Operational Reports

After the withdrawal of the SEPECAT Jaguar from Royal Air Force frontline service on April 30, 2007, a number of airframes were destined for a new role within the service as part of 238 Squadron, No1 School of Technical Training (No1 SoTT). However, with technology and methods evolving, some of [...]

The Aeronautica Militare Italiana (AMI) is significantly modernising its flying training. In 2015, Alenia Aermacchi’s T-346A advanced jet trainer entered service and 2016 will see the recently announced introduction of Tecnam’s P2006T for basic multi-engined training. Within a few years, the Alenia Aermacchi M-345 High Efficiency Trainer (HET) looks poised [...]

RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire has regularly seen United States Air Force (USAF) long-range bombers deployed to support ongoing multinational exercises in Europe, namely BALTOPS (Baltic Operations) and Saber Strike, over the last couple of years. Duncan Monk reports on the 2016 exercise and its participants. Touching down on RAF Fairford’s [...]

Twelve F-22 Raptors from the 95th Fighter Squadron ‘Boneheads’ along with pilots from both the 95th and 301st Fighter Squadrons (FS), operating under the banner of the 95th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron (EFS), and supplemented by approximately 220 personnel from Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB), Florida recently undertook a month-long deployment [...]

Known the world over as home to the United States Air Force’s Northrop B-2 Spirit fleet, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, also has a number of other units and aircraft assigned to its command. For this article we overview the 509th Bomb Wing and feature the lesser known aircraft and [...]

Located in the High Desert of North Nevada and a little over an hour’s drive from Reno, Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon is host to VFC-13 ‘Fighting Saints’, the Naval Strike and Warfare Center (NSAWC) and the infamous TOPGUN - the Navy Fighter Weapons School. As well as the host [...]

  Assigned to the United States Air Force (USAF), Air Combat Command has two operational Bomb Wings (BW) - the 7th BW at Dyess AFB Texas with some 32 B-1Bs and, 1000 miles north, the 28th BW at Ellsworth AFB Rapid City South Dakota with 27 jets. AeroResource’s Mark Forest [...]

In part 2 of a series of F-35 articles for AeroResource, Mark Forest & Jason Grant take a look at the oft troubled development of the Lightning II, the progress to date with bringing the aircraft into service and what plans the future holds. For Part 1 - CLICK HERE Overview [...]

The Royal Air Force are quite often criticised for the lack of “special scheme” celebratory or commemorative aircraft they produce compared to other air arms, but it’s fair to say that 2015 seems to buck the trend. As time marches on towards the 100th anniversary of the RAF, many squadrons are [...]

Having discussed the ‘Delta Lady's return to flight, James Innes interviews Kevin Rumens, one of XH558’s Display Pilots. Better known as Kev, he is lucky enough to have displayed the aircraft both in service with the Royal Air Force and in civilian hands post-restoration. Balancing his role of flying 558 [...]

Located on the Ayrshire coastline, Prestwick Airport is no stranger when it comes to military aircraft with a long and distinguished history in aviation in Scotland. In recent years, the airport has seen an increase in military use of the airfield both in day-to-day transits and becoming an integral part [...]

Aggressor aircraft in their distinctive colour schemes are a common sight at Nellis AFB and over the Nevada Test and Training Range. However, with the recent deactivation the 65th Aggressor Squadron consigning the Russian aircraft marked Eagles to the annals of history, and with the latest generation of aircraft becoming [...]

The annual international Anatolian Eagle exercise held at Turkey's Konya air base took place in late June against a backdrop of continuing unrest in Syria and a surge in militant activity in Iraq. With so much uncertainly so close to Turkey's doorstep the need to train and cooperate with NATO [...]

RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire is a key strategic forward deployment base for the United States Air Force Global Strike Command. Deployments of strategic bombers to the European theatre are considerably rarer today than they were only a decade ago. During June 2014, Global Strike Command deployed a number of assets for [...]

Its 7am on a Thursday and, whilst most people are busy thinking about heading off to work, the operations room of the 351st Air Refuelling Squadron is already a hive of activity. With multiple flights due to head out during the morning on various sorties, the crew of Quid42 are [...]

Every year, the US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) undertakes training exercises incorporating their assets and Government agencies. One of these exercises is named GLOBAL LIGHTNING. Adam Chittenden looks at what aircraft are involved and what this exercise is designed to achieve. "Global Lightning 14 is designed to provide training opportunities and [...]

Exercise Joint Warrior 2014 Serial 1 was the latest in the long-running series of multinational exercises of the name that have run in the UK, and also the largest tactically focused military exercise held in Europe during 2014. Over 13,000 personnel, 33 ships, 3 submarines and multiple ground, troop and [...]

Externally similar to the widely used and highly successful Lockheed P-3 Orion, the CP-140 Aurora is in fact a different machine entirely. Named after the Greek goddess who restored Orion’s eyesight, Canada took delivery of the first of its 18 strong fleet of CP-140 Auroras in May 1980 (with the [...]

Laughlin AFB is one of USAF's five major primary training airfields, located in remote Del Rio, Western Texas it's is ideal for training flights. It is home to the 47th Flying Training Wing (FTW) that forms part of the Air Education Training Command (AETC). Ian French and Mark Forest visited [...]