14 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com
NEWS North America
// JUNE 2018 #First Lakenheath HH-60G moves to Aviano
Above: A 56th RQS HH-60G fl ies over Aviano AB on January 26 during a training mission to familiarise the unit’s personnel with
operations in the area, prior to being formally transferred from RAF Lakenheath. USAF/Senior Airman Cory W Bush
THE FIRST US Air Force
UK-based HH-60G Pave
Hawk helicopter has been
transferred from RAF
Lakenheath, Suffolk, to
its new home at Aviano
Air Base, Italy. The
helicopter, 91-26353 ‘LN’
from the 56th Rescue
Squadron (RQS), arrived
at the Italian base on April- The remaining four
56th RQS Pave Hawks –
89-26205 ‘LN’, 89-
‘LN’, 89-26208 ‘LN’ and
89-26212 ‘LN’ – along
with approximately 350
personnel, were expected
to complete the move to
Aviano by the end of June.
Plans to transfer
helicopters and personnel
from the 56th and
57th RQS to Italy were
announced in November- The 56th RQS had
moved to the Suffolk base
from Keflavík, Iceland, in
June 2006, while the 57th
RQS was established at
Lakenheath in March 2015.
Pararescue airmen from the
57th RQS conducted one
final jump over Lakenheath
from a 56th RQS HH-60G
on April 20. Dave AllportTravis receives its fi nal C-5M
TRAVIS AIR Force Base
has fully re-equipped with
the upgraded C-5M Super
Galaxy. The final aircraft,
68-0216, landed at the
California base on April
17 following conversion
by Lockheed Martin. This
example was one of only
two C-5C Space Cargo
Modified (SCM) variantsthat had been converted
to carry satellites and
other outsize cargo.
The aircraft joins the 60th
Air Mobility Wing’s 22nd
Airlift Squadron ‘Mulies’
at Travis. The unit also
operated the only other
C-5C SCM, 68-0213, which
has also undergone C-5M
upgrade. Dave AllportUSAF C-5M Super Galaxy 68-0216 on fi nal approach to Travis AFB following its delivery fl ight
from Lockheed Martin. USAF/Master Sgt Joey SwaffordNINE US Marine Corps
F/A-18C Hornets from
Marine Fighter Attack
Squadron ( VMFA) 115
‘Silver Eagles’ departed
Marine Corps Air
Station Beaufort, South
Carolina, on April 9 -
to support combatoperations overseas. The
Hornets made an initial
refuelling stop at Lajes
in the Azores before
continuing eastbound to
an unspecified location.
Aircraft involved
comprised: 16 3174
‘VE- 01’ (callsign ‘Mazda11’ ), 162893 ‘VE-02’
(‘Mazda 12’), 163161
‘VE-03’ (‘Mazda 13’),
163761 ‘VE-04’ (‘Mazda
14’), 162400 ‘VE-05’
(‘Mazda 15’), 163141
‘VE-06’ (‘Mazda 16’),
163155 ‘VE-10’ (‘Mazda
21’), 162884 ‘ V E -11’(‘Mazda 22’) and 162429
‘VE-08’ (‘Mazda 23’).
Another two V M FA -
Hornets passed through
Lajes heading east on
April 12. The duration
of the deployment has
not been revealed.
Dave Allport‘Silver Eagles’ begin overseas deployment
VMFA-115 F/A-18Cs prepare to depart in darkness from MCAS Beaufort on April 9 for deployment to an unknown overseas
location. USMC/Lance Cpl Terry HaynesLockheed
Martin wins
Hypersonic
Conventional
Strike Weapon
contract
THE PENTAGON has
awarded a contract to
Lockheed Martin to
develop a new hypersonic
conventional air-launched
strike weapon for the US
Air Force. Announced on
April 18, the deal for the
Hypersonic Conventional
Strike Weapon is potentially
worth up to $928m. It
covers the design,
development, engineering,
systems integration, test,
logistics planning, and
aircraft integration support
of all elements of the Mach
5+ standoff weapon.AFSOC
Ospreys arrive
at Yokota
FIVE AIR Force Special
Operations Command
(AFSOC) CV-22Bs have
started a tiltrotor presence
at Yokota Air Base. The
aircraft were shipped to
Yokohama North Dock,
from where they flew to
their new base on April 5.
Three AFSOC CV-22s
were originally slated
to arrive in Japan in
the fourth quarter of
fiscal year 2017, but last
March were delayed
to an unspecified time
in FY 2020. A second
batch of CV-22s was
also postponed.
Ten CV-22Bs and
around 450 personnel will
eventually be stationed
at Yokota, although they
will conduct training
at different bases in
the region over the
next few months.
According to a
USAF statement, the
deployment “addresses
regional security
concerns in line with
the 2018 National
Defense Strategy.”