2016-02-12 by Senior Airman Alex Fox Echols III It is a given that no aircraft leaves the ground unless it is working properly. But that challenge is multiplied here during the three-week Red Flag 16-1 exercise. Hundreds of aircraft maintainers assigned to flying squadrons from around the world work long hours…
2016-02-12 By Scott Truver In the early morning of Feb. 18, 1991, the U.S. amphibious warship USS Tripoli (LPH-10) struck an Iraqi contact mine in the northern Persian Gulf, ripping a 25-foot by 23-foot hole in her starboard side below the waterline. The quick reaction of her commanding officer and his crew managed…
2016-02-10 By Richard Weitz U.S., Japanese, and South Korean diplomats are pushing Russia and China to adopt a hardline in response to the recent DPRK nuclear and missile tests. This pursuit is likely to be in vain, though fortunately Seoul and Washington have more direct options that they can pursue.…
2016-02-12 According to an article published by our partner defenceWeb, Egypt is to receive both Mistral class ships later this year. The Egyptian Navy will take delivery of its two Mistral class landing helicopter dock (LHD) vessels in June and September this year from French shipyard DCNS. According to AFP,…
2016-02-04 By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake Pax River is the home of a key F-35 Integrated Test Force (ITF), which is focused on various aspects of the sea services F-35Bs and F-35Cs. The ITF test regime is on the airframe, and flying characteristics in modes both symmetric and asymmetric,…
2016-02-04 By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake Our visit to the Pax River Integrated Test Force (ITF) concluded with an interview with two members of the British contingent of the ITF, along with a senior U.S. test engineer — which, in itself, was a demonstration of how the ITF works as…
2016-02-08 The week prior to the first transatlantic flight of the F-35, this one done by an Italian pilot, a USAF pilot became the first pilot to fly 500 hours on the F-35. According to an article by Airman First Class Ridge Shan, 56th Fighter Wing, and published February 3,…
2016-02-04 By Ed Timperlake and Robbin Laird In a visit to Pax River on January 8, 2015, we had a chance to talk with members of the Integrated Test Team at Pax River, which includes Marines, Navy, Brits and civilians as well as contractors. This team is wringing out the…
