DEPLOYMENTS
Lancers return to Ellsworth
Six B-1Bs and about 350 airmen
assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing’s
37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron
completed a six-month deployment
to Anderson AFB, Guam and
returned home to Ellsworth AFB,
South Dakota, on January 29. While
deployed to Guam in support of the
US Pacific Command’s Continuous
Bomber Presence the bombers flew
more than 260 sorties. The Lancers
were replaced by B-52Hs from the
2nd Bomb Wing’s 20th Expeditionary
Bomb Squadron at Barksdale AFB,
Louisiana. In addition to exercises
with partner nations in the region,
the bombers conducted multiple
‘show of force’ fly-overs in the Sea
of Japan and near the Korean
Peninsula.B-52s back to Guam
Six B-52Hs and around 300 airmen
from the 2nd Bomb Wing at
Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, began
a deployment to Andersen AFB,
Guam on January 16. The bombers
replaced a similar number of
B-1Bs that had been deployed
from Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota
by the 37th Expeditionary Bomb
Squadron. The deployment marks
the first time since July 2016 that
the Stratofortress has been tasked in
support of the US Pacific Command’s
Continuous Bomber Presence
mission.‘Black Knights’ deploy
Marine fighter attack squadron
VMFA-314 departed from its home
station at MCAS Miramar, California,
on January 10. The ‘Black Knights’were deployed to Kuwait as part
of the aviation combat element for
Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground
Task Force-Crisis Response-Central
Command (SPMAGTF-CR-CC). The
task force is assigned to conduct
crisis response, contingency
operations, and theater security co-
operation in support of Combined
Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent
Resolve and other missions in
the US Central Command area of
operations.‘Grim Reapers’ complete
deployment
Seven F-15Cs assigned to the 493rd
Expeditionary Fighter Squadron
returned to RAF Lakenheath
on January 9, after completing
a four-month deployment to
Šiauliai Air Base, Lithuania, in
support of NATO’s Baltic Air
Policing mission. Between August
30, 2017 and January 2018, the
F-15C detachment conducted
270 training sorties and around
30 intercepts of Russian aircraft
totaling more than 560 flight hours.‘Red Tails’ return home
F-16Cs and personnel assigned to
the Alabama Air National Guard’s
187th Fighter Wing returned
to Dannelly Field Air National
Guard Base in Montgomery at
the conclusion of a three-month
deployment to South-west Asia
on January 21. While deployed
the 100th Expeditionary Fighter
Squadron conducted combat
operations in support of Operation
‘Inherent Resolve’ as part of the
407th Air Expeditionary Group.The unit dropped 105 bombs and
fired 651 20mm rounds in the fight
against IS in Iraq and Syria.Milestone deployment for
reserve Hercules units
The second of two pairs of C-130Hs
returned to Pittsburgh Air Reserve
Station at the conclusion of the
911th Airlift Wing’s final Hercules
deployment on January 19. The
unit, which had been deployed
to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, in
support of US Central Command
(CENTCOM)’s Operations ‘Freedom’s
Sentinel’ and ‘Inherent Resolve’
since September 2017, is scheduled
to begin its transition to the C-17A.
The 911th has operated the C-
since 1978 and expects to receive
its first Globemaster IIIs in the fall.
The 403rd Airlift Wing’s 815th
Airlift Squadron began its latest
deployment in support of
CENTCOM operations in early
January. While deployed, the ‘Flying
Jennies’ are assigned to the 746th
Expeditionary Airlift Squadron
at Al Udeid. Although this is the
squadron’s sixth deployment to
South-west Asia since 2004, it has
spent the last two years rebuilding
and re-training, and it achieved full
operational capability in November- The squadron completed its
most recent deployment in 2013
and was scheduled for inactivation
in 2014. That move was reversed
in 2015.
Carrier news
The USS America (LHA 6)
amphibious ready group (ARG)
returned to its home port at Naval
Station San Diego, California, at
the conclusion of a seven-month
deployment to the Indo-Pacific,
Middle East, Mediterranean, and
Horn of Africa regions, on January- The 15th Marine Expeditionary
Unit (MEU) was embarked aboard
the ARG ships and Marine Medium
Tilt-rotor Squadron 161 (Reinforced)
served as the MEU’s aviation
combat element. The deployment,
which began on July 10, 2017,
was the first for the America.
Commissioned in October 2014,
LHA-6 is the first of a new class of
aviation-centric amphibious assault
ships that are optimized for long-
range aviation operations.
‘GOLDEN EAGLES’
TRANSITION TO POSEIDON
PATROL SQUADRON VP-9 has begun
its transition from the P-3C to the
P-8A. The squadron completed its
final seven-month Orion deployment
in October 2017 and relocated from
MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, to NAS
Whidbey Island, Washington. The
first phase of its conversion to the
Poseidon began at Whidbey Island
in November when classroom
academics and simulator training got
under way. Phase 2 efforts started
in January at NAS Jacksonville,
Florida, where the ‘Golden Eagles’
are executing training flights,
crew simulations and extensive
maintenance instruction. Under
Phase 3 the squadron will return to
Whidbey Island for tactical aircraft
employment and qualification as ‘safe
for flight’, which signifies completion
of the training syllabus.CONFORMAL TANKS
FUNDED FOR SUPER
HORNET
US NAVAL AIR Systems Command
(NAVAIR) has awarded Boeing a
$219,600,000 contract associated
with the design, development, test
and integration of conformal fuel
tanks (CFTs) for the Super Hornet.
Work will be completed in July- The navy first said it would
fund a number of the Advanced
Super Hornet (ASH) capabilities
under the Block III upgrade effort
in June last year. The concept for
modernizing the ‘Rhino’ includes
the CFTs, large-area cockpit
displays, a powerful new computer
processor and a super-fast digital
network. Now the CFTs are funded,
the Elbit 10 x 19in cockpit displays,
the new computer, distributed
targeting processor — networked
(DTP-N) and ultra-fast high-band
connectivity referred to as tactical
targeting network technology
(TTNT), are likely to follow. These
capabilities, combined with other
scheduled items such as radar
enhancements, improvements
to the defensive suite, and an
infra-red search and track (IRST)
pod, will help ensure the Super
Hornet remains a credible element
of the carrier air wing for decades
to come..
B-1Bs return to Ellsworth AFB
in January. USAF[NEWS] UNITED STATES
12 April 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
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