05/03/2016: This video contains cockpit footage of Marines and JMSDF service members loading supplies onto an MV-22 Osprey, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265 (Reinforced), and flying to Japanese Ship Hyuga (DDH-181) as part of disaster relief effort.
Credit:American Forces Network Iwakuni, Japan :4/23/16
05/03/2016: An F-35 Lightning II from the 61st Fighter Squadron lines up into an attack route in preparation to drop a GBU-12 500-pound laser-guided bomb, April 25, 2016, at the Barry M. Goldwater Range in Gila Bend, Ariz.
Three F-35s successfully delivered six inert GBU-12s during the practice bombing, making the 61st FS the second squadron at Luke Air Force Base to drop bombs from the F-35.
In the final photo, an F-35 Lightning II from the 61st Fighter Squadron banks left to circle back around after dropping a GBU-12 500-pound laser-guided bomb April 25, 2016, at the Barry M. Goldwater Range in Gila Bend, Ariz
Credit: 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs:4/25/16
05/03/2016: As Air Commodore Heap, head of the Surveillance Response Group, noted in an interview with Second Line of Defense in March 2016:
“We are small but we want to be capable of being a little Tasmanian Devil that you don’t want to play with because if you come at us, were going to give you a seriously hard time that will probably not be worth the effort; deterrence in its purest form.”
And with the shift from P-3 to P-8, this will enhance their capability to play the desired role.
Obviously, the P-8 can be considered a replacement in terms of the core mission performed by the P-3, but with the evolving approach towards “integratability,” to use Air Marshal Davies’ term, Heap is focused on how the new platforms can drive further change in how the entire SRG operates and shapes the further evolution of the RAAF, and beyond that to the entire ADF.
Most recently, the P-3 participated in Exercise Bersama Shield.
A RAAF AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft has been flying over Malaysia, Singapore and the South China Sea for Exercise Bersama Shield 16 from 18-29 April.
The aircraft and its No. 10 Squadron crew, from RAAF Base Edinburgh, have been stationed at the Royal Malaysian Air Force Base Butterworth, Malaysia during the exercise.
The AP-3C Orion is an extremely versatile aircraft capable of land and maritime surveillance, anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, naval fleet support and search and rescue operations.
The long-running Bersama Shield exercise series aims to enhance the interoperability between the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) founding nations – Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Established in 1971, the FPDA is the longest standing multilateral arrangement in South East Asia and focuses on the defence of Singapore and Malaysia while contributing to the general stability of the region.
Credit Video: Australian Ministry of Defence:4/27/16
05/03/2016: French Mirage, American F22s and B52 fly over the 100th anniversary celebration of the Lafayette Escadrille in France.
Credit: American Forces Network Europe:4/20/16
05/02/2016: The annual multilateral training Exercise Bersama Shield 16 has wrapped up in Malaysia and Singapore.
The 12-day exercise saw the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) nations Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and the United Kingdom conduct joint maritime, land and air operations in a multi-threat environment from 18-29 April 2016.
More than 200 Australian Defence Force personnel were involved in the exercise along with the Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Anzac, patrol boat HMAS Bathurst, a Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and KA350 King Air tactical mobility aircraft.
Established in 1971, the FPDA is focused on the defense of Singapore and Malaysia and contributes to the general stability of South East Asia.
Credit: Australian Ministry of Defence:4/29/16
05/02/2016: It is not difficult to see how air intercepts in the Northern European region could escalate.
Nato is working hard to shape an effective air intercept template.
A number of fighter jets from NATO and NATO partner nations have been training together at an airbase in Estonia. Among the skills they practiced was an intercept.
The NATO member countries involved in the exercise were Belgium, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Spain and the United States.
The NATO partner nations were Finland and Sweden. The various live scenarios played out were Communication Loss, Search and Rescue, Close Air Support, Dissimilar Air Combat Training, practice diversions to Baltic airports and air-to-air refueling.
But the Russians are challenging the restrained NATO approach.
Credit:Natochannel:4/20/16
Meanwhile on the Russian side:
A Russian jet fighter has intercepted a US Air Force reconnaissance plane in an “unsafe and unprofessional manner” over the Baltic Sea, the Pentagon says, and CNN reported the Russian pilot did a barrel roll over the US plane.
The US Air Force RC-135 plane was flying a routine route in international airspace on Friday when it was intercepted by the Russian SU-27 fighter, the Pentagon said.
The Russian fighter came within about 30 metres of the American plane as it performed the dangerous, high-speed manoeuvre, CNN reported, citing two US defence officials in the Baltic Sea region.
“This unsafe and unprofessional air intercept has the potential to cause serious harm and injury to all aircrews involved,” Pentagon spokesman Commander Bill Urban said in a statement.
d”More importantly, the unsafe and unprofessional actions of a single pilot have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions between countries,” he said.
The incident comes amid increasingly aggressive Russian military behaviour toward Western countries. Russian jets buzzed a US warship in the Baltic Sea earlier this month.
05/02/2016: On April 27th, 2016, F-22s deployed to the Baltics.
According to an April 29, 2016 article in RFE/RL:
The U.S. Air Force landed two of its most advanced jets in Lithuania for the first time on April 27 in a show of support for a region worried by Russian aggression in Ukraine.
NATO’s Baltic members have been riled by acts by Russian warplanes in recent weeks, including one making “simulated attack passes” near a U.S. warship and another passing within 50 feet of a U.S. reconnaissance plane.
The F-22 fighter jets, which previously visited Poland, Estonia, and Romania, were greeted by Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite.
“Without singling out any neighbor, I would like to say that no one has any right to poke their noses into here,” she said. “This is a demonstration that the United States is honoring its commitments and is ready to protect our region with all the most modern measures.”
F-22s are almost impossible to detect on radar and are so advanced that the U.S. Congress has banned Lockheed Martin from selling them abroad.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in a Swedish newspaper interview published on April 28 charged that Lithuania is the “most Russophobic country in the Baltic region.”
Credit:100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs:4/27/16
According to an April 27, 2016 story by USAFE:
4/27/2016 – ŠIAULIAI AIR BASE, Lithuania — Two F-22 Raptors and one KC-135 Stratotanker arrived at Šiauliai Air Base Air Base, Lithuania, today. The F-22s and approximately 20 supporting Airmen are from the 95th Fighter Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The KC-135 is from the 100th Air Refuel Wing, RAF Mildenhall, England.
The aircraft and Airmen were welcomed by Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė, and other distinguished visitors from the Lithuanian government and military.
“This is a demonstration that the United States is honoring its commitments and is ready to protect our region with all the most modern measures,” said the president in a press conference. The two aircraft and Airmen are currently part of the largest F-22 deployment to Europe.
The deployment is partially funded by the European Reassurance Initiative, which provides support to bolster the security of our NATO allies and partners in Europe while demonstrating the U.S. commitment to regional and global security.
“Today’s demonstration is part the collective defense and security of our NATO Allies, a commitment that is underscored in President Obama’s $3.4 billion request for the European Reassurance Initiative,” added the U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania Deborah A. McCarthy.
The F-22s will remain at Šiauliai AB for a brief period of time before returning to RAF Lakenheath, England, to continue their training deployment until May 2016. Similarly, two F-22s, support Airmen and aircraft were deployed for a short amount of time to Mihail Kogalniceanu AB, Romania, just two days prior to their arrival at Šiauliai AB.
“Thanks to our gracious Allies, we are able to fly over 200 F-22 integration sorties in Europe,” Lehoski said. “The integration training we are completing during this trip, and our allies’ ability to host 5th generation aircraft, are critical to future successes.”
Through maximized training opportunities in Europe and by demonstrating the U.S. commitment to NATO, the deployment also serves to deter actions that destabilize regional security.
“The deployment to Europe, showcases our ability to provide air dominance … anytime, anywhere,” said Lehoski. “Because of our talented and dedicated Airmen and allies, we have demonstrated our ability to forward deploy F-22s throughout Europe, integrate with our allies, and put decisive airpower in the skies.”
05/01/2016: African Lion 16 is a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff sponsored, U.S. Africa Command-scheduled, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa-led, joint and combined exercise conducted in the Kingdom of Morocco, April 18-27.
AL 16 is a Combined Joint Task Force Command Post Exercise linked with a Peace Support Operations field training exercise.
African Lion creates a foundation for evolving inter-military cooperation.
Credit:Marine Forces Reserve:4/19/16