Combat aircraft

LIGHTNING II ON THE ICE

ICY RUNWAY TESTING of

the F-35A is continuing at

Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska,

where US Air Force and Royal

Norwegian Air Force test pilots

are demonstrating the  ghter’s

handling qualities during ground

tests. The testing is being carried

out as part of the certi cation

process for the installation of a

drag ‘chute that will equip the

Norwegian aircraft. This initial

phase of testing is intended to

ensure the F-35A can operate

in extreme conditions. The

second phase will deploy the

Norwegian drag ‘chute during

landing operations at Eielson,

in early 2018. Development of

the drag ‘chute is being jointly

funded by Norway and the

Netherlands. Initial wet and dry

runway deployment testing

was conducted at Edwards

AFB, California earlier in 2017.

Tom Kaminski

Lockheed Martin

A test pilot from the USAF’s 514th Flight Test Squadron conducts a high-

speed pass during a functional check fl ight of an F-16C destined for the

Indonesian Air Force at Hill AFB, Utah, on November 21. USAF/Alex R. Lloyd

DUTCH F-16S HEAD TO JORDAN

THE ROYAL NETHERLANDS Air

Force (RNLAF) has delivered two

batches of F-16s to the Royal

Jordanian Air Force (RJAF). Jordanian

pilots ferried the  rst batch of six

aircraft from a total order for 15 on

October 25. The ferry  ight that

left Volkel Air Base comprised  ve

single-seaters and one two-seater.

A second batch of six Fighting

Falcons ( ve F-16AMs, one F-16BM)

departed the Netherlands on

November 29. It is expected that all

15 jets will have left Volkel for Jordan

before the end of 2017.

The Netherlands has already

transferred 35 F-16s to Chile and

Jordan previously purchased six

former RNLAF F-16BMs.

René L. Uijthoven

BAHRAIN ORDERS ‘VIPERS’

THE GOVERNMENT OF Bahrain

has signed a letter of o er and

acceptance (LOA) to acquire

16 Block 70 F-16s under a

$2.3-billion Foreign Military

Sales (FMS) contract. The Royal

Bahraini Air Force will receive

the  rst F-16s to come o the

relocated Greenville production

line. The deal reportedly includes

an option for three additional

 ghters. Bahrain also hopes to

upgrade 20 of its Block 40 F-16s

to the Block 70 con guration at

a cost of around $1 billion. Both

the new production and upgrade

programs were approved by the

US government in September.

Lockheed Martin is currently

cultivating several potential

international sales for the F-

and expects production of the

 ghter to extend beyond 2022.

Tom Kaminski

INDONESIA RECEIVES LAST

UPDATED F-16S

THE US AIR Force’s Ogden Air

Logistics Complex at Hill Air

Force Base, Utah has completed

regeneration work on the last of

19 F-16Cs and  ve F-16Ds for the

government of Indonesia. The

delivery of the  nal group of six

Block 25  ghters to the Indonesian

Air Force marked the conclusion

of a program that upgraded the

ex-USAF  ghters to Block 52

con guration. The purchase was

 rst announced in late 2011 and the

Indonesian Air Force received the

 rst upgraded F-16s in July 2014.

Tom Kaminski

An F-16BM speeds down the Volkel runway. Wearing RJAF serial 236, this

is the former J-884 that led the October 25 ferry fl ight. René L. Uijthoven

WORLD [NEWS]

http://www.combataircraft.net // February 2018 17

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