Airforces Monthly - February 2017

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CONTENTS February Issue 347 Cover: On December 21 the US Air Force said a final farewell to the QF- 4E Phantom II. This exclusive photo is from the day preceding the last flights. Jim Haseltine Above: Baltic patroller – a spectacular shot of a live-armed Mirage 2000-5F taken during the French detachment. Bartek Bera Subscribe and save A subscription to AirForces Monthly offers great savings on the cover price. See pages 18 and 19 for details. 58 'Ike' strikes 70 Force Report: Portuguese Air Force 4 FEBRUARY 2017 #347 www.airforcesmonthly.com
Features 03 Comment AFM’s opinion on the hot topics in military aviation. 36 Britain’s spies in the skies Tim Ripley looks at the Royal Air Force’s ISTAR (Information, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) Force status, operations and its prospects. 58 ‘Ike’ strikes US Navy airpower has played a crucial role in Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria, most recently underpinned by the presence of USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN 69). Ioannis Lekkas joins the embarked Carrier Air Wing 3 ‘Battle Axe’ to discover how crews notched up an impressive sortie tally to help support missions countering so-called Islamic State (IS). 64 Nordic mountaineers For many years the helicopter crews of the Flygvapnet (Swedish Air Force) have practised flying in mountainous terrain during deployments to Abisko in the extreme north of Sweden. Jan Jørgensen joins the new HKP 14 (NH90 TTT) on exercise. 80 Polish MRO experts While the WZL-2 maintenance, repair and overhaul facility helps keep Poland’s frontline Soviet-era aircraft operational, Alexander Mladenov explains how it has developed independent capabilities and gained new competencies with Western types. News by Region All the world’s military aviation news. 6-7 Headlines 8-9 United Kingdom 10-11 Continental Europe 12-13 Tactical Leadership Programme 14-17 North America 20-21 Latin America 22 Africa 24-25 Middle East 26 Russia and CIS 28-29 Asia Pacific 30 Australasia Regular features 32 THE WARNES REPORT: Let’s Get Armed! Middle Eastern countries are modernising their fighter fleets, as Alan Warnes explains in his new monthly column. 44 FORCE REPORT: Wings over Uruguay The Uruguayan Pucará is close to the end of its operational life, with final retirement planned for March as Santiago Rivas reports. Esteban Brea assesses the status of the wider Uruguayan Air Force. 54 EXERCISE REPORT: Honing the force Kees Otten and Wim Das join the European Defence Agency’s Black Blade exercise. 70 FORCE REPORT: Portuguese Air Force Portugal’s geographical position may 84 Baltic patrol Since 2004, NATO’s Baltic Air Policing has operated a round-the-clock peacetime mission to preserve the alliance’s airspace integrity. Thomas Newdick checked in with the French and German contingents making up its 42nd rotation. 94 USAF’s ‘Phinal’ Phantoms The US Air Force brought 53 years of F-4 Phantom II operations to a close on December 21 with a retirement ceremony at Holloman Air Force Base. Joe Copalman reports from southern New Mexico, with exclusive air-to-air photos by Jim Haseltine. be away from the world’s current trouble spots, but it retains a credible air force, as José Matos reveals. 90 Attrition Dave Allport reports on the world’s latest military accidents. 98 Coming up Details of what to look forward to in your AFM next month. www.airforcesmonthly.com #347 FEBRUARY 2017 5
Page 1 and 2: EXCLUSIVE: FRENCH AND GERMAN BALTIC
Page 3: COMMENT Trump cards HOURS AFTER the
Page 7 and 8: ARTICLE SUMARY Subscribe to www.air
Page 19 and 20: MAKE HUGE SAVINGS when you pay by e
Page 21 and 22: Final Chilean Army Cougar delivered
Page 24 and 25: ARTICLE SUMMARY NEWS MIDDLE EAST La
Page 26: ARTICLE SUMMARY NEWS RUSSIA & CIS F
Page 31 and 32: ADVERTORIAL Fifth Generation Fighte
Page 33 and 34: Left: Dassault has enjoyed renewed
Page 35 and 36: SO MUCH PROMISE… WITH ALL its oil
Page 37 and 38: UNITED KINGDOM: ISTAR REVIEW in’s
Page 39 and 40: UNITED KINGDOM: ISTAR REVIEW the el
Page 41 and 42: UNITED KINGDOM: ISTAR REVIEW reconn
Page 43 and 44: Available Thursday 19 JANUARY * ONL
Page 45 and 46: ‘In association with…’ Final
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Left: A drab Austrian S-70A-42 with
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Austrian Upgrade Above: An Austrian
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Ready to launch. A greenshirted cat
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The carrier’s support of Operatio
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in the fight against ISIL [Daesh],
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“The snow on the surface behaves
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From the Cockpit Maj Thomas Palmkli
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Above: HKP 14D ‘Whitefox 349’ s
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‘In association with…’ Odds S
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Inside an F-16AM cockpit during a B
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‘In association with…’ Above:
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‘In association with…’ Above:
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MAGAZINES > DVDS > CDS > BOOKS > SU
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WZL-2 MRO FACILITY While the WZL-2
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WZL-2 MRO FACILITY scheduled to ret
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BALTIC AIR POLICING Armed for actio
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BALTIC AIR POLICING that “the Mir
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BALTIC AIR POLICING have only ‘vi
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Subscribe to www.airforcesdaily.com
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NEW TYPHOONS IN ACTION A new Pilot-
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Det 1 commander Lt Col ‘Elvis’
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THE PHINAL PHOUR Above: Eric ‘Roc
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united states air force SPECIAL air
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Airforces Monthly - February 2017

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