Here comes the Joint Strike Fighter
The star at this year’s
Farnborough and RIAT will be the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Alan
Warnes reviews the UK JSF story so far.
Netherlands & the F-35
AFM’s
jerry Gunner spoke to the Dutch ‘Mister F-35’, Colonel Gerbe Verhaff
who outlines the Netherlands’ reasons for buying the F-35 and what it
intends to do with it.
Lightning – The Right Choice for an Air Force
Military
aviation industry experts assembled a list of questions concerning
critical aircraft capabilities. Test pilots from Boeing, Dassault and
Lockheed Martin were invited to answer them.
Swiss Precision
Pilatus
has a history of producing versatile training aircraft and continues
the tradition with the PC-21. AFM’s Jerry Gunner explains.
Pilatus PC-21
Dave Unwin flies Pilatus’ high-tech trainer, which could revolutionise how the next generation of fast-jet pilots are trained.
Iran’s National Army Day Parade
The
Skies over Iran’s capital Tehran were filled with an impressive display
of military might, including Phantoms, Tomcats and Fencers as the
country celebrated.
Afghan Air Bridge
Bob Archer tells the story of the air bridge that sustained the American-led coalition during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Opinion - When the Tide Goes Out
John
Longhurst, chairman of international defence conference organiser
Tangent Link says it’s about time someone chose a maritime patrol
aircraft for the UK.
Twenty-two years and Still Going Strong
Vladimir
Trendafilovski explains how the Croatian Air Force has upgraded its
fighter force with MiG-21s that are over a quarter of a century old.
Greek VIP Flight
The
Hellenic Air Force has been busy taking the country’s leaders to
meetings about maintaining stability in the region. Kyriakos ‘Kirk’
Paloulian looks at the history and development of Greece’s VIP flight.
FORCE REPORT: Uruguayan Naval Aviation
Santiago Rivas explains how one of the smallest air arms in South America protects the nation’s coast line.
FORCE REPORT: Royal Moroccan Air Force
Alan
Warnes describes the recent evolution of the Royal Moroccan Air Force
and how it is gradually becoming the best in North Africa.
EXERCISE REPORT: Clockwork 14
Lewis Gaylard went to northern Norway with the UK’s Joint Helicopter Command’s Exercise Clockwork 14.
Ukraine’s Tank Busters
Vladimir
Trendafilovski reports on the clashes between pro-Russian militia
forces and Ukrainian government troops, and how Ukraine’s forces are
relying on Su-25 ground attack aircraft.
Debrief
Reviews of recently published books on military aviation.
Just a Nice Pic
The
three types currently based at Royal Australian Air Force Base Pearce,
Western Australia, perform a flypast over the nearby town.