MILITARY NEWS
10 Aviation News incorporating Jets December 2018
B-52H Drops Quickstrike-ER MineA USAF B-52H Stratofortress operating from
Andersen AFB, Guam, has successfully
released a 2,000lb (907kg) shallow-water
mine from standoff range for the rst time.
The Quickstrike-Extended Range (ER) mine
was deployed during a joint USAF and US
Navy test during the Valiant Shield exercise
and dropped from a Stratofortress belonging
to the 96th Bomb Squadron.The weapon was delivered from altitude
and outside a presumed enemy’s anti-
aircraft range. The inert weapon entered
the water near the Northern Marianas and
was directed into position by a Joint Direct
Attack Munition (JDAM) kit. A US Navy P-8A
Poseidon from VP-5 monitored the test to
collect data, before navy divers recovered
the mine.Capt Craig Quinnett, the Quickstrike’s
B-52 test lead, explained: “Now, with JDAM
and the Quickstrike-ER, this gives us the
ability to deploy precision mines, so we can
stand off, put these weapons exactly where
we know they’re going to go, so we don’t
have to get in, get low next to the enemy’s
weapons. The Quickstrike-ER is a huge step
forward for naval mines.”Revised Osprey Transition QuickensGreyhound RetirementThe US Navy has brought forward its
planned retirement of the Grumman C-
Greyhound, due to indications that the
introduction of the CMV-22B Osprey will
be faster than expected. The air arm
anticipates that because of the minimal
number of modi cations required for the
CMV-22B to take on the carrier onboarddelivery (COD) role, it believes it will
undergo a shorter than planned test
programme. Therefore, the nal retirement
date for the C-2A Greyhound is likely to
take place in 2024 instead of the previously
expected 2027.
The rst of 39 CMV-22Bs were
ordered in June this year and are alreadyin production. The aircraft will undergo
modi ed developmental and operational
testing that will primarily evaluate the
extended-range fuel system, high frequency
beyond line-of-sight radio and the public
address system. The CMV-22B is due to
achieve initial operational capability in 2021
and three aircraft will deploy later that year.A B-52H carrying a Quickstrike-ER mine
at Andersen AFB, Guam, on September- USAF/SrA Zachary Bumpus
First Hellenic TecnamP2002JF DeliveredThe Hellenic Air Force received its rst Tecnam P2002JF ab initio
trainer on October 11. It is the initial example of 12 to be delivered
to Dekhelia Air Base by the end of this year. The Italian-built aircraft
will replace 360 Air Training Squadron’s Cessna T-41D Mescalero
eet, which have been in service since 1969. Greece is the second
country to take delivery of the Tecnam P2002, the Argentine Air
Force receiving eight aircraft in 2016. Igor BozinovskiThe rst Tecnam 2002JF next to the type it is replacing, a Cessna
T-41D Mescalero, at Dekhalia AB. Hellenic Air Force