Tom Kaminski
USAF’s 305th RQS welcomes first Jolly Green II
The USAF’s 305th Rescue Squadron (RQS) – a component of Air Force Reserve Command’s (AFRC’s) 943rd Rescue Group (RQG) – joined the HH-60W Jolly Green II family on February 1, when the first aircraft (21-14521) arrived at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona
USMC’s first East Coast F-35B unit declared operational
The USMC formally declared its first East Coast-based F-35B Lightning II squadron operational when Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 542 (VMFA-542) ‘Tigers’ – a component of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) – achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) at MCAS Cherry Point in North Carolina on February 5
USAF’s final WC-135R arrives at Offutt AFB
The 45th Reconnaissance Squadron (RS) – a component of the USAF’s 55th Wing – received its third and final WC-135R Constant Phoenix (64-14829/OF) when the aircraft touched down at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska on December 4, writes Tom Kaminski.
USAF welcomes second batch of F-15EX Eagle IIs
Delivery of the second batch of new F-15EX Eagle II fighters to the USAF got underway on December 20, when two examples of the type arrived at Eglin AFB in Florida following a ferry flight from Boeing’s production facility at St Louis Lambert International Airport in Missouri
USAF to replace Kadena's outgoing legacy Eagles with F-15EXs?
The USAF is reportedly considering a plan to permanently replace the legacy F-15C/D Eagle fighters assigned to the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, with a smaller number of new F-15EX Eagle IIs
US Army plots major UH-60 Black Hawk fleet reduction
The US Army is moving forward with plans to reduce the size of its UH-60 Black Hawk battlefield utility helicopter fleet by approximately 7.5%. This reduction will include roughly 157 legacy UH-60A+ and UH-60L airframes, all of which are operated by the Army’s active-duty component
Canada formalises MQ-9B SkyGuardian purchase
Canada became the latest customer to acquire the MQ-9B SkyGuardian UCAV from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) on December 19, when it agreed to purchase 11 MQ-9Bs, six ground control stations and related support equipment and services for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) at a cost of $1.87bn
NAS JRB Fort Worth bids farewell to final ‘Viper’
The last F-16C Fighting Falcon assigned to the 457th Fighter Squadron ‘Spads’ – a component of Air Force Reserve Command’s 301st Fighter Wing – departed Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NAS JRB) Fort Worth, Texas, on December 4
USMC’s legacy Hornet-equipped ‘Silver Eagles’ stand down
The USMC moved another step closer to phasing out its legacy Hornet fleet on November 9, when Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115 (VMFA-115) was deactivated at MCAS Beaufort in South Carolina
US Army awards ATHENA-S reconnaissance jet contract
Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) will provide the US Army with a new airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (A-ISR) platform under the terms of a $554m contract that was awarded on September 28