3 Comment
AFM’s opinion on the hot topics in military
aviation.72 Aiming higher
Operating under the motto ‘Semper ad
alta’ – ‘Always higher’ – the French Army’s
3rd Combat Helicopter Regiment has
its home in the far northeast of France.
But as Oliver Jonischkeit discovers,
half its crews are normally deployed
on missions around the globe.76 ‘Tango’ Tweets
Colombia, together with Pakistan, is one of
the final military operators of the classic T-37.
Cristobal Soto Pino and Cees-Jan van der
Ende report exclusively from Palanquero, thelast bastion of the Tweet in the Americas.80 40 years of excellence
Salvador Mafé Huertas reports on Europe’s
answer to TOPGUN, including an exclusive
interview with Colonel Luis Villar Coloma, the
Tactical Leadership Programme commander.89 Carpathian Falcons
The MiG-29s based at Ivano-Frankivs’k
International Airport are tasked with
defending the skies over western Ukraine.
Vladimir Trendafilovski reports from the
foothills of the Carpathian Mountains.96 Stingers at Spang
Spangdahlem Air Base hosted a Combat
Readiness Exercise in March, when‘Vipers’ from the Ohio Air National
Guard’s 112th Fighter Squadron touched
down in Germany. Adrian Stuermer
and Dalibor Ankovic were there.98 Inzpired exercise
Paul E Eden visited RAF Waddington,
Lincolnshire, for an exclusive oversight of
last year’s second Exercise Cobra Warrior,
discovering how contractor Inzpire works
within No 92 Squadron in a prime expression
of the RAF’s ‘Whole Force’ approach.110 View to a kill Part 2
In the concluding part of their short-range air-
to-air missiles feature, Douglas Barrie and Piotr
Butowski assess the current offerings from
China, Israel, Japan, Russia and South Africa.Features
Cover: In its element – a Tornado GR
blasts through a valley at low level, with
wings fully swept to 67 degrees. As
the Royal Air Force prepares to retire
the Tornado next year, AFM presents
a special collector’s issue that looks
back on the jet’s service milestones
and catches up with the Tornado
GR Force, which remains as busy as
ever, including recent trilateral strikes
against Syria. David Lister Right: A
young pilot touches down at Ivano-
Frankivs’k air base aboard single-seat
MiG-29 izdeliye 9.13 ‘71 White’ from
the 114 brihada taktichnoyi aviatsiyi
(brTA, tactical aviation brigade), known
as the ‘Carpathian Falcons’. Tasked
with defending the skies over western
Ukraine, the MiG-29s of the 114 brTA
are featured on p89. Sergey Smolentsev
48 A tough act to follow
AFM’s regular columnist, Air Power
Association President, Air Marshal (Ret’d)
Greg Bagwell CB, CBE, introduces our
special coverage of the Royal Air Force’s
Tornado GR Force, as it prepares to call
time on an unmatched combat record.
50 Cold War warrior
When first fielded by the RAF, the Tornado
GR1’s primary responsibility was to provide
a credible nuclear deterrent against the
Warsaw Pact forces massed to the east.
RAF Germany was the tip of the spear,
as Air Marshal (Ret’d) Greg Bagwell CB,
CBE recounts to Thomas Newdick.52 Baptism of fi re –
Operation Granby
Jamie Hunter recalls the first time the RAF
Tornado GR1 was used in anger – above Iraq
in 1991 during the first Gulf War – in what
were some of the most daring and intense
combat missions since World War Two.56 Bombers over the Balkans
A new Balkan crisis that erupted in the province
of Kosovo in the late 1990s saw the Tornado
GR1 thrown into battle again – and for the first
time in Europe. The then wing commander
at RAF Brüggen, Greg Bagwell discusses the
Tornado’s campaign with Thomas Newdick.60 Back to Iraq
In March 2003 the Tornado GR4 Force was in
action again over Iraq as part of the US-led
coalition that invaded the country and quicklyTornado GR tribute FREE Supplement
4 // JUNE 2018 #363 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com
Contents June 2018 #