Combat Aircraft Monthly 2016-05.pdf

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272/16
PC, Mac &
Windows 8
May 2016
• Vol 17 • No 5
42
Combat Aircraft
examines recent joint operations between the
Bulgarian Air Force and the USAF.
IN THE NEWS
06 Headline News
B-21 revealed by USAF, Russia re-balances
forces in Syria, and Australia publishes
defense white paper
USAF re-launches C-130 AMP, US budget
news and all the latest unit news and
deployment updates
News from Europe and around the globe
including the Indian Sea Harrier retirement,
plus all the latest military losses
28
52
‘GREEN BATS’ IN THE EYE
OF THE STORM
08 US News
18 World News
This spring, the US Air Force’s 422nd Test
and Evaluation Squadron ‘Green Bats’
will report to Gen Herbert ‘Hawk’ Carlisle,
commander of Air Combat Command, on
the readiness of the F-35A Lightning II to
work up toward initial operating capability.
Steve Davies reports on the latest progress
at Nellis AFB
26
TALON HATE
BREAKS COVER
Jamie Hunter looks at Talon HATE, a new
podded system for the F-15C that is set to
revolutionize its relationship with the F-22
38
WOLF IN SHEEP’S
CLOTHING
A ectionately known as ‘ ghter pilot camp’, the
‘Sentry Savannah’ exercise was designed by
ghter pilots for ghter pilots. James Deboer
goes to Georgia to see the action rst-hand
FIGHT CLUB
Meeting a United Arab Emirates requirement
for a combat-capable low-cost helicopter,
Abu Dhabi-based NorthStar Aviation has
developed a new military derivative of the
proven Bell 407. In the rst part of a series
of features covering counter-insurgency
platforms, Vince Powell examines this little-
known project
In January the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
(HAL) Tejas light ghter made its international
debut at the Bahrain International Airshow
2016. Angad Singh assesses whether this was
the start of a more promising future for the
troubled Tejas
Mark Rourke and Alan Addison head to Guam,
a name synonymous with the Paci c con ict
in WW2. Air power indeed still plays a major
role in the fortunes of the southernmost
island of the Marianas, as highlighted in
Exercise ‘Cope North’
The Sukhoi Design Bureau long ago forged
a reputation for big and powerful ghter-
bombers. Tom Cooper, with Thomas Newdick,
detail how a dwindling number of Sukhoi
Su-22s remain in service with a handful of air
forces around the world
Combat Aircraft’s
monthly column reporting
from the front line of aerospace technology,
by David Axe
60
A ‘BRILLIANT’ PLAN
The Boeing CH-47 was the workhorse of
the war in Afghanistan, where its ability
to carry loads in ‘hot and high’ conditions
made it invaluable. That has also made
the Chinook a vital asset for mountain
rescues in Mount Rainier National Park,
as Barry D. Smith reveals
RESCUE ON
MOUNT RAINIER
68
As these words are being read, a US Air Force
RC-135 will be probing some dark corner of
our uncertain world, gathering intelligence
that is both vital to the safety of its homeland
and, ultimately, the wider West. Martin Streetly
explores the clandestine realm of the USAF’s
‘ferrets’
BIG EARS AND THE
BLACK WINGED SNAKE
72
84
PACIFIC PARTNERS
88
‘FITTER’ SUNSET
PLUS
Our ‘Under the Radar’ column looks
at the B-21 in detail
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96
CUTTING EDGE
‘Frog’ meets the ‘Hog’. A Bulgarian Air
Force Su-25K ‘Frogfoot’ engaged in joint
training with USAF A-10 ‘Warthogs’ in
February.
Rich Cooper/Frank Crébas
ON THE COVER:
COMBAT EDGE |
FIND US ON
T
04
HE US AIR Force is
currently spending a
lot of time deployed in
Eastern Europe. Despite
the advent of the so-
called Theater Security
Packages, there is nothing new about
American squadrons detaching to this
region. Air National Guard ghter units
have worked with these ‘new’ allies for
the past 10 years, notably in Bulgaria,
Poland and Romania.
The opportunity to co-operate with
strategically positioned allies o ers a
number of bene ts, not least the chance
to develop joint tactics but also to hone
techniques and procedures against
types such as the MiG-29.
It presents some interesting contrasts,
too, as illustrated in our ‘‘Frog’ meets
the ‘Hog’’ feature in this issue. Even for a
type that is slated to be withdrawn from
the USAF inventory by 2022, the A-10C
Thunderbolt II is bristling with what the
US would consider the ‘expected levels
of technology’ to enable it to ful ll its
missions. The A-10 pilot has GPS- and
laser-guided weapons, an advanced
targeting pod, a helmet-mounted
sight, and a datalink. Then there’s the
Bulgarian Air Force’s Su-25K eet, largely
untouched since it entered service
nearly 30 years ago. Unguided rockets
and bombs are the o ensive teeth of
the ‘Frogfoot’ drivers. No helmet sight,
datalink, nor smart weapons are to be
found here.
This is, of course, due to levels of
national defense funding, but it is largely
down to the fact that Bulgaria — like
other operators of Russian equipment
A STARK CONTRAST
— is tied to a signi cant degree to
the original manufacturer. Russian
industry is only now focusing e orts on
developing a modern targeting pod,
for example. The Russian aircraft that
have been hitting
targets in Syria
since September
last year have been
primarily employing
‘dumb’ munitions, and their
accuracy has often been called into
question. Israeli e orts to inject new
technology into ‘legacy’ Russian aircraft
have enjoyed some success (Romanian
MiG-21 LanceRs, for example), but these
have largely been thwarted by heavy-
handed threats from Russian industry
over licenses and rights.
While these East European pilots
yearn for a smart weapon or a datalink,
it would be interesting to compare
directly how their ability to adapt and
make the best use of what they have
to hand matches up to their high-tech
USAF counterparts — and how they
can both meet their mission objectives
while conforming to theater rules of
engagement.
To keep track of the latest breaking
news and analysis in the world of
military air power you can visit our social
media sites and our website:
www.combataircraft.net
Jamie Hunter,
Editor
E-mail: jamie.hunter@keypublishing.com
CONTRIBUTOR
PROFILE STEVE DAVIES
S
teve Davies is a
military aviation
photojournalist
based in
Cambridge, England. He
has authored 10 critically
acclaimed books and
co-authored ve more,
and he has written for the
world’s leading monthly, quarterly
and part-work aviation publications. He
has worked both in front of and behind
the camera as a subject matter expert
on multiple military aviation television
documentaries. Steve’s photography has
been used not only by the aviation press,
but also by leading defense contractors and
aviation corporations.
www.combataircraft.net
May 2016
MAY 2016
| COMBAT EDGE
A Bulgarian Su-25K
receives its load of
unguided 80mm rockets
between missions at
Graf Ignatievo.
Rich Cooper
05
May 2016
www.combataircraft.net

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