The Afghan Air Force has been going through a modernisation program for the last decade, and it is now reaching operational maturity. There has been a significant shift forward in the capability to be more operational. ADF advisers at the NATO-led Train, Advise, Assist, Command Air (TAAC-Air) mission, support key…
By Andrew McLaughlin The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) has conducted a 9,000km rapid reaction deployment training mission from Edwards AFB in California to a range in the Netherlands. The June 13 strike mission was conducted RNLAF pilots and two F-35As based with the joint 323rd Test and Evaluation Squadron…
By Lt. General (Retired) Deptula After the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps shot down an unmanned and unarmed U.S. Navy surveillance drone last week, President Trump exercised significant restraint, calling off a planned kinetic strike against the offending surface-to-air missile (SAM) launch site. Many—including the Iranian leadership—expected to see a retaliatory…
By Max Blenkin Israel is a nation under constant threat, and has developed very advanced defensive capabilities including an air and missile defence (IAMD) system and that could be of relevance to Australia. At the lowest level is Iron Dome, a mobile Counter Rocket and Mortar (C-RAM) system, the development…
The RAAF recently announced their continuation of the cross-servicing agreement between USAF C-17s and Aussies C-17s. According to a recent article published by the RAAF: The United States and Australia have agreed to a cross-servicing arrangement for the repair and maintenance of C-17A Globemasters. The establishment of an Aircraft Repair…
The RAAF has recently participated in the US Exercise Shaken Fury According to an Australian Department of Defence story published on June 18, 2019: A LIFT from a RAAF C-17A Globemaster has allowed an Australian urban search-and-rescue (USAR) task force to exercise with international peers in the United States. Departing…
The Gulf Anti-Submarine Warfare Exercise (GASWEX 19) is a French led exercise conducted over 3 days, involving units from Denmark, USA and Australia. The exercise was conducted in support of the Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group, providing realistic training in the protection of a high value assets against a…
One of the points about flying unmanned aircraft is that you have a wider range of opportunities to respond to a shoot down. If it is a manned asset, you have to respond to recover the downed pilot or mission crew and to do so with significant impact. With an…
