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Scramble 468
2018, a B-52H with serial number 61-0034 was noted at Morón
Air Base in the South of Spain. It probably had to make a
precautionary landing because of unknown problems.
The end of an era and the start of a new one at Moffett Federal
Airfield, near Mountain View (CA). At the end of March 2018,
an Air National Guard MC-130P Combat Shadow with serial
number 66-0223 and code CA took its final flight from Moffett
to Sheppard AFB (TX). The former 130th Rescue Squadron/
29th Rescue Wing MC-130P will be used by Sheppard’s 363rd
Training Squadron as a trainer aircraft for future generations
of crew chiefs and armament airmen. On Thursday 5 April
2018, Lockheed Martin delivered the first HC-130J Combat
King-II, with serial number 15-5842, to California ANG’s
130th RQS/129th RQW. It is anticipated that the MC-130P
fleet will be phased out at Moffett in the near future and that
they will be replaced by five HC-130Js. Although not foreseen
for now, hopefully one MC-130P will be preserved with the
Moffett Field Historical Society Museum. Undoubtedly, some
MC-130Ps will turn up at Davis Monthan’s 309th AMARG
storage facility.
Transiting through Morón Air Base on 1 April 2018 were
six Lockheed-Martin F-22A Raptors from the 95th Fighter
Squadron/325th Fighter Wing. Normally based at Tyndall AFB
(FL) and tasked primarily with the training of Raptor pilots,
these were presumably coming from Al Dhafra Air Base in
the United Arab Emirates where they supported Operation
Inherent Resolve (OIR). The following TY coded F-22As
were noted: 04-4078, 04-4079, 04-4083, 05-4091, 05-4095 and
05-4099.
At the end of March 2018, multiple 20th Bomb Squadron/2nd
Bomb Wing B-52H Stratofortress bombers arrived at Royal
Australian Air Force Base Darwin to participate in exercise
Enhanced Air Cooperation (EAC). It was stated that the
bombers from Barksdale AFB (LA) would take part in training
activities with the Australian Defence Forces. EAC is a range
of combined air exercises and training activities between
the USA and Australia. The first EAC activity in Australia
under the US Force Posture Initiatives started in February
2017. RAAF Darwin already hosted USAF B-52Hs back in 2012,
2014 and 2016. The following LA coded B-52Hs were noted at
Darwin: 60-0025, 61-0002(as 2OG) plus one.
At the beginning of April 2018, United States Forces Japan
(USFJ) reported that a total of ten CV-22B Osprey tiltrotor
aircraft were scheduled to arrive at Yokota Air Base. On 4
April 2018, the first batch of CV-22Bs arrived at Yokohama
North Dock by ship, before departing to Yokota the next
day. Having arrived two years earlier than anticipated, the
Ospreys will be assigned to Pacific Command (PACOM).
At this moment it is unknown which USAF squadron will
operate the USAF Ospreys in Japan. It is stated that firstly the
tiltrotors will conduct training throughout the PACOM area
of operations and will use Yokota as Main Operating Base.
The following CV-22Bs were noted at the Yokohama North
Dock and Yokota Air Base: 13-0067, 13-0069, 14-0071, 14-0074
and 14-0075.
On Saturday 7 April 2018, the first wave of six F-15Es Strike
Eagles from 494th Fighter Squadron/48th Fighter Wing left
their homebase RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom. The
Panthers squadron became the 494th Expeditionary Fighter
Squadron and will be deployed with 18 F-15Es for missions
assigned to the US Central Command (USCENTCOM) area
of operations. At this moment it is unknown what the final
destination for the unit was, but it is most likely Muwaffaq
Salti/Al Azraq Air Base in Jordan. As the anti-ISIS campaign
in Iraq and Syria winds down, there is a possibility that the
squadron will be tasked for missions over Afghanistan. The
following 494th FS F-15Es left Lakenheath for the Middle
East: 91-0311 (as 48FW), 91-0313, 91-0314 (as 494FS), 91-0324,
91-0326, 91-0329, 91-0335, 91-0602, 91-0603, 91-0604, 96-0201,
96-0204, 00-3000, 00-3001, 00-3002, 00-3003, 00-3004 and
01-2000.
Also on 7 April 2018, coming back from the Middle East having
supported Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), were six F-15Es
from Seymour Johnson AFB’s (NC) 336th Fighter Squadron.
In the heart of the Negev desert, at the former Israeli bombing range Nahol Tzichor, a dummy airfield is re-created containing besides a lot of
cars and trucks also six A-4 Skyhawks. This A-4E 851 is one of them and assumed to be here already for well over thirty years. (21 April 2018,
Leonard van Teeffelen)
