F-35
GES
EXCLUSIVE IMA
FORCE
MARINE CORPS AND BRITISH TRAINING AT MCAS BEAUFORT
IN THE
NEWS:
NATO AIR
POLICING UPDATE
OPERATION ‘INHERENT
RESOLVE’ LATEST
CANADA TO BUY F-35?
JANUARY 2015 UK £4.40
FIGHTER FOCUS
SU-25 ‘FROGFOOT’
‘OTIS’
KC-130JS IN ACTION
MIG-31’Foxhound’
defenders of the East
PROJECT LIBERTY
MC-12W
1 Cover_UK.indd 1 20/11/2014 09:52
• NE
W•N
2015
NEW
EW•
JUST
A rare glimpse inside the Tactical
9 9
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30 UNIT REVIEW:
JACK OF ALL TRADES
MASTERS OF EVERYTHING!
One-size-fits-all solutions are rare, but the
KC-130J Hercules II comes close, especially
in the hands of the US Marine Corps’
60 EXERCISE REPORT:
RAMSTEIN GUARD
Krasimir Grozev and Alexander Mladenov
attend ‘Ramstein Guard’, an exercise to train
air defense operators
news
HEADLINE NEWS
6
VMGR-252 ‘Otis’. Jamie Hunter and 64 INDUSTRY REPORT: F-35C completes first carrier trials
Jamie Deboer visited MCAS Cherry Point to LATIN AMERICAN and latest news from Iraq and Syria
see the unit at work FIGHTERS air operations
Santiago Rivas reviews the combat
40 PROJECT LIBERTY aviation fleets of Latin America and reveals
Although at first glance the MC-12W how some have undergone a process of US NEWS
8
appears an unassuming aircraft, looks can modernization, while other air arms still F-35 latest news includes latest
be deceptive. While the last deployed US struggle to replace obsolete aircraft
production batch order, Marine
Air Force unit de-activated in October,
Corps aviation plan unveiled, and
this intelligence, surveillance and 70 EXERCISE REPORT: will the A-10 be saved?
reconnaissance platform looks set to EAATTC 2014
remain one of the most highly regarded Alexander Klingelhöller joins tactical
and sought-after assets to patrol the skies, WORLD NEWS
transport flying training at Zaragoza
18
as Dr Séan Wilson reports
First images from China’s Zhuhai air
EXCLUSIVE 72 FIGHTER FOCUS: show, KJ-500 prototype breaks cover
46 BROTHERS IN ARMS 21ST-CENTURY and Korea cancels F-16 upgrade
South Carolina is the epicenter of the US
Marine Corps’ F-35 training community.
FROGFOOT
The Su-25 continues to be the mainstay EUROPE NEWS
Working hand in hand with the Marine
24
attack aircraft of the Russian Air Force, as
Corps, the UK is also bedding-in its F-35 Eurofighter signs E-Scan radar deal, first
Alexander Mladenov outlines
force at MCAS Beaufort, the new home of
British A400M delivered and Discovery
the British F-35 connection. Jamie Hunter
went to find out more 82 SAAF AT A CROSSROADS Air takes over Luftwaffe training role
Dr Andreas Zeitler reports from Africa
Aerospace and Defence 2014 (AAD), where
56 FAR EAST FOXHOUNDS the current strength of the South African PLUS: Robert F. Dorr’s Front Line column, a special
Since the era of the Cold War, Russian
Air Force was on show report on the F-35C carrier trials and all the latest
armed forces stationed in the Kamchatka
military Losses
Peninsula have had an important role
88 EXERCISE REPORT:
protecting the country’s eastern borders.
Babak Taghvaee reviews the work of the DESERT DUELS — WTI SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE
MiG-31 in this desolate location Ted Carlson joins the Weapons and Tactics Subscribe to Combat Aircraft Monthly and make great
Instructor (WTI) course at MCAS Yuma, savings on cover price. See pages 86 and 87 for details.
where the US Marine Corps is pushed to
8 SPECIAL REPORT: the limits in the sweltering Arizona desert.
F-35C GOES TO THE BOAT Additional material by Jamie Deboer
BEAUFORT’S
BRITISH
CONNECTION
4 January 2015 www.combataircraft.net
F
or this month’s issue I traveled criticism or, at the other end of the spectrum,
to South Carolina to visit the the glossy brochure promises. It is, after all,
impressive new US Marine the men and women of the armed forces
Corps F-35B facilities now that will have to deal day-in, day-out with
established at MCAS Beaufort. these aircraft. They are the ones facing the
VMFAT-501’s new hangar at the real consequences of normal operations with
south-eastern end of the airfield even comes this hugely significant defense procurement
complete with its own lake out front and a project.
resident alligator! It is interesting to see that amid the media
I had never seen an F-35B hovering before, gaze of the recent carrier trials with the
let alone photographed one in the air, so to F-35C, the aircraft performed impeccably.
view this at close quarters was impressive to The new hook design worked as planned and
say the least. the new carrier approach procedures of the
It wasn’t as noisy in the hover as I’d been Navy’s Lightning II functioned ‘as fragged’.
warned it was, and it didn’t appear to be In recent issues we have been covering
as fragile as many have speculated. In fact, concerns over the F-35 in the wake of the
maintainers were crawling over the jets engine problems of the summer. In this issue,
without having to treat them with kid gloves however, we are reporting an altogether
and the pilots slotted swiftly into close much more positive message. It’s good to be
formation with the KC-130J cameraship. objective and balanced.
Clearly there is still some considerable way
to go before these jets are mature, or before
the ‘blueprint for affordability’ achieves what
it aims to do, but actually seeing the F-35 up
close made it all seem much more real and
viable; more operational and usable.
Talking to the engineers, walking out to
the flight line with the pilots, chatting
about the aircraft — it all helps to get a Jamie Hunter,
balanced message, as opposed to the Editor
polarized opinions, be those staunch E-mail: jamie.hunter@keypublishing.com
T
ed Carlson is one of the long-time contributor and valued
most renowned and supporter of Combat Aircraft. His
respected professional work can be found worldwide in
aviation photo-journalists magazines, books, calendars,
whose work graces the pages Department of Defense
of this magazine. With over publications and glossy posters.
1,700 hours of flight time Ted has flown with all branches
performing air-to-air of the US military and in just
photography, Ted has been a about every type of aircraft.
T
HE CARRIER VARIANT
(CV) of the Lockheed Martin CF-03 prepares to launch from
F-35 Lightning II conducted the USS Nimitz. Dane Wiedmann
its initial arrested landing
aboard an aircraft carrier
on November 3. Test F-35C
CF-03/SD73 of VX-23 ‘Salty Dogs’ at NAS
Patuxent River, Maryland, made the type’s
first such landing aboard the USS Nimitz
(CVN 68), taking the ship’s number three
wire. The carrier was operating in the
Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego,
California.
Departing from MCAS Yuma, Arizona,
Navy test pilot CDR Tony ‘Brick’ Wilson
first conducted a low fly-over, followed
by a touch-and-go, before landing at
12.18 hours local time. LCDR Ted ‘Dutch’
Dyckman subsequently landed CF-05/
SD75 aboard the carrier at 13.11. The
aircraft made the first catapult take-offs on
November 4.
The arrested landings marked the start
of the F-35C’s initial at-sea Developmental
Testing I (DT-I), the first of three at-sea test
phases planned for the F-35C.
For more details, see our special report on
the following spread.
Zhuhai extreme
All the best images from the latest Chinese
aerospace show. See World News
Iraq air
strike latest
RAF Tornados complete Leading the last combat sortie was Flt Lt
Oli Payne. He said: ‘[It] was a real privilege.
Afghanistan mission
It was a hugely poignant day as it brought
to a close about 10 years of constant fast jet
operations by the RAF in Afghanistan, so
Royal Air Force Tornado GR4s from No 31 precision weapons in support of our mission it was a big moment for both the crews and
Squadron ‘Goldstars’ have left Kandahar there’. Wg Cdr Richard Yates, Officer the RAF’. Tornados operating in Afghanistan
airfield, Afghanistan, having flown their Commanding No 31 Squadron, said: ‘It flew over 33,500 hours and conducted 600
final missions in support of the UK’s has been an honor to be the last squadron shows of force.
Operation ‘Herrick’. The RAF Tornado force of the Tornado force’s combat mission
has participated in Afghanistan operations in Afghanistan supporting the Afghan
since relieving the Harrier force in June Government and people. I am hugely proud
2009. of my personnel who have worked tirelessly
British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon and continued the good work of all those Personnel from the
last Kandahar Tornado
commented: ‘The Tornado remains the fast who have been here before, both on the
detachment prepare
jet workhorse of the RAF and has performed Tornado force and the Harrier force.’ to bid farewell to the
superbly over many years in Afghanistan, The final deployment marked No 31 Afghanistan mission.
supplying life-saving intelligence and Squadron’s fourth tour of Afghanistan. Crown Copyright
A
S REPORTED IN Headline Speaking in Navy Times, LT Chris
News, the F-35C made Karapostoles, a landing signal officer (LSO)
its first arrested landing with VX-23, said that the F-35C can adjust
aboard an aircraft carrier on its approach faster and smoother, making it Photos: Lockheed Martin/
November 3. First to land more likely to hit the three wire — the ideal Andy Wolfe/Alexander H
aboard the USS Nimitz landing. Groves/Dane Wiedmann and
(CVN 68) was F-35C CF-03/SD73 of VX-23 Having been one of the main reasons for US Navy/MC1 Brett Cote/
‘Salty Dogs’, piloted by CDR Tony ‘Brick’ slight delays to the carrier trials, the F-35C’s MCSN Eli K. Buguey
Wilson, followed by CF-05 piloted by LCDR re-designed tail hook, which had repeatedly
Ted ‘Dutch’ Dyckman. failed engagements three years ago during
The aircraft conducted 124 catapult land testing, performed soundly.
launches, 222 touch-and-goes and 124 This latest phase fell within the so-called
arrested landings by November 13. The Developmental Testing I (DT-I) stage, the first
F-35Cs completed 100 per cent of the of three at-sea test rounds for the F-35C. DT-I
threshold test points planned. Testing went so smoothly that it prompted officials to
included two intentional ‘bolters’ (missed add initial night operations.
attempts to catch an arresting wire) and no DT-II, which is scheduled for September
unintentional ones. So succesful were the 2015, will take in day/night operations and
trials that they concluded three days earlier initial weapons trials with internal stores
than planned, on November 14. as well as maximum-power launches from
CDR Wilson commented: ‘The F-35C’s both the bow and waist catapults. Operations
performance on the ball was revolutionary, in crosswind conditions will gradually be
providing carefree handling on approach. expanded to 15kt.
The Integrated Direct Lift Control (IDLC) DT-III, the third and final phase, is expected
allows ball control like no other aircraft’. to take place around April 2016.
He continued: ‘[The] Delta Flight Path is an The Navy’s objective is to declare initial
innovative leap in aircraft flight controls — operational capability (IOC) with its first
this command enables the F-35 to capture squadron of 10 F-35Cs in August 2018 or no
and maintain a glideslope.’ later than February 2019.
F-35
UNIT NEWS
Luke establishes new detachment to the unit and allow it to achieve full
The 56th Operations Group activated a new operational capability for its 120-day mission.
latest
detachment alongside the Oregon Air National
Guard’s 173rd Fighter Wing at Kingsley Field Army unit update
in Klamath Falls on November 1. As part The US Army Reserve Command’s 8th
of the USAF’s Total Force Integration (TFI) Battalion, 229th Aviation Regiment, recently
efforts, personnel assigned to Detachment 2, conducted its final flights with the AH-64D
56th Operations Group will support training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The battalion is
operations at Kingsley Field. The F-15C active undergoing a transition from the Apache to
associate unit will include 66 maintenance the UH-60L to become an assault helicopter
personnel, three support personnel and eight
instructor pilots. The 173rd, which is the USAF’s
battalion.
Elsewhere, Det 1, Company B, 3rd Battalion,
LRIP 8 agreed as
only Formal Training Unit (FTU) for the Eagle,
recently added seven F-15Cs to its inventory.
126th Aviation Regiment received its full
complement of CH-47Fs when three Chinooks
program chief sets
The 56th OG previously established Detachment
1 alongside the Arizona Air National Guard’s
landed at Rochester International Airport,
New York, on October 28. Nicknamed ‘Kong’,
out new goals
162nd Fighter Wing at Tucson International the New York Army National Guard unit
Airport, which is an F-16C FTU. spent two months at Hunter Army Airfield
in Savannah, Georgia, where it conducted
Squadron activated in Senegal training with the Chinooks. The main body
The USAF established the 787th Air of Company B, which is assigned to the
Expeditionary Squadron at Léopold Sédar Maryland Army National Guard, is also
Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, undergoing conversion to the CH-47F. The
in early November. The squadron is operating Chinooks were formally unveiled in Rochester
a pair of C-130Js deployed by the 317th on November 16.
Airlift Group at Dyess AFB, Texas, but includes The South Dakota Army National Guard has
personnel from the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess begun swapping its UH-60A/L helicopters
as well as the Kentucky Air National Guard’s for the latest HH-60M variant at the Army
123rd Contingency Response Group. It flew its Aviation Support Facility in Rapid City. By
first sortie into Liberia on November 4, when April 2015, Company C(-), 1st Battalion, 189th
it airlifted more than eight tons of medical Aviation Regiment will receive a total of six of
supplies and equipment in support of Operation the medical evacuation Black Hawks, which
‘United Assistance’, as part of the mission to feature an externally-mounted rescue hoist
contain and eliminate the Ebola outbreak in and improved night vision technology that
West Africa. Two additional C-130Js from Dyess greatly improve the aircraft’s capabilities in the
and Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, will be assigned search and rescue role.
A-10 decision
The US Air Force’s inability to have sanctioned the proposed
retirement of the A-10 Thunderbolt II has been blamed for
a potential delay to the service’s initial operating capability
blamed for F-35 (IOC) date for the F-35A. According to F-35 program chief
Lt Gen Christopher Bogdan, the 1,100 qualified maintainers
needed to keep the A-10s flying have sufficient impact on the
IOC delay air force that without them the F-35As could not be kept in a
high-enough state of readiness to qualify for IOC.
Bogdan recently said that he was ‘very worried’ about
meeting the USAF’s August 2016 IOC target, saying that 800
of the experienced crew chiefs and maintainers would be
tied to the A-10 community instead of migrating to the F-35.
Congress is still blocking USAF recommendations to retire
the A-10, and, according to Bogdan, F-35A IOC requirements
were built on the assumption that the A-10 fleet would be
phased out.
Lt Gen Stephen Hoog, assistant vice chief of staff of the
USAF, confirmed that the matter was a real issue for the F-35’s
IOC, but he also said that a compromise was being sought to
permit the retirement of at least a portion of the A-10 fleet.
The new compromise plan to congressional leaders would
see just 72 of the aircraft being retired, with the remainder of
the fleet retained.
T
HE US MARINE Corps accordance with its recently-released 2015 Gen4 version of the Litening targeting pod,
has made the decision Aviation Plan, the AV-8Bs assigned to the a self-lasing capability for the AGM-65E
to advance the planned 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing will be the first to Maverick missile, and full integration
retirement of its AV-8B fleet be replaced by F-35Bs beginning in Fiscal of the GBU-54 Laser JDAM, along with
by five years to 2025. The 2015 when VMA-211 begins its transition. AIM-120C/D and AIM-9X Block II missiles
decision was made as part Conversion of all of the 3rd MAW AV-8B and additional stand-off weapons. The
of the Marine Corps’ TACAIR 2030 Road- squadrons to the F-35B will be completed Marine Corps AV-8B fleet currently includes
map, which gives priority to the transition by the end of Fiscal 2019. 84 operational aircraft assigned to six
of the Marine Expeditionary Units (MEU) Plans to keep the Harriers viable operational squadrons. Additionally, a fleet
that deploy to the US Pacific Command through the type’s ‘sunset’ period will readiness squadron operates 12 single-seat
(PACOM) area of responsibility. In add additional capabilities including the AV-8Bs and 12 two-seat TAV-8Bs.
‘Purple Fox’ farewell designs. It’s been a great aircraft, but it’s time
to change’. The squadron’s transition leaves
just HMMT-164 and Marine Corps Reserve
The CH-46 Sea Knight, nicknamed famous squadron from CH-46s to V-22s. I squadron HMM-764 flying the Sea Knight.
the ‘Phrog’ in Marine Corps service, is absolutely loved flying the aircraft and I still HMMT-164 will complete conversion to the
disappearing from service by the day. The consider it one of the greatest helicopter MV-22B by April 2015. Doug Aguillard
‘Purple Foxes’ of Marine Medium Helicopter
Squadron HMM-364 (now VMM-364, due
to their transition to the MV-22 Osprey) CH-46E BuNo 153369/PF-19 returns to MCAS
Camp Pendleton to make the last ever landing
started flying the venerable CH-46 in
by an active-duty Marine Corps CH-46, having
1967. This was the last active-duty (fleet- escorted the last VMM-364 CH-46E to AMARG
deployable) Marine squadron to fly the type. for storage. Doug Aguillard
During late 2014, the ‘Purple Foxes’ were
gradually flying their ‘46s’ to the Aerospace
Maintenance and Re-generation Group at
Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.
CA was able to fly on the mission to
deliver the last active-duty CH-46 to the
‘boneyard’, with pilot Capt Matt Schmitt
commenting: ‘I was thinking about how
amazing this helicopter has been, how she
has always brought people home safe, and
all of the people who were in a lot worse
situations than I have been in, [who] got out
of trouble because of this bird.’
New squadron commander Lt Col Kopacz
said: ‘I get the privilege of transitioning this
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FRONT LINE COMBAT AIRCRAFT’S REGULAR COLUMN BY ROBERT F. DORR
The numbers tell a tale: ageing upgrades for the 62 B-1Bs in inventory — of
which, because of the age issue, about 10 are
laid up in depot maintenance at any given
I
improvement on the part of the B-2A Spirit,
T’S AN UGLY truth. Chief of staff Gen strikes on the Islamic State, or ISIS. The the celebrated flying-wing stealth bomber
Mark Welsh said it plainly in October. mission-capable rate, or MCR, for the B-1B that took a bashing on this page not long ago
‘Airplanes are falling apart’, Welsh has fallen to 47.7 per cent in Fiscal Year 2014, (Combat Aircraft, June 2014). Until this year,
said. down from 57.7 per cent the year before. This the B-2A had the poorest MCR numbers in
He was referring to the age of US Air means that half of all planned sorties don’t the fleet. The 19 B-2As now have a mission
Force aircraft. take place. The most recently released figure capable rate of 56.9 per cent, a 10 per cent
New numbers from the Air Staff confirm for flying-hour cost, $57,807, is high but not improvement over the previous year.
what experts have been saying for 10 years: hopeless. But the MCR is the better indicator However, the B-2A requires constant
American airmen are struggling to function of how age, coupled with the inherent ministering to its stealth coatings and needs
with aircraft that are very old and very costly complexity of the B-1B design, is taking a toll. dozens if not hundreds of hours of work on
to maintain. During the past decade, the age the ground for every hour spent in the air.
of the average airframe has zoomed from 22.7 Bad to the ‘Bone’ A press release accompanying the recent
years to 27.2 years. In a side note that may or may not hold any nuclear exercise ‘Global Thunder’ touted
The flagship for the US Air Force’s geriatric lesson about the age of the US air fleet, air the ability of the B-2A to ‘penetrate the most
troubles is the B-1B Lancer, the ‘Bone’, which power advocates are blaming the B-1B in a secure [enemy] defense systems to rapidly
has evolved into an effective, precision lethal ‘friendly fire’ tragedy that killed five deliver its payload’. This may be the only time
air-to-ground weapon and is being used in American service members. anyone accused the B-2A of flying rapidly.
KJ-500 prototype
appears
China’s new AEW&C platform sighted
D
URING EARLY NOVEMBER during final approach to Xi’an-Yanliang (home features a new radar antenna, with the earlier
the first clear images of the of the Chinese Flight Test Establishment). The rotodome being replaced by a fixed array
People’s Liberation Army type — sometimes also designated Y-8GX-10 containing three active electronically-scanned
Air Force’s next-generation — has been under development at Shaanxi arrays arranged in a triangular configuration,
medium-sized airborne early for some time and will reportedly supplement similar to that of the larger KJ-2000. A few
warning and control aircraft or even supersede the older KJ-200 ‘balance days later a first KJ-500 was spotted in full
prototype were revealed. They show one of beam’. Similar to the Pakistani ZDK-03, PLAAF colors, leading to the assumption that
the two prototypes of the KJ-500, serial 737, the KJ-500 is based on the Y-9 platform but it will soon enter service. Andreas Rupprecht
LATIN AMERICA
South Korea
cancels BAE Argentine ‘Herc’ upgrade
L-3 Communications of Waco, Texas, has
requirement, which dates back to its original
incarnation in 1995.
UAE eyes Scorpion, as does Nigeria More C295s for Mexican Navy
Mexico has ordered another two C295s,
signing a contract with Airbus Defence
The United Arab Emirates has begun the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 in 2009, but
and Space for the acquisition of two of the
negotiations with Textron AirLand with which has not yet placed an order for the
medium transports for the Mexican Navy. The
a view to becoming the launch customer type.
agreement takes the total Airbus Defence and
for the company’s Scorpion intelligence, At the International Fighter Conference
Space fleet in operation in the country to 22
surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and in London in November, a representative
aircraft. The Mexican Navy already operates
counter-insurgency aircraft. The Scorpion present from the Nigerian Air Force also
four C295s, six CN235s and two C212s.
is reportedly a candidate for the UAE’s expressed clear interest in the Scorpion.
Meanwhile, the Mexican Air Force has six
Al Fursan aerobatic team, which currently However, in so doing, he also noted how
C295s and the Federal Police two CN235s.
flies the Aermacchi MB339. A training US export laws have recently blocked
version of the Scorpion could also prove a planned purchase by Nigeria of AH-1
Afghan ‘Hip’ deliveries fulfilled
of interest to the UAE, which selected Cobras.
Russia completed deliveries of the Mi-17V-5
transport helicopter to the Afghan Air
Omani T
HIS FIRST PICTURE
has emerged of the
initial Airbus C295MPA
Persuader for the Royal
Air Force of Oman,
Persuader
wearing its full color
scheme complete with the Omani flag
on the fin. Carrying the provisional
serial 118 (c/n S-118), the aircraft
was sighted at San Pablo Airport in
breaks cover
Seville, Spain on October 22. In May
2012, Oman ordered five C295 tactical
transports and three maritime patrol
variants of the aircraft, becoming the
launch customer for the C295 among
the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC)
H
ELD IN THE southern
port city of Zhuhai,
Guangdong province,
from November 11-16, the
10th China International
Aviation and Aerospace
Exhibition — better known as Airshow
China 2014 — saw deals worth a record
$23.4 billion being signed. The event
included a number of stand-out items,
most notably the public debuts of the
Xi’an Aircraft Corporation (XAC) Y-20
strategic airlifter and the Shenyang
Aircraft Corporation (SAC) J-31 stealth
fighter, as well as the launch of the J-31’s
export equivalent, the FC-31, which was
present in model form. Other new projects
unveiled by Chinese industry included an
Aviation Industry Corporation of China
(AVIC) transport concept — reportedly the
Y-30 — for a four-turboprop airlifter in the
class of the Airbus A400M, and a number
of new missiles. Full analysis of the key
exhibits will appear in the February issue
of Combat Aircraft.
RAF Typhoons have been in the USA, engaged in operational trials of the latest Phase 1 Enhancement (P1EB) upgrade for Tranche 2 batch aircraft.
Pictured flying at low level in the Mojave desert, this aircraft is from the RAF’s No 41(R) Test and Evaluation Squadron. Richard Vandermeulen
Defense ministers from the UK, Germany, development and we are delighted that In related news, BAE Systems has
Italy and Spain gathered at the headquarters the future of this key capability has now announced the first multiple release of
of Selex ES in Edinburgh, Scotland, on been secured. Captor E-Scan radar builds Paveway IV guided bombs from an RAF
November 19 to sign the long-awaited on the best know-how, industrial expertise Typhoon. The event, which saw the
development contract for the Eurofighter and collaboration among leading European successful release of two Paveway IVs,
Typhoon’s Active Electronically Scanned defense electronics companies.’ came as the culmination of a series of
Array (AESA) or E-Scan radar. The The E-Scan radar upgrade is likely to fall flight trials involving BAE, the RAF and
€1-billion deal between Eurofighter GmbH under the future Phase 4 Enhancement Raytheon UK. Launched from Typhoon
and NETMA (NATO Eurofighter and (P4E), which is now in a planning phase. c/n BT017, the weapons engaged separate
Tornado Management Agency), will enable Crucially, the long-awaited, and all- targets. The new capability is part of the
the integration of the Captor E-Scan into the important, E-Scan radar contract will add latest Phase 1 Enhancements package
Typhoon. significantly to Typhoon’s international (P1Eb). P1E implements full air-to-surface
Andrew Cowdery of Euroradar appeal. The only question remains as to capability on to the Typhoon Tranche 2.
commented: ‘We have already been working whether it will come soon enough for the P1Eb-standard Typhoons can carry up to six
closely with Eurofighter and the Eurofighter Typhoon to be able to reap the benefits on Paveway IV weapons that can be released
partner companies on this milestone the export stage. simultaneously against multiple targets.
UNITED KINGDOM
First production Lightning IIs ordered UK training renewal announced Maritime role for Sentinel
On October 28 UK Defence Secretary The UK Ministry of Defence has chosen The UK is set to upgrade the RAF’s fleet
Michael Fallon announced an order for a Affinity as preferred bidder for the Military of Raytheon Sentinel R1 airborne stand-
first production batch of F-35 Lightning Flying Training System (MFTS) requirement, off radar (ASTOR) surveillance aircraft,
IIs. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has which seeks to overhaul the fixed-wing allowing them to undertake maritime
agreed in principle to an order for an training aircraft fleet. The package proposed operations. An initial contract will be
initial 14 F-35Bs. It is expected that a by Affinity, a joint venture by KBR and signed in spring 2015 and will cover the
formal contract will be placed in the Elbit Systems, includes the Grob G120TP, development and installation of maritime-
coming weeks. Likely to be delivered from Beechcraft T-6C and Embraer Phenom 100, capable software aboard the five aircraft.
mid-2016, the aircraft will form part of the which will respectively provide elementary, Originally planned for retirement in 2015,
first UK-based squadron of F-35s, which basic and multi-engine training for the RAF the Sentinel will now be retained until at
will take up station at RAF Marham, and Royal Navy. According to plans, the least 2018.
Norfolk, in 2018. Flying trials aboard the G120TPs will be based at Barkston Heath
carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth are also due and Cranwell, the T-6Cs at Valley and the Voyager refuels Rafale
to commence in 2018. Phenom 100s also at Cranwell. For the first time, an RAF Airbus Voyager
tanker has refueled French Rafale fighters.
New Royal Navy Wildcat squadron RAF airlift from Bastion The Armée de l’Air Rafales took on fuel
825 Naval Air Squadron was formally With the conclusion of British military on October 26, during multi-national
commissioned at RNAS Yeovilton in operations in south-west Afghanistan, operations against ISIS. Earlier in the
Somerset as a front-line Wildcat operator the final RAF aircraft departed Camp month, an RAF Voyager successfully
on October 10. 825 NAS takes over Bastion on October 27. The largest UK conducted the type’s first refueling of a
the duties of 700W NAS, which was airlift in recent history involved 17 waves US Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II. RAF
responsible for introducing the Wildcat of two Hercules transports from No 903 Voyager support for US-led operations
into service, and will train air and Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) and a in Iraq began on August 10, with the
ground crew to fly and maintain the new final wave of two Chinook helicopters, deployment of two of the recently-
helicopter, as well as providing the front- alongside US Marine Corps aircraft, which delivered airframes to RAF Akrotiri,
line fleet with Wildcat flights to support withdrew the final coalition troops from Cyprus. A single Voyager has supported
ships. The Wildcat HMA2 will make its the base. Troops landed at Kandahar continuing Tornado operations since the
debut deployment for front-line operations Airfield before onward transit to the UK in UK parliamentary vote in support of air
in early 2015. C-17 Globemaster IIIs of No 904 EAW. strikes on September 26.
• A Royal Thai Army Aviation Bell 212 described the downing of the unarmed aircraft • A US Air Force F-16C assigned to the
crashed in northern Thailand on November as an ‘unprecedented provocation’. The two 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group’s 82nd
17, killing all nine Army personnel on board. countries fought a war against one another Aerial Targets Squadron crashed in the
The helicopter came down in a rubber after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 Gulf of Mexico, during a training mission,
plantation 10 minutes after taking off from an but agreed to a ceasefire that has been in place on November 6. The fighter was operating
Army camp in Phayao province, 590km (370 since 1994. According to some reports, the about 70 miles (113km) south of Tyndall
miles) from Bangkok. Thomas Newdick Mi-24 was flown by personnel from the self- AFB, Florida, when contact was lost. A
• On November 15 a J-10B crashed in proclaimed ‘self-defense forces’ of Nagorno- civilian pilot, assigned to the 82nd ATRS,
Qinggangshu village, Pixian county, Karabakh, a region of Azerbaijan controlled by was killed in the crash.
about 20km (12.4 miles) away from the ethnic Armenians. • Hawker Hunter F58 N332AX (c/n 41H-
Chengdu Aircraft Company’s Factory No • The pilot of an Algerian Air Force MiG-25 697448) operated by the Airborne Tactical
132 and CAC’s home airfield of Chengdu/ ejected safely before the fighter crashed Advantage Company (ATAC) crashed in
Huangtianba. According to eyewitnesses, during a training flight on November 11. It a field near the Pacific Coast Highway
the aircraft dropped as low as about 300m came down in the Hassi Bahbeh area of Tiaret around 65 miles (105km) north-west of Los
(984ft) before the pilot ejected. Although province, 124 miles (200km) south of Algiers. Angeles, on October 29, killing the pilot.
the pilot survived, at least seven people • A MiG-29 operated by the Belarusian Air The mishap occurred while the ex-Swiss
were injured on the ground, of whom three Force crashed in the Brest region of south- Air Force fighter (serial J-4081 in Swiss
sustained serious burns. Initial reports from west Belarus on November 11. The pilot service) was on approach to land at Naval
the site suggest that the crash was caused by ejected safely from the fighter, which had Base Ventura County/NAS Point Mugu.
engine failure. Andreas Rupprecht been assigned to the 61st Fighter Air Base Another Hunter operated by the firm
• Three crew aboard a Nigerian Air Force in Baranovichi. crashed near the same base in May 2012.
Mi-35 were killed when the helicopter • An unidentified helicopter operated by • AS350B N5204X (c/n 3099), operated
crashed and exploded near the Modibbo the Nigerian Air Force crashed during a by the US Customs and Border Protection
Adama University of Technology in Girei surveillance mission in the Damare area Office of Air & Marine’s Tucson Air Branch,
on November 13. The Mi-35, which came of Adamawa state on November 10. The was destroyed in an emergency landing in
down next to a college dormitory, had aircraft went down while attempting to Arizona on October 27. The AStar pilot was
reportedly been engaged in a battle with make a forced landing shortly after take-off not seriously injured when the helicopter
insurgents when the mishap occurred. from Yola International Airport. came down in a ditch, south of the Remax
• A Mi-24 helicopter operated by the • Two Idaho Army National Guard aviators Foothills east of Bisbee.
Armenian Air Force was shot down after it were killed when their US Army AH-64D • On October 23, People’s Liberation Army
reportedly violated Azerbaijan airspace near crashed during a local night-time training Naval Air Force (PLANAF) JL-8H serial
Kengerli in the Aghdam region on November mission on November 6. The Apache, which 82003 of the 1st Naval Training Base/
12. Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry reported had been assigned to the 1st Battalion, 183rd Naval Aviation Air Academy (Naval Flight
that the helicopter was preparing to attack Aviation Regiment, went down about 2 Academy), 2nd Training Regiment based at
Azeri positions near a ceasefire line when it miles (3.2km) south of Boise Airport/Gowen Changzhi (Wangcun) crashed in Xiangyuan
was hit. Armenia’s Defense Ministry, however, Field during a proficiency flight. county in Shanxi province. Both pilots
managed to eject and survived the crash.
Below: The Chengdu J-10B lost on November 15 was factory-fresh. The pilot was reportedly Andreas Rupprecht
Li Gang, who was the test pilot for the J-20’s maiden flight. via Chinese internet • The pilot of US Air Force F-16C serial
89-2019 ejected safely from his fighter
before it crashed in a field near Moline,
Kansas, on October 20. The crash, which
occurred about 75 miles (121km) south-east
of Wichita, followed a mid-air collision
with F-16C serial 89-2034, which recovered
safely to its home base. Both fighters were
assigned to the Oklahoma Air National
Guard’s 138th Fighter Wing at Tulsa
International Airport.
• A US Air Force MQ-9A remotely-piloted
aircraft crashed while landing at Diori
Hamani International Airport in Niamey,
Niger on October 20. Although the runway
was damaged, no injuries were reported.
The RPAs have been operating from the
facility since 2013.
• A Hawk Mk67 trainer, which carried the
civil registration N509XX (RoKAF serial
67-509), departed the runway during its
take-off roll at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma,
on October 18. The Hawk, which was
Wreckage of JL-8H serial 82003, lost in operated by Air USA, suffered significant
Shanxi Province on October 23. The jet
damage but the pilot was not injured.
trainer wears the insignia of the PLANAF’s
Naval Aviation Air Academy on the tail. The Henderson, Nevada-based defense
via Chinese internet contractor acquired 10 Hawk Mk67s from
the Republic of Korea Air Force during
2013. The pilot had made a refueling stop
at Tinker and was en route to MCAS Cherry
Point, North Carolina.
• US Customs and Border Protection
AS350B3 N852BP (c/n 3592) was
substantially damaged when it rolled over
during take-off on October 17. The incident
occurred near Lordsburg, New Mexico,
around 38 miles (61.2km) east of Bisbee
Douglas International Airport, Arizona.
RE-PRINTS
23 Apr-5 May USA: Barksdale AFB (B-52s) Airshow; museums in SC, GA, AL, FL, MS & LA
TBA May TURKEY: NATO TIGER MEET, Konya. Air Force museums in Istanbul & Ankara
22-26 May NETHERLANDS: Oostwold Airshow; Soesterberg & Lelystad museums; Opt CAT flt
13-25 Jun GERMANY, AUSTRIA, HUNGARY & ITALY: aviation museums & collections – with
Mike Oakey, former Editor Aeroplane Monthly now The Aviation Historian
26 Jun-10Jul ARGENTINA, URUGUAY & PARAGUAY: military airbases, airfields & museum
1-5 Jul SWEDEN: Swedish Air Force Int’l Airshow & museums
Custom re-prints of features 19-26Jul
18-26 Jul
USA: Nellis AFB, Red Flag & Green Flag; NAS Fallon (NSAWC “Top Gun”)
USA: Oshkosh. Largest aviation event in the world: 8,000+ aircraft. Fabulous warbird
● Company Reports and more… 19 Sep-4Oct USA: NAS Oceana, NAS Point Mugu & MCAS Miramar Airshows; Langley AFB, NS
Norfolk, MCAS Yuma, NAF El Centro, NAS North Island Bases & museums
24-28 Sep GREECE: 4th Athen’s Flying Week, Tatoi Airbase – 3-day airshow with international
participation
Tailored to your specific needs, re-prints can 24-28 Sep
5-9 Oct
MALTA: Int’l Airshow, spotting & museums
SWITZERLAND: AXALP Live Firing in the Alps! Meiringen AB. Unforgettable!!
showcase your company, products or services in 17-27 Oct SOUTH KOREA: Int’l Aerospace Exhibition & Airshow; museums; stopover Bangkok
2016
association with Combat Aircraft Monthly. Mid-End Mar NEW ZEALAND: Warbirds Over Wanaka Airshow; aviation museums; sightseeing
Detailed individual itineraries of ALL our tours will be placed on our website over the coming months:
www.ianallantravel.com/aviationtours
For further information call Ian Maxwell: or register your interest by telephoning +44 (0) 1932 255625, or e-mail: aviation.tours@ianallan.co.uk
Ian Allan Aviation Tours, Terminal House, Shepperton, Middlesex TW17 8AS, United Kingdom
Tel. +44 (0) 1780 755131
E-mail: Ian.Maxwell@keypublishing.com
Searchable
Breaking Attrition Exclusive
News Database Articles and
Reports Going Back Features
to 2000
S
INCE ITS INTRODUCTION to (MCAS) Cherry Point in North Carolina. The
the US Marine Corps in 1960 the squadron has flown over 30 different types of
original KC-130 and its newer aircraft in its long history but has stayed with
descendants have re-defined the C-130 for over 50 years in its current guise
the term ‘multi-role’. These as VMGR-252 ‘Otis’.
workhorses serve as valuable tools Delivery of the KC-130F heralded the shift
for the commanders of the Marine Air-Ground in focus to the core aerial refueling mission,
Task Force (MAGTF), their primary role not only with fixed-wing receivers but also
being as aerial refuelers, but they also perform the slightly trickier helicopter customers. In
numerous secondary missions including troop 1965 the squadron refueled its first helicopter
transport and supply delivery. The advent of over North Carolina, using a drogue system
the new KC-130J has only served to pile on to transfer fuel to a modified US Air Force
more capabilities, as this versatile aircraft has CH-3. Though the tests proved successful,
further spread its wings to embrace additional the Marine Corps would not get into the
Marine Corps tasks. regular helicopter refueling business until the
One of three active-duty Marine KC-130 early 1980s with the introduction of the air
units, Marine Aerial Refueler Transport refueling-capable CH-53E.
Squadron 252 (VMGR-252) ‘Otis’ holds the A decade later the combination of the
honorable distinction of being the oldest KC-130 and CH-53 proved to be a valuable
continually-active squadron in the Corps, asset when the call came to evacuate US
tracing its origins back to June 1928, when citizens from the US embassy in Somalia.
it was based in San Diego, California as Departing from Bahrain, two KC-130s met
Headquarters Detachment 7M. In 1941, the up with two CH-53Es over the water and
unit became Marine Utility Squadron 252 conducted multiple aerial refuelings to
(VMJ-252), supporting Marines at Iwo Jima reach Somalia, from where they airlifted
and Okinawa during WW2 before settling in at over 60 personal to the amphibious assault
Jamie Hunter its current home at Marine Corps Air Station ship USS Guam.
32
missions: I have one detachment deployed for from other units. This is one of the reasons
the SPMAGTF, one in work-up and training we have structured KC-130J squadrons to
for the next deployment, and the balance of have 15 aircraft, as opposed to 12 for our
the squadron in re-set and fulfilling our MEF ‘legacy’ KC-130F/R/T units. Our way forward and personnel, an aerial refueling mission
support requirements. On top of this, we to address this is to complete our purchase to support Marine fixed-wing jet squadrons,
must conduct our regular squadron training of ‘J-models’ and equip our two Reserve [and] an eight- to 10-hour Harvest HAWK
to prepare young aircrews and maintainers squadrons, which will give us much-needed mission to deliver close air support, as well as
to become proficient in their respective additional capability. I think if you ask any of one or two night logistics missions and a night
specialties.’ our supported commanders they will tell you aerial delivery re-supply mission. When you
The KC-130Js are in high demand, and that they would prefer to have more KC-130s.’ consider doing all that, in one day with one
means Lt Col Koltick’s operational staff are The Reserve KC-130T squadrons began their detachment, it becomes clear how robust our
not always able to fit the pieces of the jigsaw transition to the KC-130J in Fiscal Year 2014. squadron training program must be, and how
together. Maj Frank ‘Rundi’ Rundus is the proficient and flexible our crews must be as
squadron operations officer (OPSO): ‘The Harvest HAWK well.’
C-130 in the Marine Corps is a high-demand, Unlike many other units, the VMGR units One of the early lessons learned by the
low-density asset. There’s actually more never deploy as a squadron but rather as Marine Corps in Afghanistan was the constant
C-130s sitting on the ramp at Little Rock detachments, sending out two to four aircraft demand for airborne video surveillance and
Air Force Base, Arkansas than in the entire as the specific mission dictates. Deployments the requirement for a ‘quick-strike’ weapon to
Marine Corps inventory. We only have three in Afghanistan have provided great experience help protect troops on the ground. The Marine
active-duty squadrons with 45 total aircraft for the crews, using Forward Arming and Corps turned once again to the Hercules, a
plus our two reserve squadrons. We are very Refueling Points (FARPs) spread throughout platform that offers a long loiter time — easily
busy, especially with the induction of the the country, as well as operations focused on exceeding 10 hours — and armed it with an
MV-22 Osprey — the number of ‘probes’ fixed-wing aerial refueling, the transport of inexpensive quick-strike weapon that would
[aircraft in the Marine Corps that can air- cargo and troops, and latterly the employment not affect the core mission of aerial refueling.
refuel] versus the number of aircraft that can of the new Harvest HAWK (Hercules Airborne The result was the Harvest HAWK.
refuel them just went up. We went from a Weapons Kit) capability. Maj Rundus said: ‘Former Marine Corps
bunch of CH-46s that can’t refuel to a bunch Lt Col Koltick elaborated: ‘When we were commandant Gen James Jones always wanted
of MV-22s that can!’ in Afghanistan, a typical day in the life of a to get an armed C-130 in the Corps having
Koltick added: ‘We routinely have to turn VMGR-252 detachment would include two seen what the US Air Force AC-130 could
down nearly half of our support requests or three transportation missions for logistics achieve. The issue was that to establish a
The Harvest HAWK kit means port wing is a pylon that can carry four Initially, the AGM-114P-2A Hellfire II
commanders can rapidly re-role a suitably- AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. The starboard proved to be the weapon of choice, with
modified KC-130J into a formidable wing remains unaffected and still carries over 100 launches in the first two Harvest
close air support platform. The initiative a fuel tank and the hose and drogue HAWK deployments. Designers also
took only 18 months from program assembly for aerial refueling, thus retaining devised a plan to launch up to 10 AGM-176
announcement until the first aircraft was the aircraft’s main mission as a tanker. Griffin missiles from the rear cargo ramp
delivered. Achieved using off-the-shelf Re-wiring a KC-130J as a Harvest HAWK with a launcher known as ‘Gunslinger’.
technology, the initial solution was fairly with the initial production ‘A kit’ requires While this idea worked, the aircraft would
straightforward. It utilizes the AN/AAQ-30 approximately six months of conversion have to depressurize in order for the back
targeting sight sensor (TSS) that is already work. While a typical J-model has a total of the ramp to be opened if they were at an
in use with the AH-1Z Viper, installed in fuel capacity of 60,000lb, the Harvest altitude above 10,000ft, wasting valuable
a modified external fuel tank under the HAWK configuration reduces maximum minutes when troops on the ground needed
port wing of the aircraft. Also beneath the fuel capacity to 42,000lb. support.
In February 2012, squadrons began to receive
aircraft modified with a pressurized stand-off
precision-guided munitions launcher called
the ‘Derringer door’. This replaced the rear
paratroop door and provided the capability to
load, launch and reload munitions while the
aircraft remained pressurized. The modified
door, and an accompanying rack that held up
to 10 Griffin missiles, didn’t deploy until late
2012, but later deployments saw about a 50:50
split between Hellfire and Griffin employment.
A third guided weapon option for the Harvest
HAWK was the GBU-44 Viper Strike glide
bomb, also launched through the ‘Derringer
door’. Although tested from the KC-130J, this
weapon is in practice seldom used.
In the main fuselage, the fire control console
(FCC) is operated by two fire control officers
(FCO) who manage the target sight sensor
(TSS) and weapons from a platform-mounted
fire control station. The system includes a
Blue Force tracker to keep tabs on friendly
troops, as well as ROVER full-motion video to
exchange target data.
refuel both low-speed helicopters and high- Ospreys as President Obama attended the
speed jet aircraft by changing the basket on 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in
the drogue system. The Sargent Fletcher Normandy. ‘Our role is very important for
(Cobham) aerial refueling pods can deliver this mission’, commented Lt Col Koltick.
more than 12,000 US gallons (45,425 liters) of ‘Not only did we provide the aerial refueling
fuel and simultaneously refuel two aircraft. for the Ospreys, but we also assisted them in
The KC-130J may also be equipped with a traversing the long distance and helped them
removable 3,600-US gallon (13,627-liter) fuel with long-range navigation.’
tank carried inside the cargo compartment to All told, the roles and variety of the flying
provide additional fuel if required. Another for the men and women of VMGR-252 are
less glamorous role is Aviation-Delivered nothing short of extraordinary. Its personnel
Ground Refueling (ADGR), which involves work tirelessly, often away from home, often
setting up a series of hoses from the KC-130J to for very long hours. This is true multi-role
create FARPs for helicopters. military aviation, and then some!
Altogether higher-profile is support provided
to the new MV-22s of Marine Helicopter Acknowledgments: Thanks to Lt Col Scott
Squadron 1 (HMX-1), the Presidential Flight. Koltick, Maj Frank Rundus, Maj Ryan Pope,
In May, VMGR-252 was involved in the first GySgt Michael Freeman and all at VMGR-252
trans-Atlantic flight by the squadron’s new and MCAS Cherry Point.
LIBERTY
Reconnaissance Squadron. Lt Col Berg,
a former F-15E Strike Eagle pilot and
an instantly likeable individual with
infectious enthusiasm, has recently
transferred to a new post to become
the deputy group commander for all
Global Hawk operations at the 69th
Reconnaissance Group. Speaking of the
MC-12W, Berg elaborates: ‘We start out
FIND, FIX AND FINISH with the ISR part of the mission — pattern
of life, target development, route scan and
updates of named areas of interest.’
‘When I say target development and
Although at first glance the MC-12W appears to pattern of life, somewhere in there you
could be tasked to find somebody, fix them
be an unassuming aircraft, looks can be and then the ‘finish’ part is supporting
deceptive. While the last deployed US Air Force the ground forces’ options to remove that
person from the battlespace. [For] the
unit deactivated in October, this intelligence, more dynamic part of our mission set you
surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platform could have troops in contact, you could
be supporting helicopter assault forces,
looks set to remain one of the most highly you could do what we call ‘air warden’
regarded and sought-after assets to patrol the where you are in charge of the air stack
on behalf of the JTAC (Joint Terminal
skies over Afghanistan, now in US Army hands. Attack Controller). It’s very important
to understand that we are not forward
report: Dr Séan Wilson
40
41
A docking mechanism for the laptop is as the computer drives are located in a of the MX-15Di is classified as a range-
now fitted under the mission commander’s rack, into which they are able to plug in a finder but it can be used to lase as well.
seat. The first Baseline 2 aircraft was a screen and keyboard. The problem is a question of boresight.
second-hand machine (546), delivered in Two civil-registered Beechcraft King Is the crosshair coinciding with the laser
September 2009. Air 350s are presently at Beale. These spot? If you don’t see the laser spot you
The first five Baseline 3 MC-12Ws (728, are owned by Tenex and maintained by don’t know. What Baseline 3 brought was
729, 730, 739, and 742) were brand-new the Rockhill Group (TRG). The aircraft the ability to see the laser spot because of
aircraft that arrived between January and are used primarily to support 25th Air a near-IR/short-wave IR mode. This added
March 2012. As mentioned previously, Force tactical systems operator initial capability put into Baseline 3 alleviated a
these were joined by two re-worked qualification training, although MC-12W lot of the limiting factors in Baseline 2.
Baseline 2 aircraft in May 2012. mission pilots also employ them for ‘We are at a crossroads right now. Our
So far, eight Baseline 2 aircraft have primary flight currency training. These guys train to this capability. We have
been upgraded to the latest Baseline particular aircraft have received some crews that are qualified and instructors
3.1 standard. The first (640) was sent minor modifications, namely a radio that can teach it. We have guided laser-
for modification in May 2012 and rack for air-to-ground communications, guided weapons in test and training
subsequently returned in January 2013. an internal communications system that exercises. It is now up to the ground forces
Baseline 3/3.1-upgraded aircraft feature connects students in the rear cabin with commander to request whether or not
digital radios in place of the original analog the pilots, and fixed antennae in the rear they want to use it, but we are capable if
sets. ‘With the analog radios we could only windows. needed.’
use three radios at any given time, but
with the new digital radio system we can Buddy lasing Intel ‘reach-back’
transmit over five radios. That is one of the One of the key added features of the It is not only the latest upgrades that
major changes for the flight deck’, explains Baseline 3/3.1 upgrade is the L-3 have greatly enhanced the capabilities
Berg. WESCAM MX-15DiD system, equipped of the MC-12W. Over the past two years
Although the number of screens remains with a higher-resolution sensor. More crews have developed their tactics
the same in the Baseline 3/3.1 aircraft, importantly, this sensor can now be used and procedures to enable them to have
the SO and TSO now benefit from larger, by MC-12W crews to designate targets greater ‘reach-back’ to the intelligence
high-definition screens. The mission for laser-guided weapons. Lt Col Berg community. Lt Col Berg elaborates:
commander no longer requires a laptop elaborates: ‘On the Baseline 2.0, the laser ‘Increasingly, we use beyond-line-of-
sight links to connect the ISR enterprise year. It is likely that the aircraft will be of the MC-12Ws to the US Army. A news
[ISREC — Intelligence, Surveillance and modified to meet their requirements. feature on the USAF website stated that a
Reconnaissance Exploitation Cell] in order The transfer came under the Quadrennial ‘portion’ of the aircraft have already been
to exploit, process and disseminate data Defense Review (QDR) and reflects a transferred to Army control, although
to make decisions that provide actionable shift in priorities for the USAF from the these are still operated by USAF crews.
intel. I think this is probably the greatest counter-insurgency mission towards, in This most likely relates to the Task Force
force multiplier we have on the battlefield. its words, the ‘high-end highly contested Thor aircraft.
‘Harry S. Truman once said, ‘It is fight.’ The website said: ‘The relationship
amazing what you can accomplish if It is uncertain what will happen to the will continue through next year’, adding
you do not care who gets the credit’. Our Air Force’s current MC-12W crews. As that ‘only the Army will own the aircraft
collaboration with the large ISR enterprise SOCOM recently briefed the Beale units and USAF crews will augment Army
is a great example of that. The most on the type of mission sets they have, it is personnel. The USAF will provide the
valuable assets of Project Liberty are the likely that some personnel will be asked to processing, exploitation and dissemination
people and the ability to network and transfer while others will simply return to of MC-12W information in FY2015, in
integrate in order to shorten the kill chain, their original platforms. support of Army missions’. It also stated
get inside the enemy’s decision matrix to Canada is planning to purchase four that, in FY2016, Army personnel will take
prevent their freedom of movement and ISR aircraft, recent reports indicating that over the whole mission.
meet the desired effects for the ground the Canadian military are interested in No further details of the MC-12’s planned
force commander.’ acquiring four MC-12Ws from the USAF. transfer to SOCOM have yet become
The procurement, dubbed the Manned available.
Transfer of assets Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and
Congress determined in the Defense Reconnaissance program, would allow Acknowledgments: Thanks to Lt Col Dave
Authorization Act that all MC-12Ws were Canada to expand its ISR capabilities. ‘Monster’ Berg, 1st Lt Siobhan Bennett and all
to be transferred to the US Army and Air As CA went to press, the USAF had just of the personnel at Beale AFB who made this
Force SOCOM at the end of this fiscal set out its timetable for transferring control article possible.
G
HOSTLY FIGURES OF Having formed its first F-35B training unit, plans to buy 353 F-35Bs as well as 67 F-35Cs.
Spanish moss hang from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 Alongside the two FRS units, two more
the branches of the trees. (VMFAT-501) ‘Warlords’, alongside its sister operational units will be stationed at Beaufort
Alligators wallow lazily in services at the US Air Force’s Lightning II for a total of 70 aircraft. Seven F-35 squadrons
cool swamps while the air stronghold at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, will be based at nearby MCAS Cherry Point;
weighs heavy with the humid the Marine Corps then set about striking four will fly from MCAS Yuma, Arizona; six
atmosphere. The warm southern hospitality out and bedding down at a spiritual home. from Miramar, California; and VMFA-121
is immediately apparent as you enter the This aircraft is, after all, the future of Marine ‘Green Knights’ will forward-deploy to MCAS
unexpectedly quaint and colonial Beaufort, Corps fixed-wing fighter aviation, or TACAIR Iwakuni, Japan.
the second oldest city in South Carolina. Its (Tactical Aviation). The latest Marine Aviation TACAIR ‘road
historic character and antebellum architecture Having completed the main phase of map’ now calls for the accelerated retirement
make it uniquely appealing, and its long training the initial cadre of engineers and of the AV-8B Harrier II by 2025. The weary
association with the military is clear from the pilots for the Marine Corps’ first operational F/A-18 Hornets are now slated to be upgraded
moment the road signs on Highway 21 slow squadron, Yuma’s Marine Fighter Attack in order for them to stay viable until 2030.
you to 45mph. Squadron 121 (VMFA-121) ‘Green Knights’, This turned on its head the previous plan to
Made famous on the big screen by the the ‘Warlords’ of ‘501’ turned their attentions keep the Harriers far longer than the Hornets,
film ‘The Great Santini’, Beaufort has a long east to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) and may be a part of the call for the Marines to
association with US Marine Corps fighter Beaufort, where on August 1 the unit began accelerate F-35 acquisition.
aviation. F-8 Crusaders and F-4 Phantom IIs flying its F-35Bs, making use of an impressive The short take-off and vertical landing
have called this air station home over the new operational enclave. (STOVL) F-35B is planned to be operational
years, and F/A-18 Hornet squadrons of Marine Beaufort has a big part to play in the from summer 2015 as the Harrier replacement
Air Group 31 are more recent tenants. coming years of the F-35 story. This is continues. The next F-35B unit is VMFA-211
It is therefore no surprise that the Marine where Marine Corps fighter pilots will learn ‘Wake Island Avengers’, which will become
Corps was keen to put down roots here for its to fly and fight in the F-35B — both Fleet a Lightning II squadron in Fiscal Year 2016.
latest, and arguably greatest, fighter aircraft yet Replacement Squadrons (FRS) are set to be The entire West Coast Harrier force will have
— the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II. based here with 25 aircraft each. The Corps transitioned to the F-35 by 2020.
MCAS Beaufort is also where the United and Demonstration (SDD) phase as the test and defensive counter-air, air interdiction, air
Kingdom — the only non-US Tier 1 partner in program allows the aircraft to mature. All of support escort, armed reconnaissance, and
the F-35 program — will set up its initial core this means that the steadily growing cadre limited suppression of enemy air defenses
F-35B operation, working closely with the of jets needs to be rotated back through (SEAD). Six aircraft need also to be able to
Marines. Already, UK pilots and maintainers depot-level maintenance to be retrofitted to perform amphibious carrier operations.
are functioning as a cohesive unit with their the latest standards under what is known as Full Operational Capability (FOC) with the
American counterparts, and in 2016 the UK’s ‘concurrency’. Marine Corps is defined as being the end of
joint Royal Air Force and Royal Navy team This strategy has its fair share of skeptics. the SDD period in the fourth quarter of 2017.
will establish No 617 Squadron ‘Dambusters’ The program has, like so many in the military Under present planning, the transition from
here in South Carolina. For two years the world, suffered delays. Indeed, Frank Kendall, existing fighters to the Lightning II will be
‘Dambusters’ will fly as part of VMFAT-501, the Pentagon’s acquisition, technology, and complete by 2032. This will culminate with
before the UK operation splits off and heads logistics chief, said recently that the Marine the establishment of the 22nd Marine Corps
back home to commence operations from RAF Corps might not make its initial operational F-35 squadron, which will actually be the
Marham. capability (IOC) target for the F-35B of July 31, second reserve unit. The process got under
2015. F-35 Joint Program Office chief Lt Gen way on April 2, 2010, with the establishment
Future fighter Christopher Bogdan has said that the main of VMFAT-501. On November 16, 2012,
The Marine Corps has been incredibly problem is getting 10 identically-configured VMFA-121 formed as the first operational
aggressive with its service deployment of the jets to the squadron on time, compounded F-35B squadron. The Marine Corps plan
F-35B, establishing an operational squadron by delays inflicted as a result of the widely- calls for nine squadrons with 16 F-35Bs, five
ahead of its operational test squadron. publicized engine failure on an F-35A at Eglin squadrons of 10 F-35Bs, and four squadrons
But this is the nature of the F-35 program: AFB on June 23, 2014. of carrier-based F-35Cs with 10 jets each.
departing from past thinking in order to According to the recent Marine Corps There will also be two reserve squadrons of
ramp up production rates. The plan involves Aviation Plan 2015, for the ‘Green Knights’ to 10 F-35Bs, plus the two FRS units.
learning lessons from the jets’ early users as declare IOC they must have 10 aircraft in the The Marines are also looking at ways to
well as factoring in the still daunting array Block 2B configuration capable of executing accelerate the F-35’s introduction timeline.
of test points in the System Development close air support (CAS), limited offensive Increasing production from 20 to 24 aircraft
48
49
A powerful exchange
Sqn Ldr Hugh Nichols is the first non-test
pilot or operational test pilot to train to fly
the F-35B. He is an exchange officer with
VMFAT-501 and is now an instructor pilot
(IP) on the F-35B. Nichols told CA: ‘The
plan is for me to remain with 501 for the
next few years and generate our Operational
Conversion Unit IP experience with a view
to using that experience when we establish
our own training system in the UK. I arrived
at Eglin AFB in September 2013 and started
with the ground school course, which
roughly entails six weeks of lectures and
around 16 simulator rides. The lectures
included details on everything from how you
interact with the touch-screen in the cockpit
right up to the more classified lectures on
stealth tactics and how to ‘operate’ the jet. ‘The perception is that we’ve got a much better
We then complete a ‘taxi ride’, which is a ‘The F-35B is currently relationship with the Marine Corps at the
fantastic opportunity to test out all the flight
gear and practice F-35 ground operations but
set to reach its full moment, but actually it’s always been the case
together with the US Navy and USAF. In the
without the pressure of flying the jet at the operational capability 1990s on the Harrier force we didn’t have a
end of it. After knocking off the rust with the two-seater and my very first simulator flights
taxi ride, the ‘first solo’ is hugely exciting, if with the Marine Corps were at Yuma with the Marine Corps. My first
not a little scary, but it is a great testament to
the training we get.’
in the fourth quarter detachment in the Harrier was out at Cherry
Point, so by virtue of the fact that we were
As an experienced former RAF Harrier of 2017. Under present flying the same aeroplane means that we’ve
pilot, Sqn Ldr Nichols was hand-picked for always had that strong bond. At the moment,
the prestigious post with the ‘Warlords’. ‘I planning, the transition clearly the spotlight is on the F-35.
flew a 10-hour syllabus with introductions
to formation and instrument flying, along
from existing fighters to ‘The pooling agreement is clearly something
different that we’ve not done before, but that is
with some air-to-air and air-to-ground the Lightning II will be born out of the relationship we’ve always had
elements. At the end of the flying syllabus with the US Marine Corps. We are incredibly
each pilot completes an instrument check complete by 2032’ lucky being pooled with the Marine Corps
and a NATOPS (Naval Air Training and as they go though their IOC because they are
Operating Procedures Standardization) incredibly focused on achieving it, and we are
check in the simulator with an evaluator on learning so much about the weapons system
hand, but once this is passed you become a Clearly the pooling agreement with the and support structures.’
fully-certified F-35B pilot. I stayed on at 501 Marine Corps and the ongoing exchange That strong trans-Atlantic bond has enabled
for my instructor upgrade to become a fully program has yielded huge benefits for both Royal Navy pilots to form exchange programs
integrated member of the FRS.’ parties. Waterfall explained: ‘We are hugely flying US Navy F/A-18 Hornets to maintain
Whereas Nichols flew an abridged course privileged with our relationship with all the the core skills relating to carrier embarkations
due to his previous experience, the full course US forces. I’d like to single out Lt Gen Jon as the UK sets its sights on the future Queen
for ab initio pilots will be significantly longer. ‘Dog’ Davis, the deputy commandant for Elizabeth-class carriers. Other exchanges with
The UK plans to run all of its initial pilots Marine Aviation. He was the US Marine Corps the Marine Corps Harrier community enable
through the VMFAT-501 course at Beaufort. exchange officer when I was a junior pilot on a core of STOVL pilots to remain current for
However, as the UK breaks away in 2018, No 3 Squadron. That really underlines the embarked UK F-35B operations.
plans already exist to establish an Operational importance of the exchange programs. He AVM Waterfall explained: ‘The US Navy
Conversion Unit in the UK from July 2019. understands the RAF, and he understands the and Marine Corps have very kindly enabled
The UK also plans to train maintainers in way we do our business and why we do it. us to maintain a level of embarked skill both
the new Integrated Training Centre at RAF He is respectful of that. In the same way, I am on the F/A-18 and the AV-8B, as well as Sqn
Marham starting in 2018. incredibly respectful of the US Marine Corps. Ldr Nichols on the F-35, to keep that skill
The next British pilots are due at Beaufort To have these relationships pays dividends: alive. What we want to try and do is be able
toward the end of 2015, initially to join 501 at the time tactically, and here we are some to offer to the Americans some reciprocal
as instructors. AVM Waterfall said: ‘There are 20 years later with it paying dividends arrangements, and so in the RAF we are
people going through fast jet training at RAF strategically.’ looking at a range of opportunities from rotary
Valley right now that will end up flying the Gp Capt Paul Godfrey is in charge of the to fixed-wing, fast jet training where we can
F-35, and we’re looking at our first ab initio entry into service of the Lightning II in the UK. get more Marine Corps personnel ingrained on
[F-35] pilots in 2017.’ On the exchange program, he commented: top of our normal exchange program. As the
‘With the Lightning II we know what we want to do with it right from the
start. What we’re not going to have is an aircraft that comes to the UK that
won’t be able to be used because it’s not going to be capable’
AVM Gary Waterfall
55
RAMSTEIN T
HE ‘GUARD’ SERIES of
international air defense
exercises is now an established
tradition in Bulgaria, offering
realistic training opportunities
for both the fighter and ground-
based air defense (GBAD) communities. The
GUARD
‘Ramstein Guard 2014’ exercise held between
September 22 and October 3 was a direct
successor to ‘Iron Guard’ that dated back to
2011. ‘Iron Guard’ was effectively repeated in
2012 and 2013 under the ‘Ramstein Guard’
name, now as a specialized electronic warfare
(EW) exercise.
According to Col Peter Tsolov of the
Bulgarian Air Force (BuAF), the training
event was originally scheduled to involve
Planned and managed by NATO in Ramstein, Germany, BuAF fighter aircraft and GBAD systems in
addition to Romanian and Greek air defense
‘Ramstein Guard’ is held in different European states with the assets, but was at late notice expanded with
aim of training air force and air defense operators to work in the participation of the Aeronautica Militare
(AM — Italian Air Force). Indeed, the Italian
an environment of active radar and communication jamming. air arm was represented by three Tornado
The latest edition took place in Bulgaria. ECRs of 155° Gruppo from Piacenza plus three
Eurofighters: two from 4° Stormo at Grosseto
and one from 36° Stormo at Gioia del Colle.
report: Krasimir Grozev and Alexander Mladenov The Tornados took the opportunity to train
photos: Alexander Mladenov with their traditional AGM-88 HARMs.
Combined packages
The air-to-air side of ‘Ramstein Guard’
involved 4-v-4 TIs in a wide variety of
composite formations. These included, for
instance, BuAF MiG-29s and AM Typhoons
acting as Red Air pitted against two MiG-21s
and two Tornado ECRs as Blue Air. Another
combination called for two MiG-29s and two
Tornado ECRs in a SEAD package going up
against Typhoons and MiG-29s.
In order to further increase the complexity of
the training, a number of BuAF SAM systems
were also included on the Red Air side. In
the framework of the COMAO scenario, the
Blue Air Tornado ECRs were tasked with
the suppression of the enemy SAMs while
escorted by friendly fighters that engaged the
Red Air assets. In turn, the Red Air fighters
tried to neutralize the SEAD aircraft and their BULGARIAN SAMS IN ACTION
fighter escort. To add yet more complexity, the
The BuAF GBAD units involved in the exercise launched at 43 to 54nm (80 to 100km),
EW training aircraft that initially supported
included all the available SAM sites (within the well beyond the reach of most of the BuAF SAM
the Red Air assets then switched to supporting
structure of the SAM Base headquartered at systems, except the S-200 and S-300. The SAM
the Blue Air side, a cycle repeated several
Bozhurishte near Sofia) and three radar sites operators, however, are trained to recognize
times during the mission.
stationed in the southern part of the country. the moment of missile launch and undertake
‘We are trying to assemble a variety of aircraft
The Bulgarian Army also participated with certain countermeasures, such as switching off
groups in order to get a maximum number of
its 9K33 Osa-AKM (SA-8 ‘Gecko’) mobile SAM the emitter and turning the antenna unit away
air combat variants in the air’, remarked Col
systems assigned to the Karlovo-based 61st from the direction of the incoming missile. The
Tsolov. ‘We are happy to train together with a
Brigade. Italians also demonstrated their skills in flying at
European air arm and the exercise proved to
‘The AMI went to Bulgaria to practice ultra-low level, below radar coverage, in order
be highly beneficial for both sides. It is a pity
operations against our 2K12 Kub (SA-6 ‘Gainful’) to avoid detection and SAM launches against
that we have failed to convince the Bulgarian
and S-300PMU (SA-10 ‘Grumble’) SAM systems’, them.
Navy to join the training as NATO could also
noted Col Bojidar Shterev, deputy CO of the Regarding the ability of the BuAF’s ‘legacy’
provide pods for jamming ship radars.’
BuAF’s SAM Base. ‘They consider these as the early warning radars to operate in a jamming
Before each mission, the Red and Blue
most dangerous ones. We saw that the Italians environment, Col Shterev commented that the
Forces received detailed briefings on the
have deep theoretical knowledge of how these SAM and radar crews are fairly familiar with
enemy forces and systems to be encountered,
systems work and are aware of the capabilities the types of jamming created by the Falcon
the expected direction of the enemy attacks
of their upgraded derivatives. The other SAM 20s, as ‘Ramstein Guard 2014’ was their fourth
and the types of SAM systems out in the field.
types we employed in the exercise were not as exercise of this type held since 2011. The
The AM aircraft, which had much more fuel
interesting for them. In the beginning, they were aircraft attempting to penetrate the enemy
than the short-legged BuAF MiG-21s and
not planning to train against the S-200 (SA-5 air defenses are required to rely on very close
MiG-29s, were able to conduct additional
‘Gammon’) long-range SAM system, but when support provided by the EW aircraft, flying in
training after the Bulgarian aircraft returned
they had to operate around Sofia, working with tight formation next to it since the output power
home following their brief 40-minute sortie.
the S-300PMU, the Italians eventually agreed to of the pods is not enough to cover a group
After completing the main air-to-air part of
play with the S-200 too.’ flying in a loose formation. Furthermore, the
their mission, the Tornado ECRs continued
Asked to compare the USAF and AMI ways jamming from the Falcon 20s proved ill-suited
with further practice attacks against selected
of suppressing enemy defenses, based on against the BuAF’s P-18 VHF radars (‘Spoon Rest
Bulgarian SAM systems, while the Typhoons
the experience of working with F-15s and D’) operating in the meter wavelength. It was
sucked up electrons in an environment
F-16s since 2010, Col Shterev noted that the useful only against the fire-control radars of
featuring Soviet-made SAM systems, taking
Americans tend to prefer, in general, to destroy the SAM systems operating in the centimeter
advantage of the jet’s impressive Defensive
the GBAD systems using GPS-guided bombs of wavelength. Some of the Bulgarian SAMs
Aids Sub-System (DASS) to counter various
the JDAM series. This method, however, requires feature TV detection and tracking devices
threats.
the aircraft tasked with SAM neutralization that were used to their full extent, weather
Dense EW environment to approach closer to drop their bombs. The
Italians, in contrast, simulated AGM-88 HARM
permitting, in order to render the systems
immune to electronic jamming and to complete
‘We were working with our Italian colleagues
launches from much longer distances. The the job, despite the complex electro-magnetic
for the first time and the mission complexity
HARM is a long-range weapon that can be environment.
was further enhanced by the participation of
EW training aircraft’, commented Maj Metodi step taken in the air and learn lessons from the mission, in order to fix when, where and
Orlov, a fighter squadron commanding officer respective mistakes. what they were able to detect and acquire, and
at the BuAF’s 3. Iztrebitelna Aviacionna Basa ‘The Italians supplied portable GPS trackers if they were able to simulate missile launches
(3rd Fighter Aviation Base) in Graf Ignatievo, that were used during the missions flown by or not. This information was necessary in
who flew the MiG-29 in the exercise. ‘We have our MiG-21 and MiG-29 fighters’, revealed order to establish the kills and probable kills
been pitted against the Typhoon and Tornado Col Tsolov. ‘There were also additional GPS achieved during the air-to-air encounters.’
ECR for the first time, but the type of missions trackers installed on the Falcon 20s. After In comparison, it was more difficult to
practiced during ‘Ramstein Guard’ were not the missions, the positioning information monitor the result of the operations by
too different from those flown by us in two recorded by each tracker was downloaded the SAM crews, who lacked any modern
bilateral training events in 2014 where we and processed by a special software tool data-recording and re-playing aids. Instead,
were pitted against USAF F-16s and F-15s [see supplied by the Italians. The system was able the SAM officers used paper forms to enter
Combat Aircraft August 2014]. to reconstruct the flightpath of the participants manually the exact time, azimuth and distance
‘Electronic jamming is an integral part in the aerial encounters, displaying the to the air targets against which they simulated
of today’s air combat, used to render the overall air picture in a suitable format. At the SAM launches. Using this raw data, it was
detection and engagement of enemy aircraft beginning of the debrief it was re-played at possible to eventually re-construct with a good
more difficult, incurring delays in the attack a high speed to see how the positions of the degree of accuracy the overall picture of the
phase or disputing it entirely. The EW training aircraft changed [...] Then it was re-played surface-to-air combat. Both pilots and SAM
aircraft also disrupted our communications, so once again, this time at a real-time speed, with crews were thus able to learn their fair share of
operating successfully in such an environment pilots working with their notes taken during lessons.
required hard training in order that the pilots
were able to detect the jamming signs as early
as possible and undertake the appropriate Given Bulgaria’s urgent need to replace its
aging MiG-21s, the relationships between
action to reduce their impact. Eurofighter and the Bulgarian fighter
‘I have gained very favorable impressions squadrons are very apparent.
about the professionalism of my Italian
colleagues. They fly the best fighter aircraft
in the world, the Eurofighter Typhoon. As a
whole, I was not able to notice any significant
difference in its performance in the TI practice
when compared to the F-16s and F-15s that
I encountered in spring and summer. The
Italian pilots, however, employed different
tactics compared to the USAF aircrews.’
Extensive debriefs
As with any international exercise, a
significant share of the benefits in ‘Ramstein
Guard’ derives from the complex and
extensive debriefs in which participants
from both sides sit together to analyze each
LATIN FIGHTERS
WHERE MODERNIZATION MEETS OBSOLESCENCE
AMERICAN
While the combat aviation fleets of some Latin American countries
have undergone a process of modernization since the beginning
of the new millennium, other air arms still lack the funds to initiate
programs to replace obsolete aircraft.
T
HE 1990S WAS a very hard their territory, they decided to accelerate Argentina
time for the militaries of modernization programs. The Argentine military suffers from the
Latin America. Almost all Other nations, still hampered by a lack of government’s lack of attention and very poor
of the region’s governments funds, were unable to upgrade their combat planning. As a result the combat aviation
elected not to invest in their fleets, and the case of Argentina is perhaps elements of the Air Force and Navy have been
armed forces, and as a result the most curious. With a government eager to left in a dismal state. The Air Force plans to
many modernization plans ground to a halt. admonish the military for its role in an internal retire the last members of the Mirage fleet by
Insufficient budgets and ill-thought policies led war in the 1970s, it was decided not to spend the end of 2015 — with no serious plans to
to older equipment being left in service without money on buying the equipment necessary replace the aircraft and with the country in
replacement. However, the beginning of the for the armed forces, almost leading to their a worsening economic crisis, it is planned to
new millennium brought a significant shift disappearance. recover some A-4AR Fightinghawks from the
in regional politics. Increasingly nationalistic Some Latin American air arms are currently stocks of the V Brigada Aérea at Villa Reynolds
policy was combined with a surge in the completing major modernization efforts, and allocate them to the VI Brigada Aérea at
importance of natural resources in the region, while others are continuing with them, often Tandil where they should fulfill the Mirages’
and led to a major change of course. As most at only a slow pace. Across the region there mission. The V Brigada Aérea still has 33
of the governments in Latin America became are wide differences in the respective size and Fightinghawks, but only a few are operational
aware of a lack of suitable equipment to protect importance of such programs. and around half the fleet has been used as a
Photographed during
October’s exercise ‘Salitre’,
Brazilian Air Force F-5EMs are
nearing the completion of
their upgrade program.
Kevin Jackson
Chile
Its combat fleet having undergone the most
ambitious modernization program in its
history, the Chilean Air Force now finds itself
as one of the best-equipped in the region. After
experiencing many delays in the 1990s, on
December 27, 2000, Chilean President Ricardo
Lagos finally announced that the F-16C/D
Block 50/52 had won the Caza 2000 (Fighter
2000) program. The plan was to buy 12 or 16
fighters worth up to $600 million. This was
followed on May 22, 2003 by the signing of
the Peace Puma contract for 10 F-16C/D Block
50s (six single-seaters and four two-seaters)
via Foreign Military Sales channels, with
deliveries starting in January 2006. This
The F-5E Tiger II remains a purchase was destined to re-establish Grupo
prolific fighter in Latin America de Aviación No 3 at Iquique, in the north of
thanks to its cost-effective the country.
nature and upgrade options. Meanwhile, the Air Force continued to look
This Chilean example wears a for a successor to its remaining fighter fleet,
new dark gray scheme, and is specifically the Mirage 5 Elkans, received
updated to a high standard. second-hand in 1995. By November 2004,
Kevin Jackson
negotiations had begun with the Royal
Netherlands Air Force for a batch of 18
second-hand F-16A/B Block 20 MLUs (11
Chile has joined Venezuela in single-seaters and seven two-seaters). On
operating the F-16. Indeed,
the backbone of the Chilean
December 16, 2005 a related contract was
fighter force today is a mix signed worth $185 million, and deliveries
of new Block 52 and second- began in November 2006. Thus began the
hand F-16A/B MLU jets from replacement of the Mirages with Grupo de
Europe, one of which is Aviación No 8 at Antofagasta, also in the
pictured here. Santiago Rivas north.
A new offer was received from the
Netherlands in 2007 for 18 additional F-16s,
worth up to $160 million. After a long period
of negotiation, exacerbated by Chilean budget
cuts, the first six aircraft were delivered by the
end of 2010. The intention was to replace the
12 remaining F-5E/Fs of Grupo de Aviación
No 7 at Antofagasta, in the process moving
the unit to Punta Arenas, in the south of the
country, where Grupo de Aviación No 12 had
been disbanded with the retirement of the
Mirage 50 Pantera. The ultimate plan was
to leave the F-16 as the only fighter in the
Chilean Air Force and to retire the F-5s by the
end of 2010.
As the final F-16 batch began to be delivered
in November 2010, F-16s from other units
were tested at Punta Arenas, but problems
EAATTC 2014
TRAINING EUROPE’S AIR TRANSPORT SPECIALISTS
Combat Aircraft joined Lufttransportgeschwader 61 from
Penzing in Germany, together with transport units from
seven other nations that each deployed single aircraft to
Zaragoza, Spain, from September 21 to October 3, 2014.
T
HE EUROPEAN ADVANCED missions such as delivering paratroopers,
Air Transport Training Course tactics for high-threat environments,
(EAATTC) 2014 was based delivering loads including air-dropping, and
on the US Advanced Airlift tactical landings.
Tactical Training Course Under the aegis of the European Defence
(US AATTC). The American Agency (EDA), and together with the
course has become a victim of its own Spanish Air Force, participants together how to plan and conduct the challenging
success, and thereby offers increasingly fewer practiced complex operational scenarios, tactical flying. ‘Furthermore, the exchange
opportunities for European involvement. supplemented by theoretical instruction. of information between participants is
The responsible authorities thus came The fact the training syllabus had not yet also valuable, since many of those taking
up with the idea of a purely European been validated meant that this first course part have already flown operationally in
version. Furthermore, a majority of the only saw participation by experienced crews, crisis areas’, added the commander of the
scheduled flying hours for European AATTC as stipulated by European Air Transport Luftwaffe Transall.
participants were consumed by flights across Command (EATC) guidelines. The feedback As well as Germany, international
the Atlantic, with a significant effect on costs from all those taking part in EAATTC 2014 participants this year came from Belgium
and the availability of aircraft. will be used to shape future courses to better (C-130 Hercules), the Czech Republic (C295),
In 2012-13 a predecessor course, EATT, meet the exigencies of the participants. France (Transall), Italy (C-27J Spartan), the
took place at Zaragoza and at Plovdiv in Future ‘customers’ for the EAATTC will Netherlands (C-130) and Spain (C-130 and
Bulgaria. Zaragoza’s uncongested airspace primarily consist of younger and less C295). Furthermore, each nation provided an
and the sparse local population proved ideal experienced crews, who will be declared operationally-experienced flight instructor as
for tactical flying with transports, and it was combat-ready on completing the course. a mentor, on hand to provide the crews with
decided that this year’s EAATTC ‘validation It was decided that 18 flying hours and advice. Four more nations brought observers,
course’ would also be held in Spain. The 12 hours of theoretical study would be their aim being to follow the progress of the
focus was on planning and executing allocated, during which participants learned course in terms of theory and practice.
C
OL GEN VIKTOR Bondarev, the and 2013. At the same time, in the foreseeable
Russian Air Force commander- future the Russian Defense Ministry will
in-chief (C-in-C), a decorated continue placing small-scale orders for
and combat-hardened Su-25 upgraded and life-extended Su-25SMs, with
pilot himself, confirmed in the last expected to be taken on strength
April 2013 that the popular by the end of the decade. This way, upon
and cheap-to-operate ‘Frogfoot’ is projected completion of the upgrade effort, the eventual
to enjoy a long life with the air arm. It is number of updated ‘Frogfoots’ in Russian Air
now expected that the existing fleet of this Force service will reach some 130.
once-neglected, short-legged, subsonic attack The air arm’s active single-seaters saw
aircraft will soldier on in front-line service relatively low utilization in the 1990s and
until the late 2020s, which represents an the 2000s, due to the sharply reduced
operational lifespan of nearly half a century. flight training activities in those
Furthermore, a newly-built derivative, ‘crisis’ times. By late 2014 they
expected to make its maiden flight in the had logged between 1,200-1,300
second half of this decade, will have a service airframe hours per aircraft, with
life of some four decades after its induction an average fleet age of about 27 years.
into the Russian Air Force by about 2020. The Su-25, however, has ample life-
This astonishing longevity, unusual for extension reserves, which are able to bring
other Soviet-era tactical aircraft designed in the anticipated service life to 4,000 airframe
the 1970s and built in the 1980s, is possible flight hours. Vladimir Babak, president
thanks to the ongoing upgrade effort and the and designer general of the Sukhoi
consensus that the rugged and affordable type Shturmoviks (attack aircraft) division,
has a job to do in the future. The Russian Air and design authority for the type within the
Force currently has an active fleet of around Sukhoi company, claimed in 2009 that in
150 to 170 Su-25s, of which about 120 are terms of fatigue damage the Su-25’s rugged
serving with four front-line regiments and one airframe design can be good for as many as
independent front-line flight. As such, their 10,000 flight hours.
pilots are the only true close air support (CAS) However, most if not all of the Russian
experts within the frontal air arm. All Su-25/ Air Force’s Su-25UB twin-seaters, with an
BM/SMs operated by the Air Force are late- average age of 25 years, have seen much more
production examples, built to the so-called intensive utilization than their single-seat
10th Series configuration between 1987 and counterparts. As Babak noted five years ago,
1990. Their annual utilization rate, now that the Su-25UBs have approached the end of
the Air Force is back to a normal training their originally assigned design life
regime, is between 110-130 hours in 180-200 of 2,500 hours. Furthermore,
sorties for each single-seat aircraft. the twin-seater’s wing high
The Su-25’s long-term effectiveness on lift devices, consisting
the modern battlefield is being addressed of slats and flaps,
by the latest SM3 upgrade standard, cleared features higher
for front-line service in May 2013. It is also deflection
intended for implementation on all Su-25SMs
upgraded to the two previous standards
(known as the SM1 and SM2) between 2006
21ST CENTURY
Upgrade effort
The Russian Air Force upgrade effort used
mostly off-the-shelf components to bring the
old analog mission suite of the ‘Frogfoot’ into
the modern digital age, thus enabling a whole
new set of mission capabilities. The Su-25SM
introduced an all-new cockpit with a wider-
angle head-up display (HUD) and a multi-
functional color display to improve the pilot’s
situational awareness.
All the production upgrade activities have
been performed by the 121st ARZ at Kubinka
near Moscow, where they are combined
with a general overhaul of the airframe and
the existing systems retained in the process
of upgrade. At the 121st ARZ, the aged
‘Frogfoots’ are reduced to bare metal for
structural inspection and then re-assembled and weapons. It saw most if not all of the
while receiving new systems, eventually analog components of the original KN-23-1
emerging more capable and durable after eight navigation suite and the SUO-T8-54 attack
to 10 months of work. Upon completion of the suite replaced by new, more capable, accurate
work, each Su-25SM receives the green light and reliable digital equipment but retaining
for another 1,000 flight hours and no fewer the Su-25’s original Klyon-PS laser range-
than 10 years of flying before the next life finder/target designator.
extension and overhaul cycle. The Su-25SM’s new navigation system is
The program went slowly at the beginning based on an all-new Ts-061K inertial gyro-
but was accelerated in the late 2000s. In 2011 reference system, receiving corrections
a three-year contract covering 36 aircraft from an A-737-01 GPS/GLONASS satellite
was signed, the last of those being handed navigation receiver. Navigational accuracy is
over to the Russian Air Force at the end of advertised as being within 46ft (15m) when
2013. Another upgrade contract dating from satellite correction is used and 660ft (200m)
early 2014 covered five more examples to be without it. This enables the Su-25SM to be
delivered by November that year. The upgrade deployed for so-called navigation un-guided
effort is expected to continue until 2020 at an bomb delivery (non-visual bombing) against
annual rate of eight to 10 aircraft. fixed targets with known position, useful in
The ‘Frogfoot’ upgrade was first conceived poor weather and at night.
in 1998. Initially, Sukhoi Shturmoviks The list of the new components incorporated
proposed a rather extensive avionics update in the upgrade also includes a new KAI-1-01
comprising an integrated digital nav/attack HUD that has double the field of view of the
suite. In its full-scale form the configuration old ASP-17BTs-8 electro-optical sight as used
was to incorporate the Phazotron Kopyo- on the original Su-25. The combination of
25SM centimeter-wavelength surface-search the new HUD and nav/attack system’s digital
and ground-mapping radar in the nose, and a components results in significantly improved
pod-mounted electronic warfare (EW) system, accuracy when employing unguided ordnance
along with a reduced radar cross-section with visual aiming — it is said to be up to
thanks to the application of radar-absorbent three times better, at least in theory, than that
coatings and a new type of paint. of the non-upgraded aircraft.
The first front-line Russian Air Force unit to In the event, the Russian Air Force approved The simplified and more ergonomic cockpit
receive the Su-25SM was the 368th ShAP at a much more modest and affordable upgrade has one multi-function display to show a
Budennovsk, near the troubled territories standard without the radar, incorporating digital map, flight/navigation and tactical
of Chechnya and South Ossetia. It has three the all-new PrNK-25SM Bars nav/attack information. The navigation suite has been
squadrons, each with 12 single-seaters.
suite using a BTsU-25 mission computer to made more reliable though the introduction of
Andrey Zinchuk
facilitate integration of new digital systems the RSBN-85 short-range aid to navigation and
INTERNATIONAL ACTION
This Bulgarian Air Force Su-25UB was A wonderfully battered Ukrainian
photographed during exercise ‘Thracian Air Force Su-25 at Ivano-Frankivsk in
Star’ earlier this year. Alexander Golz 2013. Alexander Golz
protection than its LIFT predecessor, this Armaments Program 2020, was launched It is not yet clear how production of this
new attack derivative was promoted under by Sukhoi in 2013. The aim is to define aircraft will be organized. Most likely its
the Yak-131 designation. But Russian Air the detailed design concept of the Su-25 fuselage will be made at the Ulan-Ude
Force commanders eventually decided that successor, planned to be launched into Aviation Plant (U-UAP), now controlled by
it was ill-suited for the CAS mission due to production by the end of this decade. the Russian Helicopters holding. Ulan-Ude
insufficient combat survivability features, The newly developed ‘Frogfoot’ derivative is used to produce the two-seat Su-25UB in
especially in respect of pilot armor protection. expected to encompass further improvements the past and has all the tools as well as the
Currently in development at Sukhoi under in the aircraft’s day/night attack capability, required expertise and experience. It has
a program code-named Shershen-EP, also self-protection suite, datalink connectivity been hinted, however, that final assembly
known as the Prospective Attack Aircraft, and all-weather precision-guided weapons. and pre-delivery ground/flight checks will
the new-generation Su-25 will combine It is not yet clear if it will be equipped with be handed over to one of the big plants
the proven, well-protected airframe of the a new-generation reconnaissance and controlled by the Sukhoi company,
two-seat ‘Frogfoot’ with the latest digital targeting pod or will use a built-in system the main contractor for the program.
mission avionics and precision-guided with similar capabilities for day/night The prime candidate for this job is
weapons in order to continue doing the operations. A search and targeting radar the Novosibirsk Aviation Production
dangerous and often unsung CAS work for at is set to be integrated in the aircraft’s Organization in Novosibirsk, a Sukhoi
least four decades to come. The design and sophisticated targeting suite but no subsidiary currently producing the Su-34
development effort, funded by Russia’s State details have been revealed yet. frontal bomber.
at a crossroads
SOUTH AFRICAN AIR POWER AT AAD 2014
U
Combat Aircraft reports from Africa Aerospace and Defence ‘ NFORTUNATELY THE
(AAD) 2014, where the current strength of the South African C-130 Hercules cannot
participate in today’s
Air Force was on show as part of an air power demonstration ‘Mini War’ air power
at Air Force Base Waterkloof on the outskirts of Pretoria. demonstration. The aircraft
had to fly to Lagos on a
relief mission to fly out injured South African
report and photos: Dr Andreas Zeitler citizens’. This announcement during the
South African Air Force’s commentary at
Africa Aerospace and Defence 2014 (AAD)
this September was a harsh reality check.
It drew a clear picture of the urgent local
need for air transport capabilities, a demand
shared by many other air forces worldwide.
Air transport does not only involve military
operations, but also humanitarian support
missions, these being more often than not the
case on the African continent.
The tasks of the South African Air Force’s
(SAAF) C-130BZ Hercules are manifold in
this respect. The aircraft’s range and payload
capabilities ensure the South African military
can deploy to countries such as Mozambique
and in support of the UN mission to the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Hercules also assist in the maritime
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EXERCISE REPORT
WTI
Mention the Weapons and Tactics Instructor
(WTI) course, and typically the first thought is
Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, where the US Marine Corps
is pushed to the limits in the sweltering Arizona desert.
report and photos: Ted Carlson/Fotodynamics with additional material by Jamie Deboer
‘This class, we had a KC-130J Harvest different events, including air-to-air and the concept. Included were the planning,
HAWK from Marine Aerial Refueler suppression of enemy air defense scenarios. execution, and debrief components,
Transport Squadron 252 (VMGR-252); that Although this was the third F-35 class in a integrating intelligence updates, ground
was the first time one had supported us in WTI, for the first time one mission included force tracking, en route mission planning
a number of years. It can fire Hellfire and F-35s escorting assault support platforms. for dynamic changes related to enemy
Griffin air-to-ground missiles, and it made We continue to explore the capabilities movements; it is very exciting technology.
its first appearance this class because we and capacities of the F-35 as the aircraft’s ‘For example, the Marines on board the
had the weapons allocated. This was also envelope expands. Our goal is to have ‘Hueys’ and CH-53Es had their tablets linked
our largest class ever of ground infantry our first official WTI F-35 student class in together in real time, and could view the
students, who came from all different types spring 2016. imagery from the Harrier that was circling
of units spread across the entire Marine ‘The Marines are transitioning to a overhead. The Raid Force commander was
Corps. The training will make them better digital interoperability concept, where on a CH-53 and could dictate instructions
Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) all tactical platforms are both sensors to all using the tablet. The airborne gateway
planners and do their jobs more efficiently. and shooters. In past WTIs, we had done system on the aircraft that connects
We had a full Air Officers course, and isolated experimentation with specific the networks is the Miniature Aircraft
unfortunately we always get more applicants pieces of equipment. This WTI we did Instrumentation System (Mini-AIS), which
than we can process. a comprehensive integrated experiment interacts with a variety of user-defined
‘Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 championing this concept, and we datalinks and networks. The system filters
(VMFA-121) F-35Bs participated in six performed a fully digital raid employing out only the data needed for the task at hand
from the variety of linked systems. We had
many that observed, some that interacted
A UH-1Y crewman unleashes and monitored it, and it was a success.
the power of the GAU-17A
‘The old UH-1Ns had a special dedicated
7.62mm minigun.
command and control module, but now
with the new ‘Yankee’ model, that capability
is organic to all UH-1Ys. They can all
perform the mission commander role using
SATCOM or the number three radio if tasked
as such. For some events in the course,
we exploit that ability. Eventually we will
probably adapt the Mini-AIS fleet-wide.
Currently it is approved for installation in
a CH-53E or MV-22B. This class we used
both the Osprey and the CH-53E as mission
commander aircraft. Long-term, the goal
is to adapt future-generation, software re-
programmable radios to perform the tasks
that the Mini-AIS is demonstrating today.
‘We had Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare
Squadron 2 (VMAQ-2) here, and the EA-6B
Prowler is scheduled to ‘sundown’ from
the Marines in 2019. Rather than a single
follow-on platform replacing the jet one-
for-one, the mission will be accomplished
via all airborne platforms configured with
The undercarriage tucks away as a VMFA-312 F/A-18C launches out of Yuma. during WTI.
application of tying it all together, focused Squadron 401 (VMFT-401), where he being asked to play at the very top of their
on expeditionary scenarios. flies the F-5N. He has served with Marine game. They are often repeat customers since
‘We cannot do WTI without the support All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242 they realize they receive high-value training
of the commanders, squadrons, opposition (VMFA(AW)-242) for two tours, was a from the course. There are ground-based
forces, the air station infrastructure, MAWTS-1 Hornet instructor pilot, and also oppositional forces, emitters, command and
facilities, and associated personnel — they flew with VMFA(AW)-224. Seich added: control, making the training realistic and
are ultimately responsible for making ‘To initiate the steps for the upcoming WTI, high-tech. The WTI students here are our
this valuable training happen. In fact, the our battle rhythm begins with a ‘hot wash’ recipe to success, and they instill standards
base triples in size to accommodate each right after the previous WTI — essentially into the squadron-mates and sister squadrons
WTI course. It is the unit’s money, their what went wrong, what measures we can they train after they return.
machines, and they come here to become take to build upon it, and how we can ‘Depending on the class, events and
the nucleus of the WTI course. The fleet improve WTI. We start our planning about participants will vary depending on unit
wants the end result of a well-trained five to six months in advance. Then we availability and new technologies. This
Weapons and Tactics Instructor. These have three planning conferences. For that, course, we had a lot of ADTE (Advanced
individuals are the key to a commander’s we shut down the whole building and Development Test and Evaluation); our
readiness. With the continued support of the everyone is basically sequestered so we cyber warfare department is growing and
fleet, we always deliver!’ can remain focused on the task at hand. We doing well, and we also performed a lot of
make freezes and lock in details. digital interoperability testing, coupled with
‘MAWTS Ops’ ‘There is a lot of co-ordination that goes supporting personnel.’
The MAWTS-1 operations officer is Major on — we must work closely with our sister
(Lt Col select) Doug ‘Psycho’ Seich, an services to make things happen. The units Acknowledgments: Col Jim ‘Rainman’ Adams
F/A-18 pilot by trade. With over 3,000 like being players in the exercise since they (CO); Maj (Lt Col select) Doug ‘Psycho’ Seich
F/A-18 flight hours under his belt, he too will get a lot of great training out of it. (OPSO), Cpl James Marchetti (Yuma PAO), and
also augments Marine Fighter Training WTI is kind of like a ‘Red Flag’ since they are the many other personnel of MAWTS-1.
‘Lucky Sniper!’ That’s a common saying in US Unlike most adversary aircraft in the US maintenance on the F-5s. ‘We have about 85 per
Marine Corps cockpits over the skies of Yuma military, the F-5 has no head-up display or cent mission-capable rates. It’s cheap to fly and
during WTI. The ‘Snipers’ are the F-5 pilots of recording capability, so the pilots rely on easy to get in the air’, said Cooper.
VMFT-401, the only adversary squadron in the the GPS pod hung on the wingtip, where an ‘Even though we are a reserve squadron, we
Marine Corps. The unit, which humorously uses AIM-9 Sidewinder would normally be found. fly like an active-duty squadron because we
the tailcode ‘LS’ on all of its aircraft, was activated After flights the pilots go ‘across the street’ to are always on call to support the active duty
in March 1986 at Yuma, and a year later began to MAWTS-1 to bring back the recordings from the squadrons’. The commanding officer of the
receive a number of Israeli Kfirs, known as F-21As Tactical Aircrew Combat Training System. The ‘Snipers’ is always an active-duty lieutenant
in their brief US military service. By 1989 the TACTS range helps the pilots determine a lot of colonel and structure is very different to most
nimble F-5E Tiger II arrived, providing a cheap information but it’s the pilots’ knowledge and reserve squadrons. Most reserve squadrons go
air-to-air adversary capability. After several experience during the debriefs that really helps. heavy on the reserve pilots and light on the full-
years, the E-models began to show their age Cooper noted: ‘At the squadron we prefer face- time active-duty pilots. Lt Col Cooper explained:
and were replaced by low-hour F-5E/Fs acquired to-face debriefs as much as possible.’ ‘For us, we have nine full-time pilots and we have
from the Swiss Air Force, the ‘E-models’ being Another difference compared to most nine reserve pilots. The full-time pilots get a lot
re-designated as F-5Ns. adversary aircraft is the lack of a centerline fuel of flight time and keep the squadron running as
Lt Col Robert ‘Yank’ Cooper, who recently tank. Lt Col Cooper explained: ‘We always fly the reservists flow in and out.’
left his position as the commanding officer of ‘clean’, unlike the Navy [adversaries], because When the squadron was established, the
the ‘Snipers’, explained that although the F-5 we don’t want g limits when maneuvering. That main mission in mind was to support MAWTS-1
can’t replicate the world’s latest fighter threats, only gives us about 50 minutes of tactical fuel. It and WTI. The former MAWTS-1 commanding
unit tactics make up for this: ‘We mitigate that doesn’t really affect us when flying out of Yuma officer, Col Gering, said it best when he stated
with the training standards our pilots have and because we can be in the fight in five minutes that WTI could not happen without having the
also use ground controllers and range training and we can bingo out of the fight with very little squadron in Yuma. The flying portion of a WTI
officers to give us an edge. They provide us with fuel left in the tanks’. The F-5 also has a very short lasts about five weeks, and in that time the
off-board situational awareness that gives us time between sorties with some aircraft flying ‘Snipers’ support every type-model series in the
some assistance as to how the battle is unfolding. three times in a day. USMC inventory. Lt Col Cooper stated: ‘When
Combining all this helps us punch above our The mission capability rates are well above people think of adversary training they think
weight class’. The F-5 also has a small visual most aircraft in the inventory. Many of the of fixed-wing aircraft, but we also support the
signature, which assists the pilots in air-to-air mechanics have done a 20-year tour and rotary-wing side as well as the transport side.
combat. Many pilots often say they never saw the then come to the squadron as contractors for We dogfight against C-130s. You don’t see that
F-5s coming, even with a heads-up on the radar. Sikorsky, which has the contract to perform anywhere else!’
aircraft and two always in depot and another in keep them away long enough to bring in some
phase maintenance, you are talking about nine fixed-wing fighters to eliminate the threat. ‘We
aircraft on the ramp. Some pilots are doing three do a lot of fighting with the KC-130 at 500ft’, said
sorties a day during WTI.’ Cooper. ‘It’s pretty exciting.’
The training program is performed very The Prowler and Hercules missions are
quickly once the squadron gets a pilot from about Blue Air seeing the threat and staying
the fleet. ‘We can have them soloing in a alive. The ‘Snipers’ also conduct evasive
few days. It’s two duals (in the F-5F) with an maneuvering and tactics with the Marine
instructor pilot in the back seat followed by helicopter fleet of AH-1s, CH-53s, UH-1s and
some flights with an instructor on the wing’, also the MV-22. The Cobra is the only one that
said Cooper. The new F-5 pilot has to get an air can shoot back, since the new AH-1Z can be
combat maneuvering qualification followed armed with the AIM-9 Sidewinder.
by becoming a Red Air wingman, where he The introduction of the F-35 into USMC service
sharpens his knowledge on threat tactics and is providing a challenge to the ‘Snipers’. The F-35B
missile capabilities before assuming the role is considered to be the world’s most advanced
of a section and division lead. ‘We have to be fifth-generation fighter, its capabilities offering
efficient. We can do 4,000 sorties in a year’, said huge advantages over ‘Snipers’ pilots who fly
Cooper. against it in an aircraft whose basic design dates
The 18 pilots that make up the squadron are back to the 1950s. While there is often talk about
But the squadron does much more than all highly experienced, with most averaging updating the F-5’s avionics and radar, this is yet
WTI. Its support structure is divided into five more than 2,500 flight hours in tactical fighters to be finalized.
categories. The number one customer is such as the Hornet. To be a pilot you have to be Another issue likely to increase the sortie
MAWTS, which is co-located at Yuma. As well as at least a division lead and an air combat tactics rates is the need to address initial pilot training
WTI, the ‘Snipers’ certify instructors throughout instructor before you can apply. The majority for the F-35. The new F-35 pilots are going to
the fleet, which is the second priority for the usually have two tours under their belt. ‘While need real adversary training so they can learn
squadron. The third is to support VMFT-101, most ‘Sniper’ pilots come from flying F/A-18 to fight with their new jets in the air-to-air role.
which is at Miramar. The unit aids VMFT-101 in Hornets, we also currently have an AV-8B Harrier This is likely to come from the ‘Snipers’. The
its initial pilot training requirement by providing II pilot on staff as well as an Air Force exchange Pilot Training Center and VMFT-501 recently
Red Air for the new Hornet pilots. The fourth pilot’, said Cooper. All of them have some started the first F-35B Lightning II pilot training
priority is to provide any other Marine Corps weapons school qualifications under their belts, course at MCAS Beaufort, also known as the
fleet support not associated with a MAWTS such as a WTI or TOPGUN, and combat tours in F-35B Safe for Solo course. This 12-week course
certification, such as pre-deployment training Iraq and/or Afghanistan. is the formal instruction period that trains and
and unit-level training. This task often gets the The bulk of flying for the ‘Snipers’ consists of certifies pilots to fly the F-35B.
‘Snipers’ out of Yuma as they travel around the air-to-air versus F/A-18s, soon to be joined by After 10 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan,
US. Lt Col Cooper explained: ‘We detach or F-35s. These missions are usually two-ships and where US aircraft faced few if any air-to-air
deploy about nine times a year. It’s always in the are often conducted at 10,000 to 20,000ft. Once adversaries, many have argued that modern
United States. While we often go to Miramar or there is a visual on the target, the game of basic dogfighting is a thing of the past, but one must
Beaufort; we’ve gone to Vermont to support the fighter maneuvering (BFM) begins. As training only look at the emerging threats facing the US
Air National Guard with their F-16s or Key West progresses, the ‘Snipers’ can launch a four-ship military in the Pacific Rim to realize that things
to support East Coast Hornets that are about flight to make things more interesting for new can change very quickly.
to deploy. It’s always good to get away from pilots. When asked what the future holds, Lt Col
the home field; it’s great training. Any month Besides BFM, the F-5s are also used to help Cooper ended by saying: ‘The ‘Snipers’ will
WTI is not in session, we are going somewhere’. train other USMC squadrons. During WTI, the continue to train Marine pilots in the skills
The fifth and final priority is to support sister ‘Snipers’ conduct missions with all other fixed- necessary to achieve air superiority against all
services as requested. This mission can also wing aircraft such as the EA-6Bs and C-130s. current and future enemies.’
include assistance to coalition partners. These missions are called Def Tac, which stands Since this interview was conducted, Lt Col
VMFT-401 currently operates 10 single-seat for Defensive Tactics. Sorties consist of evasive Cooper has been selected for colonel as he
F-5Es and a pair of two-seat F-5Fs. Lt Col Cooper maneuvering procedures with EA-6Bs and begins command of Marine Air Group 31.
stated: ‘I’ve seen 26 sorties in one day. With 12 KC-130s to help crews spot an enemy fighter and Jamie Deboer
T
refugees. route the complex tilt-rotors around the
Separately, the 2015 aviation heaviest enemy defenses. And when they
HE US plan — which details the Marines’ fail to do so, the consequences can be
MARINE aircraft investments — specifies that disastrous.
Corps wants to the Corps will upgrade its planned In December 2013, three US Air Force
add precision-guided fleet of 388 Ospreys with new targeting CV-22s were flying over Bor in South
munitions — most likely sensors in addition to the ‘enhanced Sudan, en route to rescue American
forward-firing missiles — to its growing weapon system’. citizens stranded in the country’s
fleet of Bell Boeing MV-22 Osprey tilt- The plan predicts that by 2019, the simmering civil war, when gunmen on the
rotor transports. Marines will begin replacing today’s main ground opened fire. Bullets and fragments
‘Enhanced offensive weapon systems Hellfire, TOW and Maverick air-to-ground punched right through the tilt-rotors’
on the MV-22 will provide increased missiles with a single new weapon, the unarmored bellies, injuring four special
capabilities for the SPMAGTF-CR and Lockheed Martin Joint Air-to-Ground operators.
employment options to the combatant Munition, or JAGM. The 100lb JAGM Three of the wounded troops were
commander’, the Marines’ 2015 aviation combines a new seeker with laser and radar in critical condition and nearly died
plan explains. guidance with the existing warhead and as the damaged Ospreys aborted their
SPMAGTF-CR stands for Special motor of the latest Hellfire. mission and limped to Entebbe airport in
Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force But that doesn’t mean the MV-22 will neighboring Uganda. Aerial tankers had to
— Crisis Response. It’s a new kind of necessarily carry JAGMs. The Marines fly alongside to replenish fuel leaking from
combined air and infantry unit the US could opt to fit a smaller weapon, such punctured tanks.
Marine Corps is establishing in world hot- as the 45lb Raytheon Griffin missile. The In adding missiles, the Marines seem
spots in order to respond quickly to crises Corps has purchased six so-called Harvest to be telegraphing their intention to send
such as civil wars and terrorist attacks. HAWK weapons kits — which include Ospreys directly into harm’s way. The
These task forces and other Marine Griffins — and modified 10 of its KC-130J JAGM missile might be able to hit targets
formations ‘will require an assortment tankers to carry the kits. as far away as five miles, but that doesn’t
of lightweight precision weapons with In any event, adding more armament guarantee that enemy defenders won’t have
scalable lethality’, the document adds. to the Osprey might be a terrible idea. a chance to shoot back.
VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY
AFM’S Glenn Sands visited RAF Brize Norton to witness
how the RAF and AirTanker Services are operating the
‘game-changing’ Voyager Multi-Role Tanker Transport.
JUST *
the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force took 17 years
806/12
before ordering the aircraft back to front-line service.
$11.50
Babak Taghvaee unravels the protracted story of the
Mirage F1 in Iranian hands.
UK
THAILAND’S AIRBORNE TROOPERS £4.70
Following Thailand’s military coup in May 2013, Royal
Thai Army Aviation is now being modernised to reverse
years of stagnation, as Analayo Korsakul describes. AFromVA I L AandBother
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Christopher Ward F_P.indd 1 10/09/2014 10:19