Aviation News - May 2016

Airmen from the Massachusetts Air National

Guard’s (ANG’s) 104th FW and California

ANG’s 144th FW have deployed to Europe as

part of a Theater Security Package (TSP) in

support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

While in Europe some of the jets and

personnel will take part in the NATO Air

Surveillance mission in Iceland, while the

others are taking part in Frisian Flag at

Leeuwarden Air Base in the Netherlands as

well as bilateral training with other NATO and

partner nations.

Six F-15 Eagles have deployed from Barnes

ANGB, Massachusetts and six from Fresno

ANGB, California. Four of the jets – 84-0014,

84-0016/MA, 85-0122/MA and 85-0129 –

transited via RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, on April

2, continuing on to Leeuwarden two days later.

A 144th FW/California ANG F-15C Eagle 84-0014 arriving at RAF Lakenheath on April 2. Nick

Thompson

MILITARY AIRCRAFT ORDERS

Air Arm Company Number and Type Contract Date Delivery Date and Notes

Dominican Republic

Air Force

Tecnam 1 x P2006T

Italian Air Force Finmeccanica 9 x T-346A Master March 18 All deliveries completed by 2018

Japanese Coast Guard Airbus Helicopters 1 x H225 March 14 Delivered by the end of 2018

Lebanese Air Force Bell Helicopters 3 x UH-1H-II Huey II March 15 Estimated completion date of March

14, 2017

Philippine Navy Finmeccanica 2 x AW159 Wildcat March 31 To be delivered in 2018

Royal Saudi Air Force Sierra Nevada 2 x Beechcraft King Air

350ER

April 1 Contract completion is expected by

April 30, 2020

United Arab Emirates Piaggio Aerospace 8 x P.1HH HammerHead March 8

US Army Sikorsky 35 x UH-60M Black

Hawk

March 8 Estimated completion date is

December 31, 2016

US Army Boeing Unspecifi ed x AH-64E

Apache Guardian

March 20

US Marine Corps Bell Helicopters 12 x UH-1Y Venom March 11 Expected completion February 2019

US Marine Corps Bell Helicopters 13 x AH-1Z Viper March 11 Expected completion February 2019

US Navy Gulfstream

Aerospace

1 x G550 March 18 Contract completion expected

December 2018

USAF Lockheed Martin 14 x C-130J-30 Super

Hercules

March 24

USAF Lockheed Martin 5 x HC-130J March 24

USAF Lockheed Martin 8 x MC-130J March 24

USAF Boeing 30 x QF-16 March 28 Contract completion is expected by

April 9, 2018

IN BRIEF

A tweet from the LIGHTNING FORCE HQ

revealed that the UK plans to mark all of its

F-35 Lightning IIs with “a single ‘lightning

bolt’ on each tail  n to signify Lightning

Force”, rather than squadron insignia.

Italian aerospace  rm FINMECCANICA has

signalled its intention to rebrand as Leonardo

with effect from January 1 next year.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told

the Scottish Conservative conference in

Edinburgh on March 5 that he expects one

of the additional TYPHOON squadrons the

RAF is creating to be based at Lossiemouth,

Moray. “We will be creating two additional

frontline RAF Typhoon squadrons, and I am

pleased to con rm today our preferred option

is to base one of those new squadrons at

RAF Lossiemouth,” he was quoted as saying

by the Press and Journal.

Pilatus Aircraft delivered the last three ROYAL

SAUDI AIR FORCE PC-21 trainers on March

14. The 55-aircraft order was completed with
    the handover of 7709 (c/n 207, ex HB-HYX),
    7710 (c/n 208, ex HB-HYY) and 7711 (c/n 209,
    ex HB-HYZ).

MILITARY NEWS

12 Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft May 2016

Saudi Eagles

in Turkey

Four Royal Saudi Air Force Boeing F-15S

Eagles deployed to Incirlik Air Base,

Turkey on February 26, for operations

against Daesh. The aircraft come from 92

Squadron/3 Wing at Dhahran-King Abdul

Aziz Air Base, and were supported by

an RSAF Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker

Transport (MRTT).

Meanwhile the Royal Canadian Air Force

has relocated four CF-188 Hornets from

Kuwait to Mihail Koga ̆lniceanu Air Base in

Constanta, Romania to take part in Exercise

Resilient Resolve. The aircraft, from 425

Tactical Fighter Squadron, were deployed

on Operation Impact, Canada’s mission

against Daesh, however the country ceased

air strikes in Iraq and Syria on February

15. Canadian CC-150s and CP-140s
    continue to undertake air-to-air refuelling and
    intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
    missions on Operation Impact.

ANG F-15s Touch

Down in Europe

Typhoon

Gets Mission

Markings

RAF Typhoon FGR4 ZK332/EB-J has

gained mission marks following its recent

involvement in Operation Shader, the UK’s

contribution to the  ght against Daesh. The

jet has had 53 Paveway IV symbols applied

to the nosewheel door while deployed to RAF

Akrotiri, Cyprus. The jet is now back at RAF

Lossiemouth, Moray. Niall Paterson

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