Two Royal Australian Air Force aircraft refuellers have been lauded by their United States counterparts for their contribution to coalition operations in the Middle East. In six months of deployment, Sergeant Kane O'Connor and Leading Aircraftman Shane Brown supplied more than 530 aircraft with almost 27 million litres of fuel, which is…
We have recently published two new Special Reports on airpower modernization. The first has focused on the Danes and their approach to airpower modernization, first with regard to their F-16s and then with regard to preparing for the F-35 transition. The second highlights several presentations and the discussion at the…
The Canadian government has played a delaying game on defense modernization for a significant period of time. No service has suffered more from the inability to make a decision and properly fund air force modernization. While Ministers debate, the folks who make the force work are heading for the exit.…
We have written a good deal about the coming of the F-35 to the Royal Australian Air Force. Most recently, we visited Williamtown earlier this year and discussed the preparation for the arrival of the F-35 at that key airbase with the Air Combat Commander. Air Commodore Kitcher highlighted the…
This year’s International Fighter Conference held in Berlin provided a chance for the participants and the attendees to focus on the role of fighters in what we have been calling the strategic shift, namely, the shift from the land wars to operating in higher intensity operations against peer competitors. It…
Two U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II's assigned to the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, conduct an aerial refuel with a U.S Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker during a combat mission over Afghanistan, Sept. 27, 2018. The F-35Bs conducted their first combat strike in the U.S. Central…
By Robbin Laird At the 2018 International Fighter Conference held in Berlin from November 13-15 2018, one of the topics for presentation and discussion is the European concept and approach to what is being called the Future Combat Air System. Here the target is to shape a new combat system…
The RAAF’s 36 Squadron is using the popular DJI Phantom 4 drone to conduct visual inspections of its C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft. Using the consumer-level drone, which retails for around $1,100, means 36SQN maintenance personnel can inspect hard-to-access areas of the aircraft, including its 16.8-metre high vertical stabiliser, for paint…
