aviation

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The RAF’s 25(Fighter) Squadron re-formed
at RAF Valley on September 8 as a second
Hawk T2 unit. It is providing the irst phase
of advanced fast jet training for RAF and
Royal Navy pilots. It will work alongside
IV(Army Co-operation) Squadron. To better

relect the long and distinguished wartime

records and ighting ethos of both units

the Fighter and Army Co-operation historic

squadron designators have been re-instated.

Increased pilot need for the Typhoon and

Lightning led to the new unit being required.

25(F) Sqn Re-forms on Hawk T

An RAF Hawk T2 wearing the markings of 25(Fighter) Squadron. The unit recently re-formed at
RAF Valley. Crown copyright / SAC Chris Thompson-Watts

America’s Tactical Airlift Program
Office (PMA-207) Commercial
Modiications and Range Support
(CMARS) Team has accepted
delivery of its latest commercial-
derivative aircraft the NC-37B. The

type is based on the Gulfstream

G550 but has structural

modiications and was then further

altered to house specialised

telemetry equipment. The type will

eventually replace the Lockheed

P-3 Orion range support aircraft

operated from Point Mugu.

The US Navy has accepted delivery

of the NC-37B to replace the range

support aircraft leet based in Point

Mugu, California. US Navy

US Navy

Accepts

NC-37B

F-35B Over

Afghanistan

The US military’s F-35 Lightning II

performed its irst-ever airstrike on

September 27.

US defence officials said the air strike

took place against a ixed Taliban target

in Afghanistan. The aircraft involved were

the US Marine Corps’ aircraft lying from

the USS Essex amphibious assault ship.

A Marine Corps statement said:

“During this mission the F-35B

conducted an air strike in support of

ground clearance operations, and the

strike was deemed successful by the

ground force commander.”

Two days later, the irst crash involving

an F-35 occurred in South Carolina.

The pilot ejected safely from an F-35B

belonging to the 2nd Marine Aircraft

Wing, based at Marine Corps Air

Station Beaufort, which came down on

uninhabited marshland about 4 miles

World Record for Zephyr (6.5km) from its base.

The UK’s Zephyr-S Operational

Concept Demonstrator (OCD) has

surpassed the world light endurance

record without refuelling.

The Joint Forces Command ‘pseudo-

satellite’, made by Airbus, began its maiden

light in Arizona on July 11 and touched

down again on August 6.

The ultra-lightweight UAV operates in

the stratosphere at an average altitude

of 70,000ft (21,336m) and is intended to

support land and maritime surveillance as

well as a variety of communication tasks.

It runs exclusively on solar power, lying

above the weather and conventional air

traffic. It could complement satellites, UAVs

and manned aircraft by providing persistent

local satellite-like services.

The UAV was airborne for 25 days,

23 hours, 57 minutes, surpassing the old

record of 14 days, 22 minutes and eight

seconds, set by a previous version of the

Zephyr UAV.

The OCD contract with Airbus was

signed in 2016 and includes the purchase

of three Zephyr-S platforms, with further

light trials planned for the coming

months. General Sir Chris Deverell, Joint

Forces Command CO, said: “We are

demonstrating new technology that puts

our armed forces at the cutting edge of

communication and surveillance.”

Syrians Shoot Down

Russian II-20M

A Russian Aerospace Forces Il-20M

reconnaissance aircraft was shot down by

a Syrian S-200 (SA-5 Gammon) surface-

to-air missile in a ‘friendly ire’ incident on

September 17. The intelligence gathering

aircraft had taken off from Khmeimim air

base in Latakia province, when it crashed

in the Mediterranean Sea around 20 miles

(35km) off the Syrian coast killing all 15

aboard. Syrian air defences were reportedly

tracking a light of Israeli F-16s at the time.

Maiden Flight for Mi-26T2V

An upgraded version of the Mi-26, the Mi-

26TV2, has made its irst light. Russian

Helicopters announced on August 19 that

the helicopter had taken to the air at the

Rostvertol light test centre in Rostov-on-

Don, lying for around 30 minutes and

reaching an altitude of over 4,921ft.

Following preliminary light tests at

the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant, the

helicopter will be handed over to the

military for official state tests. Russia’s

State Armament Programme for 2018-

envisages acquisition of the new variant

for its armed forces.

Russian Helicopters CEO, Andrey

Boginsky, said that the crew workload

has been considerably reduced by an

automated light and landing system,

while there are new defensive aids which

signiicantly improve survivability.

Dave Allport