Military News (Nato)

Adl’A EC.725 return to front line duty in Afghanistan

The EH.01.067 helicopters were airlifted to Kabul in late April using an Antonov An-124. It is a return visit for these Cazaux based EC.725s, which were there last year for almost ten months before being relieved by AS.532UL Cougars. This time around, the French air force’s EC.725s have replaced the French army’s Cougars.

It didn’t take the EC.725s long to see action, either. The French defense ministry says the two rotorcraft performed escort duty for an Italian Chinook on May 11. The Chinook was moving troops between two camps near Kabul.


The EC.725s flew along to provide electronic countermeasures protection and fire support in case it was needed. Each EC.725 was carrying special operations personnel armed with 5.56 mm light machine guns to suppress potential threats.

The EC.725s have now completed around 700 flight hours in Afghanistan. The Cougars, during their stay, flew 240 missions and 480 flight hours. They departed on return to France May 1 once again on an An-124.

Rafale F2 in landing accident

Reuters report “French Rafale (Serial 16) fighter jet veered off the end of a runway in western France for unknown reasons, forcing its pilot to eject”, the French navy said.

The Navy issued pictures showing the jet stopped in grass about 100 metres past the end of a runway at the Lann-Bihoue military base in Brittany.

Its undercarriage was intact and there was little obvious damage in the pictures but a tarpaulin had been placed over the nose and cockpit.

"The causes of the event cannot be established for the moment and will have to be determined by a technical investigation," the navy said. No doubt standard operating procedures (SOP’s) dictate that in the event of running off the runway onto the grass ejection is the recommended action.

Mirage 2000N crashes

On Wednesday, June 11, 2008, during a training mission, a Dassault Mirage 2000N from EC 02.004 "La Fayette", stationed at the airbase BA116 Luxeuil crashed on the territory of Laurenan, near Merdrignac, west of Rennes.

The crew, ejected after having flown the aircraft into an uninhabited area.

MiG-29A Fulcrum fighter crashes during low pass

A MiG-29 fighter jet, No 15, crashed during landing in Kecskemét (south-central
Hungary) on April 17. The pilot managing to eject from the aircraft before impact, a
spokesman of the Ministry of Defense told local newswire MTI.
 
The pilot, Zoltán Peszeki, escaped with non critical injuries, but was hospitalised as a precautionary measure

Brigadier-general István Petõ, commander of the Kecskemét air base, said the jet took off at 15:09 CET for air combat practice. The pilot was instructed to make a so-called low pass, which means he had to descend about one metre from the ground and rise back from there again. Following the low pass Peszeki was flying towards the end of the runway, climbing, when for an unknown reason his plane touched the tarmac and bounced back into the air.

Peszeki instantly instigated an ejection as the jet grazed route 44 along the fence of the air base before it crashed, broke to pieces and went up in flames some 25-30 metres from the road.

 Another MiG-29 jet, No 02, crashed 1 km outside the Kecskemét airport on 11 May 2005. The pilot, Zoltán Szabó, who had won the prestigious 'As The Crow Flies' Trophy (Friends of RIAT Best Overall Flying Demonstration) at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), the world's largest military air show, in 2003 in Fairford, UK, also managed to eject from the plane. That accident reduced Hungary's MiG-29 fleet to 26 aircraft, as aircraft 17 had been lost earlier on July 23, 1998.

In 1993, Hungary received 28 MiG-29 fighters from Russia as half of the settlement of Russia's outstanding USD 1.6 billion debt to Hungary. As further debt settlement of USD 150 million, Russia delivered 97 BTR-80 armoured vehicles and 20 armour-piercing rocket launchers, engines for MIG-29 fighters and runway equipment. Of the 28 jets only 14 are in service currently, which will be phased out in 2010 by Gripen fighter jets.

Tornado operations centred on Ghedi

On July 1st 2008 No 156 Gruppo will be relocated from 36 Stormo at Gioia del Colle to 6 Stormo at Ghedi thus centralizing all Tornado IDS operation under one wing.

36 Stormo that is currently transitioning to the Eurofighter 2000 Typhoon will retain 12 Gruppo and in the future will be joined by 10 Gruppo from Trapani to Gioia del Colle following that units conversion.

NH90 woes continue

The NH.90 now seriously delayed following a number of design problems was treated to a further blow on June 1 when the second production example for the Italian Army, MM81519 EI202 from 1 Gr Sq at Viterbo, crashed during a display over Bracciano lake at Vigna de Valle near to Rome with the loss of one life with two others seriously injured. The footage of the event effectively saw the helicopter strike the water tail first then somersault before disintegrating. Obviously the reason for the crash is yet to be determined but it will not help the NH.90s troubled progress.

Norway bids farewell to first generation Hercules

Norway said goodbye to its 40-year old Lockheed Martin C-130E/H Hercules on May 15, when a final farewell flight by two of the aging transports was made by the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF)'s 335 Squadron.

The six C-130E/Hs, 952 – 957, that were ordered in 1968, entered service in 1969, will be replaced by four brand-new C-130Js -- but the first of these will not arrive before November
and the quartet will only be complete by 2010.

In the meantime, transport aircraft from allied nations as well as chartered commercial aircraft will have to meet the Norwegian armed forces' demand for airlift, says the country's state secretary for Defense, Espen Barth Eide.

Roll-out of first new C-130J, manufacturer serial number 5601 has already occurred but the aircraft will not become available for use by the RNoAF until November. Five of the retired aircraft will be parked in the Arizona desert in the hope that they may be sold. One example will end up in the air force museum at Oslo-Gardermoen Airport.

Red Arrows on the move

The Red Arrows, are going to move from RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire to nearby
RAF Waddington. The decision to move the Red Arrows comes after completion of a Royal Air Force Study that considered basing options for them. The study found that moving to RAF Waddington was the most suitable option in terms of the team's operational effectiveness and value for money. The relocation will be completed by July 2011.

Defence Minister Bob Ainsworth said:

"The Red Arrows are known around the World as ambassadors for the RAF and the UK as a whole. Today's announcement is testament to the importance of their continued contribution.

"We are working closely with the Trade Unions to relocate all 100 service personnel and two civilian staff who support the Red Arrows to RAF Waddington by 2011."

Wing Commander Jas Hawker, commanding officer of the Red Arrows said:

"RAF Scampton has been our home for many years and I thank the local people for their support during our time here. We will continue to have a strong association with the area as we will still be practicing our displays there.

The move to RAF Waddington is a new chapter in our history. We are delighted to be staying in Lincolnshire and we look forward to maintaining our close relationships with local communities."

Fighting Cocks participate in ADEX 08

No 43 (Fighter) Squadron based at RAF Leuchars, participated in a multi-national exercise in Finland during May. The Finnish Air Defence Exercise 2008 (ADEX 08) is carried out in the spirit of the Partnership for Peace programme and provides sophisticated training for both ground and aircrews.

ADEX 08 is the largest ever exercise held in Finland with the Finnish hosts welcoming approximately 1300 personnel and over 50 aircraft from the UK, Denmark, Germany and France - located at three of the country’s air bases. With each nation bringing different aircraft, ADEX 08 presented ample chance for aircrew to train against various aircraft types in combat scenarios. It
provided opportunities to exchange ideas, experiences and tactics in this challenging air-to-air environment and enhances skills used on operations.

No 43 (F) Squadron swelled in numbers recently, when, as part of the Tornado F3 force draw down they merged with No 56 (Reserve) Squadron. With the addition of 26 aircraft, 30 pairs of permanent aircrew and 260 engineers, their front-line duties were extended to include the task of training aircrew new to the Tornado F3 along with advanced training. Officer Commanding of No 43 (F) Sqn, Wing Commander David Hazell, was enthusiastic about the first major deployment for the bigger squadron and the benefits that ADEX 08 presented. He said: “I’m looking to take a confident, bonded squadron back home; one that has worked hard and played together for the two weeks of ADEX and one that will keep the momentum of good morale going.”

ADEX 08 comes within a special year for the Finnish Air Force as the current 3000 personnel celebrate their 90th Anniversary; celebrations that coincide with the RAF’s own 90th year. Deputy Commander at Kerelia Air Command, Colonel Ossi Sivén has been fully immersed with the exercise and said: “It has been three years in the planning and we are very satisfied with the way things are going with 100 flights a day. The best thing is the spirit of making it happen together. From the beginning, all the nations felt part of the same team – well, except for Friday when we  played a football match against each other!”

With a stunning backdrop of lakes and evergreen trees, plus the changeable weather patterns that have seen snow reminiscent of yuletide scenes to bright sunshine; the RAF has adopted one local custom, which has undoubtedly made life easier. With the Tornados positioned at the far end of a large aircraft pan, the aircrew have been issued bicycles to assist with transiting to their aircraft. Although somewhat unusual, it is apparent that this procedure has been fully embraced making the long trek under the weight of full flying kit less tiresome.

Faced with a myriad of languages, all flying throughout ADEX 08 used English for communications. It is the standardised language of military aviation with Command and Control using multi-nation and NATO procedures to ensure safety and cooperation. To further test the skills of aircrew, two FRA DA-20 Falcon aircraft from the UK also participated. The DA-20s provided essential training by giving a wide variety of simulations representing electronic
warfare that aircraft are likely to encounter.

ADEX 08 Project Officer for the RAF, Squadron Leader Bret Archer, was clearly delighted to be dogfighting in this training environment and was able to draw on his operational experience. He enthused: “The exercise flying is so intense it is very similar to operations. You’re so focused on what you’re doing – it feels like the real thing. The computers in the aircraft are all set up with simulated weapons, so you’re using the switches and pulling the trigger to fire a simulated missile – it really is as though you’re on a mission.”

The unit initially deployed six aircraft including ZE764/GL, ZE254/FD, ZE968,  & ZG772/WJ, with two further examples arriving at a later period. However the pilot of one of the Royal Air Force Panavia Tornados, reported to be ZG751 ‘HI’, on May 22 landed safely without the aircraft's nose undercarriage fully lowered.

Both the pilot and the weapons officer escaped unscathed, but the airframe sustained damage in the emergency landing in Rissala in southeastern Finland. Then on May 29 another aircraft jettisoned two empty external fuel tanks whilst on a training sortie. The tanks came down near Kärsämäki and the jet returned safely to base in southeastern Finland.

Typhoon declared combat ready

While taking part in Exercise Green Flag at Nellis AFB, Nevada, seven Typhoon FGR.4s from XI Squadron, based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, ZJ912/AB, ZJ927/AG, ZJ933/DF, ZJ935/DJ, ZJ939/DXI, ZJ941/DG & ZJ942/DH, dropped munitions and fired their cannons with such precision that they have been declared combat ready by the target date of 1 July this year.

A delighted Group Captain Stuart Atha, Station Commander of RAF Coningsby said at Nellis United States Air Force (USAF) Base, Nevada: “What we have in Typhoon is a world-beating aircraft. The Mantra in the Royal air Force is ‘agile, adaptable and capable’. That is precisely what this aircraft is.”

He added: “We knew it was a world-beater in the air-to-air environment, but we weren’t sure about the air-to-surface capability. Nevertheless you just have to look at the world today to see the relevance of an air-to-surface role, and why it is really important that this aircraft should have the air-to-surface capability. “Well, we have done it, we have achieved it. The guys have demonstrated the capability, which is great news.

Exercise Green Flag West is a joint USAF and Army exercise in which close air support for ground forces is a crucial element aimed at preparing air and ground forces for deployment to overseas operational areas. It is played out in scenarios that simulate the sort asymmetric combat experienced in conflicts such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As well as Typhoon, this exercise involved around 6,500 US Army ground troops receiving their final training prior to deploying to Iraq, and a USAF F-16CJ Fighting Falcon unit, normally based in Japan, which is also bound for Iraq before the end of this year. British Forward Air Controllers worked alongside their USAF counterparts.

Wing Commander Gavin Parker, Officer Commanding XI Squadron, said that during pre-exercise training at Davis Monthan AFB, Arizona in late April early May (Exercise Torpedo Focus), his squadron worked closely with No 17 (Reserve) Squadron, the Typhoon Operational Evaluation Unit, also based at RAF Coningsby, and over a two-week period dropped a total of 67 munitions, comprising 43 Paveway II bombs, eight enhanced Paveway IIIs and 16 1,000 lb free fall weapons.

“It has been an outstanding success,” he said. “The aircraft loved the hot and dry conditions. It achieved a 99.3 per cent strike rate at Davis Monthan, which means we achieved 99.3 per cent serviceability. We only lost two sorties, one due to high wind when no-one flew, and the other to a technical failure – again, unprecedented in my knowledge and experience.”

The overall deployment was marred slightly by the unexpected forced landing by one of the No 17 Squadron aircraft, ZJ943/DK on loan from No XI Squadron and only delivered to the air force on January 10, 2008. The jet apparently made a ‘wheels up’ landing at China Lake NWC on April 24. Unsubstantiated reports in ‘MAR’ suggested initially that the aircraft had suffered ‘Cat 4’ damage that would necessitate its return to the manufacturer for major repairs.

More Beech KingAir 200s for No 45 (Reserve) Squadron

Hawker Beechcraft delivered the first of two additional Beechcraft King Air B200GT aircraft, N3196N c/n BY-36, to Serco Defence, Science and Technology for service in the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force as a multi-engine pilot trainer. The second King
Air B200GT will be delivered this summer and both aircraft will join No 45 (Reserve) Squadron at RAF Cranwell. These aircraft will strengthen the existing fleet of seven Beechcraft King Air B200s in service with the RAF, bringing the total to nine King Airs.

The original Beechcraft King Air order was placed in 2003 when Serco announced it was
awarded the prestigious 60 EUR million Multi-Activity Contract for RAF Cranwell incorporating the Multi-Engine Pilot Training Interim Solution. The new aircraft are essential to meet an increase in the demand for military multi-engine pilots within the U.K. Ministry of Defence, along with a growing need for a modern, glass cockpit experience.

Now after years of delay, the Ministry of Defence has also finally signed the initial phase of a £6bn, 25-year deal to transfer the running of military pilot training to the private sector.

Ascent, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin, the world's largest defence company, and Britain's VT Group, signed a contract on June 3 to take over some Air Force ground facilities.
The first phase, a deal worth £635m, should lead to Ascent taking control of all flight crew training for planes and helicopters, equipping classrooms and hangars and working with the MoD on acquisitions of new aircraft. The training will cover all three military services.

Ascent was named preferred bidder for the contract in November 2006, but the Military Flying Training System (MFTS) contract has been under discussion at the MoD for more than six years.
Yesterday's announcement is the third large MoD deal to be announced recently. In March, VT was part of a consortium that won a deal to build and maintain RAF air-to-air refuelling tankers.

Royal 125s to receive Precision Area Navigation avionics

In June an intensive modification programme began to equip the six No 32 (The Royal) Squadron Dominie CC.3 VIP aircraft with Precision Area Navigation (P-RNAV) avionics equipment. This will enable the most efficient approach to airfields to be calculated without the fuel costly problem of entering a holding stack. This will see a reduction in fuel consumption and allows for the sharing of identical flight path sharing between the air traffic control tower and the pilot.

The programme will also see the concurrent installation of large aircraft infrared countermeasures, new flat panel displays and a new all weather radar system.