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NEWS North America

// APRIL 2018 #

Ohio ANG receives ex-Yokota C-130H

Above: C-130H 74-1666 ‘YJ’ is positioned in the Ohio ANG hangar at Mansfi eld prior to beginning an ISO inspection. USAF/Tech

Sgt Joe Harwood

THE OHIO Air National

Guard’s 179th Airlift Wing

(AW)/164th Airlift Squadron

(AS) at Mansfield-Lahm

Airport, Ohio, has recently

received C-130H 74-

‘YJ’/‘36 AS’. The aircraft

still carries the ‘YJ’ tail

code and markings from

its previous unit, the

374th AW/36th AS ‘Eagle

Airlifters’ at Yokota Air

Base, Japan. The latter

has re-equipped with the

newer C-130J-30, freeing

up its older C-130Hs for

distribution to other units.

Following its arrival at

Mansfield, 74-1666 was

moved into the Ohio ANG

hangar on February 8 to

begin an isochronal (ISO)

inspection prior to entering

service. At the same time the

aircraft will be painted with

the ‘Mansfield’ tail markings

worn by the 179th AW’s

Hercules. The aircraft is the

second former Yokota-based

C-130H to join the Ohio

ANG, following 74-1659,

which arrived last year.

General

Atomics

partners

Boeing on

MQ-

GENERAL ATOMICS

Aeronautical Systems

(GA-ASI) announced

on February 12 that it is

to team with Boeing to

offer its MQ-25 Stingray

unmanned aerial refuelling

platform to the US Navy.

GA-ASI will collaborate

with Boeing Autonomous

Systems as it pitches its

offering in the MQ-

Stingray Unmanned

Carrier Aviation Air System

(UCAAS) competition.

Together with Boeing,

GA-ASI will be working

with Pratt & Whitney

(providing the PW

engine), UTC Aerospace

Systems (landing

gear), L3 Technologies

(communications), BAE

Systems (software,

including mission planning

and cybersecurity),

Rockwell Collins

(navigation systems,

communications,

and simulation) and

Fokker (undercarriage

and arrestor hook).

GA-ASI’s MQ-

proposal is expected

to be based on the Sea

Avenger, a naval version of

its Avenger (Predator C).

“We are committed

to delivering the most

effective, affordable,

sustainable and adaptable

carrier-based aerial

refueling system at the

lowest technical and

schedule risk,” said

David R Alexander,

president of GA-ASI.

Bronco II enters US light attack market

SOUTH AFRICA’S

Paramount Group has

launched its Advanced

High-Performance

Reconnaissance Light

Aircraft (AHRLAC) into the

US market as the Bronco

II. The company is aiming

to promote the aircraft

to the US military as a

potential light attack and

intelligence, surveillance

and reconnaissance

(ISR) platform. The two-

seat, pusher-propeller

Bronco II will be offered

to the US government by

Paramount and US-based

military aviation testing

and integration company

Fulcrum Concepts, which

will lead weapons and

systems integration.

Together with Paramount’s

US subsidiary, Paramount

Group USA, and AHRLAC

design authority Aerospace

Development Corporation

(ADC), the three companies

have formed Bronco

Combat Systems as

a US-based entity.

Paramount Group

International Chairman

Ivor Ichikowitz said: “[The

Bronco II] is unique in

that it has been designed

specifically as a light

attack and ISR platform

from the onset.

“This is not simply an

armed variant of a civilian

crop-duster or a modified

training aircraft.”

An artist’s impression of

the Bronco II in US Marine

Corps markings. BCS

Coast Guard HC-144As

leave NAS Corpus Christi

A NEW US Coast Guard
facility at Corpus Christi
International Airport, Texas
has begun transferring
aircraft from Naval Air
Station Corpus Christi
(NASCC), prior to the
USCG base closing. First
to transfer was the fixed-
wing fleet, comprising three
HC-144A Ocean Sentries,
which flew to their new
home on January 17.
The Coast Guard Air
Station Corpus Christi
MH-65 helicopters were
also due to make the move

to the International Airport

during February, ending

67 years of continuous

Coast Guard operations

at the navy base. An

opening ceremony was

planned to take place at

the new USCG facility in

March. Dave Allport

Right: HC-144 Ocean Sentry

2314, still wearing its ‘retro’

colour scheme, taxies out

from Hangar 41 and across

Ocean Drive at NAS Corpus

Christi to leave the base for

the fi nal time. US Navy/Jason

Kucera