Operational Reports

Poland AW101 Merlin Mk614

By | February 14th, 2024|Categories: News, Operational Reports|Tags: , , , , |

As tension surrounding the invasion of Ukraine by Russia builds, it is no surprise that Poland continues to sign various contracts with European and US companies to strengthen the country’s air defence capability. This process commenced in January 2020 when Poland and the US State department signed a Letter of [...]

Westland Gazelle AH1 Swan Song

By | October 25th, 2023|Categories: News, Operational Reports|Tags: , , , , |

On Monday October 23rd 2023, three 665 Squadron, 5 Regiment Army Air Corps Westland Gazelle AH1s departed RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland for a short tour of UK landmarks. This brings to an end this chapter of the aircrafts UK military service life with the official end of service date [...]

301 Hikotai Phantom II F-4EJ Kai Retirement

By | February 27th, 2021|Categories: Operational Reports|Tags: , , , , |

The Japanese Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) retired its last Phrontline Phantom aircraft at the beginning of December 2020, namely 301 Hikotai and their Phantom II F-4EJ Kai’s. The last 301 Hikotai Phantom II F-4EJ Kai retirement phlight was conducted on the 10th December by 07-8436, adorned in it’s blue [...]

RAF P-8A Poseidon MRA1 Arrives in the United Kingdom

By | February 5th, 2020|Categories: Operational Reports|Tags: , , , , , |

120 Squadron delivers the first RAF P-8A Poseidon MRA1 to the UK On the 4th February 2020, No.120 (CXX) Squadron flew its new Maritime patrol aircraft the Boeing P-8A Poseidon MRA1, serial number ZP801 – ‘Pride of Moray’, from NAS Jacksonville Florida to RAF Kinloss in Morayshire, under the callsign [...]

Cypriot Air Command – The Cyprus Air Force

By | October 11th, 2019|Categories: Operational Reports|

Located just over six miles (10km) southeast of its namesake city, Paphos International Airport in Cyprus has the distinction of not only being the country's second largest airport, but the home to the entire flying element of the Cypriot Air Command. Located on the site’s northside, the military facility is [...]

JMSDF Atsugi – Kawasaki P-1

By | April 12th, 2019|Categories: Operational Reports|

The Japanese territorial waters cover a vast area around the Japanese islands. For example, Okinawa in the South to Chitose in the North is a distance of around 1400 miles in a direct line. To oversee and protect those waters the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) has utilised a fleet of around 100 Lockheed P-3 Orions since 1984. However, since 2013 the JMSDF has started to replace these ageing aircraft with its own indigenous built modern aircraft – the Kawasaki P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA).

RAF Fairford 2nd Bomb Wing B-52 Deployment

By | March 19th, 2019|Categories: News, Operational Reports|

The latest Bomber Task Force deployment of B-52 Stratofortress aircraft into RAF Fairford has commenced, which has so far seen six of the behemoth aircraft arrive at the Gloucestershire Air Base. The arrival of the 2nd Bomb Wing aircraft from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, has seen around 400 [...]

Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40 (VRC-40) ‘Rawhides’

By | January 21st, 2018|Categories: Operational Reports|

“Here we go, here we go, here we go!” - No, not the chant from fans at a football match, but the cries emanating from the two loadmasters of VRC-40 ‘Rawhides’ sat at the rear of our C-2A Greyhound, as they warn us we are just seconds from ‘trapping’ on [...]

USS George H W Bush – CVN 77

By | August 3rd, 2017|Categories: Operational Reports|

USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77), the tenth, and final Nimitz Class nuclear-powered Aircraft Carrier for the United States Navy (USN), is currently on its third deployment since entering service in 2009. On it's return from operations with the US Navy 5th and 6th Fleets in the ongoing operation against [...]

USAF Bomber deployment RAF Fairford

By | July 11th, 2017|Categories: Operational Reports|

RAF Fairford was once again the focus for many aviation enthusiasts in recent weeks, with the United States Air Force (USAF) deploying all three Bomber types on the USAF inventory to the Gloucestershire base. As well as supporting a number of multinational exercises being held within the European theatre, namely [...]

F-35A Deployment to RAF Lakenheath

By | May 13th, 2017|Categories: Operational Reports|

Eight F-35A Lightning IIs from the 34th Fighter Squadron ‘Rude Rams’ along with pilots, maintenance specialists, security and other support personnel from the active component 34th Fighter Squadron and the Air Force Reserve's 466th Fighter Squadron, both based at Hill Air Force Base, Utah recently undertook a three week deployment to RAF [...]

US Air Force Air Education & Training Command

By | April 2nd, 2017|Categories: Operational Reports|

Life in the United States Air Force (USAF) begins with the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) with their mission to "recruit, train and educate Airmen to deliver air power for America". Often nicknamed ‘The First Command’, over 30,000 students – both domestic and international – train with the 19th [...]

United States Naval Air Training Command

By | February 14th, 2017|Categories: Operational Reports|

The United States Naval Air Training Command (NATRACOM) and the five Training Air Wings (TAW) of which it is comprised, pride themselves on producing the finest Naval Aviators in the world. Headquartered at Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi, the student pilot training program – commanded by Chief of Naval [...]

Sion World Economic Forum Air Policing

By | January 29th, 2017|Categories: Operational Reports|

The annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting at Davos in Eastern Switzerland attracts many world leaders and important visitors to it and, as can be imagined, requires a high level of security - especially in these times of heightened alert states not only in Europe but around the world. In [...]

Aircraft Carrier Operations – USS Dwight D Eisenhower

By | December 20th, 2016|Categories: Operational Reports|Tags: , , , |

Deployed in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE since June 2016, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D Eisenhower, or “The Mighty Ike”, has been conducting daily strike missions against so-called “Islamic State” in both Syria and Iraq, from both the Arabian Gulf with US Navy 5th Fleet and more recently [...]