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Scramble 468
The six SJ-coded Strike Eagles were the first package out of
four (in total 18 F-15Es), that transited Lakenheath. The jets
of the 4th Fighter Wing/336th FS Rocketeers, were deployed
to Jordan since the beginning of October 2017. The following
Strike Eagles were noted at Lakenheath: 86-0187, 87-0176,
87-0177, 87-0181, 88-1668, 88-1669, 88-1671, 88-1675, 88-1682,
88-1687, 88-1688, 88-1706, 89-0474, 89-0488 (as 336FS),
89-0492 (as 4OG), 89-0495, 89-0501 and 89-0505.
Transiting through Morón Air Base on 11 April 2018, were
twelve F-16C Fighting Falcons from the Minnesota Air
National Guard’s 179th Fighter Squadron/148th Fighter
Wing. Although believed to be assigned to the USCENTCOM
area of operations and normally based at Duluth International
Airport/Air National Guard Base (MN), it was not stated where
the F-16s were heading to, or came from. The following F-16s
were noted at Morón: 91-0336, 91-0339, 91-0341, 91-0349,
91-0388, 91-0391, 91-0405, 91-0408, 91-0409, 91-0414, 91-0420
and 91-0421.
Major Globemaster movements. At the beginning of April
2018, it became known that the first of four Boeing C-17A
Globemaster-IIIs was transferred from Joint Base Charleston
(SC) to Charlotte Douglas International Airport/Air National
Guard Base (NC), The transfer is a part of a congressional
mandate. Through this directive, JB Charleston will send
sixteen C-17As to four Air National Guard bases. It has been
stated that between Joint Base Charleston and Joint Base
Lewis-McChord (WA), there have already been transfers of
airplanes to West Virginia (167th AS/167th AW), Tennessee
(155th AS/164th AW), New York (137th AS/105th AW) and
North Carolina (156th AS/145th AW). Additionally, four
C-17As will be send to Pittsburgh International Airport/
Air Reserve Station (PA) (758th AS/911th AW) during the
next fiscal year. A total of eight C-17As will be stationed at
Pittsburgh.
On Sunday 15 April 2018, a new Lockheed Martin C-130J
Super Hercules was delivered to Ramstein’s 37th Airlift
Squadron/86th Airlift Wing. The C-130J with convenient
callsign “Herky-37” and serial number 16-5840, made a stop
at the Irish airport Shannon on its delivery flight.
On 18 April 2018, the USAF reported that two weeks after a
training accident with an F-16 on 4 April that claimed the life
of one of the Thunderbirds, the pilots were back in the air.
The Thunderbirds resumed practice flights from home base
Nellis AFB (NV) over the Nevada Test- and Training Range.
During the mourning period, the Thunderbirds cancelled
appearances at three air shows; March Field Air and Space
Expo at March Air Reserve Base (CA), the Sun-N-Fun Fly-In
and Expo at Lakeland (FL) and Wings Over Columbus at
Columbus AFB (MS). The 4 April accident marked the third
Thunderbirds major mishap involving aircraft during the past
two years. On 2 June 2016, F-16C 92-3890 “Thunderbird 6” pilot
had to ditch near Colorado Springs (CO), due to a mechanical
issue. The pilot managed to use his ejection seat safely. On 23
June 2017, a two-seat F-16D 91-0466 “Thunderbird 8”, flipped
on landing due to inclement weather in Dayton (OH), as the
squadron prepared for an air show. Both crew survived, but
were hospitalized.
The USAF officially informed a Senate subcommittee on 18
April 2018 that the new Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider has
completed its preliminary design review, and that the USAF is
“comfortable” with the progress made by manufacturer. The
Raider, in which USD 2,3 billion is invested during Fiscal Year
2019, is now on its way to critical design review. Northrop
Grumman and the USAF are preparing themselves to begin
the test programme in the future. Northrop Grumman won
the bomber contract in 2015 and is currently building the
aircraft at its plant in Palmdale (CA). Unfortunately, still no
photos or artist impressions have been released about the
USAF’s new long range stealth bomber.
A-10C
78-0657/WA 66th WPS w/o 06sep17 A10-0277 sep17
79-0204/WA 66th WPS w/o 06sep17 A10-0468 sep17
C-130H
74-1674 164th AS OH ANG 382-4631 mar18
86-0414 154th TS AR ANG 382-5102 feb18
C-130H-3
93-1561 158th AS GA ANG 382-5365 dec17
C-130J-30
06-8610/YJ 36th AS ex RS/37th AS 382-5620 apr18
07-4635/RS 37th AS 382-5595 apr18
16-5840/RS 37th AS 382-5840 apr18
E-3G
77-0356/OK 960th AACS 21556/935 apr18
F-100F
56-3727/HF KDMA 243-3 mar18
F-16CM-40-CF
88-0460/AV 555th FS ex HL/421st FS 1C-62 mar18
89-2116 175th FS SD ANG 1C-269 mar18
F-16CM-42-CF
90-0760/LF 310th FS w/o 24apr18 1C-368 apr18
F-16CM-52-CF
92-3880/4 USAF ADS w/o 04apr18 - TB 4 CC-122 apr18
F-16D-32-CF
87-0381/AT AATC AZ ANG 5D-76 mar18
Returned to USA from maintenance at SABCA Belgium in
March 2018.
F-16DM-40-CF
90-0777/HO 56th FW 1D-55 apr18
90-0795/HO 56th FW 1D-73 apr18
90-0796/HO 56th FW 1D-74 apr18
F-35A-2B
12-5046/LF 63rd FS AF-57 mar18
12-5052/LF 61st FS w/o? AF-63 sep16
On 23 September 2016, an F-35A assigned to the 61st Fighter
Squadron and deployed to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho,
caught fire on the flight line. The aircraft was damaged with
an estimated cost of about $17 million, the pilot was injured.
F-35A-3I
13-5066/OT 422nd TES AF-72 mar18
15-5130/WA 6th WPS ex LF/63rd FS AF-121 mar18
F-35A-4
15-5173/HL (4th FS) o/o AF-148 apr18
GF-105D-20-RE
61-0108/RU Palm Spings ex i/a Lackland AFB D303 mar18
MC-12W
09-0639 185th SOS OK ANG FL-639 mar18
MQ-1B-10
07-3198/CH 15th ATKS w/o 08mar16 P198 mar16
08-3247/- 20th ATKS w/o 07jan16 P247 jan16
MQ-9A
10-4113 11th ATKS w/o 07jun16 jun16
12-4177 3rd SOS w/o 05jul16 jul06
QF-106B
57-2543/AD271 Victorville dismantled 189 mar18
T-33B
51-4033 Palm Springs as NX6633D 580-5327 mar18
T-38C-60-NO
65-10460/EN 469th FTS ex RA/560th FTS N5879 may14
T-38C-65-NO
66-4342/EN 80th FTW N5919 mar18
United States Army (AR)
Leonardo had challenged the United States Army orders
without competitive tender for additional UH-72A Lakota
