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Scramble 469
C-17A 97-0042 155th AS TN ANG: arr 25mar18, dep 26mar18
Delivered UH-60M 09-20276, 15-20744 and 15-20745
Returned to CONUS: 86-24538 (UH-60A+), 88-26027
(UH-60A+) and 88-26071 (UH-60A+)
C-17A 09-9206 437th AW: arr 16apr18, dep 17apr18
Delivered UH-60M 09-20272 and (09?)-20314
Returned to CONUS: 87-24589 (UH-60A+) and 87-24643
(UH-60A+)
C-17A 02-1107 62nd AW: arr 26apr18, dep 27apr18
Delivered UH-60M 09-20245 and (09?)-20311
Returned to CONUS: 87-24584 (UH-60A+) and 96-26718
(UH-60L)
Compared to the above, the following differences are also
reported:
20245, 20272, 20276, 20314 Quoted as FY10
20311 Not reported as arrived (see 20741)
20741 Also quoted as arrived, with FY15
Safety inspections performed on AH-64E Apaches showed
corrosion in severe, coastal environments of nuts used to
hold large bolts that in its turn holds the rotorblades fixed to
the rotorhead. Even though Boeing already started redesign
efforts of the nuts in question mid-2017, the United States
Army decided to stop acceptance of new AH-64E helicopters
from Boeing at Mesa (AZ) since February 2018. This ban will
be lifted again once an acceptable and improved strap pack
nut is available and installed.
According to Boeing, the root cause of the corrosion has been
established and the new design is already approved by the
Army. After thorough testing, the new strap pack nuts should
be available for installation during the early summer of 2018.
It is expected that Boeing will be able to field at least two bat-
talions per month once deliveries commence again.
In total 653 AH-64E Apaches were already delivered when
deliveries were stopped. Over the last year, on average six
new AH-64E helicopters were added each month.
The Director of Army Aviation at the Pentagon Major General
Frank Tate, recently stated in a speech that as part of a larger
service analysis, the United States Army is considering two
options to grow its aviation structure.
First, in order to increase the CH-47F Chinook capacity a
proposal is made to add two companies equipped with Chi-
nooks to the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB). This will
not only increase the the number of deployable Chinook
units, which currently is a bottleneck with ongoing opera-
tions. It will also enable the 101st Airborne Division to deploy
a Brigade Combat Team (CBT) on short notice again. In the
past this division had two Combat Aviation Brigades attached
to its organization: 101st CAB and 159th CAB. The latter was
deactivated on 15 May 2015.
Secondly, investigations are underway to continue with nine-
month rotation deployments of CABs to Europe or to increase
the size of 12th CAB back to its original full size. In 2015, 12th
CAB was reduced in size when 3-158th AVN was deactivated
and its UH-60L Blackhawks were returned to the Continen-
tal United States. The 12th CAB also lost half of its AH-64D
Apache helicopters when 3-159th AVN was deactivated the
same year. The second Apache unit (2-159th AVN) was ref-
lagged to 1-3rd AVN on 8 October 2015. In order to keep up
the level of aviation support and to form a realistic deter-
rent force in Europe, the United States Army commenced
deployments of full CABs from the Continental United States
(CONUS). Cost wise, it might be more beneficial to return
to the original situation with a fully equipped CAB forward
deployed in the region.
For both plans, approval and budget needs to be found first
amongst Pentagon leadership. That means that they will have
to compete with other priority plans. It therefore is not con-
firmed yet if either of these plans will actually materialize.
It recently was brought to our attention that C(-)/5-159th
AVN WY ARNG at AASF Cheyenne RAP (WY) was reflagged to
G(-)/2-211th AVN in 2016. The unit continues to use HH-60M
Black Hawk helicopters in the Medical Evacuation role. This
company also maintains a detachment at AASF Papago AHP,
Phoenix (AZ), which at the same time was reflagged to Det.1
G/2-211th AVN.
On 28 April 2018, the United States Army announced that the
4th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) from Fort Carson (CO)
will deploy to Europe this summer to replace 1st Air Cavalry
Brigade (ACB) which arrived in November 2017. No time
frame was mentioned but since these deployments usually
last nine months, it is most likely that this rotation will take
place end-August 2018.
Local based VMGR-152 Sumos performed during the Iwakuni Friendship Day with one of their KC-130Js. Reinier Schreurs provides us with
169227/QD-227 departing the airfield on 5 May 2018.
