strong A-29
Super Tucano inventory,
12 are in-country. A further
13 are at Moody Air Force
Base, Georgia, for training.
In July, the AAF planned to
establish an A-29 formal
training unit at Mazar-e-
Sharif to advance pilot
qualifications in Afghanistan.
24 // September 2019 #378
24-25 AsiaNews AFM Sep2019.indd 24
Asia Pacific
commercial traffic. KC-135
operations concluded on
June 28, when the type
conducted a final flight
together with its replacement
– an A330 Multi-Role Tanker
Transport (MRTT) – as well
as an F-15 and F-16.
Four ex-USAF KC-135As
were purchased by
the RSAF in 1996.
They were removed
from storage at the
Aerospace Maintenance
provides update on air force
Under the aviation
modernisation programme,
the US DoD is delivering two
UH-60A+ Black Hawks and
five armed MD530F Cayuse
Warriors per month. The
current UH-60A+ inventory
is 28 helicopters, of which 27
are available in Afghanistan.
Initial planned procurement
for the UH-60A+ is 53, but
the ultimate aim is to deliver
159 to the AAF, enabling
complete replacement
of the Mi-17 fleet.
The current Mi-17 inventory
An Afghan pilot training in an A-29 Super Tucano over Kabul as part of the Train Advise and Assist Command’s (TAAC-Air)
mission last December 20. USAF/Senior Airman Maygan Straight
and Regeneration Center
(AMARC), re-engined with
CFM56-2B turbofans and
provided with a Pacer Crag
avionics upgrade. Training
RSAF KC-135 crew was
conducted with the USAF’s
22nd Air Refueling Wing at
McConnell Air Force Base
in Kansas, under the Peace
Guardian programme,
the detachment receiving
three of the tankers.
Full operational capability
numbers 47 helicopters of
which 22 are fielded and
available. Seven others are
undergoing depot repair
and 46 are described as
destroyed or expiring.
These figures do not include
additional Hips operated by
the Special Mission Wing.
There are just four Mi-35s
on the AAF inventory, but
none are currently available.
The defence department
report notes the US does
not provide any funding
or advisory support for
(FOC) was achieved in
August 2002, supplementing
the RSAF’s KC-130B/H
and allowing simultaneous
refuelling of probe-equipped
A-4SUs and F-5Ss and
receptacle-equipped F-16s.
KC-135s deployed to the
Middle East in the 2000s to
support rebuilding efforts
in Iraq and again between
2015-17 to help counter
so-called Islamic State.
The first of six A330 MRTTs
the Hinds. The Mi-35s
were removed from the
authorised fleet in 2015 but
the Afghans continue to
attempt to sustain them.
The DoD has advised
them against doing so
and to instead focus on
the aircraft it is providing
as a part of the aviation
modernisation programme.
A modification to non-
proliferation sanctions that
allows the DoD to continue
to sustain Mi-17s specifically
does not include Mi-35
were delivered to the RSAF
in August 2018, with the
fourth arriving on June 20
this year, allowing the RSAF
to phase out the last KC-135
in a like-for-like replacement.
Earlier refuelling compatibility
issues between the MRTT
and F-15 during the turns
in racetrack patterns are
understood to have been
resolved. Roy Choo
variants. India recently gifted
four Mi-35s to Afghanistan
– see India donates Hinds
to Afghanistan, July, p27.
The AAF’s prior Mi-35
fleet reached the end of
its service life around 2010
and is not included in the
official authorisation level.
All four helicopters required
their 500-hour inspection
and have been grounded
until the work is completed
and the AAF is trying to
source funding to complete
repairs. Dave Allport
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 12:46:53 PM

Two more
F-35As
arrive in
South Korea
THE LATEST two F-35As
out of 40 examples on
order for the Republic of
Korea Air Force (ROKAF)
touched down at Cheongju
Air Base on July 15.
Lightning II serials 19-007
(AW-07, FMS 17-5314)
and 19-008 (AW-08, FMS
17-5315) arrived from Fort
Worth, Texas, after several
stopovers. Cheongju is
home to the ROKAF’s
17th Fighter Wing and the
stealth fighters will equip its
152nd Fighter Squadron.
In March 2014 it was
confirmed the F-35A had
been formally selected as
the ROKAF’s new fighter.
The first aircraft flew at Fort
Worth on March 19 last
year. As of last December,
six F-35As were being used
for crew training at Luke Air
Force Base, Arizona. The
first two jets were delivered
to Cheongju last March
29. Another six F-35As are
expected to arrive in South
Korea by the end of the year
and all 40 jets are scheduled
to be delivered by 2022.
Royal Thai Air Force 737 in the UK
KONGTAP AGARD Thai
(Royal Thai Air Force, RTAF)
Boeing 737-8Z6 HS-HMK/
L11k.VPR-03/59 (c/n 62445)
departs Farnborough Airport,
AW189 for Royal Thai Police
THE LATEST AW189 for
the Royal Thai Police
(RTP) Aviation Division
seen at Venegono on a
test flight from Leonardo
Helicopters’ Vergiate facility
on May 22. The helicopter
wears temporary test
registration I-EASN.
Four RTP airframes have
been seen test flying from
Vergiate since January this
year: c/n 49056/I-RAIU,
c/n 49058/I-RAIP, c/n
49059/I-RAIW and c/n
49060/I-EASN. It’s unclear
www.airforcesmonthly.com
24-25 AsiaNews AFM Sep2019.indd 25
Bangladesh Air Force
C-130J rolled out in UK
Above: BAF C-130J Hercules C5 serial 99-5479 during the handover ceremony in Cambridge.
ACM Serniabat is seen second left, with the Bangladesh High Commissioner to London Saida
Muna Tasneem (far right). Marshall Aerospace and Defence
MARSHALL AEROSPACE
and Defence has unveiled the
initial former Royal Air Force
C-130J Hercules C5 for the
Bangladesh Biman Bahini
(Bangladesh Air Force, BAF).
The ‘short-bodied’ Hercules,
serial 99-5497/S3-AGE
(c/n 382-5479, ex ZH881),
was rolled out at Marshall’s
Cambridge facility during an
official ceremony on July 22.
Hampshire on July 6. This is
the first of two such aircraft
on strength with the RTAF’s
602 Squadron as part of
6 Wing at Don Muang.
how many AW189s have
been ordered by the RTP, and
there are no details about the
contract or delivery schedule.
The service is in the process
of modernising its helicopter
fleet and currently operates
a mix of Bell and Airbus
Helicopters designs. Latest
additions include two
Airbus H175s, introduced in
September 2017, and eight
Bell 429s. Deliveries of an
initial six 429s began in 2017,
while another two joined
the RTP in April this year.
The British firm is carrying
out comprehensive
depth maintenance and
modifications on five C-130Js
for the BAF. Enhancements
include avionics upgrades
and provision of medical
evacuation and passenger
transport capabilities.
Air Chief Marshal Serniabat,
the BAF chief of air staff,
said the first C-130J would
The first 737-8Z6 entered
service in April 2007, while
a second aircraft (HS-MVS/
L11k.VPR-03/50, c/n 35478)
made its maiden flight in
Subscribe to www.airforcesmonthly.com for breaking news
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be delivered to Bangladesh
“soon”. Ordered in two
batches of two and three
aircraft in August 2017 and
June 2019, respectively, all
five aircraft are expected
to be delivered before the
end of the year. Acquiring
the new airlifters will enable
the BAF to retire the four
second-hand C-130Bs that
entered service in 2002.
Richard Vandervord
September 2015 and arrived
at Woensdrecht in the
Netherlands the following
October for outfitting
with its VIP interior.
In Brief
Indian Rafale flies
Rafale DH serial RB001,
the first of 36 examples
for the Indian Air Force
(IAF), performed its
maiden flight at Bordeaux-
Mérignac in France on
July 17. The initial batch
of 18 Rafales are due
to be delivered to 17
Squadron ‘Golden Arrows’
at Ambala Air Force
Station from September.
New Dornier 228
squadron at Chennai
The Indian Navy’s
fifth Dornier maritime
surveillance unit, Indian
Naval Air Squadron (INAS)
313 ‘Sea Eagle’, was
commissioned at Naval Air
Enclave Meenambakkam,
co-located with
Chennai International
Airport, on July 22.
India’s initial
AH-64Es arrive
A first batch of four
AH-64E(I) Apaches for the
IAF were transported to
Hindon Air Force Station
on July 27, on board an
An-124. Another four
Apaches were expected
to be delivered in the
first week of August.
The full fleet of 22 will
ultimately be based at
Pathankot AFS in Punjab.
Indian Air Force seeks
more Su-30MKIs
Russia’s Federal
Service for Military-
Technical Cooperation
has confirmed Indian
plans to acquire another
18 Su-30MKI multi-role
fighters. The jets would
be purchased for the IAF
in kit form for assembly
in India and will join
272 examples already
on order. The IAF also
recently signed deals with
Moscow worth around
US$600m for about 300
R-27 (AA-10 Alamo), 300
R-73E (AA-12 Archer)
and 400 R-77 (AA-12
Adder) air-to-air missiles.
Marco Muntz
#378 September 2019 // 25
8/5/2019 12:47:00 PM
 NEWS
Significant expansion for Malagasy Air Force Cape
Above: The ‘new’ Malagasy Air Force CN235M-10, 5R-MUQ, arrives at Antananarivo, Madagascar. Two of the new AS350B2s
are also visible in the background. Presidency of the Republic
THE ARMÉE de l’Air
Malagache (Malagasy Air
Force) recently took delivery
of a CN235M-10, five Cessna
206 Stationairs and three
AS350B2 Écureuil helicopters
– all acquired second-hand.
On June 24, the CN235,
5R-MUQ (c/n C008), flew in
to Base Aéronavale Ivato-
Antananarivo International
Airport for a formal handover.
It will be used for roles
including troop transport,
dispatching emergency
aid for natural disasters
and medical evacuation.
The aircraft was originally
operated by the Botswana
Defence Force-Air Wing
as serial OG1. It was then
sold to US company Fayard
Enterprises, being registered
as N820CA in February
2011, before being flown
to Lanseria, South Africa,
Egyptian C295M at Brize
AN INTERESTING departure
from RAF Brize Norton,
Oxfordshire on July 4 was
Arab Republic of Egypt
Air Force C295M, serial
1193/SU-BRU. Egypt is
an enthusiastic C295M
operator, placing an initial
Initial Nigerian C-130H Hercules PDM completed
NIGERIA HAS conducted
its first ever local periodic
depot maintenance (PDM)
on a Nigerian Air Force
(NAF) Hercules. On June 24,
an acceptance ceremony
26 // September 2019 #378
26-27 News AFM Sep2019.indd 26
Africa
for storage with Paramount
Group pending a sale. A
sale to the Force Aérienne
Togolaise (Togolese Air
Force), as 5V-MBM, fell
Above: Independence Day festivities on June 26 also involved
the Malagasy Air Force BK117-850D2 ZS-HRK (c/n 7184).
This 1988-built helicopter is another new acquisition and was
previously operating in South Africa with Aeronautic Solutions
at Grand Central Airport, Midrand. Presidency of the Republic
order for three aircraft in
October 2010, with deliveries
following in late 2011. A
follow-on order for three
more aircraft was signed
in March 2012 and they
arrived the following year. In
January 2013 Airbus Military
for C-130H NAF-917 was
held at the 631 Aircraft
Maintenance Depot (631
ACMD) in Ikeja, Lagos.
Local reactivation of
NAF-917 was carried
through and it was instead
registered to another US
company, AvCorp, as
N124CL in August 2013.
This was cancelled in
announced another Egyptian
order for six C295Ms. All 12
aircraft from the initial three
orders had been received
by the end of 2014 and
in July that year an order
for another eight aircraft
was announced, bringing
out by Sabena technics
in conjunction with NAF
engineers and technicians.
Work involved extensive
disassembly of the aircraft,
as well as inspection, repair
August 2014, following
sale in South Africa as
ZS-SOO, prior to eventual
acquisition by Madagascar.
The June ceremony also
saw formal handover of three
AS350B2s, two of which
were ZT-RCC (c/n 7061)
which became 5R-MOO,
while ZS-RHW (c/n 1327)
became 5R-MON. The
third is ZS-RWC (c/n 3897),
which was received earlier in
May, see Madagascar Army
acquires AS350B2, July, p28.
Arrival of the Cessna 206s
was confirmed when all five
performed a flypast during a
parade at the Mahamasina
Municipal Stadium in
Antananarivo to celebrate
59 years of independence,
on June 26. Three of the
five Stationairs were fitted
with under-fuselage cargo
panniers. Dave Allport
Richard Vandervord
planned total acquisition
to 20. By mid-2016 it was
apparent a further four
transports had been ordered
in a fifth batch, all of which
were handed over by the
end of that year to make
a total of 24 examples.
and overhaul of components.
NAF personnel were involved
at every stage of the process
to prepare them for the work
to eventually be carried out
solely by local technicians.
Verde
prepares
for C212s
TWO FORMER Força
Aérea Portuguesa (FAP,
Portuguese Air Force)
C212 Srs 100 Aviocars are
expected to be handed
over to the Guarda
Costeira de Cabo Verde
(Cape Verde Coast Guard)
shortly. Portuguese
company Sevenair, which
acquired six of the ex-FAP
aircraft, confirmed on May
25 that delivery had been
delayed, but anticipated
the aircraft could begin
operating in September.
Sevenair signed a
contract with Cape Verde
on July 4 last year to
exchange a Cape Verde
Coast Guard Dornier 228
for the two C212s, which
will be used, among other
missions, for transport
of medical patients
between the islands
of Cape Verde, along
with search and rescue,
maritime surveillance and
military cargo transport.
The company stated
that maintenance and
overhaul of the aircraft
had proceeded much
slower than anticipated,
due to problems with
official paperwork.
The work, which
includes installing
upgraded avionics, is
being undertaken at the
FAP’s Base Aérea 6 at
Montijo, where the aircraft
had been stored since
retirement. Training coast
guard pilots and ground
crew in Portugal has
proceeded in parallel so
the aircraft can quickly
become operational
once on strength.
As part of the agreement,
Sevenair has leased a
Jetstream 32 to the Cape
Verde Coast Guard to
carry out inter-island
patient transfers until the
CASAs enter service.
This has been flying
from the island of
Santiago since arriving
there on August 27 last
year. Dave Allport
PDM on a second
C-130H, NAF-913, has
also started, in association
with a Pakistan Air Force
technical assistance
group. Dave Allport
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 12:24:55 PM
 NEWS
Initial RAAF PC-21 for ARDU
Above: ARDU PC-21 A54-045/HB-HWS at Stans-Buochs on July 12. Stephan Widmer
A FIRST PC-21 for the Royal
Australian Air Force (RAAF)
wearing a new grey colour
scheme emerged for its pre-
flight tests recently. The
aircraft, A54-045/HB-HWS
(c/n 278), was rolled out
of the Pilatus factory at
Stans-Buochs on July 12.
The PC-21, which also has
Australian-trained F-35A pilots take to the air
THE INITIAL Royal Australian
Air Force (RAAF) pilots
to complete the F-35A
transition course in Australia
SQNLDR William Grady
conducts a walk-around
of F-35A A35-009,
prior to his first flight,
following transition
training at RAAF Base
Williamtown. SGT Guy
Young/Commonwealth of
Australia, Department of
Defence
Latest
RAAF
Poseidon
under test
THE NEXT P-8A for the Royal
Australian Air Force (RAAF)
undergoes pre-delivery tests
at Seattle’s Boeing Field,
Washington, site on July 24.
The Poseidon, serial A47-009
(c/n 64165, l/n 7324), is the
ninth example for Australia.
The Australian government
announced approval of the
www.airforcesmonthly.com
26-27 News AFM Sep2019.indd 27
Australasia
a sharkmouth marking, is
destined for the Aircraft
Research and Development
Unit (ARDU) – in fact, it is the
third PC-21 for this formation.
The other two ARDU PC-21s
are serials A54-017 (c/n
250) and A54-018 (c/n 251),
both painted red. The last
four PC-21s for Australia
have flown the aircraft for
the first time. Two pilots
conducted debut training
missions on the Lightning II
acquisition of the first eight
P-8As in February 2014. An
order for the first four aircraft
was placed in August of the
following year and a second
followed in January 2016.
The 2016 Defence White
(A54-046 to A54-049) –
also with the grey colour
scheme – will serve in the
forward air controller training
role with No 4 Squadron at
RAAF Base Williamtown,
New South Wales.
The latest RAAF PC-21s
to be received were A54-
039/HB-HWM (c/n 272) and
at RAAF Base Williamtown,
New South Wales, on
July 15 after undertaking
an intensive two-month
Paper confirmed plans to
add a further seven aircraft,
the first four of which are
conversions of existing
options. A contract for these
was announced in April
2017. The remaining three
Subscribe to www.airforcesmonthly.com for breaking news
stories. Email the news team at edafm@keypublishing.com
A54-040/HB-HWN (c/n 273),
which left Switzerland on
delivery during June, but
the first of these returned
to Stans, presumably after
the ferry pilot encountered
a problem with the aircraft.
Both these aircraft wear
the colours of the RAAF’s
Roulettes display team.
academic and simulator
programme at the base’s
Integrated Training Centre.
The aviators will be posted
to No 3 Squadron on
completing their tuition.
The commander of No 3
Squadron, WGCDR Darren
Clare, explained: “Although
we currently still send pilots
to the US for training, this
shows Australia is quickly
becoming self-sufficient and
it all contributes to our F-35A
squadrons reaching combat
readiness as planned.”
Australia’s fleet of
ten F-35As is based at
Williamtown, and Luke Air
Force Base, Arizona. To date,
the Joint Strike Fighters have
achieved in excess of 2,900
hours across more than
1,750 sorties since 2014. The
RAAF aims to achieve initial
operating capability on the
F-35A in December next year.
Joe G Walker
will be ordered subsequently
to provide a fleet of 15
Poseidons by the late 2020s.
The latest delivery was the
eighth aircraft, A47-008
(c/n 63191), which arrived
in Australia in June.
MDHI offers
special forces
helicopters to
Australia
MD HELICOPTERS
Inc (MDHI) is the latest
entrant in the bidding for
Australia’s Land 2097
Phase 4 requirement,
calling for a special
operations helicopter,
up to four of which can
be rapidly forward-
deployed, on board a
C-17A strategic transport.
In response to a request
for information (RFI),
MDHI is offering its single-
engined MD530G light
attack and observation
helicopter alongside its
twin-engined MD902
and MD969 rotorcraft.
The requirement aims to
acquire a squadron of light
deployable helicopters in
the decade up to 2028.
Australia
begins search
for Tiger
replacement
THE AUSTRALIAN
Department of Defence
has issued a request
for information (RFI) as
it seeks a replacement
for the Australian
Army’s fleet of 22 Tiger
Armed Reconnaissance
Helicopters (ARH) under
the Land 4503 programme.
The RFI stipulates initial
operational capability (IOC)
in 2026 using 12 airframes
and full operational
capability two years later
with 29 helicopters. The
dozen aircraft earmarked
for IOC will be divided into
a deployable troop of four
rotorcraft, a continued force
generation component
of four examples, and
an initial training element
of the final four.
Ultimately, 24 of the
new aircraft will be based
at a single location (one
regiment, comprised of two
squadrons) and the other
five helicopters will be used
for training, potentially
at a separate location.
Leading candidates for
Land 4503 include the
AH-1Z Viper and AH-64E
Apache, which meet the
demand for a “a proven
and mature, manned off-
the-shelf” platform, while
the planned Tiger Mk3
may also be considered.
Responses to the RFI
are due by August 30.
#378 September 2019 // 27
8/5/2019 12:25:01 PM
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 Intel
Report

UK’s bright new

ISTAR future
Alan Warnes compares the recent RAF intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and
reconnaissance (ISTAR) orders with those from the rest of Europe before looking at the
special-mission highlights from this year’s Paris Air Show.

30 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

30-34 Intel AFM Sep2019.indd 30 8/5/2019 9:38:55 AM


I
n many ways, the UK
leads the way in the
art of airborne ISTAR in
Europe. As an important military
power, there’s an enduring
e
requirement for the strategic
and tactical knowledge that
only spy planes can bring.
When the Cold War ended, the
UK armed forces switched much
of their focus to the Middle East,
beginning with Iraq. Then came
more than a decade of operations
in Afghanistan and a campaign in
Above: The second Pakistan Navy ATR 72-212A MPA, serial 78, in the Libya in 2011. When the last British
static line-up at the Paris Air Show. The two new ATR 72s are replacing 27 combat elements left Afghanistan
Squadron’s Fokker F27s. Note the dummy MU90 Impact lightweight torpedo
carried on the forward fuselage external pylon. Alan Warnes Below: The first
in October 2014, military minds
of the RAF’s new fleet of nine Poseidon MRA1 maritime patrol aircraft takes switched to defeating so-called
to the air from Boeing’s Renton, Washington facility on July 12, in the hands Islamic State and other jihadi
of company test pilots. Critical testing took place during the 90-minute flight militias in Iraq and Syria. Now,
before the aircraft touched down and moved to the next phase of preparation
before customer delivery – installation of military systems. Boeing
with the tit-for-tat seizure of a
British-flagged oil tanker by the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps in the Strait of Hormuz in
July, thoughts are turning towards
Iran’s intentions and capabilities.
In supporting all these operations,
the UK has built up extensive aerial
reconnaissance skills. You simply
can’t send military platforms and
personnel into conflict without
understanding the potential of your
enemies. Now Britain is set to top
the European aerial intelligence-
gathering league again after a
decade without a maritime patrol
aircraft or a modern, serviceable
fleet of airborne early warning and
control (AEW&C) aircraft.
AEW&C
This time last year,
there was a good deal
of speculation over the
acquisition of a new AEW&C
platform for the RAF. The tired
and outdated five-strong fleet of
Sentry AEW1s that entered service
beginning in 1991 had never
received a major upgrade and was
becoming increasingly unreliable. It
was one of the worst-kept secrets
that the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail
would eventually be selected and,
on March 22 this year, the MOD
ordered five examples at a cost
of £1.5bn (US$1.98bn). The then
Secretary of State for Defence
Gavin Williamson said: “The E-7
provides a technological edge in an
increasingly complex battlespace,
allowing our ships and aircraft
to track and target adversaries
more effectively than ever. We
will operate state-of-the-art F-35
jets and world-class Type 26
warships, and this announcement
will help us work even more
closely [with our allies] to tackle
the global threats we face.”
www.airforcesmonthly.com
30-34 Intel AFM Sep2019.indd 31
‘In association with ....’
Airforces
Intelligence
airforcesintel.com
The first aircraft will be delivered
to the UK in 2023 and the last
should arrive in 2026. Three of the
RAF’s E-7s will be brand new, while
the other two have been sourced
second hand by Boeing. Speaking
at the Royal International Air Tattoo
in July, a Boeing spokesman said it
was company policy not to reveal
the original source of these former
737 airliners. Modifications will be
carried out by Marshall Aerospace
and Defence Group at Cambridge.
Once the E-7 fleet is fully
operational, the RAF will
field the most capable
AEW&C force in Europe.
There aren’t too many other such
platforms operating in the region.
France continues to upgrade its
five E-3F AWACS, while NATO has
outfitted its 14 E-3As with new
flight decks and avionics suites to
replace the 1970s-era analogue
systems. However, it seems the
tactical systems in the rear of the
Sentries went untouched. Boeing
was awarded a US$257m contract
in 2014 to integrate five full-
colour digital glass displays with
customisable radar, navigation
and engine data. The work was
launched on a pattern aircraft
in the US during August 2016,
before the effort was transferred
to Airbus at Manching, Germany.
The last aircraft was redelivered
to NATO in December 2018.
The three other AEW&C
operators in Europe are Sweden
(two Saab 340/S 100D Erieyes
in service since 1998, which
could ultimately be replaced by
the Saab GlobalEye in the mid-
2020s); Turkey (four E-7T Peace
Eagles delivered by 2014, now
undergoing upgrade with Turkish
Aerospace); and Greece (four EMB-
145H Erieyes that became fully
operational by February 2009).
MPAs
Just over three years ago, on July
11, 2016, the UK MOD ordered
nine Boeing P-8A Poseidons
after six years without a maritime
patrol aircraft (MPA). There was
some debate at the time as to
whether this was the best option,
with the Saab Swordfish also a
possibility. But Britain’s established
military relationship with the US
swung the decision. The first RAF
Poseidon MRA1 flew on July 12,
in a shakedown flight without any
mission systems on board (see
United Kingdom News, p8-9).
The aircraft is expected to move
to Naval Air Station Jacksonville,
Florida, later this year, where up
#378 September 2019 // 31
8/5/2019 9:39:13 AM
 Intel
Report

Above: With an order placed for the E-7 Wedgetail, the E-3D Sentry AEW1’s days in RAF service are numbered. The 1970s-era Sentry radar system has been
plagued by technical problems in recent years and its mechanically rotating antenna has been overtaken by more modern electronically scanned radars. Cpl
Paul Saxby RAF/Crown Copyright Below: The P-8A Poseidon is soon to be a more common sight in Europe, with orders placed by both the UK and Norway. Here,
a US Navy P-8A Poseidon takes part in a long-range strike exercise together with an F/A-18E from the USS ‘Abraham Lincoln’, during operations in the Black
Sea in April. US Navy/Capt Nathan Ballou

to 40 UK aircrews arrived earlier

in the year to join the US Navy’s
P-8 training unit, Patrol Squadron
45 (VP-45). All the UK aircraft will
eventually be assigned to Nos
120 and 201 Squadrons based
at RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland,
where a £100m operational
support and training facility is
being created. The first Poseidon
should arrive in the UK next year.
The Poseidon is a multi-mission
maritime patrol and reconnaissance
aircraft, capable of conducting
Left: CAE Aviation’s modified Saab
anti-submarine warfare, anti- 340, N441FF, was also on show at
surface warfare and humanitarian Le Bourget, retaining its previous
response. These capabilities will ‘Maritime Security’ livery. The satellite
be enhanced through secure, communications antenna fairing
above the fuselage is immediately
interoperable, net-ready systems obvious. Alan Warnes Below: Dedicated
that include the AN/APY-10 radar SIGINT aircraft are precious assets
and L3 WESCAM MX-20 electro- among Western Europe’s air arms.
optical/infrared (EO/IR) turret. This is one of the French Air Force’s
two rarely seen C-160G Gabriel
Four hardpoints are capable of aircraft, photographed while visiting
carrying AGM-84 Harpoon anti- Gando-Las Palmas in the Canary
ship missiles while five torpedoes Islands. Niels Quist
can be housed in the weapons
bay and there’s also space for 129
sonobuoys for underwater warfare.
Once the Poseidon is in service,
the UK – together with Norway
(see Restructuring Norway’s
air defences, p44-48) – is set
to have the most modern MPA
aircraft in Europe at its disposal.
Compared with the AEW&C role,
the MPA/maritime surveillance
aircraft (MSA) mission is afforded
greater importance by European
countries keen to protect their
sovereign interests. France has five
Falcon 200 Gardian, four Falcon
50Mi Intervention, four Falcon 50M
SURMAR and 22 Atlantique 2s, all
serving the French Navy, while the
Falcon 2000LXS Albatros (Avion
de Surveillance et d’Intervention
Maritime, AVSIMAR or maritime
surveillance and response aircraft)
is now in the early stages of

32 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

30-34 Intel AFM Sep2019.indd 32 8/5/2019 9:39:23 AM

 ‘In association with ....’

Airforces
Intelligence
airforcesintel.com

Compass Call Gulfstream

L3 Technologies, now being rebranded
as L3 Harris Technologies, confirmed
in Paris that the first two aircraft from
a USAF requirement for ten Gulfstream
550 EC-37B Compass Call platforms
are now being built at the Gulfstream
facility in Savannah, Georgia. Compass
Call is a USAF airborne tactical
electronic attack weapon system
that disrupts enemy command and
control, communications and radars.
The new jets are set to replace the
existing fleet of EC-130H Compass
Calls serving the 41st Electronic
Combat Squadron (ECS) and 43rd
ECS at Davis-Monthan Air Force
Base, Arizona, with the first deliveries
expected in 2023, according to L3.
BAE Systems is prime contractor for the
mission system and the lead agency for
its engineering, integration and testing.
Working with L3, BAE is now transferring
the Compass Call electronic warfare
capabilities from the ageing EC-130H
to the special-mission G550 in what
it terms the ‘cross-deck’ initiative.
L3 also confirmed that airframes
for the first two Royal Australian Air
Force Gulfstream 550s are now being
modified at Savannah. AFM was told
that engineers and scientists are
working on the rigs and systems
in a laboratory at Greenville, Texas.
An artist’s impression of the EC-37B in USAF service, together
Once these structures are complete with the aircraft that it’s replacing – the EC-130H Compass Call.
the aircraft will be flown there, and Around 70% of the systems used on the EC-130H will be retained
the equipment will be integrated. on the EC-37B, according to BAE Systems officials. BAE Systems

development. Germany has eight
P-3Cs assigned to the navy, while
Finland operates two Do 228s
serving its border guard. In Greece,
five refurbished P-3Bs – locally
designated P-3HNs – are being
transferred from the Hellenic Air
Force to the Hellenic Navy. Ireland
has two CN235M-100Ms equipped
with the Airbus Fully Integrated
Tactical System (FITS) serving the
Irish Air Corps. Italy operates a
mix of two ATR 42-400MPs and
one ATR 42-500MP assigned to its
coast guard, two ATR 42-400MPs
and two -500MPs with the
customs police, while three of four
P-72As (ATR 72-600MP/ASW) on
order for the Italian Navy have been
delivered (C4ISR at sea, p76-79).
Norway has operated four P-3C-IIIs
since mid-1989, with two P-3Ns
following in 1990-91, but all are
set to be replaced by five P-8As
acquired in March 2017, with
deliveries expected in 2022-23.
Poland flies a mix of M28 Bryzas
serving its navy and in need
of replacement in the medium
term. Portugal has five C295
Persuaders equipped with the
Airbus FITS and five P-3C CUP+
aircraft, all serving the Portuguese
Air Force. Spain operates three
CN235-300MPA Persuaders
with its maritime rescue agency,
plus eight CN235M VIGMAs
with the air force. Finally, Turkey
has had six ATR 72-600 TMPAs
on order from Leonardo for the
Turkish Navy since 2005, but the
programme has been dogged by
integration issues; currently, three
CN235M-100MSA aircraft serve
with the coast guard, while the
navy flies six CN235M-100MPAs.
SIGINT
The RAF operates three RC-135
Rivet Joint intelligence-gathering
aircraft, via No 51 Squadron at
RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire –
the future home of the E-7s. The
Rivet Joint focuses on the collation
of signals intelligence (SIGINT) –
picking up the electronic (ELINT)
and communications intelligence
(COMINT) traffic from possible
enemy threats. These can include
mobile phones, computers and
the radar signals of surface-to-
air missiles. Detractors point
out that the Rivet Joints were
very old platforms when they
were delivered, but as an L3
Technologies spokesman told AFM,
one example is overhauled every
three years, which includes an
upgrade of their onboard systems.
Otherwise, there’s a surprising
shortage of SIGINT platforms
serving European countries,
and there is no joint NATO force
comparable to the NATO Airborne
Early Warning & Control Force.
Other countries with assets in
this class include Finland (one
C295M, although Sweden has
recently offered two GlobalEyes),
France (two C-160G Gabriels),
Italy (two Gulfstream E-550As)
and Sweden (two Gulfstream
S 102B Korpen aircraft).
The UK’s ISTAR Force also
includes four Sentinel R1 ASTOR
(Airborne Stand-Off Radar)
aircraft, which were notably
successful in tracking the forward
edge of the battlefield during
the 2011 intervention in Libya.
The future of these aircraft is
less certain, the proposed out-
of-service date most recently
having been extended to 2021.
Civilian conversions
at Paris
While the UK opts for bespoke
ISTAR platforms, customised
special mission aircraft are
now playing a bigger part than
ever in support of the military.
At this year’s Paris Air Show,
Luxembourg-based CAE Aviation

Above: An impressive line-up of E-7A Wedgetails from the Royal Australian Air
Force’s No 2 Squadron on the tarmac at RAAF Base Williamtown in July. The
Wedgetails’ almost constant support to Australian Defence Force activities
around the globe means it’s rare for all six aircraft to be together at their
Williamtown home base. CPL Craig Barrett/Commonwealth of Australia, Department
of Defence

www.airforcesmonthly.com #378 September 2019 // 33

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 Intel
Report
exhibited a modified Saab 340.
For several years, the company
was contracted by the French Air
Force to supply a civilian-registered
Fairchild SA227-AT Merlin IVC Artist’s rendering of the Guardian 400 Technical Demonstrator aircraft, featuring SCAR pod with Hensoldt Argos-II
EO/IR imaging turret (left wing), SCAR pod with Leonardo Osprey radar and Sentient Vision Systems ViDAR camera
for SIGINT missions over Libya.
(right wing), Airborne Technologies’ tactical workstation, Viking conformal bubble windows, Ikhana wing-mounted
The aircraft operated out of Malta hardpoints, Thunder Bay Aviation stretcher racks and aft lavatory. Viking
International Airport, Valetta, until
October 24, 2016, when it crashed, upon customer requirements. Pakistan Navy ATR 72-212A against infrared, radar or laser
claiming the lives of three French Viking Air was highlighting MPA (serial 78) upgraded by threats. According to Aerodata
military officers in the rear as its Twin Otter Guardian 400 Rheinland Air Service (RAS) at there is also an ELINT payload.
well as two CAE aircrew. Nearly intelligence, surveillance and Mönchengladbach, Germany. This RAS beat off stiff competition
three years on, the company is reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft was being exhibited just three from Canada’s PAL Aerospace
marketing its ‘new’ Saab 340 with at Paris. The version on show weeks before delivery on July 10. and Italy’s Leonardo to sign the
significant modifications. Saab has included a Leonardo Osprey 30 Known as the Sea Eagle, most of contract to provide two aircraft
used the same airframe over the AESA radar plus a Hensoldt Argos- the systems integration is based in 2015. Work commenced
past six years to market a maritime II EO/IR system integrated into the around Aerodata’s AeroMission the following year and the first
security aircraft to the UK and Airborne Technologies SCAR (Self system. The Leonardo Seaspray ATR 72-212A MPA (serial 79)
other countries, and it still wears Contained Aerial Reconnaissance) 7300 maritime surveillance radar was delivered to the Pakistan
the same colour scheme and pod under the starboard wing. The for long-range detection and Naval Aviation’s 29 Squadron at
‘Maritime Security’ titles applied by sensor is housed there to provide classification is the main sensor Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) Mehran
the Swedish firm. Saab confirmed sufficient ground clearance, should and short-range classification on June 18 last year. However,
the aircraft had been sold to a US the aircraft be operating from is provided by a FLIR Star the aircraft had not reached full
company, which then sold it on to rough terrain. The Twin Otter’s SAFIRE III EO/IR system. Two operating capability by the end of
CAE just a week or so before the appearance was ahead of a weapons hardpoints can carry a the year due to alleged failures of
Paris Air Show. Company officials planned nine-month world tour, pair of MU90 torpedoes. Italy’s onboard systems. Together, the
were tight-lipped about their new set to begin in September and Elettronica Group has supplied ATRs will assist Pakistan Navy
acquisition, but French Air Force including demonstration flights the electronic support measures ships in monitoring 114,000sq
officials were seen looking around in Europe, Africa, the Middle (ESM) systems for both long- miles (295,000km2) of exclusive
the aircraft on several occasions. East, India, Southeast Asia, and short-range detection of economic zone waters. There’s
One obvious modification since Oceania and North America. threats, alongside a chaff and also an option to upgrade a
being operated by Saab is the Also on display was the second flare system for self-protection third aircraft (serial 77). AFM
large satellite communications
antenna housing on top of the
aircraft, as well as two WESCAM
EO/IR turrets. At the front was
the larger MX-20HD and at the
rear an MX-15HDi that allows
operators in the cabin to look
more closely at objects on the
ground. According to available
information, the aircraft also has a
full-motion video data link and an
active electronically scanned array
(AESA) radar with ground moving
target indicator (GMTI). However
a company source confirmed
that no radar has been integrated
yet, and the radar type depends
Above: A pair of RAF Sentinel R1 surveillance aircraft from No 5 (Army Co-operation) Squadron deployed at an air
base in the Middle East during Operation Herrick. The MOD is examining the Poseidon as a candidate to replace the
Sentinel R1 in the overland wide-area surveillance role following its planned retirement in 2021. Sgt Laura Bibby RAF
Below: The UK’s first Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft lands at RAF Waddington in November 2013. This aircraft, RC-
135W ZZ664, became the first RAF Rivet Joint to complete a major upgrade with L3 Technologies at Greenville, Texas,
in May. SAC Blake Carruthers/MOD

34 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

30-34 Intel AFM Sep2019.indd 34 8/5/2019 9:39:37 AM

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 Exercise
Report Anatolian Eagle 2019

Eagles retur

Above: Among a strong Turkish Phantom contingent was this specially marked F-4E-2020,
clutching a Pave Spike electro-optical laser designator pod under the forward fuselage. Serial 77-0296
was adorned with special tail art to mark 60 years of the F-4 last year. Below: The flagship of the 494th Fighter
Squadron ‘Panthers’, F-15E 91-0314 ‘LN/494 FS’ taxies at Konya with an ACMI pod under the starboard wing. This
was one of six Lakenheath Strike Eagles involved in the manoeuvres. Bottom: JF-17 Block I serial 13-144 wearing the
phoenix markings of the Pakistan Air Force’s 28 Squadron. This unit serves at PAF Base Quetta, where it’s part of
Southern Air Command’s 31 (Fighter) Wing. All photos Cem Doğut and Özkan Üner unless stated

I
nternational participation
in Anatolian Eagle was
suspended after the
dramatic reorganisation of the Türk
Hava Kuvvetleri (THK, Turkish Air
Force) following a coup attempt
in the country on July 15, 2016.
Since then it has only been
a national exercise, featuring
THK squadrons. However, a
multinational Anatolian Eagle was
run again from June 17-28 this
year, hosted as previously by the
3’ncü Ana Jet Üs Komutanlığı (3rd
Main Jet Base Command) at Konya
air base. More than 600 Turkish
(air force and navy) plus 450
international personnel took part.
Beginning in the early 1980s,
the THK made concerted efforts
to improve its infrastructure,
modernise its equipment and

36 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

36-39 Eagles AFM Sep2019.indd 36 8/5/2019 11:54:34 AM

urn to Konya One of Europe’s largest air exercises
took place in June after a two-year
hiatus. Anatolian Eagle 2019 involved
participation from Italy, Jordan,
Pakistan, Qatar, the US and NATO
with Azerbaijan joining the
manoeuvres as an observer
country. Onur Kurç and Tayfun
Yaşar report from Konya.
enhance its training.
After gaining important
experience during operations
over Bosnia and Kosovo in the
1990s as well as participating in
different foreign manoeuvres and
drills, the air arm decided to launch
a training exercise of its own. The
first Anatolian Eagle took place in
June 2001 and is broadly similar
to the famous Red Flag conducted
at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
The Anatolian Eagle Training
Centre is one of three recognised
tactical instruction facilities of its
type in the world and is located
at Konya. In common with similar
manoeuvres, the Anatolian Eagle
training becomes increasingly
difficult throughout the course and
participating crews are exposed to
a realistic ‘wartime’ environment.
www.airforcesmonthly.com
36-39 Eagles AFM Sep2019.indd 37
All
aircraft
movements
are monitored digitally for
debriefing and analysis.
Anatolian Eagle airspace is
primarily located to the south of
the air base, with additional areas
extending up to 200nm on an east-
west axis and 150nm north-south.
More than 60 aircraft can operate
simultaneously without confliction.
Using the Air Combat
Manoeuvring Instrumentation
(ACMI) system, the airborne
‘picture’ is relayed to Konya’s
Command Control Centre where
it is monitored in real time. The
centre ‘sees’ the entire Konya
airspace and
activity, including
tracks detected by airborne
early warning assets and
ground radars as well as real-
time search, engagement and
impact data from surface-to-
air missile (SAM) and other anti-
aircraft systems. A briefing hall,
located in the same building as
the Command Control Centre, can
accommodate up to 450 people.
Exercise scenario
Anatolian Eagle scenarios are
typically based around attacks
on the (friendly) Blue Force and
focus on composite air operations
(COMAO)
directed
against tactical and
strategic targets belonging to
the Red Force. These objectives
are defended by aggressor
aircraft and SAM systems.
This year, the exercise ‘script’ was
based around two neighbouring
countries – Blue and Red. An oil
pipeline within Blue borders and
an associated port were identified
as strategic targets. The Red team
supported a terrorist organisation
operating around the pipeline
#378 September 2019 // 37
8/5/2019 11:54:43 AM
 Exercise
Report Anatolian Eagle 2019
while the Blue team exercised its
right of self-defence. Turkish and
international aircraft were assigned
to the Blue Force, while the Red
Force assets were exclusively
Turkish. Using intelligence they
had obtained, the Blue Force
was tasked to attack tactical and
strategic targets located within
Red territory, fighting their way
in and getting home safely.

Spotters’ days
Aircraft photographers and spotters
were hosted at Konya’s 3. Ana
Jet Üssü (3rd Main Jet Base) from
June 25-26. Prominent participants
this year were the THK’s upgraded
F-4E-2020 jets. A total of six
Phantoms from 111 Filo ‘Panterler’
(111 Squadron ‘Panthers’)
based at Eskişehir’s 1. Ana Jet
Üssü performed for the benefit
of the local and international
audience of enthusiasts.
During the afternoon on each of
these two days, the F-4E-2020s
flew in pairs formation to greet
the photographers over Konya’s
runway 01L. After this, the fighters
joined up with aircraft from other
participating countries. Following
the flybys, an AS532UL Cougar
from the 3. Ana Jet Üssü’s 135
Filo took part in search and rescue
demonstrations as the fighters
reassembled. The Turkish Stars
demonstration team of 133 Filo
then presented a special show of its
Top: A rare sight, this is THK C-160D serial 69-036, configured as a MİLKAR-2U radio-frequency jamming aircraft. It’s own. At the conclusion, the Turkish
one of two examples in service, alongside serial 69-029. These two special aircraft can also execute communications Stars performed a unique flyby –
intelligence and imagery intelligence duties. Onur Kurç and Tayfun Yaşar Above: Italian Air Force A-11 MM7183 ‘51-41’
recovers to Konya. This jet is an ACOL-upgraded example assigned to the 51° Stormo at Istrana – the final Italian
six NF-5A-2000s and four of 111
AMX operator. Below: Among the visitors to Konya during the exercise was serial 93-064 (c/n C064), a CN235M-100 Filo’s F-4E-2020s. The ‘Panterler’
transport operated by 201 Filo. This aircraft is based at Eskişehir alongside the same unit’s AS532 Cougars. Onur Kurç Phantoms then conducted several
and Tayfun Yaşar Right: Departure for two-seat Royal Jordanian Air Force F-16BM serial 236 (c/n 6E-25/M14-19). Now in flypasts over the runway.
service with 2 Squadron, this jet was formerly flown by the Royal Netherlands Air Force as J-884.
After the flying display, six

38 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

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 Above: The Turkish Stars demonstration team of Konya-based 133 Filo provided
the six NF-5s that performed a routine and took part in a flyby alongside
Phantoms. This example is a two-seat NF-5B-2000. Right: Thumbs-up from the
pilot of F-16C Block 30 serial 88-0032 (c/n 4R-34, FMS 88-0032) as he taxies
past the Anatolian Eagle flight line. The 132 Filo jet is the current mount of the
Solotürk demonstration team. Onur Kurç and Tayfun Yaşar Below: F-16C Block 50
serial 93-0663 (c/n HC-7, FMS 93-0663) is on strength with the THK’s 113 Filo,
resident at Eskişehir. This jet was completed as an RF-16C with provisions for
the recce role and previously served at the 4. Ana Jet Üssü at Ankara-Akinci,
where the parent wing was disbanded after the 2016 coup attempt.

Phantoms were parked up on
the apron for photos, while
the pilots and maintenance
team offered interviews.
The popularity of the event
was reflected in the visitor
numbers: a total of 316
photographers and spotters,
comprising 187 from Turkey and
129 from 20 other countries.
There have been 41 Anatolian
Eagle exercises since its Anatolian Eagle 2019 – participating air forces
establishment in 2001 and 15 Operator Aircraft
countries have participated.
Azerbaijan Air Force None (3 x observer officers)
More than 33,000 personnel
Italian Air Force 3 x AMX A-11
and 2,000 aircraft have taken
NATO 1 x E-3A
part in approximately 24,000
Qatar Emiri Air Force 1 x C-17, 1 x C-130
sorties. The success of the latest
iteration – and the valuable Pakistan Air Force 5 x JF-17
return of international players – Royal Jordanian Air Force 3 x F-16
means the future of Anatolian Turkish Air Force F-4E-2020, F-16, CN235, C-130, C-160, AS532, E-7T
Eagle looks secure once again. AFM US Air Force 6 x F-15E

www.airforcesmonthly.com #378 September 2019 // 39

36-39 Eagles AFM Sep2019.indd 39 8/5/2019 11:55:06 AM

 Exercise
Report
CSAR
at Konya
A
fter a few huge explosions,
the dust settles, and
– briefly – all is quiet
again. Then, the slowly increasing
volume of rotor blades is suddenly
interrupted by the noise of
machine gun fire as bullets rip
through a line of cars. Welcome
to Anatolian Phoenix 2019/1!
Konya air base is home to the
well-known international
exercise Anatolian
Eagle (see Eagles return
to Konya, p36-39),
dominated by fast jets and
a few slow-movers. Less
well known is another Konya
exercise: Anatolian Phoenix.
This involves multiple combat
Right: THK armourers load F-16C
90-0007 (c/n 4R-66, FMS 90-0007)
with 500lb laser-guided bombs on
the flight line at Konya. This jet, a
Block 40 model, wears the markings
of the resident 132 Filo – it previously
served with 162 Filo at Bandırma.
40 // September 2019 #378
40-42 Phoenix AFM Sep2019.indd 40
Anatolian Phoenix 2019
search and rescue (CSAR) assets
and missions of increasing difficulty.
Or as one Türk Hava Kuvvetleri
(THK, Turkish Air Force) captain,
flying an AS532 Cougar helicopter,
said: “The first day was mostly fun
flying, but later on it became hell!”
Due to the upheavals in the
military after the July 2016 coup
attempt, the 2017 iteration of
Anatolian Phoenix was
cancelled, but a small
version was held
again last year and
2019 saw the 21st
edition of the
exercise. Six of
these have
involved
exclusively Turkish elements, but
15 of the exercises have attracted
international participants as well.
This year, around 430 soldiers
participated, including 180 from
Turkey and the other 250 from
Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Qatar,
Romania, the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus and the United
Kingdom. In total, they brought
ten aircraft and 14 helicopters with
them. Multiple practice zones were
available for the duration of the
manoeuvres, including Konya’s
main gunnery range, LTD-9. This
is located east of the town and
was where the main action took
place during the press day.
All scenarios centred around
Ahead of this year’s
Anatolian Eagle, Konya air
base in southern Turkey
played host to another
exercise, dedicated
to combat search and
rescue. Jurgen van Toor
and Patrick Dirksen were
there.
a terrorist group that had
settled at the border of three
neighbouring countries, right
next to an important oil pipeline.
Coalition forces trying to defeat
the insurgents had been forced
to retreat, leaving some injured
soldiers behind. On the day of
AFM’s visit, the mission was
to rescue them, with the firm
instruction to leave no isolated
person (ISOP) behind. Because of
a suspected serious anti-aircraft
artillery (AAA) threat, F-16s would
bomb the enemy positions first
and then attack helicopters would
clear the scene further if needed,
so the transport helicopters
would be able to land safely.
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 9:42:48 AM
 Above: Serial 20116 is one of
Azerbaijan’s advanced Mi-35Ms.
While these 24 gunships serve
with 1 Squadron at Qala, they
are operated by the Azerbaijan
Border Guards Service (DSX)
rather than the air force. Left: A
four-ship of Pakistan Air Force
‘Griffins’ led by F-16BM serial
90614 (c/n DH-2). No 9 Squadron
‘Griffins’ is located at PAF Base
Mushaf where it comes under
the control of No 38 (Multi-Role)
Wing of Central Air Command.
Below: Bomb’s gone! A Turkish
F-16 drops an unguided bomb
during a close air support
scenario. On the day of AFM’s
visit, JTACs guided ‘Vipers’ in to
destroy four out of five ‘enemy’
AAA targets. All photos Jurgen van
Toor and Patrick Dirksen

www.airforcesmonthly.com #378 September 2019 // 41

40-42 Phoenix AFM Sep2019.indd 41 8/5/2019 9:42:54 AM

 Exercise
Report
Right: A T129B unleashes 20mm
fire from its gun against targets on
the range. The ATAK is armed with
an M197 three-barrel rotary cannon
of the same type found on the
Mangusta as well as the US Marine
Corps’ AH-1W and AH-1Z.
The ‘wounded troops’ requiring
rescue were dropped by parachute
from a Mi-17 from 3 Squadron
of the Azərbaycan Hərbi Hava
Qüvvələri (Azerbaijan Air Force) at
Qala air base, marking the start of
the rescue operation. Supervised
by a Turkish Anka unmanned aerial
vehicle (UAV) from Incirlik air base
patrolling the area, Turkish F-16s
provided close air support (CAS).
On clearance from Joint Terminal
Attack Controllers (JTACs) from
Turkey and the UK, first ‘Dagger
1’ and then ‘Dagger 2’ destroyed
enemy AAA using live laser-guided
and unguided 500lb (227kg)
Above: Turkish Army AS532UL Cougar serial 14020 low over the exercise area, with decommissioned tanks serving as
targets in the background. This helicopter is operated by 1 Helicopter Battalion at Izmir-Gaziemir. Below: Azerbaijan
Air Force Mi-17-1V ‘185’ on the range. The Qala-based 3 Squadron also operates a detachment of ‘Hips’ stationed at
Kyurdamir. A total of 40 were received from 2010.
42 // September 2019 #378
40-42 Phoenix AFM Sep2019.indd 42
Anatolian Phoenix 2019
bombs, eliminating four out of
five targets. Next up were ‘Barut
1 and 2’, a pair of Turkish T129B
ATAK helicopters that used their
20mm cannon to strafe enemy
positions, taking out the remaining
threats. After a few more runs, the
area was secure and the transport
helicopters came in. They were
a mixed trio, consisting of a Türk
Kara Kuvvetleri (Turkish Land
Forces) AS532, another Azerbaijani
Mi-17 and a Turkish special forces
S-70 from the base at Ankara.
The helicopters remained in the
hover while troops fast-roped to
the ground. The wounded soldiers
were quickly stabilised and then
winched up to the helicopters,
which then made their way out,
still protected by the T129Bs.
An urgent radio message from
‘Fantom 1’ – an F-16 pilot who
had had to bail out of his aircraft –
marked the start of the next part of
the mission – recovery of a downed
pilot from hostile territory. Four
Pakistan Air Force F-16s provided
cover while ‘Hızır 1’, an AS532 of
the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus, and ‘Hızır 2 and 3’, two
Forţele Aeriene Române (Romanian
Air Force) IAR-330L SOCATs from
Baza 71 Aeriană at Câmpia Turzii,
landed in a triangle formation.
Special forces rapidly spread
out and secured the area before
approaching the stranded pilot.
After verifying his identity, the
aviator was embarked in one of
the SOCATs. All soldiers quickly
boarded the rotorcraft again and
all took off within a few minutes
of appearing on the battlefield.
Two Azerbaijani Mi-35M gunships,
from 1 Squadron at Qala air base,
and operating as ‘Barut 3 and 4’,
provided escort in case of enemy
attack, but were not needed.
To mark the end of a successful
operation, parachutists jumped
from a Qatari Emiri Air Force
C-130J-30 while carrying the
flags of all participating nations,
followed by a flyby of all the
aircraft and helicopters that
took part in the day’s mission.
Anatolian Phoenix 2019
was a great success, with all
scheduled missions going ahead
as planned. This was the first
time the Anka-S UAV had been
used in these manoeuvres and it
proved very useful for gathering
‘live’ intelligence. The drone
was able to provide continuous
data to the rescue helicopters
that penetrated the enemy area
and to the F-16s during their
close air support missions.
Illustrating the wider interest
in Anatolian Phoenix, around
a dozen countries attended as
observers, among them Australia,
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Croatia,
Jordan, Macedonia, Malaysia,
Serbia, South Korea, Sudan and
Uzbekistan. Some of them are
considering participation in a future
iteration, while others came mainly
to learn new techniques that will
be taught to crews back at home.
The fallout of the 2016 coup
attempt in Turkey might have
led to some hierarchical and
organisational changes within the air
force, but like a real phoenix rising
from ashes, this particular exercise
looks like it’s here to stay. AFM
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 9:43:02 AM
 SEPTEMBER ISSUE OUT NOW:
This issue features:
A STORM BREWING?
As the US military builds an impressive air
armada in and around the Middle East, Jamie
Hunter assesses the air power assets that are on
hand for President Trump

TURKISH TOUGH GUYS

Three years after an attempted military coup,
the Turkish Air Force’s ‘Anatolian Eagle’ exercise
was held in June. Giovanni Colla and Rich Cooper
were there to witness the action

‘RED AIR’ RESERVES

The US Navy Tactical Support Wing (TSW) is
responsible for the adversary squadrons that
are relied upon to keep - eet squadrons on their
toes. José M. Ramos heads south to Key West to
witness the new-look ‘bad guys’ in action

TOPGUN THROUGH THE AGES

The US Navy’s TOPGUN fighter weapons school is
marking 50 years of training. Brad Elward charts
JUST its history and success and finds a center of
£4.80 excellence that is adapting for the future

AND MUCH MORE!

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 Nordic air power

Restructuring
Norway’s air d While introduction of the F-35A
represents the most important element in the modernisation of
Norway’s air arm, changes within airborne surveillance, search and
rescue and other rotary components are helping to redefine its future
shape and capability, as Ian Harding and Kevin Wills discover.

1
1: C-130J-30 serial 5607 on manoeuvres in one
of the UK’s low-flying areas during a deployment
to RAF Kinloss, Scotland. The RNoAF’s airlift
capabilities reside within 335 Skvadron at Oslo/
Gardermoen. Four Hercules are on strength, the
most recent being an attrition example delivered
to Norway in October 2012. Ian Harding 2: RNoAF
Orion serial 3297 taxiing out at Andøya during
Exercise Dynamic Mongoose. Named ‘Jøssing’,
this aircraft is one of four P-3C variants active
with 333 Skvadron at the base. Considering
Norwegian geography, it’s easy to understand
why maritime operations have always been an
important task for the air force – Norway’s sea
territory is seven times larger than that of its land.
Stian Roen/Forsvaret 3: The F-35A is the centrepiece
of the RNoAF’s modernisation drive. These two
jets, serials 5149 and 5150, were among the
first three Lightning IIs to arrive in the country,
delivered to Ørland in November 2017. Norway
intends to acquire 52 F-35As with deliveries
planned to continue at a rate of six aircraft per
year through to 2024. Morten Hanche/Forsvaret
2

44 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

44-48 NorwayRestructures AFM Sep2019.indd 44 8/5/2019 9:46:21 AM

r defences
F
ormed in 1944, the Luftforsvaret
(Royal Norwegian Air Force, RNoAF) is
undergoing perhaps its greatest period
of change since its formation, as new fifth-
generation fighters, helicopters and maritime
patrol aircraft are rapidly being introduced.
Their priority is national sovereignty, and
Norway’s defence forces are always at high
readiness given the country’s proximity to
Russia – the two countries share a 120-mile
(193km) land border – but they cannot do this
alone. To deter the resurgent Russian threat,
interoperability with other nations is expanding,
demonstrated by major multinational NATO
manoeuvres such as Cold Response 2016,
Trident Juncture 2018 (NATO in the Far
North, February, p56-59) and latterly, Arctic
Challenge Exercise 2019. Although Russia is
not officially identified as an adversary, you
only have to look at a map of the region to
realise that the country is on every defence
planner’s mind within the Scandinavian
nations and NATO members in the vicinity.
The scale of the alliance’s exercises
is expanding rapidly, partly in response
to increased Russian activity in the
region and also because there are few
better locations on earth to train. This is
becoming more evident as nations, such as
Germany, the Netherlands and the United
States, specifically seek to expand their
interoperability with Norway, following a
trend established by the United Kingdom.
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44-48 NorwayRestructures AFM Sep2019.indd 45
Interoperability
Norway and the UK share a ‘special’ defence
relationship, evidenced by Exercise Clockwork
which celebrated its 50th anniversary this
year. UK forces, including Joint Helicopter
Command’s Commando Helicopter Force
(CHF), are well established at Bardufoss
flystasjon (Bardufoss Air Station) in Troms
county, having begun a cold weather survival
and rotary environmental qualification training
effort here in 1969. During Clockwork 2019,
AFM considered some of the defence issues
pertinent to Bardufoss, including Norway’s
strategic international interoperability,
with its station commander, Colonel Eirik
Stueland. His responsibilities also encompass
station commander of Banak (Lakselv)
Station Group – Norway’s most northerly
air base, located approximately 350 miles
(550km) from Bardufoss – commanding
officer of 139 Luftving (139 Air Wing),
and supporting Exercise Clockwork.
Located on the south side of Bardufoss
airfield are the buildings and other facilities
to support Clockwork and house British
forces for five to six months of the year, as
Col Stueland explained: “Bardufoss has great
infrastructure and is of strategic
importance. This area is like
no other; if you can fly here,
you can fly anywhere. The
training areas are huge,
unrestricted, and you
NATO 70
can fly from the sea up to snow-capped
mountains and onwards to live-firing ranges
which are ten minutes’ flying time away.
“Given our size and the political situation
in surrounding countries, it is important
Norway has allies who could come to our
aid if necessary. We therefore need to
train regularly with international partners
which include the United Kingdom,
with whom we enjoy an excellent
co-operation. We are the sole provider
of whatever Clockwork requires locally
but they [Clockwork’s UK administration]
generally manage their own affairs.
“Bardufoss airspace is civilian controlled
but our air wing operations manage all
air tasking orders, including Clockwork’s
missions. During the past two years, our
joint interoperability has increased, with
Bell 412s flying missions with Chinook
and Merlin [HC3/3A] in 2018, and Apache
[656 Squadron] and Wildcat [847 Naval Air
Squadron] in 2019. One mission involved
four Bell 412s and two Wildcats. Our Bell
aircraft provided lift support for United States
Marine Corps forces whilst two Wildcats
provided close air
#378 September 2019 // 45
8/5/2019 9:46:51 AM
 Nordic air power
The door gunner on board a Bell 412SP from 339
Skvadron during the Joint Viking 2017 winter
exercise in northern Norway’s Finnmark region.
Norway considers the Bell 412 a very robust
airframe with excellent serviceability and reliability
in all conditions. Fredrik Ringnes/Forsvaret
139 Air Wing
Headquartered at Bardufoss, 139 Air Wing activities are diverse and include squadrons operating from various air
bases throughout Norway:
Unit Base(s)
Luftforsvarets Flygeskole Bardufoss
(Flying School)
330 Skvadron Stavanger/Sola
330 Skvadron Moss/Rygge, Stavanger/
Sola, Florø, Bodø,
Ørland, Lakselv/Banak
334 Skvadron Haakonsvern
337 Skvadron Bardufoss
339 Skvadron Bardufoss, Moss/Rygge
support and escort. The Wildcats covered
the force withdrawal with 50-calibre live fire
at the nearby Setermoen firing range. This
was a great experience for us. The most
important aspect of this interoperability
is not necessarily the flying but the
planning, briefing and talking together.”
There are many compelling strategic reasons
why NATO partners seek training opportunities
with Norway, and at Bardufoss in particular.
Specialist units from the Netherlands and the
US were also deployed during AFM’s visit.
During Trident Juncture 2018, a US Navy
carrier air wing from the USS Harry S Truman
(CVN 75) deployed to use the gunnery range
at Setermoen, while USAF special operations
CV-22B Ospreys have occasionally deployed
with expeditionary forces. Home-based at
Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, Somerset,
846 Naval Air Squadron deployed here this
summer, with more Dutch and US forces
scheduled to arrive in 2020. International flying
activity will increase dramatically at Bardufoss
during Exercise Cold Response 2020 – a major
challenge will be finding sufficient facilities to
accommodate all the participating forces.
Nine of Norway’s 18 Bell 412HP/SP
rotorcraft reside at Bardufoss, with the
remainder at Rygge in southern Norway.
These are primarily used for tactical
transport for the army, moving personnel
and equipment, conducting surveillance,
reconnaissance and acting as mobile
command units. However, they are also used
to support local and regional communities
46 // September 2019 #378
44-48 NorwayRestructures AFM Sep2019.indd 46
Aircraft Role
MFI-15 Safari Flight training
AW101 Mk612 Operational test and
evaluation (OT&E)
Sea King Mk43B Search and rescue
NH90 NFH Anti-submarine warfare
NH90 NFH Coast guard
Bell 412HP/SP Army support/special
forces
in a para-public role providing search
and rescue (SAR) on 24/7 readiness.
Col Stueland confirmed that, from next
year, most of the Bell 412s will move
south to support a special operations
air squadron based at Rygge. Aircraft
remaining at Bardufoss will be used for
training and to provide army support.
NATO Frigate Helicopter
Norway’s acquisition of the NH90 NATO
Frigate Helicopter (NFH) has made headlines
for all the wrong reasons throughout the
past ten years. As a member of the Nordic
Standard Helicopter Programme (NSHP),
which included Finland and Sweden, Norway
ordered 14 NH90 NFHs in 2001 at a cost of
NOK 11bn (US$1.3bn) to be used for both
anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and coast
guard duties (which includes fisheries and
border protection). The in-service date
was scheduled for 2005-08, but today only
nine have been delivered and full operating
capability (FOC) has been pushed back until
2022. Norway received its first NFH in 2011
and the Lynx Mk86 was retired from service
three years later, placing extra strain on a
nation already patrolling Western Europe’s
longest and most challenging coastline –
an incredible 63,000 miles (101,389km),
or two and half times around the world,
if every inlet and fjord is accounted for.
Beset by a combination of problems
including maintenance, technical faults,
spare parts availability and spiralling
Above: A US Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey
performs an amphibious assault demonstration
on the Norwegian coast during Exercise Trident
Juncture 2018. The tiltrotor, serial 168330 ‘YM-08’,
is operated by Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron
365 (VMM-365) ‘Blue Knights’, detached from
the assault ship USS ‘Iwo Jima’ (LHD 7). Torbjørn
Kjosvold/Forsvaret Below right: A USAF B-52H,
deployed from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana,
flies in formation with three RNoAF F-16s over
Norway last March 28. The flight was in support
of US Strategic Command’s Bomber Task Force in
Europe. via USAFE
operational costs, the NH90 programme
was heavily criticised in a report issued
by Norway’s Auditor General Per-Kristian
Foss last October. Despite recognising the
programme’s shortcomings, Minister of
Defence Frank Bakke-Jensen provided a more
positive outlook in a recent statement when
explaining that the NH90 is still considered the
best option for Norway as it is “customised
for Norwegian conditions and tailor-made for
the needs of Norway’s coast guard and the
navy”. The NH90 is well suited to cold weather
work – critical parts of the helicopter, such as
the engine air intakes, aerodynamic surfaces
and rotors are fitted with a de-icing system. It
can also fly day or by night at -40°C (-40°F).
The original plan earmarked six aircraft to
be employed for ASW and eight for coast
guard duties. The current recommendation
calls for all 14 NH90s to fulfil naval support
responsibilities, eventually serving at
Haakonsvern in Bergen and at Bardufoss.
Col Stueland updated the current NFH
programme status, including Norway’s
ASW aspirations: “Despite the programme
delays, NH90 is one of the top priorities for
Norway. We are manipulating the programme
in order to make the aircraft available for
ASW as soon as possible given the threat
we face in the north, although this will take
time, as it’s a new capability for us.
“So far, nine NH90s have been delivered
to Bardufoss configured for the interim Step
A capability – without tactical capability,
weaponry and sensors for the ASW or
anti-surface warfare roles. These have to
be configured to Step B capability – with
electronic warfare and the ASW suite – during
the next two years, so we are returning them
to be retrofitted in Tessera, near Venice. We
have now received four Step B configured
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 9:46:57 AM

helicopters, with the remaining five new
Step B aircraft to be delivered by the end
of 2019. The latest was received in May.
We currently have five NH90s at Bardufoss,
including Step A aircraft returned from retrofit.
Retrofit of the Step A aircraft platforms to
Step B standard will therefore run alongside
continued deliveries of new helicopters
through to the declaration of the aircraft’s
FOC, which is now expected in 2022.
“We currently have NH90s serving in northern
Norway completing coast guard missions; our
aircrew consider it phenomenal in this role. Our
ASW has traditionally been the responsibility of
our P-3 Orion fleet [six aircraft; two P-3N and
four P-3C variants serving with 333 Skvadron
at Andøya] but going forward, our NH90s will
perform joint operations. Our rotary ASW work
commences this summer.
The helicopter and
its systems work; the
issue for us now is
having sufficient aircraft.”
Lieutenant Colonel Erik Mikkelsen, Head
of Operations 139 Air Wing and a pilot,
provided further insight into Norway’s NH90
experiences: “NH90 will support the coast
guard embarked aboard their larger vessels
Right: Hunter becomes the hunted: the view of
a Royal Navy Merlin HM2 from the Norwegian
submarine KNM ‘Utsira’ during the recent German
naval exercise Grüner Aal. A pair of Merlin HM2s
deployed to Bergen to undertake ASW training this
summer, and further UK/Norway ASW co-operation
is planned. Hedvig Antoinette Halgunset/Forsvaret
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44-48 NorwayRestructures AFM Sep2019.indd 47
Two-seat F-16BM serial 305 poses for the camera. The Fighting Falcon force has now been reduced to
a single frontline unit – 331 Skvadron. Sister unit 338 Skvadron ceased operations on April 1, when its
seven remaining F-16s flew from Ørland to Bodø. Eventually, 338 will re-form as an F-35A unit. Morten
Hanche/Luftforsvaret/Forsvaret
sailing in Norwegian waters. These missions
are concentrated in our northern waters,
including the Svalbard archipelago. The
NH90 will also provide capabilities as a SAR
asset including a robust medevac [medical
evacuation] capability. Its main mission is in
the fisheries protection role; the helicopter’s
sensors are used to confirm fishing activity
and the helicopter is used to place inspectors
aboard fishing vessels using the rescue
hoist. The NH90 now has the capability to
support the coast guard with significantly
larger capacity. The NH90’s new role within
the Norwegian armed forces is ASW; it will
become an integrated component of the
Nansen-class frigates’ warfare capability.
With its sensors and weapons, it will be able
to support
the combat ship as a sensor platform as
well as an effector. This capability will be
developed during the next years in close
collaboration with other NATO nations.”
The Royal Navy’s international ASW
NATO 70
reputation is such that Col Stueland confirmed
Norway’s aspiration to work with its Merlin
HM2s, based at RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall.
AFM understands that Norway’s NH90s
will adopt some similar ASW equipment
components, including the Thales FLASH
active dipping sonar and Thales Common
Acoustics Processor, crew concept and
tactics. In June, two Royal Navy Merlin HM2s
deployed to Bergen to undertake ASW training.
With fleet operational hours increasing and
sufficient Step B standard
aircraft now in place to start
ASW training, it’s likely that
naval shipborne testing will
begin soon. This is a pre-
requisite to expanding and
projecting ASW
capability.
The future
The introduction of the
F-35A into Norway’s inventory is central to
the armed forces’ development and is rapidly
gathering pace. Having made the decision
to acquire the F-35A in 2008, Norway’s
parliament has, so far, approved the purchase
of 22 of the planned 52 aircraft. In service,
#378 September 2019 // 47
8/5/2019 9:47:19 AM
 Nordic air power

Above: Sea King Mk43B serial 330 during an avalanche rescue exercise. Responsibility for search
and rescue within the RNoAF falls to 330 Skvadron. The unit operates 12 Sea Kings across six bases
covering the north and south of the country. A pair of Sea Kings is located at each of the bases and
falls under 139 Air Wing. Markus Anderstig/Forsvaret Left: A Norwegian NH90 helicopter on board the
KV ‘Senja’ – one of the coast guard’s Nordkapp-class offshore patrol vessels. After well-publicised
teething troubles, Norway’s NH90 programme now has the impetus to move forward in the manner
originally expected, subject to good spares availability, maintenance capacity and increasing aircraft
numbers. Torgeir Haugaard/Forsvaret Below: Norway’s new search and rescue helicopter, the AW101
Mk612, visits Sola air base in conjunction with the opening of a new hangar there for 330 Skvadron, in
June 2017. At the time, the aircraft still wore its temporary British military serial ZZ102. It now serves
in an OT&E role as serial 0265. Martin Mellquist/Forsvaret

the Lightning IIs will be equipped with an air-
launched version of the Norwegian Naval
Strike Missile developed by Kongsberg
Defence and Aerospace – the Joint Strike
Missile (JSM). Norway’s first three F-35As
were delivered to its F-35A main operating
base at Ørland in central Norway in November
2017 with the expectation that the station will
receive a further six aircraft annually up to
2024. There will also be a forward operating
base at Evenes in northern Norway. To date,
Norway has received 19 aircraft, of which 12
are currently based at Ørland assigned to
332 Skvadron, plus seven located at Luke
Air Force Base in Arizona for training. With
three more set to be delivered to Ørland
this autumn, it’s expected that Norway
will have received the minimum number
(15) required to achieve initial operating
capability (IOC) by the end of the year.
The transition scheme for Norway’s
ageing F-16 fleet, currently based at Bodø,
appears straightforward. Plans call for
the fleet of 57 aircraft to serve until the
end of 2021, with flight hours reducing as
more F-35As are introduced. Following
the disbandment of 338 Skvadron on April
1 this year, 331 Skvadron at Bodø is now
the RNoAF’s sole frontline F-16 unit.
Poised for Poseidon
Elsewhere, Norway is also awaiting the
arrival of its five Poseidon P-8As, ordered
this January for delivery by 2022. These will
eventually replace the nation’s six P-3C/N
Orions and the three Dassault Falcon
20ECMs that serve with 717 Skvadron
based at Oslo/Gardermoen Airport.
Norway’s transport requirements will continue
to be met by its four C-130J-30 Hercules
flown by 335 Skvadron at Oslo/Gardermoen
airport for the foreseeable future. While
there will be no further upgrades for the
P-3s or Falcons, since Norway is part of the
C-130J Joint User Group, future upgrades
will take place to ensure the Hercules fleet
is configured to the latest standard.
Combating the resurgent threat posed
by Russian forces in the North Atlantic
and Baltic Sea is imperative for Norway,
and these new aircraft – supported by
a fully ASW qualified NH90 NFH – will
significantly enhance the RNoAF’s capability.
Interoperability with partner nations is vital,
and this will continue within maritime patrol
following the declared intention for the UK’s
P-8A Poseidon operational and logistic
support facilities at RAF Lossiemouth in
Scotland to be extended to cover Norway.
Elsewhere, Norway has received the initial
five of 16 AW101 Mk612s, with the first of
six new AW101 search and rescue bases at
Stavanger/Sola due to become operational
by the end of December. Ørland will be next,
and the intention is to establish an AW101
presence at each future base every six months,
with each station taking approximately six
months to get up to speed. The latest AW101
Mk612 delivery (Norway 06), took place on
March 20, and a further five (Norway 07 to 11)
are currently in production at the Leonardo
Helicopters manufacturing facility at Yeovil
in Somerset. Deliveries of the 16 aircraft are
scheduled to be completed by the end of next
year; co-ordinated with the withdrawal of the
veteran Sea King Mk43B fleet, which has a
scheduled out-of-service deadline of 2021.
The Norwegian people have a huge affinity
with their Sea King helicopters, which have
served with 330 Skvadron – Norway’s
dedicated SAR and air ambulance squadron –
so well since they were introduced in 1972. In
that time, they have rescued over 40,000 people
(see Kings of the Arctic, February, p60-64).
Despite the challenges, this is an
extremely interesting and positive time
for the Royal Norwegian Air Force.
There is much to look forward to. AFM

48 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

44-48 NorwayRestructures AFM Sep2019.indd 48 8/5/2019 9:47:23 AM

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 Belgian F-16s in Corsica

Solenzara Earlier this summer, 1 Squadron

‘Stingers’ of the Belgian Air
Component departed their home
base of Florennes for a two-week
deployment to Solenzara on the
French island of Corsica. Joe
Campion joined them.

A Belgian flag displayed proudly on the cockpit

coaming, a ‘Stingers’ F-16AM tears through a
Corsican valley. Each Belgian ‘Viper’ pilot flies an
average of 150 hours annually, but this has been
boosted during combat deployments in recent
years. All photos Joe Campion

50 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

50-53 Solenzara AFM Sep2019.indd 50 8/2/2019 9:28:48 AM

a Stingers
T
he ‘Stingers’ departed
Belgium on June 3 and
returned on June 14. The
Corsican trip was part of a typically
busy schedule for the squadron, which
has been heavily involved in frontline combat
in the past decade, including deployments
for operations over Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq and
Syria, as well as meeting NATO air defence
responsibilities under the Baltic Air Policing
mission. The squadron deployed to Corsica with
a total of five of its Block 15 F-16AM airframes.
Located in the Mediterranean between the
southeast of the French mainland and the west
coast of Italy, Corsica is home to a NATO tactical
training centre and a French Air Force helicopter
liaison unit at Base Aérienne 126 Ventiseri-
Solenzara, construction of which dates back
to World War Two. While at Solenzara, the
Belgian squadron flew 72 sorties and more than
90hrs of flying time. This intensive activity gave
each pilot an opportunity to fly between seven
and nine sorties across the whole exercise.
Deployed operations
The ‘Stingers’ arrived in the Mediterranean
with multiple objectives. A major goal was to
www.airforcesmonthly.com
50-53 Solenzara AFM Sep2019.indd 51
assess the squadron’s ability
to get up to speed and then
start generating sorties from
a deployed operating base
(DOB). This required thorough
preparation and co-ordination
with the host nation. The squadron
knows only too well from past
experience that it may be required to
deploy anytime, anywhere around the globe.
After the five 1 Squadron Fighting Falcons
touched down on the first Monday of the
exercise, the unit was able to fly its initial
training missions just three hours later, using
different pilots to the ferry flight. (Four jets
were used for regular sorties during the
exercise and one served as a spare.) This
proved the squadron was well prepared and
ready to meet its objectives. Mechanics,
pilots and support staff all played their part
in a successful endeavour, and the ‘Stingers’
completed 97% of their planned sorties.
Another aim was to boost morale within the
squadron, achieved by lodging and working
together on base, without outside interference,
throughout the two weeks. In this way, 1
Squadron personnel were ideally positioned
NATO 70
to better understand each
other’s roles, including limiting
factors as well as uncovering
potential new capabilities.
Dogfights over the Med
Once in the air, the main flying
aspiration was to perform basic
fighter manoeuvres (BFM) using infrared
decoys (flares). Each day, the squadron
carried out five BFM missions organised in
three waves and involving ten of its pilots. The
‘Stingers’ departed the airfield in two- or four-
ship formations. BFM sorties were carried
out with different numbers of attacking and
defending aircraft, including 2-v-2, 2-v-1 and
1-v-1 battles. Pilots operated at a variety
of altitudes and airspeeds, and included
3K, 6K, 9K and ‘butterfly’ manoeuvres.
During a 3K manoeuvre, the attacking aircraft
starts 3,000ft behind the defending aircraft.
Starting at this short distance, the attacker
already has their opponent in the ‘control zone’,
so the pilot is capable of engaging missiles
and is within effective range to fire the F-16’s
20mm Vulcan gun. With this in mind, the task
for the defending pilot is to vacate this zone.
#378 September 2019 // 51
8/2/2019 9:29:23 AM
 Belgian F-16s in Corsica
The ten Belgian Air Component pilots involved
in the Corsican deployment took to the skies
wearing JHMCS. The helmet sight is a very useful
counterpart to the AIM-9X missile, which began to
replace the previous AIM-9M from 2017.
For the 6K and 9K (6,000ft and 9,000ft)
manoeuvres, the principle is the same –
the attacking aircraft is once again behind
the defending aircraft, but with additional
separation. This means the offensive aircraft
starts the manoeuvre outside the defender’s
control zone. The goal of the attacking aircraft
is to manoeuvre into the control zone of the
defending aircraft. Meanwhile, the defending
aircraft has to get away from the attacker to
either neutralise the fight or eventually ‘turn
offensive’ while defeating the enemy’s shots.
The butterfly manoeuvre is different, as the
aircraft begin the fight ‘on neutral ground’.
Once within the battle area, both aircraft
head towards each another, eventually
crossing and creating a race to see who
gains the attacking or defending role within
the dogfight. Pilots make full use of three-
dimensional manoeuvres as well as on-board
systems and (simulated) armament.
Flares and missiles
Basic fighter manoeuvres were carried out
in a flying area over the Mediterranean Sea
with a lower combat floor than back home in
Below: The first-week ‘fit’: a head-on view of a
Belgian F-16AM loaded with three external fuel
tanks plus inert Sidewinders. Carrying three external
tanks not only adversely affects turn radius but also
increases the aircraft’s radar cross-section.
52 // September 2019 #378
50-53 Solenzara AFM Sep2019.indd 52
Belgium. This allowed the pilots to experience
the jet’s flying characteristics at low level, with
frequent use of afterburner. The ‘Stingers’
used flares to give both attacker and defender
the chance to experience the capabilities
of short-range, high off-boresight infrared-
guided missiles and a better understanding
of how to defeat them effectively.
The commanding officer of 1 Squadron,
Lt Col Sébastien Mesmaeker, explained:
“You cannot learn to fly BFM by the books
– you have to perform it regularly to see the
aspect of the other aircraft in the sky.”
During the first week, the F-16s flew with
wing tanks, but for the second they were
configured with a lighter external fuel
load and only a centreline tank. These
variations result in different manoeuvring
capabilities for the aircraft, such as a wider
turn radius with external fuel tanks, as
well as a larger radar cross-section (RCS).
The bigger the RCS, the more visible
the jet is on an opposing aircraft’s
radar. All F-16s were equipped
with four missiles to simulate the
radar-guided AIM-120B Advanced
Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM)
and the infrared-guided AIM-9X Sidewinder.
Pilots were therefore able to experience the
aerodynamic effects of the stores on the
aircraft during intense combat manoeuvres.
The 1 Squadron pilots made use of the Joint
Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS). This
provides aviators with a ‘first look, first shoot’, high
off-boresight weapons engagement capability.
The system enables the pilot to accurately cue
onboard armament and sensors against enemy
aircraft without the need to work the radar or
aggressively manoeuvre the aircraft to bring the
target within the head-up display for designation.
Combat symbology such as targeting cues
and aircraft performance parameters are
displayed directly on the pilot’s visor.
Tackling Typhoons
Alongside the ‘in house’ aerial combat, flown
against squadron mates, there was a huge
bonus for 1 Squadron since their operating
area was shared with Italian Air Force
F-2000 Typhoons operating out of
Grosseto air base. The ‘Stingers’
took the opportunity to face another
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/2/2019 9:29:39 AM
 NATO 70
A pairs take-off by ‘Stingers’ F-16AMs at Solenzara. Serial FA-117 nearest the camera carries an inert AIM-120B AMRAAM on its port wingtip. Standard
equipment for a quick reaction alert mission above Benelux territory comprises two AMRAAMs and two AIM-9X missiles.

platform during dissimilar air combat

training (DACT) in the second week of the
exercise. Six sorties were flown against
the Italian Eurofighters. This was extremely
beneficial to the ‘Stingers’ – training against
an advanced ‘adversary’ allows pilots to
learn different aspects and performance
characteristics, provides them with a wider
range of BFM skills, and allows them to
gain knowledge on the engine, radar and
armament capabilities of different aircraft.
The offer to learn about the Typhoon’s
strengths and weaknesses during
simulated combat was eagerly accepted
by Solenzara’s Belgian contingent.
The squadron’s move to the Corsican
base was a success and the ‘Stingers’
achieved all mission objectives both on
the ground and in the air. Overall, it was
a unique chance for the entire unit to be
deployed together on another nation’s air
base, and the local airspace was ideal Above: The local airspace provided plenty of opportunities to train with few restrictions, as demonstrated
for carrying out air-to-air sorties with few by FA-117 at low level through the Corsican countryside. Belgium’s 54 remaining F-16s have been very
restrictions. Much was learnt during the active on foreign operations since 2005. Below: An F-16AM recovers to Solenzara. Throughout its service
career, the Belgian Fighting Falcon fleet has been steadily upgraded via the stepped Mid-Life Update
two weeks, especially through training (MLU) programme.
BFM against advanced fighter opposition. AFM

www.airforcesmonthly.com #378 September 2019 // 53

50-53 Solenzara AFM Sep2019.indd 53 8/2/2019 9:25:55 AM

 Exercise
Report
Top Guns
in the Top End
Phil Buckley and
Mike O’Neill attended
the Royal Australian
Air Force’s Exercise
Diamond Storm held in
the Northern Territory
between April and May.
54 // September 2019 #378
54-58 ExRepDiamondStorm AFM Sep2019.indd 54
Diamond Storm 2019
L
ike any air arm of its
calibre, the Royal
Australian Air Force
(RAAF) makes strenuous efforts
to ensure its pilots have critical
combat skills. At the cutting
edge of this work this year was
Exercise Diamond Storm, part of
the broader – and evolving – Air
Warfare Instructor Course (AWIC).
The first AWIC in 2017 proved
very successful and since then
it’s continued to test and refine
the RAAF’s combat force. This
year’s iteration comprised three
integration exercises: Diamond
Seas, Diamond Shield and
Diamond Storm. Concentrated
upon RAAF Bases Darwin and
Tindal in the Northern Territory,
Diamond Storm brought together
many air force elements and
placed them under realistic
operational pressure. It also
provided a critical test for Air
Combat Group fighter graduates
at No 2 Operational Conversion
Unit (OCU, see Tiger tamers,
July, p36-41) – this was their
last major exercise prior to the
final phase of their training.
In recent years the RAAF has
focused heavily on becoming
a ‘fifth-generation air force’,
enhancing its operational
and educational capabilities
by upgrading or acquiring
new systems and ensuring it
has a well-trained workforce.
Challenging exercises serve to
test integration of warfighting
functions across a range of
specialisations, and AWIC makes
use of subject matter experts
across the air-to-air combat
arena to develop highly skilled
air warfare instructors who will in
turn school the next generation
of fighter pilots and controllers.
Over the last few decades, the
Australian Defence Force has
also focused heavily on better
linking together joint operations
by the RAAF, Royal Australian
Navy (RAN) and Australian Army
as well as allied partners. This
involves using technology and
people to help provide a ‘bigger
picture’ on what’s happening
in the air, in space and on the
ground. This also means testing
and assessing tactics, refining
battlespace management and
learning new ways to overcome
potential opponents.
The RAAF has forged close
working relationships with other
countries to develop and maintain
common connections and to
learn how other nations manage
tactics, strategies and normal
peacetime operations. Should a
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 10:35:47 AM
 2

3
natural disaster occur, or a conflict jets effectively in combat. As he New South Wales, in March 1952. Lighting the way
break out, the RAAF is expected set about addressing the problem, He took control of the unit in May AWIC sees a wide range of
to work as a co-ordinated and Wing Commander R C Cresswell, 1953 and helped oversee the first RAAF assets come to the Top
integrated force with its partners. DFC, acknowledged that the Fighter Combat Instructor (FCI) End – the northernmost part
fighter pilot training programme course early the following year. of the Northern Territory – and
Polishing rough was falling short. Creswell The FCI evolved over the next this year around 70 aircraft
diamonds advocated for the re-forming few decades and as new fighters attended. Several RAAF Force
Today’s AWIC can be traced back of No 2 (Fighter) Operational arrived with the RAAF, including Element Groups were active:
to the Korean War when the RAAF Training Unit, which was stood Sabres, Mirages and Hornets. • Air Combat Group: No 1
proved unable to use its pilots and up at RAAF Base Williamtown, By the mid-2010s the RAAF Squadron (F/A-18F), No 6
acknowledged that a new Squadron (EA-18G), Nos 75
1: An F-15C flown by the California Air National Guard’s 194th Fighter focus on fighter pilot training and 77 Squadrons (F/A-18A)
Squadron ‘Griffins’ takes off from RAAF Base Darwin as a No 2 OCU
F/A-18A Hornet taxies to the runway for a Diamond Storm mission. The
was required to bring together
‘classic’ Hornet, A21-33, is a former No 75 Squadron jet and retains that students, instructors, supporting • Surveillance and Response
unit’s ‘Magpie’ tail markings as well as a bomb tally on the nose from resources and overall air power Group: No 114 Mobile
Middle East deployments. All photos CPL Craig Barrett/Commonwealth of capabilities. A new structure to Control and Reporting Unit,
Australia, Department of Defence unless stated 2: The scene at RAAF Base
Darwin as a No 2 OCU F/A-18B heads out for a sortie while a B-52H
manage these assets and a new No 2 Squadron (E-7A), No
takes off. The Stratofortress from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron training approach emerged as the 10 Squadron (AP-3C)
deployed to Australia from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, under the Air Warfare Centre (AWC). At the
USAF’s Enhanced Air Cooperation initiative. 3: Nackeroo Airfield, within same time, the FCI was retitled • Air Mobility Group: No 32
the Bradshaw Field Training Area in the Northern Territory, was used
for assault landings by this No 36 Squadron C-17A. The Globemaster
as the Air Warfare Instructor Squadron (King Air), No 33
III operated from a dirt strip prepared by airfield engineers from No 65 Course and was moved out of Squadron (KC-30A), No 36
Squadron, providing an airfield length of 3,500ft – the minimum prescribed Air Combat Group control and Squadron (C-17A), No 37
for C-17A operations. placed directly under the AWC. Squadron (C-130J)
Two-seat F/A-18Bs top up from a No 33 Squadron KC-30A as the fighters
redeploy following Diamond Storm 2019. The unit achieved initial operational
capability with the KC-30A in February 2013 and since then has acquired
another pair of former Qantas A330s converted to Multi-Role Tanker Transport
configuration. The first of these was delivered in August 2017 and the second
arrived in May this year. SQNLDR Paul Simmons/Commonwealth of Australia,
Department of Defence

Force multipliers
RAAF No 33 Squadron KC-30A tankers flew out of RAAF Base Darwin to
refuel aircraft involved in the exercise. The tankers regularly took off and
headed south towards Tindal and the Delamere Air Weapons Range.
A typical KC-30A mission involved a racetrack pattern flown at around
22-24,000ft (6,706-7,315m), where several flights of ‘classic’ Hornets and Super
Hornets would merge on the tanker and take on fuel via the hose and drogue.
The receivers all formed up on the left wing before taking their turns in pairs,
with one going to the port side and the other to starboard. During the ‘hook-
ups’, each F/A-18 planned to take on around 6,000lb (2,722kg) of fuel. Once filled
up, the fighters then broke away from the tanker and returned to the range.

www.airforcesmonthly.com #378 September 2019 // 55

54-58 ExRepDiamondStorm AFM Sep2019.indd 55 8/5/2019 10:35:54 AM

 Exercise
Report Diamond Storm 2019
Assorted Australian Army
and RAN surface elements
were also involved.
To ensure these resources –
pilots, aircraft, radars and support
personnel – work effectively, the
AWIC evolves as an intense series
of exercises of which Diamond
Storm is the final major integration
phase. At this point, No 2 OCU
fighter students are under intense
pressure in their training syllabus
at Williamtown. The exercise in
the Northern Territory introduces
Operated by Top Aces, Alpha Jet A C-GLTO ‘069’ takes off for a sortie
during Diamond Storm 2019. These nimble jets provided a Red Air adversary them to more branches of the ADF
training capability alongside Hornets and F-15Cs. Also among the ‘bad and coalition partner nations – this
guys’ was a Raytheon-operated Learjet 35A from the company’s Electronic year only the United States was
Warfare Training Services division. CPL Colin Dadd/Commonwealth of Australia, involved as an external ‘player’.
Department of Defence
The pilot of a No 75 Squadron F/A-18A drops a 1,000lb GBU-16 Paveway II
laser-guided bomb during a Diamond Storm sortie. Commonwealth of Australia,
Department of Defence
56 // September 2019 #378
54-58 ExRepDiamondStorm AFM Sep2019.indd 56
The Diamond series of
manoeuvres enable the course
candidates to return to their home
base armed with new knowledge
as subject matter experts and help
train other squadron members.
MRCU
Diamond Storm flight operations
were supported by No 114
Mobile Control and Reporting
Unit (MRCU), the history of which
stretches back to World War
Two. AFM was shown around the
unit’s infrastructure by WGCDR
Brett Risstrom who explained
the functions of airspace battle
management and some of the
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 10:36:11 AM
 Below: USAF B-52H serial 61-0035 ‘MT’ comes in to land at RAAF Base Darwin
after a sortie during Exercise Diamond Storm. Maj Bryson Ayers, a 23rd
Expeditionary Bomb Squadron weapons system operator, explained: “One
big piece of why this exercise is important is the interoperability between
the United States and Australia. We need to know how to fly together, fight
together, so we can be ready for anything.”

equipment used. Within the
Top End, No 114 MCRU has
radars at Pine Creek, Tindal and
at its home base of Darwin.
No 114 MCRU can operate with
radars thousands of kilometres
away and all flight operations
can be controlled via data link
technologies. Fixed ground-
based radars can typically
‘see’ up to 15,000-20,000ft
(4,572-6,096m), but are limited
by radar clutter and weather.
Using other assets like the E-7A
and deployable ground-based
radars, No 114 MCRU personnel
can call upon a much larger
‘footprint’ to direct the pilots.
The unit works from moveable
containers which house
the operations ‘brains’ (the
communications), ‘hearts’ (tactical
interface) and ‘lungs’ (battle data
links). Inside these containers,
specially trained personnel
work with pilots to guide them
through the air, utilise tactics
and control the overall battle.
Diamond Storm also placed
pressure on the controllers,
who work in a dynamic, high-
tempo environment. The key to
successful battle management
comes from assessing the
tactical situation and using this
information to the best advantage.
ANG Eagles
at the Top End
The USAF routinely works with
the RAAF in training programmes
including Exercises Diamond
Shield and Storm. This close
co-operation enables both
forces to closely integrate their
assets and personnel, using
similar tactics and support
infrastructure. Visiting Darwin
was the 194th Fighter Squadron
(FS), 144th Fighter Wing (FW),
which normally operates out of
Fresno Air National Guard Base
in California. This detachment
also included jets from the 122nd
FS, 159th FW, from Naval Air
Station Joint Reserve Base New
Orleans, Louisiana. Eight F-15Cs
were observed on the Darwin
ramp for Diamond Shield and the
experienced ANG pilots provided
a formidable force to train against.
The 194th’s commanding
officer, Lt Col Chris ‘Cliff’ Ridlon
explained the mission while ‘Down
Under’. Employing the F-15C’s
highly capable radar and missiles,
their role was to provide a mix of
Red and Blue Air, generating a
variety of offensive and defensive
counter-air flights. Swapping
roles meant the ANG pilots were
able to use their skills to push the
RAAF students and other ADF
personnel in a variety of ways.
Other Red Air assets included
contracted Top Aces Alpha Jets,
which came up from Williamtown.
These typically operated alongside
Red Air Hornets. The small but
agile Alpha Jets enable the RAAF
to better optimise its fighter force,
placing less stress on the Hornet
fleet as adversary aircraft. This
saves airframe hours and cuts
fuel and maintenance costs. As
a result, more Hornets can be
used for ‘real’ training missions.
Tindal operations
Operations also took place from
RAAF Base Tindal, around 186
miles (300km) south of Darwin.
Insights at the facility were
provided by the commanding
officers of the base’s No 17
Squadron (a non-flying unit
including the Delamere Air
Weapons Range), Tindal’s No
75 Squadron (F/A-18A) and the
visiting No 77 Squadron (F/A-18A).
No 17 Squadron boss WGCDR
Tim Ferrell said: “We started
planning for this about two to
three months ago, in relation to
food deliveries, fuel deliveries,

Left: A No 77 Squadron F/A-18A takes off for its next sortie. Serial A21-39 is
the unit’s 75th anniversary jet and received these special markings in 2017.
The squadron brought a dozen jets to Tindal from its Williamtown base and
loaned some of these to No 75 Squadron for the Top End exercise. CPL Colin
Dadd/Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Defence

www.airforcesmonthly.com #378 September 2019 // 57

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 Exercise
Report
Exercise director, GPCAPT Matthew
McCormack. Phil Buckley
those sorts of things. We’ve got
about 300 extra personnel on the
base at the moment, so well within
our capacities to support that and
the 33 aircraft on the base. What
we do here day-to-day is support
75 Squadron, so we surge when
supporting 77 Squadron. For me,
it’s about doing our job safely, for
example refuelling – there’s more
tempo, more people, more trucks.
We surge our messes too, and one
of the other things to note is we’re
not just servicing Tindal as we’ve
also got people out at Delamere,
Pine Creek and Bradshaw.
“From a military perspective
alone, we’ve done 25,000 meals
in the last four weeks supporting
this exercise. We’ve delivered
over 2.5 million litres of fuel.
Those are the things we look at
and it’s good to get the team
planning for an exercise like this.
58 // September 2019 #378
54-58 ExRepDiamondStorm AFM Sep2019.indd 58
Diamond Storm 2019
Doing what we do here is what
we do overseas on deployment
– it’s real-world training.”
No 75 Squadron commanding
officer WGCDR Pete Robinson
provided his insight on Diamond
Storm: “The joy of the Territory at
this time of year is the weather,
but at all times of the year we’ve
got this amazing airspace that
that allows us to fly our aircraft
to their limits, in a large area.
We have also got some great
weapons ranges out there, so
we can roll into air-to-ground
training against a number of
different targets. We have also
got simulated surface-to-air
missile systems on the ground.
“Bringing everything together
with the aircraft we have in
Darwin, the F-15s, 2 OCU, and
with 77 Squadron coming up
here to join 75 Squadron, it’s
a pretty amazing exercise for
us. It’s something different for
75 Squadron as usually we’re
up here, just ourselves, and we
have to generate all our own
internal training. When we have
all the additional assets up here,
we have some amazing things
that our aircrew get to deal
with. The size of the exercise
also challenges our logistics,
maintenance and administration
personnel, as they get to see the
base operating to its full extent.”
Visiting Tindal for the exercise
was No 77 Squadron, led by
WGCDR Jason ‘Easty’ Easthope:
“We’ve brought 12 aeroplanes
from our home base down in
Williamtown, and we’ve also
loaned a couple of our aeroplanes
to the squadron up in Darwin
as part of this. We have about
150 people here up in the Top
End in support of the exercise.
It’s quite a big detachment for
us, but an easy one because
we are familiar here – they know
Hornets, the base is set up for
it, they know how we work and
what we need, and we’ve worked
together a lot over the years.
“No 77 Squadron has been
on the go since we started with
Red Flag over at Nellis Air Force
Base in the US. We dropped
some aeroplanes off to Canada
[as part of the sale of ex-RAAF
F/A-18s to the Royal Canadian
Air Force], then came back here
and into the AWIC, so we’ve been
on the go for about five months
now. We’ve had a lot of planning
over the last six months for what
has been a busy year for us.
“During this exercise we are
quite willing to be flexible –
one day I could be flying a 77
Squadron ‘tail’ on a mission with
77 Squadron pilots and the next
day I’ll be in one of the ‘Magpie’
[No 75 Squadron] jets with one of
the ‘Magpie’ wingmen, operating
out of their facilities. So we just
swap from one day to the next.”
No 2 OCU
For No 2 OCU at Darwin,
Diamond Storm gave its AWIC
students the chance to fly basic
strike mission training before
working up to larger formations
of aircraft. Mission profiles saw
students working alongside
other squadrons to maximise
real-time information flow and
challenge the students. The
OCU students operated over the
Delamere Air Weapons Range
and Bradshaw Field Training
Operated by No 6 Squadron, RAAF, this HARM-toting EA-18G is taxiing out
at last light for a night sortie from RAAF Base Darwin. GPCAPT McCormack
noted that Diamond Storm still has some way to go in providing suitable
training on the ground for Growler aircrew. This suggests a requirement
for more advanced surface-to-air missile and other ground-based threats,
whether live or simulated.
Area near RAAF Base Tindal.
Operating with foreign forces
is not something No 2 OCU
does every week and Diamond
Storm was an opportunity for
students to integrate with USAF
assets including F-15s and
B-52Hs. This was the last AWIC
for No 2 OCU’s ‘classic’ F/A-
18A/Bs as the unit will convert
to the F-35A early next year.
Eye of the storm
Diamond Storm ended with an
overview from GPCAPT Matthew
McCormack, the exercise director,
responsible for around 2,000
personnel. Planning for the
exercise took around 12 months.
GPCAPT McCormack said:
“The exercise pushes personnel
to their absolute limits. The
challenges faced are well
known and dealt with. Skillsets
are used to manage problems
within a training environment
and feed into future tactics and
operations. Students need to be
agile, adapting and exploiting
situations using the capabilities
and knowledge of their own and
other weapons. The exercise is
above what could be expected
in a real warzone. The scenarios
are not set up to win – it’s OK if
candidates fail and come away
learning to improve their skills.”
GPCAPT McCormack concluded:
“The RAAF is grateful to have the
opportunity to undertake this most
complex and difficult exercise
every two years. Everyone is
operating under intense pressure
and is able to work together.
Professional individuals across
the exercise are able to overcome
problems and learn new skills”. AFM
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 10:36:32 AM
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 UK Lightning in focus

Below: No 617 Squadron F-35Bs ZM146

and ZM148 flanked by a pair of F-35As from
Amendola’s 32° Stormo. The different aerial
refuelling kit between the two variants – nose-
mounted probe on the F-35B, boom receptacle on
the spine of the F-35A – are obvious in this view.
All photos David Cenciotti

Staccato Pur
A
mendola air base in southeast Italy,
home of the Aeronautica Militare
(AM, Italian Air Force) 13° Gruppo
(13th Squadron) of the 32° Stormo (32nd
Marzinotto explained: “The purpose of this joint
activity is to consolidate the interoperability
between two of the most important air forces
in the F-35 programme. Although the platform
various fields. We shared data with the British
F-35s using MADL: this is a further step
towards integration between fifth-generation
aircraft of different nations – the use of this
Wing) hosted British and American F-35s for has reached a good degree of maturity, as high-performance data link is essential for
an “international F-35 training day” on July we start operational use of the aircraft it’s any coalition mission or joint training.
2. The exercise, named Staccato Pursuit by important for us to share lessons learned in “Deployment of the RAF F-35Bs to Amendola
the UK contingent, involved two F-35Bs of
No 617 Squadron ‘Dambusters’ and four
F-35As from the 421st Fighter Squadron
(FS) from Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
The two British jets landed at Amendola on
July 1, on their way back to RAF Marham,
Norfolk, from RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, where they
had just completed Operation Lightning Dawn –
the squadron’s first overseas deployment. The
day after, two aircraft took part in a complex
mission with two Italian F-35As. It was the
first time Italian and British stealth jets had
Above: The two British jets rest on the tarmac at Amendola. The jets arrived in Italy en route back to
flown together and ‘talked’ to one another via Marham following their combat debut in Operation Shader, during which they flew a first combat sortie
Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL). over Syria on June 16. Right: The ‘Dambusters’ F-35Bs cruise together over southeast Italy during Exercise
Commander of the 32° Stormo Col Davide Staccato Pursuit. Note the Luneburg lenses fitted ahead of the tail fins to boost the jets’ radar signatures.

60 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

60-61 UKF35s AFM Sep2019.indd 60 02/08/2019 17:22:58

 there to support us. We found very quickly
that we were having good productivity. We

NATO 70
performed armed overwatch of our forces on
the ground in support of Operation Shader.
“As part of the deployment we also had
the opportunity to train with the Israelis and
that was one of the highlights because, as
proven today with the Italians, the F-35,
as an integrated asset across different
nations, works pretty well. We are not really
flying different aircraft – we are all flying
F-35s: once the wheels are up and you are
flying around, you are the same assets,
you are able to do the same things.”
Maj Maurizio De Guida, commander
of the 13° Gruppo, added: “I met Wing
Commander Butcher yesterday; we talked
for ten minutes about today’s mission. Today
we carried out a tactical mission that would
have been impossible to fly – that easily and
that quickly – with any previous-generation
aircraft. We were on the same MADL chain
and I realised that I had flown a mission
alongside an F-35B only after landing. While
airborne we were flying the same aircraft, in
a complex mission, with amazing ease”

Offensive counter-air
During the afternoon, several AM assets,
including T-346s, AMXs, a KC-767 tanker and
four F-35As took part in a complex offensive
counter-air (OCA) mission inside restricted
airspace located over the Tyrrhenian Sea, east
of Sardinia, which also saw involvement of the
four F-35As from the 421st FS. Italian Typhoons
integrated on both the simulated adversary side
and the ‘Blue’ side. The US F-35s launched
from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, carried
out their mission and landed at Amendola.
A USAF lieutenant colonel, who identified
himself only by his callsign ‘Ali’, explained: “We

ursuit
are here to increase interoperability. Exercise
Astral Knight was our first test of interoperability
between Italian F-35As and US F-35As. Today
we made a step forward and also had the
opportunity to land in Amendola and actually
RAF F-35Bs and USAF F-35As talk face-to-face to the Italian pilots, which we
joined Italian Air Force F-35As couldn’t do during Astral Knight, when we were
for joint drills at Amendola air based in Aviano, while the Italians flew from
base, and David Cenciotti flew here. F-35 pilots who took part in today’s OCA
with them. mission will have the opportunity to debrief
together and this is extremely important.” AFM
is also an example of the flexibility of the
programme: foreign nations’ aircraft can
deploy here and get the operational and
logistical support they need to operate. The
infrastructures were born with this embedded
ability to support partner air forces’ F-35s.
This was the first time we supported and
co-operated with the F-35B; although not
planned yet, I personally think we will make a
return visit to RAF Marham – maybe next year.”
The two ‘Dambusters’ F-35Bs were among
six Lightnings that took part in the Akrotiri
deployment during which the RAF F-35B made
its combat debut over Syria and Iraq. Wg
Cdr John Butcher, boss of No 617 Squadron,
reflected: “Lightning Dawn was our first proof-
of-concept deployment away from the UK.
We had lots of different objectives we wanted
to achieve, and we met all of them. From the
moment we arrived in Cyprus, things went
very well: we assessed that the infrastructures
were accessible, that the logistic chain was

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 Column
The art of
avoiding detect
Self-defence in aerial combat
has been transformed by stealth
aircraft – but is it the panacea
that it was once considered? Air
Power Association President,
Air Marshal (ret’d) Greg
Bagwell CB CBE gets
into the detail.
62 // September 2019 #378
62-64 BagwellSelfProtection AFM Sep2019.indd 62
Commander’s Update Briefing
T
he idea of stealth aircraft is now
firmly set in the public imagination.
Yet, we are still some way off from
the Harry Potter-like ‘cloak of invisibility’.
Firstly, stealth capability today is about
reducing radar signature in relatively narrow
bands of the spectrum; rather than making
aircraft totally undetectable. But, invariably
they are able to reduce detection ranges to
such a degree that a stealthy aircraft can
either fly through the now larger gaps created
in radar coverage, or get close enough to
target the very thing trying to detect them.
But even stealth aircraft have Achilles’
heels. Noise, heat, visual signature and even
certain angles or aircraft configuration allow
some chance of detection. Moreover, modern
surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems and even
airborne radars are looking at new slices of
the electronic spectrum to use frequencies
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/2/2019 2:20:34 PM

ction
“Now you
see me,
now you
don’t…”
3 Australia 3: Airmen de-arm an F-35A from the
4
that render current stealth designs less
effective or even defunct. So, the evolution
of the airborne cat-and-mouse game
continues. But, while we have seen major
air powers each pursue their own versions
of stealth aircraft, the greatest advances
have perhaps been in the development of
detection and interception technologies, so
maybe aircraft are losing this ‘arms race’.
Of course, stealth aircraft still only form a
fraction of even very modern and wealthy
air forces, so what are the other tools
and tactics available to crews in today’s
battlespace? Well quite simply, the rules
www.airforcesmonthly.com
62-64 BagwellSelfProtection AFM Sep2019.indd 63
of the game are rather straightforward
and involve a combination of physics and
cunning. Let’s start with the technical bit
first – the physics boils down to three
simple techniques: stay outside detection
range, blank out the other side’s detection
capability or deceive it to look elsewhere.
Staying outside detection range is what
stealth characteristics aim to achieve. By
reducing detection range, you can actually
decrease standoff and, in extremis, penetrate
an enemy’s defence system. It goes without
saying, that knowing where systems are is
a vital element in staying out of detection
range, and long-term surveillance is aimed
at gathering both system locations and
electronic signatures to enable this. Of
course, even more critical are missile fly-
out and engagement ranges – respectively,
the weapon’s ‘legs’, before it loses kinetic
energy, and the practical envelope at which
it can shoot down a target. Historically, these
have been much lower than the detection
ranges, but new systems are increasingly
able to shoot over the horizon and this is
forcing strategic assets such as surveillance
platforms further away from the front line.
Jamming and spoofing
Standoff or even self-protection ‘noise’
jamming is the next simple technique that
aims to deny or at least disrupt detection;
it does this by swamping hostile equipment
– creating so much ‘electronic noise’ within
an operating system that its users have to
de-tune it to such an extent that detection
ranges drop dramatically, or are even totally
shut down. However, this technique has a
few drawbacks in that it requires significant
power for an air platform to overcome a
ground-based system with greater generation
capacity; moreover, it can actually act as a
2
1: A C-17A assigned to the 315th Airlift
Wing out of Joint Base Charleston, South
Carolina, deploys a volley of flares as part
of an operational readiness exercise last
November. Infrared countermeasures are
becoming increasingly sophisticated to keep
pace with advances in air defence systems
and sensors. USAF/Staff Sgt Nicholas A Priest 2: A
Royal Australian Air Force No 77 Squadron F/A-
18A carries an AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface
Standoff Missile (JASSM) during operational
test and evaluation at Woomera Range in South
Australia. As an alternative to stealth, long-
range weapons like this offer a way of keeping
outside the range of an enemy’s defence
systems. LAC Scott Woodward/Commonwealth of
421st Fighter Squadron, Hill Air Force Base,
Utah, after arrival at Spangdahlem Air Base,
Germany, on June 11, as part of a Theater
Security Package. Even the latest generation
of stealth aircraft are tailored to reduce radar
signature across relatively narrow bands of the
spectrum. USAF/Airman 1st Class Valerie Seelye
4: Specialised suppression of enemy air
defences (SEAD) aircraft like the EA-18G
are considered critical should the US and its
allies need to penetrate the defence system
of a ‘near-peer’ enemy. This Electronic Attack
Squadron 135 (VAQ-135) ‘Black Ravens’ Growler
was taking part in a Red Flag exercise at Nellis
Air Force Base, Nevada. Jamie Hunter
beacon for enemy sensors able to home
in on a jamming signal. Finally, it needs to
be able to match the operating frequency
of the targeted hardware, and today’s air
defence systems are increasingly able to
hop frequency incredibly quickly, which
needs an equally agile jamming signal or
‘barrage’ jamming of a wide spectrum band,
which again demands significant power.
And so, the final technique is one of
deception rather than avoidance, and
this requires an electronic signal that can
decoy, distract or divert detection methods.
These are more prevalent in modern
#378 September 2019 // 63
8/2/2019 2:20:38 PM
 Column Commander’s Update Briefing

Above: A Serbian 2K12 Kub (SA-6 ‘Guideline’)

mobile surface-to-air missile system fires during
the multinational live-fire training exercise
Shabla 19, in Shabla, Bulgaria, on June 12. While The new-generation Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) first entered service with
the latest SAMs are increasingly exploiting the the Swedish Air Force’s JAS 39C/D Gripen. Use of a ramjet motor is one way to expand the weapon’s
electronic spectrum to aid the detection of stealth fly-out and engagement ranges – matching the detection ranges of modern fighter radars and
aircraft, even Cold War-era systems like the Kub increasing ‘reach’ to put standoff surveillance aircraft and other high-value assets under threat. MBDA
can pose a serious threat to unwary aviators. US
Army/Sgt Thomas Mort

systems and can include the use of standoff,

supporting or deployable decoys. Indeed,
much of the recent hype about swarming
drones hints towards this use for cheaper,
expendable platforms that can act as a
diversion for other more valuable platforms.
I have, of course, grossly oversimplified
some rather sophisticated physics and
technologies, but the basic principles
hold good for radar-guided systems. Of
the other detection measures, increased
performance in sensors and processors
is making the broader spectrum (visual,
infrared and noise) increasingly exposed
and cannot be discounted as a growing
‘If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.’ Added to the menu of scientific counters to detection,
vulnerability in the coming years. fighter pilots are trained to employ the ‘dark art’ of cunning to survive the modern battlespace
unscathed. In this example, an RAF Tornado GR4 gets down low ‘among the weeds’ in a Welsh valley
Clever tactics before the type’s retirement earlier this year. Crown Copyright
So much for the science, what about the art
form known as cunning. There is an old fighter decrease detection or at the to carry out a successful interception. Rarely
pilot adage that ‘if you’re not cheating, very least decrease reaction will this result in a totally one-way fight. The
you’re not trying’, and nowhere is this time to engage; and in history of air power is littered with surprising
more true than in the tactics employed to this case anything goes shoot-downs of platforms that were considered
avoid detection. SAM battery operators to try to create maximum immune to attack, and these will not be the last.
are trained to spot patterns or assume confusion. The rest, my Control of the air remains a key foundation of
certain behaviours. There have been friend, is classified, but air power doctrine, but what was once largely
numerous recent examples, in relatively let your imagination a battle between aircraft is now a far more
benign circumstances, where air defence run wild, the less complex equation, but one where ‘he who
weapon systems have engaged friendly predictable the better. sees first wins’ still holds as valid today as it
aircraft that either weren’t exhibiting certain I hope I have painted a did over the battlefields of World War One. AFM
behaviours or became confused with nearby rather more nuanced picture
platforms that were hostile. Saturating a of a battle to reduce detection NEXT MONTH: Twenty-first century
defensive system or creating a complex or times to such an extent that aircrew training
conflicting picture can buy precious time to any reaction is too slow

Defence contractors in the East and West are increasingly tailoring air defence
radars to detect low-observable combat aircraft, as stealth is recognised as a
key threat. Saab’s Giraffe 4A is based on active electronically scanned array
(AESA) technology and it uses gallium nitride to get more energy out in the
air from a radar with limited antenna size. Saab

64 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

62-64 BagwellSelfProtection AFM Sep2019.indd 64 8/2/2019 2:20:42 PM

 Book
Reviews
The Collectors
US and British Cold War Aerial Intelligence Gathering
A comprehensive overview of Wright has delved deep into
aerial intelligence during the previously classified documents
latter years of the Cold War has in the US and UK to provide the
been a long time coming in print most detailed account to date
– at last we have it. Author Kevin of RAF, USAF and US Navy spy
plane operations
around the Eastern
Bloc. Beginning in
the 1950s with RAF
former wartime
Spitfires flying out
of Hong Kong, the
author quickly moves
on to the operations
of more familiar
types, such as the
Canberra, RB-47,
RC-135 and SR-71.
But this isn’t simply
a list of historical
missions; the text
covers the political
impact when sorties
went wrong and
reveals previously
unknown operations
along the West
Berlin corridor.
The relationship
between the US and
UK governments
often saw combined
A Cold War Fighter Pilot in Peacetime and War
Peacetime flying careers in to a Jaguar squadron and these
the RAF don’t get much more days provide the material for the
dramatic than that of Sqn Ldr bulk of the book. NATO exercises,
Derek Sharp. Fortunately, he’s deployments and tactical
put his experiences into print. evaluations (TACEVALs) are all
Joining the RAF in 1964, the covered in great and entertaining
author briefly covers his flight detail. But the aviator’s time
training on the Provost and Gnat, flying in Jaguars was cut short
providing one of the best insights after a catastrophic bird-strike
of UK flying training during the which looked as though it
1960s and 1970s that I’ve read. could end his flying career.
Sharp is honest about his After numerous ground tours,
abilities and on more than one he realised he wanted to return
occasion admits he just ‘scraped’ to operational flying with the RAF,
a pass mark to progress to the despite the challenges he might
next stage of training. After failing face. Fortunately, Sharp got back
selection for single-seat fast into the cockpit of a very different
jets, he served his early years aircraft – and even went to war.
on the Canberra bomber, a type The writer’s openness makes
he disliked at first, before its this a standout book that’s one
performance and its demanding of the best accounts of what
mission won him over. it was like to be an RAF flying
Later progressing to single-seat officer towards the end of the
fast jets, the pilot was posted Cold War. Glenn Sands
These titles are available from: The Aviation Bookshop, 31-33 Vale Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent,
TN1 1BS, United Kingdom. Telephone: +44(0)1892 539284 Website: www.aviation-bookshop.com
www.airforcesmonthly.com
65 BookReview AFM Sep2019.indd 65
intelligence-gathering missions,
and those of the U-2s flown
by RAF exchange pilots have
remained hidden for decades.
The author brings together all
the information released to date,
including accounts from some
of the British pilots involved.
During the 1980s, US Air Forces
in Europe intelligence gathering
increased and many of the
aircraft flew out of RAF Mildenhall
in Suffolk or RAF Alconbury,
Cambridgeshire. Details of these
missions – and, for some of the
types, the equipment carried
– are described, but it’s clear
there are further stories to be
told once more information is
declassified. This is among the
most authoritative accounts
so far of the West’s Cold War
surveillance missions and
planning with, in some cases, ‘the
take’ from such eavesdropping
warriors. Glenn Sands
Publisher: Casemate
Author: Kevin Wright
Pages: 312
Price: £19.95
ISBN: 9781912390809
Publisher: Fonthill Media
Author: Derek J Sharp
Pages: 208
Price: £28
ISBN: 9781781557242
Nimrod Boys
I had eagerly awaited this edition
of the ‘Boys’ series from Grub
Street. I’ve been interested
in the Nimrod’s intelligence-
gathering operations for more
than 25 years – mostly due to the
mystique surrounding the details
of its sorties and deployment.
This new book answers
some of my questions
and offers much more.
Following the familiar format
of the series, the authors
bring together a collection of
stories from pilots, co-pilots,
electronic warfare operators
and signals intelligence officers
– the ‘spooks’ who sat in
the back of the aircraft.
From reading these detailed
personal accounts, it’s clear the
Nimrod was quietly on the front
line every day during the Cold
War and remained a critical asset
right up to its final retirement.
There are the expected stories of
tracking and shadowing Russian
submarines and warships.
However, more noteworthy are
the crew explanations of the
particular ships’ details requested
of them by British intelligence,
and the ‘cat and mouse’ games
over the Atlantic between the
Soviet vessels and Nimrod crews.
Details relating to the secretive
R1 variant are perhaps the
highlight. It’s one of the rare
occasions that readers are given
an insight into the electronic
and signals intelligence
operations of the RAF’s No
51 Squadron. Glenn Sands
Publisher: Grub Street
Author: Tony Blackman
with Joe Kennedy
Pages: 254
Price: £25
ISBN: 9781911621270
#378 September 2019 // 65
8/2/2019 2:40:34 PM
 Fleet
Survey Su-25 operators Part 6
Rest of the w
Alexander Mladenov
concludes our series
profiling Su-25
Peru
operators around the
T
he Peruvian air arm, the
Fuerza Aérea del Perú
world, examining two
(FAP), took delivery of 18
of the Frogfoot’s more ex-Belarusian Su-25s in 1998,
exotic customers: Peru including ten single-seaters and
and North Korea. eight two-seaters. Originally built
for Soviet service between 1987
and 1991, the aircraft equipped
Escuadrón Aéreo 112 of Grupo
Aéreo 11, stationed at Talara-El
Pato air base in northwest Peru.
Not long after their arrival, these
Frogfoots saw use in combat, in
an innovative role, intercepting
66 // September 2019 #378
66-69 SU25Survey AFM Sep2019.indd 66
narcotics-carrying aircraft.
In 1999 and 2000, the Peruvian
Frogfoots were rushed into action
again to reinforce the nation’s
anti-narcotics campaign, which
now included wider use of air
force assets. The Su-25 boasts
good manoeuvrability in the
horizontal plane, thanks to its
straight wings and useful thrust-
to-weight ratio, which in turn
enables it to easily undertake
intercepts of general aviation
aircraft smuggling raw cocaine
and cocaine paste from the Upper
Huallaga Valley in the northern
part of Peru to neighbouring
Colombia. The first shoot-down
of a drug-carrying aircraft was
claimed on July 18, 2000, in an
area north of the capital Lima.
An attrition loss of a single-
seater is thought to have
occurred on May 26, 2006.
Some of the Su-25UB two-
seaters were upgraded by the
558 Aircraft Repair Plant (ARZ)
company in Belarus to use the
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 9:54:45 AM
e worldKh-58U (AS-11 Kilter) anti-radar
missile, and feature the under-
fuselage KRK-UP launch control/
targeting equipment pod and the
L150 Pastel radar warning receiver,
together with an IP-53 display in
the rear cockpit to provide targeting
information. There is a FAP-
released photo showing a Su-25UB
upgraded for the suppression
of enemy air defences (SEAD)
mission, armed with Kh-58Us.
A long-delayed programme to
overhaul and upgrade the Frogfoot
www.airforcesmonthly.com
66-69 SU25Survey AFM Sep2019.indd 67
fleet was launched by the Peruvian
defence ministry in July 2010, with
the required work to be undertaken
locally at the Lima-based SEMAN
(Servicio de Mantenimiento de la
FAP, FAP Maintenance Services)
Perú – a maintenance, repair and
overhaul (MRO) company owned by
the Peruvian military – together with Above: The pilot sits in the cockpit as a maintainer prepares a ‘Frogfoot-A’
a foreign partner. Shortly afterwards for flight at its Talara base, home of Grupo Aéreo 11, within which the Su-25s
this effort turned into a hotly previously served alongside the now retired Su-22. Katsuhiko Tokunaga/DACT
Main image: Single-seat Su-25 serial FAP 070 (c/n 10058) high over the Pacific
contested competition, as Russian,
Ocean. Note the twin-barrel 30mm GSh-2-30 fixed cannon built into the port
Belarusian and Ukrainian companies side of the forward fuselage, below the cockpit; this is provided with 250
bid for the lucrative contract. rounds. Katsuhiko Tokunaga/DACT
#378 September 2019 // 67
8/5/2019 9:56:00 AM
 Fleet
Survey
A rear view of Su-25 serial FAP 070
reveals the simple exhausts for the
R-95Sh non-afterburning turbojets
and the ten underwing stores
stations. Each of the eight main
wing hardpoints are able to carry a
500kg store; the outboard stations
are for R-60 (AA-8 ‘Aphid’) missiles
only. Katsuhiko Tokunaga/DACT
The programme was terminated
and restarted several times and,
as of 2013, it was reported that
the Su-25 and Su-25UB fleets
were suffering severe corrosion
and maintenance issues. The
same year it was announced that
the Russian state arms export
agency, Rosoboronexport, had
been selected as the front runner
in the tender to overhaul, refurbish
and return the Frogfoots to service.
However, it took another three
years to finalise the contract
and start overhaul activities.
In early 2017, Rosoboronexport
signed the long-expected contract
with the Peruvian defence ministry
to overhaul the Su-25 fleet. Work
began immediately after the
contract signature and, by May
2017, as many as 12 aircraft were
68 // September 2019 #378
66-69 SU25Survey AFM Sep2019.indd 68
Su-25 operators Part 6
noted at SEMAN undergoing
overhaul. While the work was
undertaken in co-operation
with Rosoboronexport,
SEMAN was responsible for
the majority of the fuselage
overhaul and repair activities,
excluding the undercarriage.
The engine overhaul was
carried out in Russia. There is
no information, however, on
any avionics upgrade agreed
for the FAP Su-25 fleet so far.
As of May 2017, the programme
schedule called for the first
three overhauled Su-25s to be
redelivered to the FAP at the end
of that year. To date, five single-
seaters and five two-seaters
have undergone the limited
upgrade work. The remaining
aircraft are now in storage. After
North Korea
T
he Korean People’s Air
Force (KPAF) took its
Su-25 fleet on strength
between 1988 and 1990. The first
four aircraft were delivered from
the Soviet Union in late 1988,
ferried from the Tbilisi plant by
Soviet pilots. The first batch to
equip one squadron of the 55th
Air Regiment (also reported as
Unit 1017) at Sunchon, in South
Pyongan province, comprised 12
single-seat Su-25Ks and a pair of
twin-seat Su-25UBKs. The second
squadron was re-equipped in
1989 and the third followed suit
in 1990. A total of 32 (some
sources state 30) Su-25Ks and
four Su-25UBKs were delivered,
but one was damaged beyond
repair in a training accident shortly
after regular training operations
began with North Korean aircrews.
The Sunchon-based Su-25s
are known to regularly practise
overhaul, the Peruvian Su-25s
are certified for a further 1,000
flight hours or 12 years of service,
whichever is reached first.
Inventory
Aircraft Number
Su-25 5
Su-25UB 5
Peru order
of battle
Peruvian Air Force
Unit
Escuadrón Aéreo 112
Aircraft
Su-25, Su-25UB
Base
Talara-El Pato
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8/5/2019 9:56:12 AM
a
dispersed operations from highway
strips; this is very likely the only
way the fleet would survive in
wartime. Such strips are available
on the highway linking Pyongyang
with Wonsan, which is also
provided with arched reinforced
concrete tunnels intended for
use as aircraft shelters.
Little is known about the current
state of North Korea’s Su-25
fleet, given the interruption in
the support services provided
by Russia in the 1990s and
2000s. In the propaganda video
footage from exercises released
by the regime in Pyongyang a
few Su-25s are normally shown
performing bombing runs. Five
aircraft, all single-seaters, wearing
the serials 28, 42, 45, 49 and 57,
were displayed in the air and on
the ground during the Wonsan
International Friendship Air Festival
held in September 2016. AFM
Above: Su-25K ‘49 Red’ performs at
Inventory the Wonsan International Friendship
Air Festival in September 2016. As well
Aircraft Number as the Su-25s, this event saw first-
Su-25K 25? ever public appearances by the KPAF’s
MiG-29, MiG-21, Hughes 500, Mi-
Su-25UBK 4? 8/17 and the Y-5 biplane. Rich Cooper
Left: Another Su-25K at Wonsan, ‘57
Red’ trails its brake ’chute after an air
North Korea order display. The current ‘ghost’ pattern
camouflage replaced dark olive green
of battle and light blue which was worn by
Korean People’s Air Force both the Su-25 and the KPAF’s MiG-
29 fighters. Rich Cooper Below: Serial
Unit 28 is unusual in that it doesn’t carry
a prominent ‘Bort’ number. Instead
55th Air Regiment (two squadrons)
its identity is betrayed by the serial
Aircraft applied to an underwing pylon. The
Su-25 is the frontline ground-attack
Su-25K, Su-25UBK mainstay of the KPAF and operates
alongside the MiG-29
Base out of Sunchon, under
Sunchon the 1st Air Combat
Division. Rich Cooper

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 Pilatus
Croatian Air Force trainers

professionals at Zadar
Martin Scharenborg and Ramon Wenink flew with the Croatian Air
Force’s Fixed-Wing Squadron at Zadar-Zemunik to report on its wide
variety of tasks and the challenges it is currently facing.

I
t is a busy morning at the 93.
zrakoplovna baza (93.ZB, 93rd
Air Base) at Zadar-Zemunik. As a
commercial Boeing 737 awaits its air traffic
control clearance for a flight to Frankfurt, a
handful of Zlin 242Ls and PC-9Ms queue
up before entering Zadar’s active runway
after the low-level departure of a Hrvatsko
ratno zrakoplovstvo (HRZ, Croatian Air
Force) Bell 206 helicopter. It’s the daily
routine for the air arm’s training centre.
Located on the west coast of Croatia between
the cities of Rijeka and Split, the air base at
Zadar-Zemunik has been the hub of military
aviation training since long before the country
broke away from Yugoslavia. Until 1991,
various training units at the base operated
aircraft including the G-2 Galeb, G-4 Super
Galeb, UTVA 75, An-2 and the SA341 Gazelle.
After Croatia declared its independence
in June 1991, the Yugoslav National Army
attempted to occupy most of its territory. The
Geneva Accord in November 1991 brought an
end to hostilities between the two countries
and Croatia won international recognition as
an independent state the following year. Most
Yugoslav military assets were withdrawn from

A pair of PC-9Ms of the Fixed-Wing Squadron captured on a training flight north of Zadar-Zemunik air base. The Pilatus turboprop has provided the backbone
of the Croatian Air Force pilot-training effort since 2006. All photos Martin Scharenborg and Ramon Wenink

70 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

70-74 CroatianTraining AFM Sep2019.indd 70 02/08/2019 17:27:00


Croatia, including the aircraft based at Zadar-
Zemunik. However, certain regions of Croatia
retained a Serb-majority population. Unwilling
to become part of the new country, they in turn
proclaimed the independent republic of Krajina
within the boundaries of Croatia. Fighting
between Croatian and Serbian factions
continued until 1995, when most of Krajina
was regained by Croatian government forces.
Starting from scratch
The former commander of the Eskadrila aviona
(EA, Fixed-Wing Squadron), Lieutenant Colonel
Željko Harapin accomplished 2,500 flying
hours on the UTVA 75, PC-9M and Zlin 242L.
He held this role from 2014 until succeeded
by Lt Col Robert Ribarić on April 8 this year.
Returning to the squadron to speak to AFM,
Harapin recalled: “We started in 1992-93 when
we were still at war. In 1992, academic training
began in Zagreb and the first flights were
made here in Zadar in 1994. We could only fly
on the southern part of the traffic pattern as
the villages to the north of the air base were
occupied. Can you
imagine? During the
first part of my
screening
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70-74 CroatianTraining AFM Sep2019.indd 71
NATO 70
in 1995 we had to transfer to another
unit at Pula in the middle of the night.
Basically, we didn’t know what was going
on. They put us into buses, and we had
to travel six hours to the north. This
was done to enable a counteroffensive
against the enemy around Zadar.
“During Yugoslav times, the base had always
housed a training unit. But we didn’t have
any aircraft – we had to buy new ones. We
took the UTVA 75s from aeroclubs and they
were flown with civil 9A registrations. Some
of them were even camouflaged and used
in the war. One of the instructors during that
time conducted night flying missions with the
UTVA. A number of UTVAs had hardpoints The unit began life with 12 UTVA 75s in 1995.
for bombs, rocket launchers and improvised They were joined the following year by three
aiming devices. Those were crazy times! We PC-9As bought from Australia, followed by
also had some An-2s. Most of them had an 17 new PC-9Ms in 1997. The former Royal
agricultural background but, once impounded Australian Air Force (RAAF) PC-9As were
by the military, they were used in the war as modified to PC-9M standard soon after. The
well, including dropping ‘boiler bombs’ [barrel latest addition to the squadron is the Zlin 242L,
bombs using domestic boilers] at night. The bought in 2007 to replace the UTVA 75 fleet.
only advantage of operating the An-2 at night Currently, the EA consists of four flights,
was that it moved so slowly that the enemy three maintenance
couldn’t see it and it was often mistaken for platoons, 24 pilots
a flock of birds on – of whom 19
the radar!” are qualified
#378 September 2019 // 71
02/08/2019 17:27:37
 Croatian Air Force trainers

Above: One PC-9M is on constant alert duty

for search and reconnaissance on behalf of the
Croatian Coast Guard. Although the EA’s PC-9Ms
carry no weapons, their pilots regularly attend
NATO close air support exercises in the region.

flying instructors (QFIs) – 50 maintenance

and logistics personnel, 17 PC-9Ms and
five Zlin 242Ls. There’s also a single PC-9M
simulator used for procedures and instrument
training – standard instrument departure (SID),
instrument landing system (ILS) and others –
but which lacks the scenic surround view.
Below: This year’s Krila Oluje team consists of: No 1, Captain Darko Belančić ; No 2, Major Ivan Andič;
No 3, 1st Lieutenant Goran Grgić ; No 4, Major Zvonimir Mravunac; No 5, 1st Lieutenant Denis Živaljić
and No 6, 1st Lieutenant Marko Novković . Right: Thirty-six-year-old Captain Darko Belančić is an
instructor pilot on the PC-9M and leader of the Krila Oluje team. He has accumulated more than 1,900
flying hours on the UTVA 75 and PC-9M and is pictured after a flight in an MB-339,
of the Italian Air Force’s Frecce Tricolore, at Zadar-Zemunik on April 4.

Intensive training programme

Aspirant pilots complete the academic part
of their education at the Faculty of Traffic
Sciences at Zagreb, but not before going to
the EA for an introductory flight on the Zlin
242L to see if the student has the aptitude
for flying. This is the screening phase and
consists of nine to ten flying hours during
39 short flights on the Zlin. Having passed
screening, the student returns to the
academy for two years and five semesters.
Back at Zadar-Zemunik, the fledgling aviator
will start basic training, also called Phase I.
It consists of 94 flights during the contact
segment (basic and aerobatic flying), 16 flights
during the visual flight rules (VFR) navigation
element, plus 18 formation flights. Each
segment concludes with an exam flight to
monitor the student’s progress. After 50 days,
the student will have flown for 56hrs 10mins
during Phase I and, together with screening,
they will have accumulated 66hrs flying the Zlin
242L. Phase I ends with an exam flight and a
decision is made as to whether the student
will pursue the rotary or fixed-wing syllabus.
If the decision is made to continue on fixed-
wing aircraft, the student commences Phase
II on the PC-9M at Zadar-Zemunik. During
this period, the emphasis is on navigation
and instrument flying and consists of the
following segments: contact (96 flights),
VFR navigation (20 flights), instrument flying
(35 flights), contact – night (54 flights),
navigation – night (14 flights) and formation
(21 flights). After 92 days and 123hrs 50mins
in the cockpit, Phase II comes to an end.
The student pilot now continues with
tactical training – Phase III. This is intended
to prepare for the transition to the MiG-21
(or its future fighter successor) and consists
of four segments: tactical formation (23
flights), tactical air-to-ground (18 flights),
tactical air-to-air (24 flights) and verification,
in which all lessons learned are combined
Krila Oluje
The Croatian Air Force’s most famous ambassadors
are the Krila Oluje (Wings of Storm) aerobatic
team, flying the PC-9M, named after one of
the most famous and final battles during the
1991-95 Croatian War of Independence.
Team leader Darko Belančić told AFM: “It began
with the idea of launching something special for a
celebration at the base in 2004. Before that, we never
flew in a pair or did aerobatics. We started with a four-
ship flown by three PC-9M pilots of the Fixed-Wing
Squadron, including the squadron commander and a
fourth pilot from the 93rd Air Base Headquarters. With
two aircraft flying behind each other, the third flying
on the left side and the fourth on the right, a very
basic formation became the foundation of the team in
2004. The first unofficial public flight was during the
European sailing championships in Zadar the same
year. Four pilots from the squadron performed a brief
and straightforward display. The first official display
was in 2005 – we were basically the same team –
when we flew on Victory Day, on August 5, in Knin. By
that time the team was officially known as Krila Oluje.
By the end of 2005 a fifth plane was added. From 2005
to 2009, Krila Oluje was a five-ship formation and from
2009 a sixth aircraft was added. From 2005 to 2007,
we also had a female team pilot, Captain Diana Doboš,
at that time one of only three female military display
pilots in the world. Today she’s still flying here in Zadar,
but now on the CL-415 in the Firefighting Squadron.”
Belančić, meanwhile, has accumulated more than
1,900 flying hours on both the UTVA 75 and PC-9M. He
added: “Potential new pilots for our team must have
a minimum of 600 flying hours and good grades for
formation flying. We have good insight of cadets coming
to the squadron and we choose them at a very early
stage as we can see their potential. This is followed
by a basic aerobatic screening to see if the pilot is
actually fit to fly in the team and then we start with
training in the team. The PC-9 – although excellent for
tutoring the young students because it’s very reliable
and stable – is a very quiet airplane and it’s not as big
and fast as modern jets. The PC-9 is perhaps not as
attractive as other airplanes – we don’t have smoke;
we are not fast and we are not loud. People often don’t
pay attention to our technique. We very soon realised
that in order to be recognised in that kind of realm
we have to be more attractive, so we started adding
elements. We aren’t doing anything extraordinary.
Usually teams do a stall turn as a single-ship, but we do
it in a two-ship formation. They spin, we do a formation
spin. They tailslide, we do a three-ship tailslide!
“We definitely watch other teams who have similar

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 NATO 70
Above: PC-9Ms are prepared for the day’s flying on the flight line of the Fixed-Wing Squadron at Zadar-Zemunik. In 2015 the EA’s PC-9M fleet reached the
50,000 flying-hour mark and aircraft ‘059’ was decorated with special markings and the insignia of the Krila Oluje, Fixed-Wing Squadron and Pilot School.
Left: Pilots of the Fixed-Wing Squadron use their PC-9s for a wide variety of roles besides pilot training, including air reconnaissance for the firefighting task
group and the coast guard, and providing practice targets for air defence units.

in two tactical missions. During Phase
III, 55hrs 50mins of flying is conducted
across 46 days. Including screening and
successfully passing all three training phases,
the student will have accumulated 245hrs
15mins of flying during 474 flights. They then
receive their ‘wings’ and are assigned to
one of the HRZ’s fixed-wing squadrons.
Not just a trainer
The main task of the Fixed-Wing Squadron
is to provide basic and advanced instruction
for student pilots, but it’s also responsible
for training QFIs, the Krila Oluje aerobatic
team, demonstration pilots and test
pilots. The EA teaches aircraft personnel/
technicians and provides close air support
pilot training. Furthermore, the unit conducts
air reconnaissance flights for the firefighting
task group and has two aircraft available
round the clock for coast guard duties.
Harapin explained: “We patrol the
seas searching for pollution, such
as oil leaks, and illegal fishing.
We also have at least one flight
per week along the 12-mile economic zone
off the coast. We have to check the plates of
the ships, take pictures and report them to
the coast guard who will take further action.
Patrolling the seas with a PC-9 is cheap and
fast. When you send a coast guard ship it will
cost a lot in terms of fuel and time. Due to high
waves and a lot of birds over the sea, those
flights can sometimes really be a big challenge,
as we need to fly as low and slow as possible
to see and photograph the names of the ships.
“Our PC-9s are regularly used as practice
targets for ‘Tango’ [training] scrambles by
the MiG-21s at Zagreb-Pleso and for other
air defence units, as well as being used in
support of navy exercises in which we conduct
simulated attacks on ships. Increasingly, we
also participate in joint exercises in the COIN
and CAS [counter-insurgency and close air
support] roles, as we did last year in the
national Patria 18 exercise. Our PC-9s were
in close contact with JTACs [Joint Terminal
Attack Controllers] and we conducted
simulated strikes on targets. Sometimes
during exercises our PC-9s are called in for

performance aircraft. We found

that the Brazilian Air Force display
team, the Esquadrilha da Fumaça,
operating the EMB-312 Tucano,
has a very similar display to ours. We
adopted and upgraded some elements from
them. It’s a process that never ends. When we
see something interesting, we try it! We certainly
have restrictions in what we can do: from -3.5G
to +7G. The biggest disadvantage of the PC-9
during aerobatics is the lack of power. It’s very
difficult for the outer pilot to maintain the formation,
especially during the formation changes. So, if we
do a barrel roll, we do it in a rocket formation so
that the aircraft are really close to the axis. As a
team leader I have to make constant corrections.
Usually, when performing the simple barrel roll, I
select the power setting and do the roll. But now I
have to change the power setting constantly during
the barrel roll, to make sure that my outer wing
is actually capable of maintaining the formation.
That takes a lot of co-ordination. That is why our
formation is pretty low on the vertical separation A PC-9M flies north of Zadar. On July 11, shortly
and that is why we have to change formation to before AFM went to press, the Fixed-Wing Squadron
the narrow formation in some types of rolls. That completed 60,000 flying hours on the type.
is simply due to the limitations of our airplane.”

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 Croatian Air Force trainers

Left: Lieutenant Colonel Željko Harapin, now

aged 45, accomplished 2,500 flying hours on the
UTVA 75, PC-9M and Zlin 242L and was commander of the
Fixed-Wing Squadron/Flight Training Unit from 2014 until earlier this
year. Above: Two PC-9Ms flying low over the highway near Zemunik-Gornji. It’s been 15 years since the
Krila Oluje performed it first unofficial display in 2004. Today the team is considered the ambassador of the
Croatian Air Force and consists of six aircraft flown by highly experienced instructor pilots. One of its major
achievements was winning the best overall display award at the Royal International Air Tattoo in 2016.

reconnaissance to see if, for example, the firing
ranges are free from unauthorised individuals.”
International co-operation
Harapin explained that the EA is in close
contact with other Pilatus users, “especially
with the Austrians, operating the PC-7, and
the Slovenians with their PC-9s”. He added:
“We do close air support projects with them
on a regular basis and participate, when able,
in mutual exercises. Although our PC-9s do
not have hardpoints to carry weapons, and
it is unlikely that they will ever be used in a
conflict, CAS training is very important and
the learning points are countless, especially
for pilots who will make the switch to the
MiG-21 or the future Croatian jet fighter.
“From 2014 to 2018, we also trained 38 pilots
from the Royal Air Force of Oman on our
PC-9M. The training was tailor-made to the
requests of the Omanis and its purpose was to
prepare their pilots for further stages of tuition
on other aircraft in their air force. The pilots
went through our Phase II programme that
comprised basic and aerobatic flying, VFR/
IFR [instrument flight rules] flying, night flying
and formation flying. Mentoring was intense,
with one instructor for every two student
pilots. This was a real challenge – they told us
two weeks in advance that the Omanis would
come, and we had to do all the paperwork
and have all the syllabi translated into English.
At the same time, Krila Oluje left for Qatar,
so we lost six experienced pilots. We faced
a really big challenge, but now we are ready
and have international experience! The switch
can now be made very easily as the training
is now internationally NATO compatible.”
Captain Darko Belančić, an instructor pilot
on the PC-9M and Krila Oluje team leader,
added: “In 2018, we also had three students
and two instructors from Hungary training
on the Zlin 242L following our Phase I/basic
training programme. After completion of
the course, the pilots went to Canada for
advanced training on the CT-156 Harvard II
at CFB Moose Jaw [in Saskatchewan].”
Harapin continued: “Another project that
might become interesting in the near future
is co-operation with the Bulgarian Air
Force. They also operate the PC-9 and they
recently visited us as they want to start a
flying training centre similar to ours. They
had a lot of questions, but this co-operation
is still at an early stage. Basically, we want
to have close co-operation with all PC-9
users, including the Irish Air Corps, but we
are limited due to funding. We have to travel
large distances and therefore co-operation
with the Austrian and the Slovenian air
forces is much easier. We can travel there
within one day without logistics support.”
Next-generation trainer
As the MiG-21 approaches the end of its
career in Croatia, and with a decision about its
successor expected imminently, the air force
is also looking for a suitable lead-in trainer.
Harapin reflected: “Should we buy a jet or
upgrade the turboprop? That is the biggest
question for us. Should we upgrade our PC-9s,
buy a better Pilatus like the PC-21 or an
upgraded Albatros or Aermacchi? The PC-9s
are still good for training MiG-21 pilots, but not
for the pilots of next-generation fighters, as we
lack a lot of modern fighter equipment, such
as a head-up display and hands-on-throttle-
and-stick [HOTAS] controls. For Phase III and
IV we really need to upgrade from the PC-9
to be ready for the next-generation fighter.
Headquarters asked me, ‘What upgrades do
you need for the PC-9?’ I said, ‘Exactly what
we will have in the F-16! And if we’re going
to buy the Gripen, I want the exact same
software and cockpit layout as the Gripen’.”
However, the PC-9M will likely remain the
backbone of pilot training at Zadar for many
years to come. As Belančić observed: “The
PC-9 is pilot-friendly, agile, cost-effective and
very reliable. For this kind of pilot training it
is an amazing aircraft. The PC-21 is packed
with all types of equipment and very suitable
for Phase III, but for Phase II, when the pilot
is introduced to the basics, the PC-21 can
be very overwhelming. The PC-9 is an ideal
solution for the introduction to flying. The
biggest disadvantage for me is the lack
of HOTAS, but I see this from a different
perspective within the display team. A big
deal for us is the auto rudder system, which
we also don’t have. You have to compensate
with your rudder pedals whatever you’re
doing, because of the prop torque. Auto-trim
for the rudder would be a great step up.”
In order to become more cost-efficient, the
HRZ sold its three former RAAF PC-9Ms to
EIS Aircraft in Germany and another three
of the original PC-9Ms have been offered
for sale to provide an eventual squadron
strength of 14 PC-9Ms and five Zlin 242Ls.
Since 1994, the Fixed-Wing Squadron has
trained 145 Croatian Air Force pilots with
another 13 in progress at the time of writing.
In the process, the EA has conducted 30,400
flights and 16,800hrs on the UTVA 75; 15,560
flights and 5,770hrs on the Zlin 242L; and
117,413 flights and 59,458hrs on the PC-9M. AFM

74 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

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498/19
 Italian Air Force P-72A

C4ISR at s
The 41° Stormo of the Italian
Air Force at Sigonella has
introduced to service a true
force-multiplier. As Dino
Marcellino finds out, the multi-
role P-72A is suitable not only
for maritime patrol duty, but
also offers powerful C4ISR
capabilities in a variety of
scenarios.
1
T
he Breguet 1150 Atlantic made its last
flight on October 18 last year – not
under its own power, but slung from the
barycentric hook of an Erickson S-64 Aircrane
helicopter, taking it from Pratica di Mare air base
to the Italian Air Force’s museum at Vigna di
Valle. With this, the much-loved maritime patrol
aircraft (MPA) made its final exit. The Atlantic’s
final operational flight took place a year before,
in a formation flanked by the new P-72A.
The Aeronautica Militare (AM, Italian Air Force)
and Marina Militare (MM, Italian Navy) signed a
contract with Alenia Aermacchi (now Leonardo)
for four ATR 72-500MP maritime patrollers in
December 2008. Service entry was planned
for 2012, but was delayed by four years.
In the meantime, at the end of 2012, the
air force and navy called for a complete
update of the aircraft’s communication
systems in order to ensure full compatibility
with the armed forces’ command, control,
communications and computer systems
(C4S) network. Moreover, Leonardo now
offered the ATR 72-600MP version, which
would be designated P-72A once in service.
The first two of the four new aircraft were
delivered to the AM in December 2016,
beginning the replacement of the four remaining
Atlantics (from a total of 18 acquired in 1972).
The tired Breguet eventually remained in
service until September 2017, well beyond
the planned limit of its operational life.
It’s hardly possible to compare the two
aircraft, with 40 years of technical evolution
between them. Furthermore, the Atlantic’s
primary task was anti-submarine and anti-
surface warfare (ASW and ASuW), a mission
that the unarmed P-72A is currently unable
to accomplish. On the one hand, the armed
forces have gained a formidable surveillance
and patrol aircraft, equipped with state-
of-the-art mission systems and sensor

1: P-72A MM62281 ‘41-03’ cruises above Sicily’s southern coastline. This is one of the Italian Air Force’s
first two P-72As delivered to the 41° Stormo in December 2016. All photos Dino Marcellino 2: The aircraft’s
fully glass cockpit is derived from that of the civilian ATR 72-600 but adds a tactical display on the right.
The commander of the 88° Gruppo described the P-72A as “part smartphone, part satnav, part computer
– all perfectly integrated and networked”. 3: Search and rescue is one of the primary missions of the 41°
Stormo. This P-72A is outfitted with SAR equipment, including a red inflatable raft and, on the left, the
slide to launch this from the P-72A’s rear sliding door. 4: The four workstations of the ATOS system, seen
from the rear of the cabin. From left to right are MOC 1, 2, 3 and 4. If required, the crew composition can
be modified according to the complexity of the assigned mission.

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sea
technologies, but on the other hand they have
lost a fixed-wing ASW/ASuW capability.
Located in the centre of the Mediterranean,
control of the sea – both above and below
the surface – is critical for Italy. With that in
mind, the loss of experience gained over 45
years of unbroken fixed-wing ASW/ASuW
can be considered regrettable. In fact, the
AM sees the P-72A as an ‘interim’ solution,
but restoring an offensive MPA capability
will depend on future defence budgets.
To date, three P-72As have been delivered to
the 88° Gruppo (88th Squadron) of the Italian
Air Force’s 41° Stormo (41st Wing), stationed at
Sigonella air base in Sicily. The third example,
handed over last December, is in ‘final
configuration’ incorporating upgraded sensors
and equipment, which will be retrofitted on the
first two. Delivery of the fourth is scheduled for
September/October and the AM was aiming to
achieve full operational capability in August.
3 been established there for more than 50 years.
www.airforcesmonthly.com
76-79 ItalianP72A AFM Sep2019.indd 77
2
Inside the P-72A
As a multi-role MPA, the P-72A is also capable
of command, control, communications,
computer, intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance (C4ISR) missions. It was
developed and built by Leonardo’s aircraft
division using the airframe of the ATR
72-600, one of the most successful regional
turboprops (ATR delivered the 1,000th 70-seat
ATR 72 in July last year, and more than 700
50-seat ATR 42s are in worldwide service).
Primary duties of the P-72A are maritime
patrol – search and identification of surface
vessels, command and control, electronic
intelligence (ELINT), search and rescue
(SAR) and control of exclusive economic
zones – as well as prevention of piracy
and illegal trafficking, which could include
movement of people, drugs or contraband.
The 13 crew of the Atlantic are reduced
to nine in the P-72A: two pilots, four multi-
NATO 70
system operators (MSO), one tactical
co-ordinator (TACCO) and two on-board
operators/observers. As on the Atlantic,
the crew is a mixed air force/navy team.
The airframe interior features extensive
changes to convert it from a civil aircraft to
a military MPA. Most of the modifications
are to accommodate the mission suite,
sensors and operator stations; only minor
adaptations have been introduced to the
flight deck. Internally, the aircraft is divided
into three sections: the cockpit, four operator
stations for the mission system and a
passenger and observer zone at the rear.
In the cockpit
In terms of pure flying, the P-72A is very
similar to the civil version. However, one of
the five large-format liquid-crystal displays
of the cockpit’s flight management system is
replaced by a tactical display (on the right).
41° Stormo
The 41° Stormo was established on July 17,
1939 as a bomber wing and was disbanded in
1943. It was re-established on October 1, 1965
at Catania-Fontanarossa Airport in Sicily, not
far from its current air base in Sigonella. In this
form it was structured around two squadrons –
the 87° Gruppo and 88° Gruppo – both equipped
with the Grumman S2F-1 (S-2A) Tracker.
In 1971, the wing relocated to Sigonella where
it received its first Atlantic the following year.
Sigonella today houses the 41° Stormo, the
11° Reparto Manutenzione Velivoli (11th Aircraft
Maintenance Department), the 61° Gruppo Volo
(part of the 32° Stormo, equipped with the MQ-1C
unmanned aerial vehicle) and the NATO Alliance
Ground Surveillance (AGS) Force. There is also
a US naval air station – NAS Sigonella – that’s
The wing is named in memory of Capitano Athos
Ammannato, killed flying a Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79
during a wartime mission on February 20, 1941.
#378 September 2019 // 77
8/2/2019 3:06:07 PM
 Italian Air Force P-72A
Above: First-level maintenance is carried out in the capacious hangar at Sigonella. The P-72A’s diagnostic systems mean that, in most cases, any fault can be
diagnosed almost immediately. Right: The Elettronica ELT/800(V)2 ESM/electronic intelligence system provides 360° coverage and is fully integrated with the
defensive aids sub-system. Self-protection kit includes laser and radar warners, plus chaff and flare dispensers located around the airframe. Below: P-72A ‘41-
03’ moves in close to the camera ship. The twin Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127M engines are very responsive, especially at low altitudes, allowing the crew to
precisely select the required speeds and ensuring good range management.
This provides the pilot with a map including
numbered target tracks and their speed, plus
the radar picture and imagery from the electro-
optical system. This is critical, because the pilot
in command is also the mission commander.
It is their job to adapt the mission and search
route on the basis of information received
on the tactical display. It’s also possible to
manage the radios and the defensive aids sub-
system from the cockpit. For self-defence,
the aircraft is equipped with missile and laser
warning equipment and chaff/flare dispensers.
The nerve centre
The P-72A’s mission system is based on
four state-of-the-art operator stations using
the latest version of the ATOS mission
system produced by Leonardo. ATOS is an
acronym for Airborne Tactical Observation
and Surveillance, a C4I system suite
including multiple data links (Link 11 and 16
and VORTEX line-of-sight video), satellite
communications, variable message format
(VMF) and radar classifier, plus electronic
support measures (ESM) and ELINT capabilities.
The Seaspray 7300 radar is capable of
360° long-range detection. It’s optimised for
operations against sea-surface targets, with
simultaneous scanning capabilities, but also
has an air-to-air capability and can be used for
mapping large areas and detecting fixed targets.
The FLIR Star SAFIRE 380-HD includes
various optical sensors for target detection
and an automatic identification system
(AIS) transponder to identify naval units.
The communication suite includes three V/UHF
radios and a HF radio. All information can be
exchanged with other assets on the ground, in
the air or at sea, as well as with control centres.
With the Atlantic, each mission station/
operator was specialised around a single piece
of equipment. For example, one operator
managed the radar, another the acoustic
sensors, another the navigation, etc. These roles
were not interchangeable. Now, on the P-72A,
each station/operator can theoretically manage
all the systems. In practice, the workload for a
single person would be excessive, so it’s shared
between the four MSOs. Usually, Multifunction
78 // September 2019 #378
76-79 ItalianP72A AFM Sep2019.indd 78
Operator Console (MOC) 1 is assigned the is airdropping emergency equipment for SAR
radar, MOC 2 the electro-optical suite, MOC missions. Kit comprises one or more inflatable
3 is used to manage tracks and navigation rescue boats each of which can carry 11 to
and MOC 4 handles communications. 15 people. These are delivered through the
Each MSO can work at any station, in any role. in-flight-operable door, on the left side at the
The work of each MSO is immediately shared rear. Launching them is a complex activity, but
with the others. This might include the MSO can be carried out in a very short time and
seated at MOC 1 (radar) tracking a ‘pending’ with extreme precision, thanks to teamwork
target (identity unknown), while the other MSOs by all the crew. An initial over-flight is made
add information received ‘on the link’ or via to detect the position of the person(s) at sea
intelligence, or images from the optical system. and the environmental conditions; on the
In this way, the track is enriched by new data second pass, launch takes place at a height of
and can be classified as neutral, friendly or 150ft (46m) and maximum speed of 150kts.
hostile. Each track is numbered, as multiple
targets can be observed simultaneously. Transition from the Atlantic
Such a complex system demands a All of the last personnel operating the
great quantity of energy and produces
considerable heat, so an onboard system
is installed to dissipate thermal energy.
For the Atlantic, flights of up to 18-hour
duration were not uncommon, but ten hours
was standard. The P-72A has a maximum
endurance of ten hours, but missions
are usually planned for six or seven.
The TACCO’s domain
The rear section of the fuselage accommodates
the TACCO station. They have a classified
laptop connected to the four MOCs, providing
situational awareness of the mission. While the
TACCO can decide the best course of action,
and co-ordinate the four MSOs, they cannot
manage the MOCs. All information and actions
can be shared with the pilots, with other aircraft
and vessels involved in the operation, as well
as ground troops and central command. This
is vital for modern scenarios, which mainly
take place in a joint, interagency environment.
The tail section also has seats for
passengers and for the two observers. For
deployments to other air bases, and for
very long missions, it’s possible to embark
two more pilots and an additional MSO.
The observers have two main tasks. The first
of these is employing the two large observation
bubble windows to perform visual search in
support of electro-optical equipment (despite
advances in technology, the human eye remains
incomparable in some situations). The second
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/2/2019 3:06:18 PM
 Atlantic have transitioned to the new
aircraft in a training process for pilots and

NATO 70
technicians co-ordinated by Leonardo.
Currently, pilots spend two months at
the ATR school in Toulouse, France, for
ground lessons, six to eight missions in the
simulator, plus a final flight to obtain a basic
qualification on the civil ATR 72-600. The pilots
then return to the 41° Stormo at Sigonella,
where they obtain their certification on the
military machine with the 86° Gruppo Centro
Addestramento Equipaggi (CAE, 86th Crew
Training Centre). First, they complete four
missions to qualify for operations in maritime
patrol environments. The second phase
introduces the skills required for SAR missions,
including launching SAR kit, plus operations
in more complex scenarios with other aircraft
and vessels, and in more dangerous airspace.
The Italian Air Force has adopted the
manufacturer’s courses for training maintenance
technicians, which are conducted in-house
by the 86° CAE. The first level of maintenance
is conducted at Sigonella and is planned
as follows: weekly inspection, monthly
inspection (a different one each month) and and efficiency. Not least, the crews appreciate Tunisian Air Force F-5 pilot who ejected over
further inspections at three-month, six-month, the comfort compared with the Atlantic; it the Mediterranean last October; and support
nine-month and 18-month intervals. Then offers an excellent working environment and escort for Italian Air Force Eurofighters
there is the two-year inspection – the most thanks to low noise levels, ergonomic seats, deployed to Iceland for air policing duty.
invasive of the first level. Next is the two- air conditioning and cabin pressurisation. There’s also daily engagement in patrolling the
and-a-half-year inspection, undertaken by The aircraft have already taken part in Mediterranean Sea, including monitoring illegal
the manufacturer. Alongside these planned numerous exercises and real-world missions, immigration and other unauthorised traffic.
inspections are checks based on flight hours: in Italy, over the wider Mediterranean and The one piece of the MPA puzzle missing from
these are carried out at Sigonella every abroad. These include Exercise Mare Aperto the P-72A is an offensive capability. However,
500hrs (Check A) and 5,000hrs (Check C). 2018, organised by the Italian Navy and the aircraft has provision for this to be retrofitted,
involving a variety of vessels and air assets (see and the Turkish Navy’s similar ATR 72-600
Conclusion Blue-water warriors, January, p80-83); three patrol aircraft have a full ASW suite. In future,
The P-72A is clearly a modern patroller, missions as part of the Tactical Leadership the Italian government may well find the funds
equipped with the latest technologies. Since Programme in 2018, performing ASuW, slow- to convert the existing P-72A fleet, or perhaps
its first mission, it has received positive mover interception and defence and escort of acquire additional, armed examples to join the
feedback in terms of its versatility, reliability high-value assets; a SAR mission to locate a fleet of four that will soon be in service. AFM

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76-79 ItalianP72A AFM Sep2019.indd 79 8/2/2019 3:06:55 PM

 Force
Report
Seoul’s
guardians o
guardian Mrityunjoy Mazumdar and Tetsuya Kakitani complete their review of the naval aviation
force of the Republic of Korea Navy.
A
ll potential aircrew trainees
for the Republic of Korea
Navy (ROKN) – pilots
and other aircrew – start with a
sea survival course lasting three
weeks at Pohang, where the naval
aviation arm is headquartered.
Those selected to become
rotary-wing pilots begin basic
flying training with the 1st Flight
Training Squadron at the 609
Education and Training Unit.
This 16-week phase includes
55 hours on the Alouette III. The
next step is advanced flying
training lasting 12 weeks, with
31 hours on UH-1H and Lynx
helicopters. This is followed by a
co-pilot qualification course with
operational units; its duration
depends on the helicopter type.
Typically, this phase lasts ten
weeks with 23 hours for UH-1H
pilots, 11 weeks with 40 hours
for Lynx pilots and 14 weeks with
43 hours for UH-60 pilots. This
phase is thought to also include
combat readiness training (CRT)
80 // September 2019 #378
80-84 ROKNPart AFM Sep2019.indd 80
Republic of Korea Navy Part 2
on specific helicopter types.
Those selected to become
fixed-wing pilots undergo initial
and basic flying training with the
ROK Air Force at Sacheon. Initial
flying training takes place at the
55th Training Group (and 212
Flight Squadron) at the ROKAF
Academy, also in Sacheon. This
phase lasts 11 weeks with 16
hours flying time. The Ilyushin
T-103 was used for introductory
flying training until May last year,
when the type was withdrawn
from use after 13 years of active
service. The replacement is the
locally produced KT-100, which
began entering operational service
in late 2016 and early 2017. Basic
flying training takes place with
the ROKAF’s 3rd Flying Training
Wing and its squadrons – again
at Sacheon. This phase of flying
training lasts 35 weeks with 76
hours on the KT-1 Woongbi.
The next step is a co-pilots’
course on naval aircraft in two
phases: the first lasts 16 weeks
with 23 hours on the Caravan II
and the second 19 weeks with
21 hours on the P-3 Orion. These
qualified co-pilots – both rotary
and fixed wing – then serve in
this role for several years to
accumulate flight hours before
taking over as the lead pilot
(plane captain), provided they
pass certain qualifying exams
and remain medically fit.
The first female pilot in the ROKN
was Lieutenant Yang Jin-jin, who
qualified as a Lynx co-pilot in
2005, becoming a plane captain in
2009. The first female Orion pilot
to fly an operational mission was
Lieutenant Lee Ji-yeon, co-piloting
a P-3C in May 2011 – although
by 2009, female officers and also
non-commissioned officers were
navigators and mission controllers
aboard the Orion aircraft.
Airborne tactical officers
(TACCO) undergo their basic
tactical operators course lasting
18 weeks and 25 flight hours on
the Caravan II, P-3 and Lynx.
The next step is an operations
controller course of 14 weeks’
duration, including 34 hours on
the P-3. This is followed by a
P-3 TACCO course lasting 18
weeks with 52 flight hours.
There is no TACCO aboard the
Lynx or Wildcat, which have a
crew of two pilots and a sensor
operator for anti-submarine
and anti-surface warfare (ASW/
ASuW) operators. One of the
pilots performs the role of
TACCO on these helicopters.
Air traffic controllers scheduled
for deployment to the 66
Base Group complete a ten-
week elementary air traffic
controllers’ course and then
another ten weeks of advanced
training with the ROKAF.
Aircraft maintainers and weapon/
electronics technicians undergo
ten weeks of initial technical
training at the National Air
Training Center (NATC), followed
by specialised training modules.
Those in line for air operations and
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 3:38:42 PM

s of the sea Above: The 63 Landing Manoeuvre Helicopter Group operates UH-60P and UH-1H helicopters for amphibious assault operations in support of the
ROK Marines and naval special warfare forces. Here, special forces from the Underwater Demolition Team perform a diving demonstration from UH-
60P serial 93-0506 at the ROKN International Fleet Review off Busan in 2015. All photos Tetsuya Kakitani unless stated
related supporting
roles take part in
an initial ten-week
module, followed
by basic
courses
lasting two to four weeks
depending on their trade
and specialisation.
It was announced by the
South Korean government’s
Defense Acquisition Program
Administration (DAPA) in June
2017 that the NATC would be
used to certify both aircraft
maintainers and naval aircraft
that undergo their maintenance,
repair and overhaul (MRO)
and other upgrades.
Future of naval
aviation
The total Maritime Operational
Helicopter (MOH) requirement
in the mid to long term is
thought to be for as many as
54 more helicopters in addition
to the eight Leonardo AW159
www.airforcesmonthly.com
80-84 ROKNPart AFM Sep2019.indd 81
Wildcats already purchased.
A 2016 report provided the
breakdown as follows: 12 for
the second phase of the MOH
which is currently active; 24 as
replacements for existing Lynx;
six for the three KDX-3 Batch II
destroyers in the pipeline; and 12
more for the future KDDX warship
programme with several hulls.
However, only 12 new helicopters
are currently being sought under
the MOH programme. DAPA
announced in 2017 and 2018
that it was seeking 12 more
ASW helicopters under MOH to
be inducted between 2020 and
2022, with a budget of around
US$780m. Contenders include
the AW159, Sikorsky’s MH-60R
and the NH Industries NH90.
But the controversy surrounding
the Wildcat acquisition that has
seen the arrests of a number of
senior naval and civilian officials,
including the former naval chief for
alleged corruption and favouring
certain naval acquisitions, has
cast a shadow over further
Wildcat orders. In essence, it is
alleged that the evaluation reports
between the two contenders –
the six-ton class Wildcat and the
11-ton class MH-60R – were fixed
to favour the Wildcat. Reports
emerged in October 2017 that
Sikorsky said the additional
weight of the MH-60R offers
longer endurance on station
(time on target) and the ability to
perform a more diverse array of
missions during one sortie,
while Leonardo Helicopters
said the AW159’s
sensors – particularly
the radar – allow for a
rapid build-up of the tactical or
common operating picture, which
can reduce the need for longer
times on station. The European
manufacturer added that ROKN
ships are now compatible with
AW159 operations and that crew
training is also geared to the type.
There are indications that
the AW159 may once again
‘In association with ....’
Airforces
Intelligence
airforcesintel.com
be selected, given that local
media reported last October
that DAPA had only received
MOH proposals from Leonardo
by the September 28 due date,
while Lockheed Martin and
Airbus did not submit proposals.
Separately from this, there are
other indications that the AW159
is the likely choice given logistic
considerations and commonality
with the existing Wildcat fleet.
In future, it’s expected that ASW
versions of the Surion will be
selected instead of
foreign platforms.
P-8A on the
horizon
New maritime patrol and anti-
submarine aircraft are also
being acquired. In June last
year, DAPA announced it had
selected an unspecified number
of Boeing P-8A Poseidons for
US$1.7bn. By September, the
number was revealed to be
six, according to a US Defense
#378 September 2019 // 81
8/5/2019 3:39:12 PM
 Force
Report Republic of Korea Navy Part 2

Air Wing 6 unit badges

61 Patrol Air 611 Squadron 613 Squadron Tactical

Group Support Center

Security Cooperation Agency V-22 and F-35 on the

62 Maritime
Helicopter Group
620
Base Squadron
621
Flight Squadron
625
Maintenance (DSCA) release on the possible cards?
(inactive) Squadron Foreign Military Sale (FMS) for The ROKN’s soon-to-enter-
an estimated cost of US$2.1bn. service landing platform
Eventually, many more P-8As helicopter (LPH) ship Marado
are likely to be acquired, based has been designed to operate
on a 2013 requirement for 20 V-22 Osprey tiltrotors. This
aircraft when DAPA was mulling suggests that the ROKMC
the purchase of ex-US Navy or ROKN is considering the
627 Flight 629 63 Landing 631 S-3B Viking ASW aircraft. acquisition of these aircraft in the
Squadron Flight Squadron Manoeuvre ‘Angry Eagles’ While the P-3 Orions will be near future. Graphics released
Helicopter Group Squadron gradually replaced by the P-8A, by DAPA also show UH-60P
the Poseidons are expected to helicopters with folding rotor
remain operational for 30 years, blades aboard the Marado.
according to the DSCA release. In addition, in August last year

633 Flight Logistics 651 Maintenance 653

Squadron Group 65 Squadron Maintenance
Squadron

655 Maintenance NATC (Naval Air 609 Education &

Squadron Technical Center) Training Unit

82 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

80-84 ROKNPart AFM Sep2019.indd 82 8/5/2019 3:39:24 PM

 ‘In association with ....’

Airforces
Intelligence
airforcesintel.com

Top left: A Caravan II employed in

the target-towing role. The ROKN’s Air Wing 6 units
61 Patrol Air Group (or Patrol Air Group Unit Unit base or HQ Type Aircraft Notes
Group 61) at Pohang operates all the
service’s fixed-wing naval aircraft. 61 Patrol Air 611 Squadron Pohang Fixed-wing P-3C/CK,
Its fleet comprises 16 P-3C/CKs Group at Pohang maritime patrol, Caravan II
and five Caravan II fleet support fleet support
and training aircraft. ROK Navy Top
right: SA319B Alouette III serial 613 Squadron Pohang MPA P-3C/CK
790310 approaching Mokpo late 615 Jeju MPA P-3CK
last year. This base is home to the ‘Sea Eagles’
ROKN’s 609 Education & Training Squadron
Unit. The Alouette III helicopters,
which are overhauled by Korean Tactical Pohang Non-flying unit
Air, will require replacement in Support Center
the near future. Left: A computer (TSC)
graphic of the forthcoming landing
platform helicopter (LPH) vessel 62 Maritime 620 Base Jinhae Supports aviation Non-flying unit
ROKS ‘Marado’ showing both V-22 Helicopter Group Squadron operations at
and UH-60P aircraft embarked. at Jinhae Jinhae
It is not known if the extant UH-
621 Flight Mokpo SA319B Active as of 2005
60P helicopters have blade-folding
Squadron
capability or if kits will be added
(inactive)
to these aircraft. DAPA Below: An
AW159 Wildcat armed with Spike 622 Flight Jinhae and/or AW159 Dets on ships
missiles at Jinhae in July 2016. The Squadron Pyeongtaek and other forward
helicopters can be equipped with bases
various combinations of ASW and
ASuW weapons and have two pilots 625 Maintenance Jinhae Non-flying unit Personnel
and a sonar operator but no TACCO. Squadron deployed to ships
Though specifically configured for and air bases
ASW, the cabin can be reconfigured
for other roles. ROK Navy/MND 627 Flight Pyeongtaek Super Lynx/ Dets on ships
Squadron AW159 and other forward
DAPA issued a tender to study bases
possible F-35B operations 629 Flight Jinhae (K-10) Lynx Mk99/99A Dets on ships
from ‘LPH’-class ships and the Squadron and other forward
modifications required for these bases
platforms. This put to rest long- 63 (Amphibious 631 ‘Angry Pohang (K-3) SAR, special UH-60P, UH-1H Deploys aboard
time speculation among South Assault) Landing Eagles’ Landing ops transport, the ROKS
Korean watchers that the LPH Manoeuvre Manoeuvre amphibious Dokdo for
Helicopter Group Helicopter operations troop transport/
ships would eventually operate
Squadron support amphibious
F-35 fighters. While some assault
observers think ‘LPH’ refers to
633 Flight Nonsan or Daejon Command/VIP UH-60P
the Dokdo/Marado-class ships,
Squadron (near tri-services transport
other sources suggest that a (Command HQ at Gyereong
new-design LPH is needed since Helicopter
the current configuration of the Squadron)
hangar and aviation facilities in Logistics Group 651 Maintenance Pohang Non-flying unit (formerly 631
65 at Pohang Squadron Electrical &
(K-3) Weapons Maint
Sqn)
653 Maintenance Pohang Non-flying unit (formerly 633
Squadron Electrical &
Weapons Maint
Sqn)
655 Maintenance Pohang Non-flying unit (formerly 635
Squadron or Electrical &
Maintenance Sqn weapons Maint
655 Sqn)
NATC (Naval Air Pohang Non-flying unit
Technical Center)
66 Naval Base Pohang Non-flying unit Including air traffic
Group control and admin
services
609 Education & 1st Flight Training Mokpo Trains naval and Lynx, UH-1H, Operates a mix of
Training Unit at Squadron Marine Corps SA319B three types with
Mokpo helicopter pilots holdings of at
least five aircraft
Sea Survival Pohang Non-flying unit
Training Center
Flight training sqn Muan
det at civilian air
training school

Left: Harpoon-equipped P-3C/CKs temporarily operating from Yecheon, home of the ROKAF’s 16th Fighter Wing, while
the airfield at Pohang was undergoing renovation. The CK-standard aircraft are modernised P-3B airframes acquired
from US stocks. According to US sources, nine airframes were acquired but just eight were made airworthy. ROKN/MND

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80-84 ROKNPart AFM Sep2019.indd 83 8/5/2019 3:39:27 PM

 Force
Report Republic of Korea Navy Part 2
Therefore, in late November last
year, DAPA revived its 2015 THX
project to procure a ‘basic flight
training helicopter’ for the ROK
Army and Navy. While numbers
have not been disclosed, 2015
plans called for ten THX helicopters
for the navy and 30 for the army.
Yet another project is one for at
least eight airborne minesweeping
helicopters, but its status is
unclear. As far back as 2009,
the ROKN was interested in
acquiring eight MH-60S with a
suite of mine countermeasures
An AW159 Wildcat operates alongside the Incheon-class (FFX Batch 1) frigate (MCM) equipment from the US,
ROKS ‘Gwangju’ in July 2017. According to the navy, Wildcats can operate for but nothing definite materialised
more than three hours if equipped with FLASH dipping sonar alone, two hours
equipped with dipping sonar and a single Blue Shark torpedo, or “over an – at least in the public domain.
hour” fitted with dipping sonar and two torpedoes. ROK Navy/MND Last October, Korea Aerospace
Industries (KAI) promoted an
the Dokdo class is unsuitable for Helicopters and UAVs airborne mine countermeasures
F-35 operations. Thus, it remains needed too variant of the Surion at the MADEX
to be seen if these ships undergo The ROKN also needs a 2018 exhibition. The Surion-based
extensive modifications or a new, replacement for the elderly Alouette system comprises an airborne
larger design of LPH is built. III helicopter in the training role. laser mine detection system,
an airborne mine neutralisation
KAI MUH-1 Marineon system and an autonomous
underwater vehicle (AUV) which
The 62ft-long (19m), eight-ton class would be fitted to two or more
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) helicopters working in tandem.
Surion, which was designed with the In addition, the service is likely to
help of Eurocopter (now Airbus), is introduce unmanned aerial vehicles
based on the AS532. Modifications to (UAVs) – both land and ship-based
the MUH-1 variant include a folding types – at some point in the future.
rotor system, a flotation system, two Potential types include the 441lb
auxiliary fuel tanks and specialised (200kg) KUS-VT tiltrotor from Korea
communication equipment including Aerospace Research Institute
Prototype XMUH-1 Marineon (serial
001) on a demonstration flight at a tactical air navigation system (KARI), which has been tested at
the Seoul Airshow last year. The (TACAN). The Marineon, whose sea aboard Korea Coast Guard
helicopter is based on the AS532, development began in July 2013 vessels, and the newly unveiled
itself an evolution of the earlier and lasted through January 2016,
Aérospatiale SA330 Puma design. 1,323lb-class (600kg) NI-600VT
first flew on January 19, 2015. After helicopter drone from KAI.
extensive trials, the initial two MUH-1 helicopters were officially inducted into All in all, ROKN plans call
service in January last year with Marine Helicopter Squadron 1 at Pohang. for upgrading Air Wing 6 to
By July 2018, a total of four MUH-1s had been delivered with another two a fully fledged naval aviation
scheduled for delivery before the end of that year. However, disaster struck command with around 100
on July 17 last year, when the second MUH-1, ‘Marineon 2’, serial 17002, aircraft by 2024 and possibly as
crashed shortly after take-off from Pohang – a rotor blade sheared off, followed many as 200 aircraft by 2030,
by detachment of the entire rotor head from the engine/gearbox assembly. subject to funding availability.
The resulting crash and fuel system fire killed five of six crew members.
After this crash, all 93 Surions in service with various military and government ROK Marine Corps
agencies were grounded. Last December 21, Korean media reported that the The ROK Marine Corps (ROKMC)
final investigation of a joint Airbus and Korean accident investigation board is technically a part of the ROK
concluded, as it had tentatively done in September 2018, that the crash was Navy, although it was once a
caused by cracks in the rotor mast which had been subjected to the wrong separate service. The ROK Marines
annealing (heat treatment) process by a French subcontractor of Airbus – Aubert have a long history of operating
& Duval. In September, the investigators had said that similar cracks were aircraft, starting with the creation
identified in three other rotor masts that had undergone the same manufacturing of an aviation unit with two U-6
process. At the time of the crash, local media reports citing industry sources (DHC-2 Beaver) utility aircraft and
alleged that the crashed aircraft suffered from a history of unusual vibrations. six O-1 reconnaissance aircraft
However, by last October 11, small numbers of grounded Surions operated on March 1, 1958 at Geumchon
by the ROK Army had resumed “training and maintenance” flights after airfield in Paju-gun, northwest
undergoing detailed inspections of their rotor masts. By late December 2018, of Seoul. This unit supported
local media reported that “several dozen” Surions had resumed operational the 1st Marine Division.
flying. But the entire fleet did not return to service until March this year, by Between 1965 and 1971,
which time all the helicopters had undergone thorough inspections. the ROKMC saw action in
While the Marineon crash cast some doubts over the future of the MUH-1 Vietnam during which time its
project and another for an attack variant, it’s likely that KAI will continue to deliver air unit carried out 450 missions
airframes after the appropriate process-related fixes have been put in place. performing reconnaissance and
observation, ground attack,
84 // September 2019 #378
80-84 ROKNPart AFM Sep2019.indd 84
psy-ops and other roles – flying
1,537 hours in the process.
By July 1, 1971 the aviation
unit was operating 23 aircraft
comprising four U-6 Beavers,
12 O-1 Bird Dogs and seven
OH-23 helicopters. However, in
October 1973, the ROKMC was
disbanded and integrated into the
ROK Navy, and its aviation assets
– 23 aircraft and 125 personnel
– were similarly absorbed.
Though the ROKMC was
re-established as a separate
service in March 1987, it would
take another two decades
before an aviation unit would be
established again. By 2007, it
was decided to create an aviation
unit with ten to 15 pilots who
would operate ROKN-owned
UH-1H helicopters. The first of
these pilots, Captain Park Sun-
Hyuk, completed his 14-month
flight training in 2008, earning
helicopter pilot certification from
the 609 Training School in April
that year and co-pilot certification
with the ROKMC 1st Division
Aviation Unit in August 2009.
The ROKMC finally obtained
approval to create its air arm on
September 12, 2014. Plans call
for an air group of 40 helicopters
to be acquired between 2017
and 2023. The air group would
comprise three squadrons – two
with assault rotorcraft and one
with attack helicopters – along
with maintenance, administrative
and other support units.
Thus, 30 marinised (navalised)
Surion armed troop transports
known as MUH-1 Marineon
have been ordered from KAI.
While delays have pushed back
the final delivery date from
2021 to 2023, the air group
is nevertheless expected to
become operational in 2021.
As of January 2018, there
were some 40 pilots and 40
maintainers in the marine aviation
unit. Currently, the two ROKMC
divisions – the 1st Marine Division
at Pohang and the 2nd at Gimpo –
each operate an aviation unit with
around two navy-owned UH-1Hs.
In addition, the recently created
Marine Helicopter Squadron 1
at Pohang operates the newly
inducted MUH-1 Marineon.
The south apron of Pohang
Airport houses the aviation base
for the 1st Marine Division, while
the 2nd is located around 16.5
miles (26.5km) northwest of
Gimpo Airport, approximately
four miles (6.5km) from the
North Korean border. AFM
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 3:39:28 PM
 Feedback
Sécurité Civile
Q400MR update
Further to the news story in the
July issue (New Sécurité Civile
Q400MRs near completion, p14),
the first aircraft of the new batch
has now been delivered. Serial
75 (c/n 4577, test registered as
C-FXFK), landed at the Sécurité
Civile base at Nîmes Garons
Airport on June 18. It was
Thoughts on Luftwaffe Tornado replacement
received by the Direction générale Above: ASSTA 3-upgraded Tornado IDS jets taxi at Overberg in South Africa during the Two Oceans exercise in March
2017. The Luftwaffe’s traditional procurement policy suggests the air force favours a mixed fleet of twin-engined
de l’armement (DGA, the French combat aircraft. Bundeswehr/Andrea Bienert
defence procurement agency) for
I have some additions to the Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM), in the ‘Starfighter crisis’ of the
acceptance prior to service entry.
report on Germany’s search and not only the Tornado ECR. 1960s [when a spate of F-104
After its initial flight test
for a new fighter that featured While there was an argument in losses led to a public outcry].
programme with Bombardier
in the March issue – Finding favour of an F-35A with nuclear Another fundamental rule
(first flight February 22, 2018, as
Germany’s future fighter, p42-45. capability, the German Air Force states that it’s critical that two
callsign ‘BBA14’) it was handed
First, all German Tornados has an essential policy that made different fighter jets will operate
over to Conair on April 24 that
operated by Taktisches this option unlikely: no combat at any given time side by side.
year. Soon after it went to Flying
Luftwaffengeschwader 51 aircraft with a single engine will Only time will tell if either of these
Colours at St Louis, Missouri, for
(TaktLwG 51, Fighter Wing 51) can ever see service in the Luftwaffe. policies will be scrapped in future.
interior modifications. It returned
operate the AGM-88 High-speed One of the reasons can be found Marcus Herbote
to Conair at Abbotsford in British
Columbia for tanker conversion
on March 1 this year. Serial 75
was delivered to France in full
tanker configuration using its
Canadian registration, departing
Abbotsford on June 16, routing
via Thompson, Manitoba; Iqaluit,
Nunavut; Keflavík, Iceland; and
Jersey in the Channel Islands.
The second aircraft, serial 76
(c/n 4597, F-ZBMI), was assigned
‘Centurion’ clarified
Above: An RAF Typhoon FGR4 from Ämari air base in Estonia intercepts a Russian Aerospace Forces Su-30SM over
Canadian test registration the Baltic on June 14. The Typhoon carries Meteor BVRAAMs. Crown Copyright
C-GFKW on April 23 and made The story on p7 of the March upgrade programme planned 206 (Reserve) Squadron as the
its first post-production test issue about initial operating before Centurion and although final Hawk T1 unit on p13 of
flight on May 18. It also features capability for the RAF’s F-35B and software for Meteor is in the the same issue (RAF will again
the brand new factory-painted Typhoon (IOC for UK Lightning same ‘load’ as that required for train on Hawk T1), but that was
livery with sweeping red and and ‘Centurion’ Typhoon) suggests some Centurion upgrades, they actually No 208(R) Squadron.
yellow stripes instead of the the Meteor beyond-visual-range aren’t from the same programme. No 206 is the Heavy Aircraft
original red and black markings air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) is Centurion is all about Tornado Test & Evaluation Squadron at
worn by the two original aircraft. part of Project ‘Centurion’. In GR4 capability, not Meteor! RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.
It was handed over to Conair fact, I believe it’s part of the spiral Second, there’s mention of No Paul E Eden
for mission conversion and
delivered from Downsview,

Ontario to Flying Colours via Port
Huron, Michigan on May 31.
The Sécurité Civile was the
first firefighting agency to use
the Dash 8 in this role. The
first of two former SAS Airlines
Q400s (serial 73, c/n 4040,
F-ZBMC) was delivered in
October 2005 and the second
(serial 74, c/n 4043, F-ZBMD)
followed in November. Both
were converted by Conair.
The six new Q400MRs are
being acquired to compensate
for the pending demise of the
Sécurité Civile fleet of nine
Conair Turbo Firecats, planned
to retire from the end of this year.
Andrew H Cline
‘Spads’ in
On p18 of the July issue (Texas
ANG F-16s in Romania) it
is stated that the ‘Texas Air
Romania National Guard’ has deployed
to Câmpia Turzii air base in
Romania as part of a Theater
Security Package in support of
Operation Atlantic Resolve.
My squadron, the 457th Fighter
Squadron ‘Spads’ – and the
parent 301st Fighter Wing – is
an Air Force Reserve Command
(AFRC) organisation based out of
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve
Base Fort Worth. Our next-
door neighbour on the ramp
is the 181st Airlift Squadron
An F-16C of the 457th FS completes refuelling training behind a KC-135
assigned to the 128th Air Refueling Wing, Wisconsin ANG, while flying over of the Texas Air National
Romania during Exercise Saber Guardian 19, on June 11. US ANG/Tech Sgt Guard, but they fly C-130s.
Daniel Gagnon
Troy Quigley

Contact the AFM team email at: edafm@keypublishing.com

www.airforcesmonthly.com #378 September 2019 // 85

85 Feedback AFM Sep2019.indd 85 8/2/2019 3:38:02 PM

  Attrition
Report
Randolph Texan II crash report
USAF T-6A 05-6209 ‘RA’ from the 559th Flying Training Squadron/12th Flying
Training Wing prepares to taxi out for a training sortie from JBSA-Randolph
on July 19, 2011. It was lost on September 18 last year. USAF
U
S AIR Force Air Education
and Training Command
has released the
official report into the loss of
T-6A Texan II 05-6209 ‘RA’ on
September 18 last year – see
Attrition, November 2018, p91.
The aircrew and mishap aircraft
(MA) were assigned to the 559th
Flying Training Squadron, 12th
Flying Training Wing, Joint Base
San Antonio (JBSA) Randolph,
Texas. The mishap aircrew (MC)
consisted of a mishap instructor
pilot (MIP) in the front seat who
was supervising the mishap pilot
(MP) – conducting an instructor
qualification sortie in the Pilot
Instructor Training course from
the rear seat. The MA crashed
while returning to base for local
take-off and landing practice. The
destroyed Texan II is valued at
approximately US$5.7m but there
was minimal damage to civilian
property and no casualties.
While being vectored for the
approach to runway 15R at
Randolph, at approximately
15:35:00L (local time), the MC
noticed a high fuel flow reading
86 // September 2019 #378
86-89 Attrition AFM Sep2019.indd 86
Subscribe to www.airforcesmonthly.com
for breaking news stories. E-mail the news
team at edafm@keypublishing.com
and decided to continue the
approach to a full stop and
forego any further traffic pattern
work. At 15:39:16L, while
slowing and configuring to
land, the engine failed. At this
point, the MA was below the
energy profile required to glide
to a suitable landing surface.
The MIP transmitted the MC’s
intent to eject over the radio
and they did so seconds later,
sustaining minor injuries.
The T-6 crashed 4.8 miles
(7.7km) northwest of JBSA-
Randolph at 15:40:41L. The
MA impacted the ground in an
estimated 20° nose-low, 10° left-
bank attitude, at 140kts. Ground
scarring was consistent with the
aircraft hitting at a shallow angle
and tumbling. The majority of the
wreckage was located within a
few hundred feet of where the
fuselage came to rest. The wings
and empennage separated from
the fuselage shortly after impact.
Accident Investigation Board
(AIB) President Michael C Boger,
by a preponderance of evidence,
determined the cause of the
mishap to be a fuel transfer tube
locking plate that was improperly
installed during the contracted
4,500-hour engine overhaul.
Post-mishap analysis by Pratt &
Whitney Canada showed the fuel
nozzle transfer tubes between
nozzles 9 and 10 were out of
position. These tubes transfer fuel
between each of 14 fuel injection
nozzles. The transfer tube locking
plate, which holds the tubes in
the proper position, was wrongly
installed, thereby allowing the
tubes to move. This resulted in
fuel leaking out of the system
prior to injection into the engine.
Ultimately, despite increased fuel
flow, the volume reaching the
engine was not enough to sustain
normal operation, resulting in
unrecoverable engine failure.
High fuel flow and ‘dashed’ fuel
flow gauge readings alone did
not indicate impending engine
failure to the MIP and so did not
require a climb to an altitude
from which the MA could glide
to land. For that reason, the MIP
elected to continue the approach
to a full-stop landing. At the
point where the MC assessed
engine failure/loss of effective
thrust, the aircraft was at 1,950ft
(594m) above ground level (AGL),
120kts and 6.8nm from the
runway surface. Flight manual
data and simulator re-creations
show that an altitude of roughly
3,100ft AGL (945m), 800ft (244m)
above the final approach altitude,
would have been required to
successfully glide to the runway.
The AIB determined that
neither the Contractor Operated
and Maintained Base Supply
(COMBS) nor the Maintenance
Support Unit (MSU) at JBSA-
Randolph inspected or performed
any maintenance on the fuel
manifold system of the mishap
engine (ME). Additionally, the
lead Pratt & Whitney Canada
investigator testified that the
bracket displacement did not
occur during ground impact.
The preponderance of evidence
indicates that the ME arrived
from its 4,500-hour scheduled
engine overhaul with Standard
Aero with the fuel transfer tube
locking plate installed incorrectly.
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8/5/2019 11:52:29 AM
 Accident Reports
D: Jun 8
N: Libyan Air Force
T: Beech 200 King Air
An air strike by a United Arab
Emirates Air Force and Air Defence
Wing Loong II unmanned combat
aerial vehicle destroyed this
aircraft, in open storage at Mitiga.
D: Jun 17
N/U: US Air Force/
5th Bomb Wing/
69th Bomb Squadron
T: B-52H Stratofortress
S: 60-0009 ‘MT’
Updating the previous report on
this aircraft, which diverted to RAF
Mildenhall, Suffolk, with a double
engine fire (see Attrition, August,
p91), it has remained stranded
there while repairs are undertaken.
On July 11, the No 7 engine was
removed, while by July 18 the No
8 engine had also been removed.
D: Jun 28
N: Indonesian Army
T: Mi-17V-5
S: HA-5138
Twelve personnel were on board
this helicopter when it was
reported missing at around 1149hrs
local time during a flight from
Oksibil Airport to Jayapura-Sentani
Airport. Its last reported position
was while flying over mountainous
terrain in the Pegunungan Bintang
regency, near the Papua New
Guinea border. It had stopped
to refuel at Oksibil, but contact
was lost five minutes after take-
off. Seven crew members and five
members of the Infantry Battalion
725/Waroagi task force who
were being transferred to another
post were on board. The crew
comprised pilots Captain Aris and
1st Lt Bambang, co-pilot First Lt
Ahwar, Chief Sergeant Suriyatna,
Second Sergeant Dita, Private Dwi
Purnomo and Private Aharul. The
passengers were soldiers Ikrar
Setya Nainggolan, Yanuarius Loe,
Risno, Sujono Kaimuddin and
Tegar Hadi Sentana. An extensive
search for the helicopter was
hampered by bad weather and
three weeks later there was still no
sign of it, but a ground search was
continuing as AFM went to press.
D: Jun 28
N/U: Spanish Air Force/
Ala 46/462 Escuadrón
T: F/A-18A+ Hornet
S: C.15-83 ‘46-11’
Abbreviations: D: Date N/U: Nationality/Units T: Type S: Serials
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86-89 Attrition AFM Sep2019.indd 87
Fire crews douse the No 7 and 8 engines on US Air Force/5th Bomb
Wing/69th Bomb Squadron B-52H 60-0009 ‘MT’ after its emergency
landing at RAF Mildenhall on June 17. Both engines were removed
during July, but the aircraft still languishes there awaiting repairs.
USAF/Airman 1st Class Brandon Esau
Ground crew forgot to chock
the wheels after this Hornet
was parked at Gando air base,
Gran Canaria, resulting in the
jet rolling backwards into a
building. The tailplane and engine
exhaust nozzles sustained
some damage, but it did not
immediately appear to be serious.
D: Jun 30
N: Turkish Armed Forces
T: Bayraktar Tactical UAS
A Libyan National Army Air Force
air strike on Mitiga International
Airport destroyed this unmanned
aerial system, along with its
ground control station. The LNA
believed the drone’s Turkish
operators may also have been
killed during the attack.
D: Jul 1
N/U: German Army Aviation/
Internationales
Hubschrauberaus-
bildungszentrum
T: EC135T1
During a training sortie from
Bückeburg air base this helicopter
crashed at 1345hrs local time in
a cornfield near Dehmkerbrock/
Aerzen, west of Hamelin, while
operating along a dedicated
low-flying route. The aircraft
commander was killed, and the
co-pilot seriously injured. The
EC135 was destroyed by a post-
crash fire. Both crew members
were experienced pilots, each with
450 flying hours, and were training
as instructors. The Internationales
Hubschrauberausbildungszentrum
(International Helicopter Training
Centre) at Bückeburg temporarily
suspended flying with the
type pending investigation.
D: Jul 2
N/U: Ukrainian Air Force/
Kharkiv Air Force
University/203rd Aviation
Training Brigade
T: L-39C Albatros
This aircraft was destroyed when
it crashed at around 1600hrs
local time near the Starovirivka
settlement, close to Chuhuiv
town, Kharkiv region, during a
sortie from Chuhuiv air base.
The pilot ejected safely and
was picked up by a search and
rescue team. Reports vary as to
the cause, some saying it was
due to an engine malfunction,
while there are also suggestions
it was caught by wake turbulence
from another nearby aircraft,
causing it to roll violently with
the pilot losing control.
D: Jul 4
N: Libyan Government of
National Accord Air Force
T: L-39ZO Albatros
Two crew, Colonels Sasi Abdul-
Salam Sasi al-Habazi and Ahmed
al-Barqli, were killed when this
aircraft was shot down by Libyan
National Army (LNA) air defence
forces just south of Tarhuna,
50 miles (80km) southeast of
Tripoli, after it had taken off from
Misrata air base on a combat
mission. The LNA initially claimed
it had downed the GNA’s sole
remaining MiG-23UB, 8212, but
images of the remains of one wing
showed it was an L-39ZO and
the LNA subsequently issued a
statement correcting the error.
D: Jul 5
N/U: Royal Air Force/
Red Arrows
T: Hawk T1
One of the ten Red Arrows aircraft
which arrived at Farnborough
Airport, Hampshire, at around
1200hrs burst a tyre on landing.
The airport was subsequently
closed for 45 minutes while
local emergency services dealt
with the incident and tyre debris
was removed from the runway.
There was no serious damage
reported to the aircraft which was
expected to be quickly repaired
and returned to service after fitting
a new tyre. The pilot was unhurt.
D: Jul 6
N: US Air Force
Civil Air Patrol
T: Cessna 172R Skyhawk
S: N994CP
This aircraft departed from
Columbus-Golden Triangle
Regional Airport, for a flight to
University-Oxford Airport, both
in Mississippi, but crashed at
around 1515hrs on the Ole Miss
Golf Course, just north of its
destination. The aircraft was
partially consumed by a post-
crash fire and the solo pilot,
18-year-old Cadet Master Sgt
Lake Little, suffered serious
burns and later died after being
airlifted to a Memphis hospital.
Little had recently joined the
Wreckage of the tail of the
Ukrainian Air Force L-39C
following its crash on July
2 near Chuhuiv.
#378 September 2019 // 87
8/5/2019 11:52:30 AM
  Attrition
Report
Mississippi Air National Guard’s
172nd Airlift Wing/183rd Airlift
Squadron at Thompson Field,
Jackson International Airport, to
train as a C-17A loadmaster.
D: Jul 10
N: Qatar Emiri Air Force
T: 2 x PC-21
All four crew ejected safely when
these aircraft collided in mid-air
and crashed. Although the defence
ministry announced the accident,
no further details were given, and
the location was not reported.
D: Jul 10
N/U: US Army/25th Infantry
Division
T: RQ-7B Shadow
This UAV crashed at around
1530hrs in the Waianae
Mountains, Hawaii, near Wheeler
Army Airfield, Schofield Barracks.
The accident caused a brush
fire which was extinguished
by local fire services.
D: Jul 11
N/U: Republic of China
Air Force/427th Tactical
Fighter Wing/3rd Tactical
Fighter Wing
T: F-CK-1 Hsiung Ying
This fighter developed a
mechanical problem during a
routine training mission, forcing
it to return to Ching Chuan Kang
Air Base, Taichung, where a safe
emergency landing was made
at around 1700hrs. The pilot
was uninjured, but it’s unclear
whether there was any serious
damage to the aircraft which
blocked the runway, causing
disruption to eight commercial
flights from the adjacent Taichung
International Airport. Reports that
the fighter made a belly landing
were denied by the air force and
although the exact nature of the
problem was not revealed, an
undercarriage fault is a possibility.
D: Jul 11
N/U: Royal Thai Air Force/
41 Wing/411 Squadron
T: L-39ZA/ART Albatros
S: KhF1-21/37/41121
Following engine failure during
a training sortie from Chiang
Mai Air Base, this aircraft was
destroyed when it crashed at
1615hrs local time near Wat Pa
Poh in Tha Wang Tan, Saraphi
district, in the northern Chiang
Mai province. The instructor pilot,
Sqn Ldr Naruepol Lueadkusol,
Abbreviations: D: Date N/U: Nationality/Units T: Type S: Serials
88 // September 2019 #378
86-89 Attrition AFM Sep2019.indd 88
Subscribe to www.airforcesmonthly.com
for breaking news stories. E-mail the news
team at edafm@keypublishing.com
was found dead at the crash site
but the student pilot, Wg Cdr
Thanawat Khunkhunthod, ejected
and survived with minor injuries.
D: Jul 12
N/U: US Air Force/552nd
Air Control Wing/
960th Airborne Air Control
Squadron
T: E-3B Sentry
S: 76-1606 ‘OK’
During a sortie from Tinker Air
Force Base, Oklahoma, the aircraft
declared an emergency due to a
fire in the No 2 engine. It diverted
to Lincoln Airport, Nebraska for
a safe emergency landing at
around 1730hrs. Local firefighters
extinguished the fire within 15
minutes, although the extent of
the damage was not immediately
clear. The six crew evacuated the
Sentry via an emergency escape
slide and were all uninjured. The
aircraft was towed off the runway
to await investigation and repairs.
D: Jul 17
N: Colombian Army
T: Mi-17MD
S: EJC-3385
Royal Thai Air Force/41 Wing/411
Squadron L-39ZA/ART Albatros
KhF1-21/37/41121 at Korat Air Base
during Exercise Cope Tiger 2013.
The aircraft was lost in a crash on
July 11. Adrian Romang
This helicopter crashed at around
1950hrs local time during a
supply flight to a remote region
near La Cominera, in the Cauca
department, after taking off from
Cali at 1815hrs and making a
technical stop at Miranda. All
five on board (Mayor Luis Torrez
Pabón and Capitán Edson Niño,
plus Sargentos Dumar Bareño
Suárez, Jair Mina Amarat and
Edison Mora) suffered serious
injuries. The cause of the accident
was not immediately clear,
although weather conditions
were poor at the time.
D: Jul 17
N/U: US Air Force/
31st Fighter Wing
T: F-16C
After a suspected burst tyre on
landing at Aviano Air Base, Italy,
the aircraft veered off the side
of the runway into soft ground
and came to rest slightly nose
down. The pilot was uninjured,
but it was not immediately
clear whether there was any
serious damage to the aircraft.
D: Jul 17
The remains
of one wing
of the Libyan
Government of
National Accord
Air Force L-39ZO
Albatros which
was shot down
on July 4 near
Tarhuna.
N/U: US Army/Company D/
173rd Brigade Engineer
Battalion
T: RQ-7 Shadow
This UAV crashed at
approximately 1430hrs local time
after loss of data link during a
training mission while being flown
from the National Guard training
base at Camp Douglas, Volk
Field, Wisconsin. After contact
was lost, it descended into trees
and was heavily damaged. The
Shadow was being operated
by a platoon from Company D,
173rd Engineering Battalion, as
part of the 32nd ‘Red Arrow’
Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
D: Jul 18
N: Islamic Republic of Iran
Revolutionary Guard Corps
T: Mohajer-4
At around 1000hrs local time, the
Wasp-class amphibious assault
ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) downed
this UAV after it approached
to within 3,000ft (914m) of
the ship while it was sailing in
international waters in the Strait of
Hormuz. The US reported it took
www.airforcesmonthly.com
8/5/2019 11:52:32 AM
 defensive action to ensure the
safety of the ship and crew after
the UAV approached to within
threatening range, its operators
having ignored multiple calls to
stand down. Iran denied claims
of the downing and released
video purporting to prove it had
continued its routine surveillance
mission. The UAV was downed
by a Light Marine Air Defense
Integrated System (LMADIS),
a new anti-UAV detection and
jamming system, which was
installed on a US Marine Corps
Polaris MRZR all-terrain vehicle
on the forward section of the
ship’s flight deck. The LMADIS
incorporates a combination of
electronic jammers, radars and
gun systems. This was the first
known ‘kill’ by the system.
D: Jul 18
N/U: Serbian Air Force and
Air Defence/98th Aviation
Brigade/714th Anti-
Armour Helicopter
Squadron
T: HN-42M Gama
(SA341H Gazelle)
S: 12836
This helicopter was extensively
damaged when it landed heavily
and rolled over onto its starboard
side in a field at 1910hrs local time
near Rutevac village, Aleksinac
municipality, while carrying out a
training flight. Neither of the two
crew members were reported to
have suffered serious injuries.
D: Jul 21
N/U: US Air Force/
52nd Fighter Wing/
480th Fighter Squadron
T: F-16CM
S: 96-0080 ‘SP/480FS’
United States Viper Demo Team
pilot Major Garret Shmitz was
flying the aircraft at the Royal
International Air Tattoo at RAF
Fairford, Gloucestershire when
this incident occurred. He
performed a high-speed pass
from right to left, followed by a
sharp right-hand turn and pull-
up, leading into a Derry turn. It
became apparent the aircraft had
a problem and the pilot circled
the airfield while conducting
safety checks. A fly-through
enabled air traffic control officers
and a safety pilot to visually
examine the jet, confirming that
part of the starboard horizontal
stabiliser had delaminated and
separated from the aircraft.
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86-89 Attrition AFM Sep2019.indd 89
The pilot was uninjured in a
safe emergency landing.
D: July 22
N: Libyan National Army
Air Force
T: L-39ZO Albatros
S: 9444
Armed with two bombs on
underwing hardpoints, this aircraft
performed an emergency landing
on a rural road in the Ben Khadash
area, near Medenine, Tunisia. It
appeared undamaged despite
veering off the paved surface at
the end of its landing roll. The
pilot, Faraj Saghir, was uninjured.
Tunisia’s defence ministry said
the Albatros had entered Tunisian
airspace at around 0730hrs local
time. It was reportedly en route
from Brak al-Shati air base to
al-Watiya air base when it had
a technical problem with its
navigation system, leading to its
unplanned incursion into Tunisian
airspace. The serial 9444 was
carried on the right-hand side of
the forward and rear fuselage,
but the left-hand side of the
fuselage carried serial 9435. The
aircraft is, in fact, serial 9444,
Serbian Air Force and Air
Defence HN-42M Gama
after its crash on July 18.
Aleksandar Radić
fitted with the tail unit of 9435.
D: Jul 24
N/U: Azerbaijan Air Force/
MiG-29 Eskadrilya
T: MiG-29
This aircraft crashed into the
Caspian Sea at around 2200hrs
local time during a night training
flight. As AFM went to press,
a search and rescue operation
was under way to find the pilot
in an area within Azerbaijani
territorial waters. The aircraft
was from the MiG-29 Eskadrilya
at Nasosnaya air base.
D: Jul 25
N/U: French Air Force/
EPAA 20.300/
Patrouille de France
T: Alpha Jet E
S: E146 ‘2’
Prior to a planned display by the
team that afternoon at Saint-
Cyprien, this aircraft encountered
a problem on approach to land at
Perpignan-Rivesaltes (Llabanère)
International Airport in the late
morning. On extending the
undercarriage, a fire broke out in
the starboard undercarriage bay
Close-up of the rear
of USAF 480th Fighter
Squadron F-16CM 96-
0080 ‘SP/480FS’ while
flying over the runway
at RAF Fairford on July
21, clearly showing
damage incurred
to the starboard
horizontal
stabiliser during
its flying
display. Mike
Hiley
and the tower confirmed flames
coming from that area. The pilot,
callsign ‘Athos 2’, confirmed he
had no brakes but was going to
attempt to land. After two or three
circuits, the aircraft touched down,
but was unable to stop before
running off the end of the runway.
The jet ran down a grassy slope
and across the RD614 road onto
rough ground, where it came to
rest nose down against a concrete
barrier at the side of the D117
Peyrestortes road. The pilot,
identified only as Captain Jean-
Philippe, ejected at ground level,
suffering minor back and shoulder
injuries, and was taken to hospital.
Local fire services doused the
small fire in the undercarriage bay
with foam to prevent it spreading
further. The team’s performance at
Saint-Cyprien was cancelled and
subsequent displays suspended
pending further investigation.
D: Jul 25
N: Libyan Government
of National Accord
Air Force
T: Unidentified UAV
A Libyan National Army (LNA)
spokesman claimed its forces
shot down this UAV when it
was approaching al-Jufra air
base in central Libya. There
has been no independent
confirmation of the claim.
D: Jul 25
N: Libyan National Army
Air Force
T: Unknown number of UAVs
A bombing raid by Libyan
Government of National Accord
Air Force aircraft destroyed a
UAV hangar at al-Jufra. It is
unknown how many drones
were in the building.
D: Jul 30
N: Pakistan Army
T: Beech King Air 350i
S: FL-766
At least 19 people, including two
pilots and three crewmembers,
were killed when this aircraft
crashed in Mora Kalu, a residential
area of Rawalpindi in Punjab.
Rescue officials said they
expected the death toll to rise as
some of those injured were critical.
Additional material from:
Igor Bozinovski, Mike Hiley,
Aleksandar Radić, Scramble/Dutch
Aviation Society, René L Uijthoven,
Dave Willis and Asagiri Yohko.
#378 September 2019 // 89
8/5/2019 11:52:35 AM
 Garuda VI

Flankers
Indian

in France The Garuda series of exercises involving the French and

Indian Air Forces is held every three to four years, alternating
between both countries. Joris van Boven and Alex van Noye
attended the recent iteration at Mont-de-Marsan.

Above: No 24 Squadron’s Su-30MKI SB423 gets airborne from Mont-de-Marsan on July 10.
Four IAF ‘Flankers’ from Bareilly AFS arrived in France on June 28 to take part in the bilateral
exercise. All photos Joris van Boven and Alex van Noye unless stated

90 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

90-93 FlankersinFrance AFM Sep2019.indd 90 7/30/2019 3:44:45 PM

 T
he latest Garuda was organised at
Base Aérienne 118 ‘Colonel Rozanoff’
at Mont-de-Marsan in southwest
France between July 1-12. This training is
an extension of France’s wider efforts to
build relationships in the Indo-Pacific region.
It aims to improve levels of interoperability
between French and Indian aircrews in both
air defence and ground-attack missions.
Strategic co-operation between France
and India dates back to 1951, with a first
agreement involving the Indian and French
atomic energy commissions, and, ever since,
has developed and expanded in scope.
French President Jacques Chirac and India’s
Prime Minister I K Gujral signed a strategic
partnership in January 1998 which was then
launched during Prime Minister A B Vajpayee’s
visit to Paris in September the same year.
During Garuda, French and Indian crews
come together to prepare their missions
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90-93 FlankersinFrance AFM Sep2019.indd 91
and scenarios and employ their respective
aircraft in realistic, complex tactical situations,
with a focus on mixed operations.
Armée de l’Air (French Air Force) aircraft
involved in the latest manoeuvres – Garuda
VI – included the Rafale, Alpha Jet, Mirage
2000-5F/D, C-135FR, E-3F, C-130 and
CN235. The host for the exercise was the
Escadron de Chasse (EC) 2/30 ‘Normandie-
Niemen’, part of the 30e Escadre de Chasse
(30th Fighter Wing), flying the Rafale.
IAF squadrons
The Indian Air Force (IAF) brought four
Su-30MKIs, one Il-78MKI tanker and two C-17A
transports to France.
The Indian Flankers
came from No
24 Squadron
‘Hunting Hawks’
at Bareilly Air
Force Station (AFS) and the Il-78 belonged to
No 78 Squadron ‘Battle Cry’ at Agra AFS.
The Indian detachment left India on
June 26, with intermediate stops in the
United Arab Emirates and in Egypt. It
touched down at Mont-de-Marsan two
days later and was welcomed by base
commander Colonel Cédric Gaudillière.
The exercise concluded on July 12 and the
IAF departed for India on the 15th. The Indian
contingent comprised around 110 personnel.
Group Captain Elvis Clinton Rodrigues,
callsign ‘Rods’, is the commanding officer
of the ‘Hunting Hawks’. He has 3,000 flying
hours, about 1,000 of which are on the Sukhoi.
He told AFM: “It was a great
experience and more
than challenging. It
was of considerable
learning value for
us, primarily
#378 September 2019 // 91
7/30/2019 3:44:51 PM
 Garuda VI
Exercise Year
Garuda I 2003
Garuda II 2005
Garuda III 2007
Garuda IV 2010
Garuda V 2014
Garuda VI 2019
* Trinational exercise with Republic of Singapore Air Force F-16s temporarily based at Orange.
2 3
because the French Air Force operates
according to NATO standards, so in terms
of understanding each other it was not
difficult. But going through various phases,
starting from basic fighting manoeuvres up
to large-force engagements, and at each
stage integrating with them, the learning
value was significant. And we have lots
to take away, to continue to progress and
move ahead in the years to come.”
The future
New Delhi has ordered 36 Rafales and
so the exercise gave the Indian pilots
a chance to see their new acquisition
up close. This autumn, after around six
months of training, testing and evaluation
in France by Indian pilots, the first Rafales
will be delivered for formal acceptance.
Pilots from both air forces were able
to fly in aircraft from the other country.
The Indian Vice Chief of the Air Staff
(VCAS) Air Marshal R K S Bhadauria flew
in a Rafale with Colonel Antoine Courty,
commanding officer of EC 2/30.
92 // September 2019 #378
90-93 FlankersinFrance AFM Sep2019.indd 92
Country Location
India Gwalior AFS
France Istres-le-Tubé
India Kalaikunda AFS
France Istres-le-Tubé*
India Jodhpur AFS
France Mont-de-Marsan
With plans to replace the ageing Il-78 tanker,
Indian crews also welcomed the opportunity
during the first week of the exercise to see
the Armée de l’Air’s new Airbus A330 Phénix
during a visit to BA 125 Istres-Le Tubé.
Preparations
The build-up to Garuda VI started around
six months prior with an initial planning
session at Mont-de-Marsan, in which
representatives from the fighter and tanker
communities schemed the exercise.
This early meeting decided the duration
of Garuda VI, quantity of aircraft
required, number of missions, and
the way the scenarios developed.
With this ‘homework’ complete, the
Indian personnel returned to discuss
the scope of the manoeuvres with IAF
staff and to refine their programme.
The final elements of the manoeuvres were
confirmed during a mid-term planning meeting.
Back in India, a work-up phase was
launched to get the pilots used to flying
in large packages of dissimilar aircraft in
1
compact airspace – especially important
for the younger aviators. Air-to-air refuelling
was also integrated in these preparations.
For the refuellers themselves, a very
important objective was organising the ‘trail’
to France and back. The fighter pilots were
all required to be fully operational with a
rating of two-ship lead, and comprised a
mix of experienced and younger fliers.
The first week of Garuda VI began with
familiarisation flights to get used to the
French flying environment and local air traffic
regulations. Later in the first week, some basic
fighter manoeuvres (BFM) exercises were
planned, including 1-v-1, 1-v-2 and 2-v-2.
During the second and final week the focus
was on flying large-force engagements
with multiple aircraft assigned to Blue
Air opposing enemy Red Air assets.
Two missions were scheduled per day,
with Indian and French contingents
alternating in the role of mission leader.
After the aircraft had launched, AFM was
given access to the on-base Centre de
Détection et de Contrôle (CDC) 04.930,
www.airforcesmonthly.com
7/30/2019 3:44:56 PM

4
the detection and control centre at Mont-
de-Marsan. On this occasion, the aim of
the mission was to protect a slow-moving
transport aircraft delivering paratroopers to
a drop zone (DZ), and the Indian Sukhois
(Blue Air) were tasked to protect the airlifter.
The CDC, using the callsign ‘Marina’,
monitored the morning wave of the exercise.
These controllers are also responsible for
covering all flying activities in the southwest
of France, including air traffic and air
defence quick reaction alert (QRA) missions
– known as Permanence Opérationelle.
The control centre co-operates closely with
other regional CDCs and the centralised
French control hub at BA 942 Lyon-Mont
Verdun air base, callsign ‘Rambert’.
AFM witnessed the aircraft return from
their morning mission before a debriefing
took place in the afternoon, most of which
was classified. As the large force also
included aircraft flying from their home bases
elsewhere in France, a video connection
was set up to discuss the results of the
day’s flying with these participants as well. AFM
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90-93 FlankersinFrance AFM Sep2019.indd 93
Colonel Antoine Courty, commanding officer
of EC 2/30. The squadron boss took the Indian
VCAS Air Marshal Bhadauria for a flight in one
of the unit’s two-seat Rafale Bs.
7
1: In-flight refuelling probe deployed, Su-30MKI
SB430 approaches the tanker over the
Mediterranean en route to Garuda VI. The
‘Flankers’ were refuelled by a French Air Force
C-135FR during the last stage of their ferry
flight to France. Armée de l’Air 2: Alpha Jet E 104
‘8-TG’ tucks up its gear as it departs Mont-de-
Marsan. This aircraft is assigned to the École de
Transition Opérationnelle (ETO) 8 stationed at BA
120 Cazaux. 3: SB435 trails its twin brake ’chutes.
Serials of the Su-30MKIs involved in Garuda VI
comprised SB138, SB423, SB430 and SB435. 4:
Among the local participants was this Mirage
2000D, serial 617 ‘3-IS’, operated by the resident
Escadron de Chasse et d’Expérimentation (ECE)
1/30 ‘Côte d’Argent’. This aircraft received special
markings for this year’s NATO Tiger Meet, also
held at Mont-de-Marsan. 5: A pair of Su-30MKI
‘drivers’ pose for the media at Mont-de-Marsan.
The ‘Hunting Hawks’ contingent comprised a mix
of experienced and younger aviators. 6: A head-
on view of the IAF’s future fighter – Armée de
l’Air Rafale C 114 ‘30-IS’ of EC 2/30 ‘Normandie-
Niemen’ which hosted the manoeuvres. Deliveries
of the first Indian Rafales are due to begin this
autumn. 7: Su-30MKI SB435 taxies after returning
from a BFM sortie. Recent announcements from
Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical
Cooperation indicate that India is lining up
purchase of an additional 18 Su-30MKI fighters.
#378 September 2019 // 93
7/30/2019 3:45:05 PM
 UK Lightning in focus

207
Right: The patch worn by the crew of No
207 Squadron, complete with the motto
Semper paratus, ‘Always prepared’. The
unit was formally stood up on August 1
and the first F-35 pilot course at Marham
will commence in early September.

The UK’s latest Lockheed

Martin F-35B unit returned
to RAF Marham on July
16. No 207 Squadron is the
Operational Conversion Unit
(OCU) and Jamie Hunter was
there for the arrival.

Back in the UK
94 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

94-97 207SqnReturns AFM Sep2019.indd 94 7/30/2019 3:57:05 PM


7
H
aving made the eight-hour transatlantic
crossing from MCAS Beaufort, South
Carolina, six F-35Bs arrived in the
overhead at RAF Marham at dusk on the
evening of July 16 in sharp four-ship and
pairs formations. This was the third wave of
British F-35s to touch down on UK soil in
order to begin sovereign operations, with 15
jets now at the Norfolk base out of a total
of 18 that have been handed over to date.
After the six aircraft were ensconced in their
new shelters in the bespoke new operations
area on the southern side of the airfield, the
pilots shut down the engines and climbed
down to meet awaiting families. Wg Cdr Scott
‘Mox’ Williams, officer commanding No 207
Squadron, led the formation and was still in his
flying gear and immersion suit after the long
flight when he kindly spoke to AFM. “We took
off just after 0600hrs local time this morning at
MCAS Beaufort, climbed up to about 26,000ft,
met up with the tanker, which came out of
[MCAS] Cherry Point. Then we plugged [for
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94-97 207SqnReturns AFM Sep2019.indd 95
fuel] a couple of times as we flew up the US
east coast, got abeam Halifax/Gander – that
sort of area – and two other Voyager tankers
met us and we jumped onto those two. We
split, two F-35s on one and four on the other,
and we all flew across the Atlantic and they
dropped us off at Land’s End. We did eight
refuellings each; some were close together
because you want to keep your fuel high –
so you can go in an emergency as far as
possible – and it went pretty much on rails.”
Last active as a Tucano T1 operator at
RAF Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire until it
disbanded in January 2012, No 207 Squadron
was identified as the UK Lightning training
unit in July 2017, chosen as it reflects the
heritage and joint approach to the Lightning
Force of both the RAF and Royal Navy.
Semper paratus,
‘Always prepared’
The No 207 Squadron motto is a statement
of how they intend to operate in their
Left: Reflecting the joint nature of the Lightning
Force, RAF (left) and Royal Navy maintainers await
the pilot of ZM149 to dismount his jet after the
NATO 70
flight from MCAS Beaufort. All photos Jamie Hunter
new home station – rapidly becoming
ready for the training job in hand. The
unit has been embedded with VMFAT-
501 ‘Warlords’ at Beaufort for training until
now, with the return to the UK signalling
the start of organic training operations.
“We are in a big period of growth, which
we’ll see over the next couple of years,” said
Wg Cdr Williams. The UK has now received
all 18 aircraft that were initially ordered,
with a further 17 F-35Bs now on contract to
be delivered between 2020 and 2022. The
newest UK F-35B (ZM152/BK-18) was handed
over shortly before the latest ‘trail’ back to
the UK and was one of the six aircraft that
arrived at Marham on July 16. The remaining
three jets are with No 17 Test and Evaluation
Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base,
California for ongoing operational testing.
With just one UK student pilot remaining
at Beaufort, No 207 Squadron planned to
start operations from Marham alongside
No 617 Squadron almost immediately,
#378 September 2019 // 95
7/30/2019 3:57:54 PM
 UK Lightning in focus
steadily increasing its flying rates so
that it’s ready to begin training its own
students at the beginning of September.
Wg Cdr Williams previously told AFM: “We
don’t have any ab initio UK pilots
on the courses right now.
The first [and last] of these
went through VMFAT-
501 in late 2017 and
are now flying on 617
Squadron at Marham.”
The first ground
school course at
Marham started
on July 1 and will
Above: Wg Cdr Scott Williams steps down from the cockpit of ZM151 after his transatlantic flight. The
trip took ten hours and the first jet landed at RAF Marham around 1950hrs local time.
96 // September 2019 #378
94-97 207SqnReturns AFM Sep2019.indd 96
include the next two ab initio students. A flying
phase will begin a couple of months later.
A joint approach
The Marham-based Lightning Force will
maintain a pooled fleet of aircraft shared
between Nos 207 and 617 Squadrons – to be
joined by the Fleet Air Arm’s 809 Naval Air
Squadron (NAS), which will be established
at the base in 2023. A new lightning bolt
tail marking is being applied to all British
jets, and Wg Cdr Williams was clear that
this isn’t a No 617 Squadron marking, it’s
“Lightning Force”. He said: “We’re going
for a ‘wing’ approach to producing aircraft
www.airforcesmonthly.com
7/30/2019 3:57:59 PM
 NATO 70
Above: A pair of Lightnings in a refurbished hardened aircraft shelter (HAS) on the site that was formerly
home to the Tornados of No 13 Squadron. As part of Project Anvil, work has been undertaken to bring (QWI) and Flying Instructor courses.
12 HASes up to standard for the F-35B. Above right: Wg Cdr Scott Williams speaks to the media after his Ultimately, the OCU will feed new Lightning
flight. In a tweet a few days later, ‘Mox’ reflected: “No in-flight movies, no food service, no pillows, no loo. pilots and core expertise into both No 617
And the seatbelt sign never goes out. Brilliant nonetheless!”
Squadron and 809 NAS. Williams said:
to meet the daily and weekly needs of not latter is very much an operational unit. “Our “We will train every OCU student in all the
just the operational squadron but the OCU core business is fundamentally different missions and give them all the knowledge
as well. There are a lot of other factors that and only the OCU’s F-35B qualified flying they need to be tactical frontline pilots on
need considering beyond just the flying, so instructors will teach new students,” either 617 or 809 Squadrons. We’ll also be
coming up with an optimised and sustainable explained Williams. No 617 Squadron will giving students their carrier qualification
flying schedule is a key part of the synergy also train on a daily basis, but the OCU as we plan to embark twice a year in HMS
we will generate by combining both 207 will be following a dedicated syllabus that Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.”
and 617 Squadrons’ engineering output.” encompasses all F-35B missions and Summing up, Williams said: “It’s a
No 207 Squadron has slotted straight in capabilities. It is also planned for No 207 huge privilege to know that I’ve got the
alongside No 617 Squadron ‘Dambusters’, Squadron to establish post-graduate courses, challenge of getting us up and running
making use of its facilities, although the including the Qualified Weapons Instructor with the training as soon as possible.” AFM
Left: Serial ZM149 taxies after touching down in
the UK for the first time. Britain has now received
all 18 of the F-35Bs originally ordered, although
three jets remain with No 17 Test and Evaluation
Squadron at Edwards AFB, California.

Below: All six jets from the July 16 ‘trail’ in the new
shelter at Marham. Meanwhile, the new Integrated
Training Centre (ITC) will provide UK Lightning
maintainer training and house the full-mission
simulators.

“We are in a big period of growth,

which we’ll see over the next
couple of years”

www.airforcesmonthly.com #378 September 2019 // 97

94-97 207SqnReturns AFM Sep2019.indd 97 7/30/2019 3:58:14 PM

 Next
Issue

Coming up
in AFM
The October 2019 issue
is on sale globally from
September 19, 2019.*
In the next issue, AFM takes
to the air with the M-346
advanced jet trainers of the Siły
Powietrzne (Polish Air Force),
the replacement for the ancient
TS-11 Iskra, which entered
service back in 1964. With the
new Leonardo aircraft – officially
known in Poland as the Bielik,
or white-tailed eagle – the air
force has a trainer suitable for
providing frontline pilots to fly
the F-16C/D Block 52+ fighter,
likely to be joined in future by
the F-35 Lightning II.

Other forthcoming
features include:
• Swedish Air Force shapes up
for new threats
• Kawasaki P-1 – Japan’s
sophisticated sub hunter
• Saving lives in the US Marine
Corps’ last ‘November Hueys’
• Odessa Aircraft Plant – exotic
hardware at the Ukrainian repair
and overhaul specialist

*UK scheduled on-sale

date. Please note that
overseas deliveries are
likely to be after this date.
Photo: Riccardo Niccoli

98 // September 2019 #378 www.airforcesmonthly.com

98 ComingUp AFM Sep2019.indd 98 8/1/2019 12:02:09 PM

TORNADO TRIBUTE TO AN RAF ICON
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FEATURING
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Group Captain (retired) Nigel Walpole reviews the
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A World At War
The turbulent 2000s resulted in the Tornado force being
extensively deployed in operations around the world.

Shader to the End

Tornado Force deployed for Operation Shader on
August 13, 2014 and remained committed until its last
operational sortie on January 31, 2019.

Farewell to ‘The Fin’

The Royal Air Force said goodbye to the much-loved
‘Tonka’ as the type stood down on March 31, 2019.
We look back at the events that marked the Tornado’s
emotional retirement from service.
and much more!

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