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Scramble 469
These Super Tucanos flew as callsigns Panther 81-84 on 24
May across the pond, fuel stopping in Keflavik, Iceland. On
the same day they carried on for a night stop at Prestwick,
United Kingdom. Dornier 328-110 D-CAAN of 328 Support
Svcs acted as a support aircraft. On Friday 25 May the journey
continued towards their new home Hamat Air Base north of
Beirut International Airport.
Qatar
Qatar Emiri Air Force (AF)
Rafale C
QA217 Dassault Bordeaux-Mérignac EQ01 mar18
QA... Dassault Istres EQ02 apr17
Rafale D
QA2.. Dassault Istres DQ01 jan17
On 28 June 2016 the first dual seat Rafale built for Qatar
made its maiden flight in an all grey colour scheme marked
as DQ01. This dual seater was built at the Bordeaux-Mérig-
nac site of Dassault and was transferred to Istres for the
test programme. This Qatari Rafale is designated Rafale DQ
(Dual Qatar). Possibly the serial QA201 will be allocated. On
27 March 2017 a Qatari single seater marked EQ01 flew for
the first time, followed by EQ02 on 13 April 2017. Both flew
initially in an all grey, presumably primer paint coat, colour
scheme. The single seat variant for Qatar is designated as
Rafale EQ (Export Qatar). On 8 March 2018 a single seat variant
in a full two colour grey camouflage scheme and marked with
serial EQ217 was noted flying at Mérignac. We think is could
be the former EQ01.
The initial order placed in 2015 was for six dual seaters (those
should be DQ01 to DQ06 with possibly serials QA201 to QA216)
for training and eighteen single seaters for combat use (possi-
bly serial QA217 onwards). This was increased by twelve addi-
tional Raffy’s, presumably all singles seaters and a provision
for the option of a further 36 examples in December 2017.
No Qatar Emiri Air Force Rafales have been transferred to
Qatar yet. They are all engaged in an elaborate test and train-
ing programme at Mérignac, Istres and Mont-de-Marsan.
Reportedly a contingent of former Pakistani fighter pilots
are training in France to stand up the first Qatar squadron.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabian Government (GV)
C295W
MOI-C4 MOI ex Airbus EC-005 179 apr18
The fourth Persuader passed through Luqa, Malta, for deliv-
ery ferry on 27 April 2018.
United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates Air Force & Defence Force (AF)
Of all the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) armed forces,
United Arab Emirates still must decide and place an order for
new fighter aircraft to modernise the Air Force. The other
founding countries of the GCC besides United Arab Emir-
ates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, all
have invested and signed contracts and some are even in the
process of introducing new hardware.
Bahrain will receive sixteen new build F-16V Block 70 air-
craft and twenty existing F-16C/D Block 40 will be upgraded
to the Block 70 configuration. Kuwait has signed for the
purchase of 22 single seat and six two-seater Eurofighter
Leonardo Trance 3 Typhoons plus 22 Boeing F/A-18Es and
six F/A-18Fs to expand and replace Kuwait’s legacy Hornet
fleet. Oman is already operating two squadron of Lockheed
Martin F-16C/D Block 50 and the delivery of a squadron of
twelve Eurofighter BAE Systems Typhoons is nearing com-
pletion. The enormous fighter aircraft order of Qatar is for 36
Dassault Rafales, 36 Boeing F-15QAs and 24 Eurofighter BAE
Systems Typhoons. Saudi Arabia has received 72 Eurofighter
BAE System Typhoons, may purchase a further 48 and is busy
introducing the 84 new built Boeing F-15SA and upgrading 68
existing Boeing F-15S to the same configuration.
Although survivors of the unique eighty strong Lockheed
Martin F-16E/F fleet and the nearly sixty Dassault Mirage
2000-9 variants, together forming the core of the UAE AF&DF,
have received and continue to receive various updates and
modifications, talks about new fighter aircraft have been
ongoing for several years. Yet these negotiations and evalu-
ations have still not resulted in a firm commitment and or
order. It is no secret what UAE really wants and that is prob-
ably the reason it has not placed an order for anything else.
The one and only true fifth-generation fighter aircraft on
the market. It has expressed interest in the Lockheed Martin
F-35A Lightening II since 2011. Crown Prince and Deputy
Supreme Commander Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s is
understood to have raised the subject of a purchase F-35A
during his meetings with President Trump and US Defense
Secretary Jim Mattis in Washington DC in May 2017. At the
Dubai Air Show in November 2017, American and Emirati
officials confirmed that the UAE was in preliminary discus-
sions with the United States centred around a future pur-
chase of two squadrons of F-35A (probably about 24 aircraft).
If an Emirati F-35 purchase would be limited to the purchase
of two squadrons of F-35As, it would most likely mean a pro-
curement of a second aircraft type.
North America
United States
United States Air Force (AF)
A truly unique air refueling event already occurred at the
beginning of March 2018. A 9th Air Refueling Squadron/ 60th
Air Mobility Wing McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender from
Travis AFB (CA), took part on 10 March 2018, in a first-of-its-
kind mission to move six US Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreys
to Morón Air Base in Spain. The mission to move the MV-22Bs
proved to be an alternative, transatlantic southern route as
opposed to a northern passage used during previous events.
Departing from Joint Base Charleston (SC), the Travis KC-10A
rendezvoused with the Ospreys leaving L.F. Wade Interna-
tional Airport in Bermuda. Together, the aircraft contin-
ued on to Lajes Field, Portugal, before arriving at Morón. It
was stated that the mission was also the longest flight that
an Osprey has done by 600 nautical miles due to the change
in route. At this moment, the Ospreys are indefinitely part
of the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis
Response Africa (SPMAGTF-CR-AF) mission and based out of
Morón.
Regarding last month’s Air National Guard deployment
news. Seen transiting through Morón Air Base on 11 April
2018, were twelve F-16C Fighting Falcons from the Minne-
sota ANG’s 179th Fighter Squadron/ 148th Fighter Wing. The
dozen F-16s eventually ended up being deployed at Ahmed
Al Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, being part of the 407th Air Expe-
ditionary Group.
At the end of April 2018, it became known that the USAF
178-strong fleet of Raytheon T-1A Jayhawk aircraft (Derived
from the Hawker Beechcraft T-400), will get a lifespan exten-
sion over the next five years, so it can continue to fly well
into the 2030s. Already operated within the USAF since
1992, the T-1A is mainly operated by the Air Education and
Training Command (AETC). Of special note is that the T-1A
is also used to support pilot- and navigator training for the
US Navy, US Marine Corps and international services. Annu-
ally, they educate and train some 700 future C-2, E-2, C-130,
KC-46, C-17, C-40, P-3 and KC-10 pilots/ navigators with the
