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OPERATION OKRA –
RAAF STRIKES THE DAESH
FEBRUARY 2016
ISSUE #335
Officially the World's NUMBER ONE Authority on Military Aviation | www.airforcesmonthly.com
Crimson
Eagle
UK Apaches in
the USA
EXERCISE
REPORT
Royal Jordanian
Air Force
Fighting Fit
FORCE REPORT
THE USAF’S
COMBAT
EDGE
MORE WITH LESS
View from Above
Russia's Air Campaign in Syria
Defence of the Realm
Keeping the UK’s Enemies at Bay
Cherry Point
AV-8Bs deploy
to the desert
UK £4.80
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005/16
CONTENTS
February
Leading the
Field
72
Cover: Raptors serve with six frontline
operational squadrons and have
proved themselves to be potent attack
platforms in the fight against the
Daesh in Syria.
AirTeamImages.com/
Jason Taperell
32
Securing the Skies
News
All the world’s military
aviation news, by region.
4-5
Headlines
6-7
United Kingdom
8-11 Continental Europe
12-15 North America
16-18 Latin America
19
Africa
20-23 Middle East
26
Russia
27-30 Asia Pacific
31
Australasia/Contracts
Incursions by Russian military
aircraft into UK-controlled
airspace over the North Atlantic
are once again a regular
occurrence. The RAF responds
by launching Typhoon fighter
to intercept them. Tim Ripley
explains how it all works.
light on the Russian military
leadership attitudes to the
air campaign in Syria.
84
FORCE REPORT
Royal Jordanian Air Force
64
EXERCISE REPORT
Crimson Eagle 2015
Joe Copalman reports on
Army Air Corps conversion-
to-type training in the desert
of Arizona and California.
Royal Jordanian Air Force
commander Major General
Mansour S Aljobour discusses
with Marco Dijkshoorn and Patrick
Roegies his latest acquisitions
and the ongoing fight against
Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
38
Operation Okra
The Royal Australian Air Force has
been engaged in Operation Okra,
its contribution to the fight against
Daesh in Iraq, since October
2014, as Nigel Pittaway reports.
72
Leading the Field
90
Attrition
Jon Lake examines how Saudi
Arabia has rapidly advanced
with the operational capabilities
of its Eurofighter Typhoons.
AFM’s
Dave Allport reports on the
world’s latest military accidents.
94
Debrief
44
USAF Tactical Aviation
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24 and 25 for details.
Tom Kaminski examines the US
Air Force tactical airpower, which
today relies on precision-guided
munitions employed by a reduced
fleet of fast jet and RPA platforms.
80
Discreetly Direct
Reviews of recently published
books on military aviation.
60
The View from Above
Alexander Mladenov sheds
The French Air Force's ET60
moves senior government
officials and high-ranking military
officers around the world.
Its Dassualt Falcons also
fly medevac and special
support missions, as Jean-
Marc Tanguy reports.
96
Base Watch
A snapshot of recent military
visitors to air bases around
the UK and abroad.
98
Editorial
AFM’s
view on current
military aviation matters. .
USAF Tactical
Aviation
44
www.airforcesdaily.com
#335 FEBRUARY 2016
3
NEWS
HEADLINES
USAF B-52 SHOW OF FORCE
AMID NORTH KOREA TENSIONS
A US Air Force B-52H
Stratofortress was deployed
on a low-level flight over South
Korea on January 10 as a show of
force in response to provocative
action by North Korea. The move
followed testing on January 6
of a thermonuclear bomb by
North Korea. North Korean
leader Kim Jong Un claimed
the test was a self-defensive
move to maintain peace on the
Korean Peninsula and protect
the country from the threat of
a nuclear war with the US. This
was the third such test, following
two similar nuclear detonations
between 2006 and 2013.
Admiral Harry B Harris
Jr, commander US Pacific
Command, said: "This was a
demonstration of the ironclad US
commitment to our allies in South
Korea, in Japan and to the defence
of the American homeland. North
Korea’s nuclear test is a blatant
violation of its international
obligations. US joint military
forces in the Indo-Asia-Pacific will
continue to work with all of our
regional allies and partners to
maintain stability and security.”
Nigeria Funds
Three JF-17s
NIGERIA'S GOVERNMENT has
allocated N5 billion ($25.12
million) in funding in its 2016
budget for purchase of three CAC-
PAC JF-17 Thunder multi-role
combat aircraft. Budget details
were not made public when it
was presented by President
Muhammadu Buhari to a joint
session of the National Assembly
on December 22. However, a
copy of the document was leaked
to local media on January 5.
Total funding for the Nigerian
Air Force in 2016 amounts to
N85.61 billion ($430 million),
which includes not only the
JF-17s, but also financing to buy
two Mi-35M attack helicopters
at a cost of N11.6 billion ($58.28
million) and ten AMF PAC MFI-17
Super Mushshak trainers for
N2.05 billion ($10.35 million).
Nigeria was known to have been
looking at purchasing the JF-17,
with suggestions back in 2014
that up to two squadrons of
the type may be acquired.
New Zambian Air Force SF260TWs
ALENIA AERMACCHI has flight
tested the last of a batch of six
SF-260TW trainers destined
for the Zambian Air Force (ZAF)
from the factory in Venegono,
Italy. The complete batch
comprises AF541 (test serial
CSX55174), AF542 (CSX55175),
AF543 (CSX55176), AF544
(CSX55177), AF545 (CSX55178)
and AF546 (CSX55179).
Brigadier General Jabes
Zulu, the ZAF commander,
first revealed that additional
SF260TWs were due to be
delivered in an announcement
during the Air Force
Headquarters Annual Ball on
December 26, 2014. They will
join six examples delivered
in 2012 and operated by the
ZAF’s Training Squadron,
which is believed to be
based at Mumbwa.
Above:
New Zambian Air Force SF260TW AF546/CS.X.55179 taxies in at Venegono, Italy, after a pre-delivery test flight
on November 27, 2015. It is the last of six ordered by the ZAF.
FabrizioCapenti
4
FEBRUARY 2016 #335
www.airforcesmonthly.com
Visit
www.airforcesdaily.com
for daily
news stories. E-mail the news team
at
milnews@keypublishing.com
KF-X Full Scale Development Contract
FULL-SCALE development of
South Korea’s KF-X fighter has
been launched with signature
of a contract between the
Defense Acquisition Program
Administration (DAPA) and prime
contractor Korea Aerospace
Industries (KAI). The agreement
was finalised on December 28.
The development programme,
expected to be worth around $7.4
billion, including production of six
prototypes, will span a decade,
through to June 2026, leading
to first deliveries to the Republic
of Korea Air Force (ROKAF)
in September of that year.
The ROKAF will acquire 120 of
the type. It is planned to build
an initial 40 of the twin-engined
fighters for the ROKAF by 2028,
after which a further 80 examples
are intended to be delivered to the
service between 2029 and 2032.
The KF-X will replace Korea’s
ageing fleets of Northrop
F-5E/F Tiger IIs and McDonnell
Douglas F-4E Phantom IIs.
Indonesia is funding 20% of the
development programme and
plans to buy 80 for operation
by the Indonesian Air Force.
A provisional partnership deal
between KAI and Indonesia
was signed last year, on
November 22. The agreement
includes delivery of one of the
six development aircraft to the
latter. This was formalised when
a final agreement was signed
on January 7 between KAI and
Indonesia’s PTDI at the Indonesian
Defence Ministry in Jakatra.
DAPA announced on March 30,
2015, that KAI was the preferred
bidder for the project – see
KAI Selected for KF-X Fighter,
May 2015, p29. KAI is teamed
with Lockheed Martin as its
foreign technical assistance
partner for KF-X. Korean Air,
partnered with Airbus Defence
and Space, was the sole other
bidder for the requirement.
First Israeli F-35A
Adir in Assembly
LOCKHEED MARTIN has
begun final assembly of the
first F-35A Lightning II for Israel,
which has given the type the
Hebrew name ‘Adir’ (Mighty
One). The manufacturing
milestone was marked with a
ceremony at the factory in Fort
Worth, Texas, on January 7.
The aircraft, designated as
F-35A aircraft AS-1, officially
began its mate process, where
the four major components of
the aircraft are joined together
in the Electronic Mate and
Assembly Station to form
the aircraft’s main structure.
AS-1 is expected to roll out
of the factory in June and
be delivered to the Israeli Air
Force (IAF) later this year.
Israel has contracted for 33
F-35A Adir aircraft through
the US Government’s Foreign
Military Sales programme.
Israel’s contribution to the F-35
programme includes Israel
Aerospace Industries F-35A wing
production; Elbit Systems work
on the Generation III helmet-
mounted display system, which
all F-35 pilots fleet-wide will
wear; and Elbit Systems-Cyclone
F-35 centre fuselage composite
components production.
US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress
60-0055 ‘MT’ makes a low pass
over Osan Air Base, South Korea, at
lunchtime on January 10, escorted
by
USAF/36th
Fighter Squadron
F-16C 90-0775 ‘OS’/‘36 FS’ and
Republic of Korea Air Force F-15K
Slam Eagle 08-042.
USAF/Senior Airman Kristin High
The B-52H, 60-0055 ‘MT’
from the 5th Bomb Wing’s 69th
Bomb Squadron ‘Knighthawks’
at Minot Air Force Base, North
Dakota, flew from Andersen AFB,
Guam, where it is on temporary
detachment as part of the
Continuous Bomber Presence.
News Brief
MD HELICOPTERS has gained an
order for a further 12 MD530F Cayuse
Warrior scout attack helicopters for the Afghan Air Force
(AAF), which
already operates 12 of the type. The manufacturer announced the
contract on January 11, saying that they will be fitted with enhanced
mission equipment. The helicopters will be delivered in time for the
2016 fighting season. Five MD530Fs, previously used by the AAF purely
for training, have also now been upgraded to Cayuse Warriors.
.
Australian Government
Orders Gulfstream
G550s for ISR Role
AUSTRALIA’S GOVERNMENT is
acquiring two new Gulfstream
G550s through US company
L-3 Communications Mission
Integration of Greenville, Texas.
A $93.6 million Foreign Military
Sales contract was awarded to
L-3 on December 28 by the US
Air Force’s 645th Aeronautical
Systems Group at Wright-
Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio,
for procurement of the aircraft
and associated maintenance.
They will be prepared by L-3
in its Greenville facility, with
completion anticipated by
November 30, 2017. There has
been no official announcement
by the Australian Government
regarding this acquisition.
However, Australian Government
officials have confirmed they will
be used in electronic warfare
and airborne intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance
roles. Further details will be
released with the Defence
White Paper later this year.
RAF 208 Squadron 100th
Anniversary Hawk
Above:
Royal Air Force/208 (Reserve) Squadron Hawk T1A XX188, in new markings to celebrate its centenary, during a
sortie from its home base on January 7.
MOD Crown Copyright/RAF Valley
ROYAL AIR Force Valley, Anglesey-
based 208 (Reserve) Squadron
has unveiled Hawk T1A XX188
in a new livery to commemorate
the unit’s 100th anniversary.
Photographs of the aircraft were
released on January 8, showing
the tail painted with a design
incorporating the Squadron’s
distinctive yellow and blue colours.
The scheme draws on a
number of ideas from Squadron
personnel and was created by
the Serco paintshop team at
Valley. The colours reflect the
unit’s long association with the
Middle East, blue representing
the sky and yellow the sands of
the desert. The sphinx at Giza,
Egypt, which is depicted on the
Squadron crest, is incorporated
in the design, along with the 208
Squadron motto, ‘Vigilant’.
No 208 Squadron was formed
on October 25, 1916, as No 8
(Naval) Squadron, Royal Naval Air
Service. When the Royal Air Force
was formed on April 1, 1918, it was
renumbered 208 Squadron RAF.
Today, it flies the Hawk from Valley
in the advanced flying training and
tactical weapons role, converting
RAF and Royal Navy fast jet pilots
to front line operational conversion
unit input standard. It also
trains international students.
www.airforcesdaily.com
#335 FEBRUARY 2016
5

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