Scramble Magazine – June 2018

Articles

Trips

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Movements

Scramble 469

F-15C/D Eagle interceptors from Oregon’s 123rd FS/ 142nd

FW and Massachusetts’s 131st FS/ 104th FW moved along

on 3 May 2018. Being a part of the European Theater Secu-

rity Package (TSP) the whole detachment transited to Graf

Ignatievo Air Base in Bulgaria to participate in the exercise

Thracian Eagle 2018 and to train and strengthen interoper-

ability with the Bulgarian Air Force. Besides that, Spangdahl-

em’s 52nd Fighter Wing, supported the TSP and the exercise

Thracian Eagle 2018, with multiple F-16s during the middle

of May. At this moment, it is not known were the ANG Eagles

will go after their visit to Bulgaria.

On 7 May 2018, flights began for the USAF’s second phase

of the Light Attack Experiment at Holloman AFB (NM). The

experiment must lead to a potential purchase within the

program commonly known as the OA-X. Aircraft that are still

involved, are the Sierra Nevada/Embraer A-29 Super Tucano

and the Textron Aviation AT-6B Wolverine. Pilots will fly

both aircraft during a three-month, live-flying experiment

to gather additional information about both aircraft’s capa-

bilities, as well as partner nation interoperability.

The second phase of the experiment is about informing the

rapid procurement process as the USAF moves closer to

investing in light attack aircraft. If the light attack aircraft

is able to operate in a permissive combat environment, the

USAF can alleviate the demand on their 4th and 5th genera-

tion aircraft, so those can be training for the high-end fight

they were made for.

Also, during this phase of the experiment, aircrew include

fighter-, attack-, or special operations pilots, plus test pilots

and flight engineers from the Air Force, Air National Guard,

and Air Force Reserve. Collectively, they will work up an

average of more than 1,000 flight hours and more than

100 combat missions. All pilots involved were instructors

before on one or more aircraft. Flight scenarios will consist

of both day and night missions in air interdiction, close air

support, armed overwatch, and combat search and rescue.

Maintenance observers will focus on flightline and in-shop

maintenance, to inform sustainment and product support

requirements.

The experiment is part of a broader Air Force effort to

explore cost-effective attack platform options under the

Light Attack Experimentation Campaign led by the Air Force

Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation Office

at Wright-Patterson AFB (OH). The first phase of the Light

Attack Experiment took place in August 2017 at Holloman

AFB, with four models of light attack aircraft. Two of these

models, the Textron Scorpion and the AT802 Air Tractor,

were dropped from the programme already.

On 11 May 2018, two USAF Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor

aircraft from Alaska’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, were

scrambled to intercept a pair of Russian Tupolev Tu-95MS

bomber aircraft off the coast of Alaska. The last time that

Elmendorf’s 3rd Wing saw a similar action was more than a

year ago. On 17 April 2017, aircraft from the 3rd Wing also

intercepted two Tu-95 bomber aircraft. Operated by the

United States and Canada, the Alaskan NORAD Region (ANR)

conducts aerospace control within its area of operations

and contributes to NORAD’s aerospace warning mission.

From 2007, since the Raptors started their ANR mission from

Elmendorf, some ten Russian interceptions, mostly Tu-95s,

have been recorded.

On 15 May 2018, the 48th Fighter Wing said farewell to the

HH-60G Pave Hawks of the 56th Rescue Squadron during a

ceremony at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom. The

event marked the near-completion of both the 56th and

57th RQS relocation to Aviano Air Base in Italy, which was

announced in November 2015. It has been stated that the

relocation to Aviano Air Base will provide strategic combat

search and rescue capabilities to the European and Africa

theaters of operations and provide unique training opportu-

nities for the units with partners and Allies in the region. The

two squadrons, one flying (56th RQS) and one administrative

(57th RQS), have gradually transitioned nearly 350 person-

nel and five HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters to their new duty

station over the past several months. It is expected that in

due time the HH-60Gs will have their codes changed from LN

to AV.

Imperial County (CA) is often used by helicopter units operating out of NAS North Island. (CA) HSC-3’s latest CAG bird 165745/SA-00 (replacing

166344) was photographed here on 26 April 2018 by Ton van Bakel.