Aviation News Mega-Thread

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https://saab.com/gripen/news/blog/gripe ... operation/

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Two Erickson Air Cranes heading for Greece

In Australia, two of Erickson Air Crane S-64 helicopters were loaded aboard a cargo vessel, ready to be shipped to Greece. N194AC (Delilah) and N218AC (Elsie) completed their assignments in Australia and are prepared for the next assignment. During the wildfires which raged across Australia in December 2019 and January 2020, Erickson deployed six of its S-64 Air Cranes there. Next to the two mentioned, these were N247AC (Jerry), N189AC (Gypsy Lady), N243AC (Marty) and N154AC (Georgia Peach). Erickson has been working with Australian partner Kestrel for 21 years. Air Cranes that flew during this season’s fires were based in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia.

In 2001, an Air Crane named "Elvis" saved the lives of 14 trapped firefighters in Australia. In 2019, Erickson lost an Air Crane while fighting fires in Australia. Luckily, all three crewmembers survived when 1967-built S-64E N173AC (Christine) crashed while fighting the Thomson Complex Catchment fires in Gippsland, Victoria on 28 January 2019.

In 1971, the Portland (OR) based company Erickson began flying an S-64 Skycrane, leased from Sikorsky, in support of its aerial powerline construction and heli-logging operations. In 1992, Erickson began applying the Air Crane to firefighting. That year it purchased the type certificate from Sikorsky for the S-64E and S-64F and renamed the helicopter the Erickson Air Crane.

Erickson operates approximately twenty Air Cranes worldwide. It also services and builds S-64s for third party customers, delivering two to the South Korean Forest Service (KFS) in 2019, bringing that organisation’s fleet up to six S-64 Air Cranes. When rigged for firefighting, the aircraft is typically fitted with a 2,650-gallon water tank and a quick-fill snorkel. This allows the Air Crane to refill from any freshwater source in as little as 45 seconds, from depths as shallow as 18 inches, while the helicopter is in a hover. Over saltwater, a separate sea snorkel with a hydrofoil ram scoop is lowered while the helicopter skims the surface at 35 knots, refilling the tank in 30 seconds and minimizing the corrosive impact of sea spray on helicopter components.

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https://theaviationgeekclub.com/jasdfs- ... ster-says/

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Hayzinvor, the newspaper of the Armenian Ministry of Defense, reported about the first flights of Sukhoi Su-30SM in the Armenian Air Force

The Commander of the Air arm of the Armed Forces of Armenia, Colonel pilot Gagik Aslanyan, said that during March 2020 Armenian Air Force pilots received training in Russia. The pilots made their first flights on the Su-30SMs received by Armenia in December 2019 *). However, the Hayzinvor news-item reported that the aircraft are still in Russia and that these will be delivered in the first half of 2020. Strange, as the December 2019 delivery was broadcasted live on the Facebook site of the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan. It is possible that the aircraft were flown back to Russia and that the delivery in December had a more promotional purpose.

Scramble Magazine Facebook News (SFN) reported in 2018 and 2019 **) on the the Armenian Su-30SM purchase. On 13 February 2019 it was stated by the Armenian Ministry of Defense that four Su-30SMs were bought in Russia and that a follow-up order (of most probably another four aircraft) was to be expected soon. The first quartet of Su-30SMs are bort numbers 30, 31, 32 and 33 with alleged construction numbers reported as 10MK5 1611 to 10MK5 1614 (bort number 30 red to 33 red).

A second batch is expected in the 2020-2021 timeframe. It is still unknown how many Su-30SM Flankers Armenia exactly bought, but Scramble Magazine assesses this as twelve airframes. The Armenian Air Force currently holds around fifteen old (non-upgraded) Su-25s, but it lacks air superiority fighters. Air defense is provided by MiG-29s of the Russian Air Force operating from Yerevan-Erebuni under a military cooperation treaty.

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Draken International received their first former Royal Jordanian Air Force Mirage F1 in their inventory, and started their first training missions.

The US private contractor recently started its first training missions with their Mirage F1Ms with the US Air Force.

As known, in 2018, Draken purchased 22 former Ejército del Aire (EdA, Spanish Air Force) Mirage F1Ms and F1Bs and brought them back to flying status for the private adversary mission, in support of the combat readiness training of the US Air Force from Nellis AFB (NV) as well as abroad with allies.

Draken and its partner Paramount Aerospace Systems have reassembled, restored, and certified the fleet of Mirage F1s. The fully modernised Mirage F1Ms now challenge US and coalition 4th and 5th Generation fighters over the skies of the Nevada Test and Training Range in the development of warfighter’s tactics, techniques, and procedures.

Multiple private US contractors, of which Draken is one, were awarded a USD 6,4 billion contract for aggressor, adversary and close air support training to US forces. The contract to all selected companies will run up to 29 October 2024.

Draken now received its first former Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) Mirage F1 dual seater. This aircraft, one of two F1DJs the Jordanians flew, with RJAF serial 118, has arrived in the USA and is added to the Draken fleet. The aircraft is former CE.14C-85/14-74 within the Spanish Air Force before it was sold to Jordan in 1995. And the Spanish bought the aircraft in August 1994 from Qatar (former QA62). Draken International will modify the aircraft before it will start flying in its adversary role. As Draken reported that it "received its first former RJAF Mirage F1", possibly more will follow.

Draken International has also begun the acceptance of the fleet of Denel Cheetah’s from the South African Air Force, a 4th generation supersonic radar-equipped fighter that joins Draken’s operational fleet.

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Erik Hildebrand, flight test photographer with the US Navy, was privileged to pay a visit to NAS Patuxent River (MD) with the opportunity to capture many "firsts" and "lasts" within the US Navy.

Just recently Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (HX) 21 "Blackjack" ('HX-xx') and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20 "Force" wanted to honour the final C-2A Greyhound (BuNo 162142/142, construction number 22) test aircraft before it was retired to the Pax museum.

What better way than a photo flight to illustrate the passing of the Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) mission featuring the first-ever US Navy variant of the V-22 Osprey, the CMV-22B.

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https://www.flightglobal.com/air-transp ... 51.article

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https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-ne ... o1MLO.html

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https://australianaviation.com.au/2020/ ... and-81962/

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航空自衛隊の次期戦闘機を担当する装備開発官に、門間政仁空将補が任命されたことを防衛装備庁が明らかにした。Japan has set up a project office for its NGF program.
The defense equipment has revealed that the chief of the air force, the chief of the air force, was appointed to the equipment development officer who was in charge of the next fighter of the air force. Japan has set up a project office for its ngf program.
Translated

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