This image: The commanding officer of VMFA-122 ‘Flying Leathernecks’
conducts the squadron’s first F-35B mission on March 29, 2018.
USMC/Sgt Allison LotzFar right: F-35C test aircraft CF-02 touches down at NAS Patuxent River,
Maryland, at the conclusion of the Joint Strike Fighter program’s final
system development and demonstration flight on April 11, 2018. The flight
was the 596th for the aircraft, which first flew on April 29, 2011, and was
intended to collect loads data while carrying four external 2,000lb (907kg)
GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) and AIM-9X air-to-missiles.
Lockheed MartinPARAMOUNT TO SUPPORT DRAKEN
INTERNATIONAL MIRAGE FLEET
DRAKEN INTERNATIONAL HAS
selected Paramount Aerospace
Systems to refurbish 22 ex-
Spanish Air Force Mirage F1M
and F1B fighters that were
purchased from the Spanish
government. The South African
contractor will reassemble the
aircraft, restore them to airworthy
status and conduct airworthiness
certification at Draken’s Lakeland,
Florida, maintenance facility.Draken acquired the Mirages to
enhance its ability to provide
adversary services for the US
Department of Defense and allied
nations. Paramount previously
equipped the former Spanish
Mirage F1Ms with a full radar
and avionics suite modernization
in the late 1990s. Draken also
purchased 12 radar-equipped
Denel Cheetah fighters from
South Africa.TRITON PLANS
THE US NAVY plans to deploy
its first two MQ-4C high-altitude
unmanned intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft
and will achieve early operational
capability (EOC) when they begin
flying operational missions by the
end of this year. The Tritons will
be forward-based at Andersen
AFB, Guam.
Although the aircraft will not
achieve initial operational capability
(IOC) until 2021, they will initially
be deployed with a multi-sensor
mission payload that includes
electro-optical/infra-red (EO/IR)
sensors, a radar and automatic
identification system (AIS) and an
electronic support measures system
that enable it to conduct maritime
ISR. The configuration, which is
known as integrated functional
capability-3 (IFC3), is undergoing
operational assessment. Data
collected by the Triton will be
relayed to one of two main
operating bases or airborne P-8A
Poseidon multi-mission maritime
aircraft.
The MQ-4C will achieve IOC
after a second pair of aircraft has
been fielded, enabling the navy to
maintain one 24-hour, seven-dayorbit. Beginning in 2020, IFC
series aircraft will receive a signals
intelligence (SIGINT) capability
that will replace the EP-3E aircraft.
Testing of the IFC4 configuration
will begin in 2019. Under the navy’s
concept of operations, one MQ-4C
will be on station over an area of
interest while one is en route to
its orbit and another is returning
to base. The fourth aircraft will be
undergoing routine maintenance.
Once the MQ-4C achieves full
operational capability, the fleet
will conduct five worldwide four-
aircraft orbits.
The MQ-4Cs will be flown from
five operating bases that comprise
NAS Sigonella, Italy, Naval Station
Mayport, Florida, Naval Base
Ventura County-Point Mugu,
California, and an unspecified
location in the Middle East.
The main operating bases will
be located at NAS Jacksonville,
Florida and NAS Whidbey Island,
Washington. The initial aircraft will
be assigned to unmanned patrol
squadron VUP-19 at Jacksonville.
A second unit will be formed at
NAS Whidbey Island when VUP-
is activated in 2019. When FOC is
achieved, VUP-19 and VUP-11 will
be responsible for controlling three
and two worldwide orbits.CARRIER NEWS
THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS Theodore
Roosevelt (CVN 71) and the ships of
carrier strike group CSG- 9 departed
the US 5th Fleet area of operations
(AOO) after more than four months
of operation in the Middle East and
entered the US 7th Fleet AOO in the
Indian Ocean in late March. While
attached to the 5th Fleet, the group
supported Operations ‘Inherent
Resolve’ (OIR) and ‘Freedom’s Sentinel’
(OFS), and the aircraft assigned to
CVW-17 launched more than 1,
sorties in support of those efforts.
The USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75)
departed Naval Station Norfolk,Virginia, for a scheduled deployment
on April 11. Aircraft assigned to
CVW-1 are embarked aboard the
carrier as well as the strike group’s
aviation-capable escorts. During the
deployment, the strike group will
support maritime security operations
and will deploy to the US 5th and 6th
Fleet areas of responsibility.
The USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70)
returned to NAS North Island in
Coronado, California, at the conclusion
of a three-month deployment to the
Indo-Pacific region that included a
port call in Vietnam. Vinson’s arrival
in Da Nang marked the first time that
a US aircraft carrier had visited the
country in more than 40 years.[NEWS] UNITED STATES
08 June 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
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