SysAdmin, Author at Second Line of Defense

Luke AFB and the F-35

Posted on July 3, 2013 | by SysAdmin | Leave a Comment

07/03/2013

07/03/2013: The Air Force announced that Luke AFB has been chosen as the location for 72 additional F-35A Lightning II aircraft, bringing the eventual total number of the fifth-generation fighters expected here to 144.

Credit: 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs: 6/27/13

The Air Force’s initial decision to establish an F-35 pilot training center at Luke was announced in August 2012, following a three-year process that included an extensive environmental impact analysis.

“This is great news for Luke AFB and the West Valley community,” said Brig. Gen. Mike Rothstein, 56th Fighter Wing commander.

“The decision to base additional F-35 fighters here ensures the long-term viability of our mission and continues our legacy of training the world’s greatest fighter pilots.” The F-35A, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is intended to be the Air Force’s premier strike aircraft through the first half of the 21st Century. It is a multirole fighter that is expected to eventually phase out the service’s F-16s and A-10s.

Aircraft are expected to begin arriving at Luke in spring 2014, although exact timing will depend on production schedules. Construction on base to prepare for the aircraft is currently underway, with about $10 million of $57 million in projects already completed.

The 2012 Record of Decision cited several reasons why Luke was the service’s top choice for F-35A basing, including facility and ramp capacity, range access, weather, and capacity for future growth. The base, which has been training fighter pilots for more than 70 years, also enjoys tremendous community support.

“We’re surrounded by a very supportive community that is the envy of the Air Force,” said Rusty Mitchell, director of Luke’s Community Initiatives Team, who has worked with government officials and community stakeholders on behalf of the base for more than a decade.

“We can’t thank our West Valley neighbors enough for how they’ve come together in support of our mission.” In addition to training U.S. pilots, Luke will also serve as an F-35A International Partner Training site.

A 70-year Remembrance of the B-17 in the Liberation of France

Posted on July 3, 2013 | by SysAdmin | Leave a Comment

07/03/2013: A ceremony was held on Noirmoutier island, France, the scene of B-17 raid, and the rescue of downed crewmen after a raid against Nazi air and maritime facilities in this part of France.

For the crew that would fly on July 4, 1943, their training saved their lives.

As one of the participants in the ceremony, the brother of the co-pilot of the plane crewed by the “Battling Bastards,” commented that if his brother were at the ceremony he would have highlighted the skill and courage of the pilot who landed the Flying Fortress with only one engine operating into the water at low tide.

Training matters. For the B-17 crews flying in Europe, every flight into Nazi held territory was their Pointe du Hoche moment: Fighting uphill against tough odds, with the distinct possibility of not coming back without the proper training even less crew members would have survived.

This slide show highlights the new monument to honor the crew and the flight of the last operational B-17 in Europe flying over the beach where the B-17 from 1943 still rests.

Credit Photos: Second Line of Defense: 2013

Phase One: The B-17 Celebration

Posted on July 3, 2013 | by SysAdmin | Leave a Comment

07/03/2013: The families of the crewmembers and participants in the celebration spent two days together touring the local area and preparing for the memorial celebration.

On Saturday June 29, 2013, the group spent the day on the bus and began the day with a visit to the 1917 memorial to the disembarkment of the first Americans to join the allies to fight in World War I.

In addition, the same location was the scene of a disastrous strike by the Luftwaffe against a British troop ship trying to return to England after the defeat in France.

The largest British maritime disaster took place just off the Loire estuary on June 17th, 1940 when the passenger ship RMS Lancastria – hastily arrived from Great Britain – to sail back there the large number of British and soldiers of other nationalities, as well as civilians she had boarded, was bombed by 4 German Junkers..

This disaster, which killed, as it is said, 2,500 to more than 5,000 persons, including 1,728 of them found. A monument was erected in 1988, next to the St Nazaire Raid monument.

http://www.agencebretagnepresse.com/fetch.php?id=22399

The monument area in St. Nazaire also honored the British soldiers involved in Operation Chariot as well.

In early 1942 Britain was facing a most critical situation. The success of the German U-Boat raids on transatlantic shipping threatened Britain’s supply of food and arms, and was damaging her morale. The daring and brilliantly successful cross-channel Raid on the huge Dry-dock at St Nazaire, France, carried out by British Commando and Naval Forces, lifted Britain’s morale and demonstrated that bravery could achieve the apparently impossible. Five Victoria Crosses (VCs) were won on the Raid, the largest number ever awarded for a single Action.

http://www.stnazairesociety.org/Pages/index.html

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The photos in this slideshow were shot on June 29, 2013 and credited to Second Line of Defense.

Phase Three: The B-17 Celebration

Posted on July 3, 2013 | by SysAdmin | Leave a Comment

07/03/2013: After visiting one site which saw B-17 operations, namely the U-boat pens, we then visited the key target for the July 5, 1943 attack, namely the airfield and factory areas in support of German air operations against the United Kingdom.

Nantes airport (formerly known as Aéroport Château Bougon)owes its origins to a military airfield, conceived in 1928 on part of the current site. In 1936/7 the Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques de l’Ouest opened an aircraft factory adjacent to the airfield, initially building MB.210 bombers, followed by M.S.406 fighters and LeO 45 bombers. In 1939 the first paved runway was constructed, with a length of 900 meters (2,953 ft).

During World War II the airfield was briefly used as a British Royal Air Force base before being captured by German forces.

Under occupation the aircraft factory was closed, and the airfield was used by the Luftwaffe as a base to bomb targets in England.

As a consequence the airfield was hit by a damaging air raid on July 4, 1943, which also destroyed the adjoining aircraft factory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nantes_Atlantique_Airport

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The photos in this slideshow were shot on June 29, 2013 and credited to Second Line of Defense.

The factory no longer exists but the control tower built by the British does and is seen in the photos.

Phase Five: The B-17 Celebration

Posted on July 3, 2013 | by SysAdmin | Leave a Comment

07/03/2013: The next phase was the service in the local church accompanied by the presentation of the colors from several French veteran units.

There was then a ceremony at the war monuments outside the church to those who fought in World War I and World War II.

Next there was procession on foot and in World War II vehicles to the place on the beach where the new monument to the B-17 crew was to be unveiled.

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The photos in this slideshow were shot on June 30, 2013 and credited to Second Line of Defense.

Phase Two: The B-17 Celebration

Posted on July 3, 2013 | by SysAdmin | Leave a Comment

07/03/2013: After visiting the memorials in St. Naizare, the families of the B-17 crew visited one of the targets of the raid 70 years ago — the Nazi U-boat base.

The base is a heavy reinforced facility with anti-aircraft protection. Obviously, this was a high value target but also one very difficult to strike.

The base is 300 meters long, 130 meters wide and 18 meters high, amounting to a 39,000 m² surface on the ground, and a volume of concrete of 480,000 m³. The roof is 8 meters deep, featuring four layers: the first one is a 3.5 meter sheet of reinforced concrete; the second is a 35 cm granite and concrete layers; the third is a 1.7 meter deep layer of reinforced concrete, and the fourth, is a “Fangrost” layer of steel beams, 1.40 meters deep. The roof is dotted with anti-aircraft weaponry, machine guns and mortars.

The base offers 14 submarine pens. Pens 1 through 8 are dry docks, 92 meters long and 11 meters wide; pens 9 through 14 are simple docks, 62 meters long and 17 meters wide, each holding two submarines.

Between pens 5 and 6, and 12 and 13, are two areas giving access to the upper levels of the base.

The base was equipped with 62 workshops, 97 magazines, 150 offices, 92 dormitories for submarine crews, 20 pumps, 4 kitchens, 2 bakeries, two electrical plants, one restaurant and a hospital.

For a good look at life at a French U-boat base, the following book provides significant unvarnished details:

Steel Boat Iron Hearts: The Wartime Saga of Hans Goebeler and U-505

http://www.amazon.com/Steel-Boat-Iron-Hearts-Goebeler/dp/1932714316/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372841742&sr=1-1&keywords=steel+boat+iron+hearts

We have several pictures of our visit, including marks left behind by members of the U-boat crews. Credit Photos: Second Line of Defense

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Credit Photos: Pierre-Anne and Robbin Laird, Second Line of Defense:2013

The F-35C Arrives at Eglin AFB

Posted on June 27, 2013 | by SysAdmin | Leave a Comment

06/27/2013

06/26/2013: According to a 33rd Fighter Wing Press release on June 22, 2013:

The U.S. Navy’s Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-101 received the Navy’s first F-35C Lightning II carrier variant aircraft from Lockheed Martin today.

U.S. Navy pilots and maintainers from VFA-101 are now training at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in preparation for the first F-35C live flight training sorties.

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Credit Photos: 33^rd Fighter Wing, 6/22/13

In the first two photos, Lt. Cdr. Chris Tabert, F-35C Lightning II instructor pilot, U.S. Navy Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-101 lands at Eglin Air Force Base’s 33d Fighter Wing after a two hour flight from Ft. Worth, Texas. F-35C accompanied by two F-18 hornets from Naval Air Station Lemoore CA fly over the Eglin flight line before landing.
In the third photo, the F-18s flew with the F-35C from Ft. Worth, Texas to Eglin.
In the fourth photo, the F-35C is seen performing maneuvers to lift its wings like it would on the deck of an aircraft carrier. These operations were performed during post-flight shut down and taken at the Navy’s F-35 Hangar area at Eglin AFB, Fla.
In the fifth and sixth photos, Lt. Cdr. Chris Tabert, F-35C instructor pilot taxis the Lightning II joint strike fighter in after landing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla and then prepares to exit the cockpit after landing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
In the seventh, eighth and ninth photos consecutively: the F-35C is seen performing passes over the Eglin flight line before landing and then the F-35C breaks away from formation prior to landing and finally there is a tight formation of F-35C and three F-18 hornets flying chase.

Osprey Lands on Japanese Ship For the First Time

Posted on June 27, 2013 | by SysAdmin | Leave a Comment

06/26/2013: An MV-22B Osprey from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161 (VMM-161) lands onboard the JS Hyuga (DDG-181), during Dawn Blitz 2013 for the first time in history off the coast of Naval Base Coronado, June 14.

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Credit: 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade:6/14/13

Exercise Dawn Blitz 2013 is a multinational amphibious exercise off the Southern California coast that refocuses Navy, Marine Corps and coalition forces in their ability to conduct complex amphibious operations essential for global crisis response across the range of military operations.
In the second photo, two MV-22B Ospreys from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161 (VMM-161) prepare to land onboard the JS Hyuga (DDG-181), during Dawn Blitz 2013 off the coast of Naval Base Coronado, June 14
In the third, fourth and fifth photos, a U.S. Marine MV-22 Osprey with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 161 is lowered into the hull of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Helicopter destroyer JS Hyuga (DDG 181) as part of Dawn Blitz 2013 off the coast of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., June 14, 2013.
The final photo shows the Osprey crew with Japanese crewmen aboard the Japanese destroyer after the historic landing.