Sgt. Hodges tells us about Marines participating in Exercise Northern Wind 19.
03.28.2019
Video by Sgt. Bryce Hodges
RAAF F-35s at Williamtown
04/13/2019
The F-35A Joint Strike Fighter is the Australian Defence Force’s first fifth-generation air combat capability. It is a highly advanced multi-role, supersonic, stealth fighter which will meet Australia’s requirements to defeat current and emerging threats.
The F-35A is at the forefront of air combat technology. Its advanced sensors and data fusion allows it to gather more information and share it with other Air Force aircraft, Navy ships and Army units quicker than ever before.
This will greatly enhance the Australian Defence Force’s situational awareness and combat effectiveness. In addition, to greatly enhanced situational awareness, the F-35A provides its pilots with significantly higher levels of lethality and survivability in combat.
Australia has committed to 72 F-35A aircraft for three operational squadrons at RAAF Base Williamtown and RAAF Base Tindal, and a training squadron at RAAF Base Williamtown.
The first F-35A aircraft was accepted into Australian service in 2018 and the first squadron, Number 3 Squadron, will be operational in 2021. All 72 aircraft are expected to be fully operational by 2023.
In the future, a fourth operational squadron will be considered for RAAF Base Amberley, for a total of 100 F-35A aircraft.
The F-35A is being purchased by the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group under project AIR 6000.
https://www.airforce.gov.au/technology/aircraft/strike/f-35a-joint-strike-fighter
RAF Eurofighters Flying with B-52s
04/12/2019Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons fly alongside a B-52 Stratofortress deployed from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., over Latvia as a part of U.S. Strategic Command’s Bomber Task Force in Europe, March 25, 2019.
LATVIA
03.25.2019
Video by Airman 1st Class Tessa Corrick
“Leadership Role of the U.S. in the World”: The Perspective of Secretary Pompeo
04/10/2019Secretary Pompeo Participates at NRI’s 2019 Ideas Summit: Moderated Conversation on the “Leadership Role of the U.S. in the World”
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES
03.28.2019
US and French C-130J Training
04/08/2019U.S. Air Force and French Air Force loadmasters work together unloading and loading container delivery system bundles on and off C-130J Hercules aircraft in France.
FRANCE
03.18.2019
Video by Airman 1st Class Kaylea Berry
Exercise Cope North:The Commander’s Eyes and Ears On the Ground
04/04/2019THE Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Number 4 Squadron Combat Control Team has the important job of being the first on the ground to assess the viability for aircraft and personnel arrival.
During Exercise COPE NORTH, Number 4 Squadron worked with United States Air Force (USAF) and Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) to enhance the air and ground crew’s ability to work together.
The RAAF Combat Control Team is comprised of Combat Controllers who have specialist skills in reconnaissance, assault zone control and clearance of an airfield.
Combat Controllers provide a range of capabilities, including declaring a landing zone safe for aircraft to land, meteorology observation and controlling air strikes from the ground. During training activities at Exercise COPE NORTH, the RAAF Combat Control Team practiced two types of airfield insertions into Baker Airfield at Tinian Island.
The team conducted tactical air land operations by ground via a JASDF C-130H Hercules and practised parachuting from USAF C-130J Hercules aircraft.
The Number 4 Squadron Detachment Commander explained that the Combat Control Team play a critical role in securing the ground for advanced force arrival.
Australian Department of Defence
March 5, 2019
Luke’s F-35 5-year Anniversary
Luke AFB is where the F-35 global enterprise has been launched. Pilots AND maintainers have been trained for the USAF and all the partner nations which have purchased the F-35A.
They fly together — including flying each other’s airplanes — and maintain together.
When we use the term F-35 global enterprise, we are NOT referring to stitching a working group together in an after market effort; we are referring directly to collaborative experience shaping the infrastructure of kill web combat operations.
March 11, 2019 marks 5 years since the arrival of the first F-35 at Luke!
We look forward to many more achievements in the future!
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, AZ, UNITED STATES
03.11.2019
Video by Airman 1st Class Jacob Wongwai
56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
The featured photo shows members of the 62nd Fighter Squadron from Luke Air Force Base pose for a group photo March 9, 2019, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The team traveled to Nellis AFB to participate in Red Flag, exercise 19-2, and included Italian, Norwegian and U.S. personnel. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Bryan Guthrie)
Test Team Verifies Procedures to Recover Downed F-35
Even the most advanced aircraft in the world may not always have a successful landing. Or, it can just simply get stuck somewhere.
That’s why a team of testers from Edwards AFB linked up with representatives from Lockheed Martin to go over crash recovery procedures for the F-35 Lightning II recently.
The two-day event was to verify measures on the aircraft for what is referred to as crash, damage, disabled aircraft recovery, or CDDAR.
Members from the 412th Maintenance Squadron performed the actual procedures on the aircraft. Different methods were verified such as using an aircraft sling attached to the F-35 to be lifted by a crane; “belly bands” that can be placed underneath the jet and attached to a crane; and inflatable airbags or lifting bags that can be used to raise a crashed or disabled F-35.
“Each item used can be tailored to the incident,” said Robert Miller, 412th Logistics Test Squadron, F-35 Joint-Service Technical Order Development, Edwards Verification Site lead. “For example, if the right main landing gear is collapsed, there are procedures using any of the above items to lift the disabled side.”
Miller said the 412th MXS is responsible for local crash recovery response and are the subject matter experts for all things CDDAR. At the verification event, there were also members from the 412th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron who assisted in aircraft access, cover removal and aircraft preparation before and after the event.
Miller added his and the 412th Logistics Test Squadron’s F-35 responsibility is performing oversite of all things verification for any maintenance procedures performed on the fifth-generation fighter. Lockheed Martin sent an engineer and the crash recovery procedures author from Fort Worth, Texas, to the event.
“These are procedures we have in the F-35 operating community we hope are never used,” Miller said. “However, in the event of an incident, the CDDAR team needs well vetted and tested procedures in order to recover the aircraft. If the aircraft is still on the runway, it may become time sensitive to remove the aircraft. There are so many variables and there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to recovering a disabled aircraft.”
Miller concluded the F-35 technical order verification team works with all variants of the F-35 and the CDDAR procedures will be adapted to a great extent for the use on ships for the Marine and Navy versions now being developed.
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, CA, UNITED STATES
01.25.2019
Story by Kenji Thuloweit