Josef Campion
617 Squadron fly with Indian AF Jaguars and SU-30s
October 27, exercise Konhan Shakti 21 saw one of the RAF’s F-35B units, 617 Squadron, operating from HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) flying with Indian Air Force Su-30s and Jaguars, plus Indian Navy MiG-29K
Seymour Johnson F-15s head to Romania and Bulgaria
USAF Boeing F-15E Strike Eagles from the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Wing, at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, arrived at Borcea Air Base, Romania, and Graf Ignatievo AB in Bulgaria on October 18, all in support of operation Castle Forge
Norwegian Air Force F-35As carry out first live Intercept
Fourth and fifth generation aircraft of the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) intercepted a large group of Russian aircraft on October 27. This was the first ever live intercept carried out by RNoAF F-35As in their own airspace
Japanese military pilots to be trained in Italy
In addition to Qatar and Germany, Japan has now agreed to send its military pilots to the Italian Air Force’s and Leonardo’s International Flight Training School (IFTS) for operational training
RAF A400M is air-to-air refuelled for the first time
A RAF Airbus A400M Atlas C1, serial ‘ZM406’, has been refuelled whilst airborne for the first time. This milestone was achieved during recent trials conducted by 206 Squadron. The squadron is the test and evaluation squadron for heavy aircraft of the UK defence stationed at RAF Brize Norton, Oxford
Eielson AFB F-35s take part in air-to-air weapons evaluation
The 356th Fighter Squadron (FS) made history as the first Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II squadron in the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) to take part in an air-to-air weapons evaluation
First AH-1Z Viper built for Bahrain
Bell Textron completed the first build of the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter for the Kingdom of Bahrain last month. The US company announced the completion of the build in a press release on October 22
RNLAF's final KDC-10 tanker leaves the Netherlands
The Royal Netherlands Air Force sole remaining McDonnell Douglas KDC-10 tanker - serial T-235 - departed Eindhoven Air Base in the Netherlands for the US on October 25, as it heads to its new civil-based owner on the other side of the Atlantic
RAF F-35Bs work with Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2)
RAF Lockheed Martin F-35Bs from 617 Squadron operating from HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) have participated in a maritime partnership exercise with the US Navy (USN), Royal Australian Navy and Japan Maritime Self Defense force (JMSDF)
Finnish Hornets and Hawks participate in LFÖ21
The Finnish Air Force has deployed six Boeing F/A-18C Hornet multi-role fighters and three BAE Systems Hawk Mk51/A jet trainers to the Swedish Air Force's Luftförsvarsövning 21 (LFÖ 21, Air Defence Exercise 21)