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 Lakenheath. Mark Kwiatkowski reports from [...]
Fast, sleek, agile and sporty; words which are often used to describe and sum up the Westland Lynx - a helicopter that, in March 2017, will finally reach the end of a remarkable forty-one years of service with the Royal Navy. Mark Kwiatkowski reports from the last home of the Royal Navy Lynx, RNAS Yeovilton. [...]
Between May 16 and 27, Ala 15 of the Ejército del Aire (Spanish Air Force) hosted this years edition of the annual NATO Tiger Meet (NTM) at their Zaragoza Air Base home. Two years have passed since the Ejército del Aire made firm its proposal to organise the ‘meet’ at Zaragoza especially with Ala 15 [...]
Large multi-national air exercises where combined air operations can be executed against strategic and tactical targets provide excellent training opportunities for all participants, but the requirements to host this type of exercise are such that there are only three training centres in the world where they can take place. Of these, the only one located [...]
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 to RAF Lakenheath. This historic [...]
The annual international Anatolian Eagle exercise held at Turkey's Konya air base took place in early/mid June against a backdrop of continued fighting against ISIL in Syria and Iraq, the conflict in Yemen between Shiite Houthi rebels and pro-government forces along with the constant unease in Libya. With so much uncertainly so close to Turkey's [...]
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 and its Middle East allies [...]
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 an exercise of their long [...]
With 2012 restoring the faith in RIAT for many enthusiast and 2013's lack of American participation being saved by a few star items and good weather, one can only wonder what 2014 will bring. Mark Kwiatkowski provides a preview from RAF Fairford. Wet and overcast was the scene at RAF Fairford for the 2014 Royal [...]
2014 marks the 15th anniversary of Poland becoming a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). To celebrate the occasion, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland (Siły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej) staged a two day "open house" event (10-11 May) titled "Days with the Polish Armed Forces" and hosted at the 23rd Tactical [...]
