Operational Reports

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 [...]

USS Dwight D Eisenhower – Operation Inherent Resolve

By | December 19th, 2016|Categories: Operational Reports|Tags: , , , |

Weighing in at a cool 95,000 tonnes, the Nimitz class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN 69) is the second of ten such vessels that form the cornerstone of United States Naval Aviation. The Nimitz-class carriers are the largest and most powerful warships in the world, and are [...]

RAF Cosford Jaguars final prowl

By | September 15th, 2016|Categories: 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 [...]

Italian Air Force Flying Training

By | July 15th, 2016|Categories: Operational Reports|

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 [...]

Ex BALTOPS / Saber Strike 2016

By | June 14th, 2016|Categories: Operational Reports|

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 [...]

F-22 Raptor Deployment to RAF Lakenheath

By | May 23rd, 2016|Categories: Operational Reports|

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 [...]

Home of the Bone II – 28th BW, Ellsworth AFB

By | November 2nd, 2015|Categories: Operational Reports|

  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 [...]

RAF Special Paint Schemes 2015

By | September 13th, 2015|Categories: Operational Reports|

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 [...]

Vulcan XH558 Restoration Part 2

By | July 6th, 2015|Categories: Operational Reports|

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 [...]

Global Strike Deployment 2014

By | June 18th, 2014|Categories: Operational Reports|

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 [...]