PLUS! Special reports Italian KC-767 operations, Dutch F-35 flight testing, German Transall anniversary, Hawker Beechcraft AT-6 weapons trials and Chinese J-11 ‘Flanker’ variants
FRONT LINE
Our hard-hitting regular column by Robert F. Dorr, with an exclusive interview with USAF chief Gen Norton Schwartz
FORTRESS AT SEA Luigino Caliaro and Massimo Cestaro report from the flight deck of the USS George H. W. Bush,US Navy’s latest carrier during its first operational deployment in the Arabian Sea
VC10: STILL IN DEMAND
As the countdown to retirement for the RAF’s veteran Vickers VC10 air-to-air refueling aircraft continues, Tim Ripley details how it remains at the forefront of RAF operations at home and overseas
CHILE’S MULTI-MISSION MASTERS Cees-Jan van der Ende reports on the activities ofGrupo 10 of the Fuerza Aérea de Chile (FACh) at ‘Comodoro Arturo Benitez’ International Airport in the Chilean capital Santiago
VIPER CREW
The Royal Netherlands AF’s 322 Fighter Squadron’s mission is clear; to provide offensive and defensive fighter cover with its F-16AM Fighting Falcons. Cristian Schrik reports on a day in the life of the squadron’s F-16 maintainers
HOT, HIGH AND HEAVY Paul Filmer travels to Eagle County Airport to visit the Colorado Army National Guard’s High-altitude ARNG Aviation Training Site, better known as HAATS
HELMAND’S FLYING LEATHERNECKS
In the first of a two-part feature, Neil Dunridge embeds with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) in Afghanistan to witness its fixed-wing assets in action
DESERT THUNDER Dr Andreas Zeitler attends the Heyl Ha’Avir (Israeli AF) graduation ceremony at Hatzerim following the 36-month pilot’s course that is the gateway to the front line of operations
THE LAST OF THE MOHAWKS
Escuadrón de Aviación de Apoyo a la Inteligencia 601 of the Argentine Army is the last military unit in the world to operate the famous Grumman OV-1 Mohawk as Santiago Rivas discovers
CUTTING EDGE Combat Aircraft’s new monthly column reporting from the front line of aerospace technology, by David Axe
