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at [email protected]http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #364 JULY 2018 // 15
Indiana ANG A-10Cs
deploy to Kandahar
A DOZEN US Air Force
A-10Cs from the Indiana
Air National Guard’s 122nd
Fighter Wing (FW)/163rd
Fighter Squadron (FS)
‘Blacksnakes’ have been
deployed to Kandahar,
Afghanistan. The aircraft
passed through Lajes in
the Azores in two batches
while en route from their
home base at Fort Wayne
International Airport.
The first batch arrived
at Lajes on April 9 and
departed eastbound on
April 11. ‘Trend 81’ flightcomprised 80-0230,
80-0243, 79-0213, 79-0219,
80-0152 and 78-0658.
The second batch, ‘Trend
71’ flight, arrived on April
10 and left on April 13,
comprising 80-0177,
80-0214, 81-0944, 82-0661,
80-0217 and 79-0162.
They replaced a similar
number of the type from Air
Force Reserve Command’s
442nd FW/303rd FS ‘KC
Hawgs’ at Whiteman AFB,
Missouri, which had been
deployed to Kandahar since
January. These aircraftrouted through Lajes in the
reverse direction when they
returned home, also in two
waves. The first batch,
‘Tabor 81’ flight, comprising
79-0164, 79-0114, 79-0123,
80-0201, 82-0653 and
79-0110, arrived at Lajes
on April 25 and left for
home the next day. They
were followed by ‘Tabor
71’ flight, comprising
79-0117, 79-0111, 79-0119,
79-0093 and 79-0109,
which arrived at Lajes on
April 29 and departed on
April 30. Dave AllportUS AIR Force T-6A 99-
of the 455th Flying Training
Squadron, part of the 479th
Flying Training Group,based at Naval Air Station
Pensacola, Florida, is
painted in a ‘heritage livery’
reflecting the unit’s WorldWar Tw o lineage. The retro
colour scheme honours the
455th Bomb Squadron that
flew the B-26 Marauderduring the conflict. The
Texan II was seen at Stennis
International Airport, Bay St
Louis, Mississippi on May 9.Carey MavorRetro-look Texan II in Mississippi
OA-X phase
two begins at
Holloman
AIR COMBAT Command
(ACC) has begun the
second phase of its Light
Attack Experiment (OA-
X) at Holloman Air Force
Base, New Mexico.
Pilots are flying the
Sierra Nevada/Embraer
A-29 and the Textron
Aviation AT-6B during
the three-month, live-fly
experiment, which started
on May 7. This will gather
additional information
about aircraft capabilities,
as well as partner nation
compatibility, prior to
a potential light attack
purchase. Interoperability
and networking capabilities
are also under scrutiny.
“This second phase
of experimentation is
about informing the rapid
procurement process
as we move closer to
investing in light attack,”
said Lt Gen Arnie Bunch,
military deputy, Office of the
Assistant Secretary of the
Air Force for Acquisition.
“If we can get light
attack aircraft operating
in permissive combat
environments, we can
alleviate the demand on our
fourth- and fifth-generation
aircraft, so they can be
training for the high-end
fight they were made for.”
Flight scenarios will
comprise day/night
air interdiction, close
air support, armed
overwatch, and combat
search and rescue.
The first phase of OA-X
took place in August last
year at Holloman AFB and
assessed four types of light
attack aircraft, the others
being the Textron Scorpion
and L3/Air Tractor’s
AT-802L Longsword.USAF F-35As complete fi rst overseas deployment
USAF AIRMEN and F-35As
have come back from
Kadena Air Base, Japan,
following the fighter’s
first long-term overseas
deployment. The USAF
announced the return of the
detachment from the active-
duty 388th Fighter Wing (FW)
and Reserve 419th FW to
Hill AFB, Utah, on May 4-5.The six-month deployment
to Kadena AB began in
October as part of a Theater
Security Package (TSP).
While in Japan, the F-35As
flew 1,086 sorties and
deployed eight other times in
the region. The contingent
worked alongside other units
from the USAF, US Navy,
US Marine Corps, Japan AirSelf-Defense Force and the
Republic of Korea Air Force.
“They accomplished
a lot,” said 419th FW
commander Col Regina
Sabric. “The biggest
thing with being the first
operational F-35 Theater
Security Package, it sets
the playbook for every other
operational wing to follow.”A-10C 82-0661 ‘IN/163 FS’ from the 163rd FS ‘Blacksnakes’ banks away to resume a mission over Afghanistan on May 28
after refuelling from a 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron KC-135 tanker. USAF/Staff Sgt Corey HookF-
deliveries
resume
THE F-35 Joint Program
Office (JPO) and
Lockheed Martin have
reached an agreement
allowing deliveries of
the Lightning II to the
US Department of
Defense to resume.
The Pentagon began
accepting F-35s again
on May 1, after deliveries
were initially suspended
on March 29 amid a
dispute over who would
cover the costs of fixing
a production error.
The contract
disagreement began
after it emerged late last
year that holes drilled
for fasteners were not
properly treated with
anti-corrosion paint.
The two parties agreed
“to effectively and
efficiently address the
F-35 hole primer issue”,
according to Lockheed
Martin. The JPO did
not report which party
was covering the $119m
cost of the repairs, which
will take two years.
During the month-long
pause, the DoD refused
to accept five F-35s,
including three for the
USAF, and deliveries for
Australia and Norway
were also affected.
F-35 production
continued during
the suspension, and
Lockheed said it is on
track to meet its target of
91 aircraft for this year.