F/A-18 Hornet demonstrates air power. Photo's of the day

PACIFIC OCEAN  F/A-18E Super Hornet's from the Tophatters of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14 participates in an air power demonstration over the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). TThe John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group is returning from an eight-month deployment to the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility.

Fourth AW139 VIP To Join UK & Ireland Corporate Fleet

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce the sale of the fourth AW139 intermediate twin helicopter for corporate transport in the UK & Ireland. This latest sale continues the success of the AW139 in the UK & Ireland corporate helicopter market in the last two years. The helicopter will be delivered in 2014 to an undisclosed customer. Almost 40 AW139 helicopters have been sold across Europe for VIP, corporate and government transport roles, making it the new benchmark in its weight class for executive and passenger transport. As  the only helicopter in its class to meet all the latest certification standards the AW139 is proving a popular replacement for older designs in a market, where safety, comfort and performance are the foremost considerations.

The AW139 delivers best-in-class performance with a maximum cruise speed of 165 knots (306 kph), a range in excess of 500 nm (927 km), endurance of 5 hours and superior hover performance. With its power reserve, the AW139 assures Category “A” (Class 1) superior performance from a helipad (elevated or at ground level) at maximum take-off weight. With the largest passenger cabin in its class the AW139 can accommodate up to 15 passengers or six to ten passengers is a number of spacious and comfortable VIP seating arrangements. The six large cabin windows provide passengers with a excellent view from the cabin with access via sliding doors or a hinged door. A wide range of customer specified optional equipment is available on the AW139 including audio visual equipment, telecommunications and refreshments stowage. The baggage compartment provides 3.4 m3 (120 ft3) of easily accessible storage with access from external doors and also the cabin if required.

The AW139’s modern design ensures ease of maintenance and high availability due to reduced numbers of components, easy access to all the main systems by ground technicians, extended life-cycles for critical components and advanced diagnostics technology. European customers can also undertake a range of training courses on the AW139 Level D Full Flight Simulators located at AgustaWestland’s ‘A. Marchetti’ Training Academy in Sesto Calende, Italy. The AW139 helicopter is part of AgustaWestland’s family of new generation helicopters that also includes the AW169 and AW189. These helicopters all possess the same high-performance flight characteristics and safety features whilst sharing the same common cockpit concept and design philosophy. This approach facilitates synergies for operators of more than one of these models in areas such as training, maintenance and support. Almost 720 AW139s have been sold in 60 countries to over 190 customers so far for many roles  including VIP/corporate transport, scheduled passenger transport, law enforcement, fire fighting, offshore transport, search and rescue, emergency medical service, disaster relief and maritime patrol. Nearly 700,000 flight hours have been logged by the world AW139 fleet so far.

The National Police Agency of Japan acquires four new helicopters from Eurocopter to be deployed to various prefectures

Eurocopter Japan recently signed contracts with Japan’s National Police Agency for a total of four helicopters. Comprising two medium-class and two twin-engine light helicopters, the new acquisitions will be deployed to Hyogo Prefectural Police (EC155 B1), Hiroshima Prefectural Police (AS365 N3+), Osaka Prefectural Police (EC135 P2e) and Fukuoka Prefectural Police (EC135 P2e), as replacements for ageing aircraft in the respective fleets.

The brand new EC155 B1 from Eurocopter’s Dauphin family will be the National Police Agency’s (NPA) first acquisition of this helicopter type. Incidentally, it is also the first Eurocopter rotary-wing aircraft to be operated by Hyogo Prefectural Police, with delivery planned for 2015. Hiroshima Prefectural Police’s AS365 N3+ will also be delivered in 2015; while Osaka and Fukuoka will receive their EC135 P2e in 2014.

The ability to meet varying customer needs with a wide range of products, coupled with the availability of a total-support system in the country, have enabled Eurocopter Japan to increase its market share in the law enforcement sector over the years. NPA is currently operating a fleet of 29 Eurocopter light-twin and medium-class helicopters across the country, used for police activities including crime-prevention, investigative search and security patrols, as well as other public service missions such as life-saving operations and transportation.
 

(© Eurocopter Japan, Chikako Hirano)

“We are very honored to have signed the contract with NPA, which shows the trust they have in our products and appreciation of our total-support service commitment,” said Stephane Ginoux, President & CEO of Eurocopter Japan. “We can never emphasize enough on our will to offer the best and most comprehensive support and services for our customers not only in the area of maintenance, but also training, which is a crucial element in ensuring flight safety.”

Both the EC155 B1 and AS365 N3+ come from Eurocopter’s Dauphin family, with the EC155 B1 being the high-end, enhanced version equipped with the latest technologies. Versatile for multi-mission use and well-known for its low vibration and quietness thanks to Eurocopter’s famous Fenestron® tail rotor, the EC155 B1 has a spacious cabin that can accommodate up to 15 persons (2 pilots + 13 passengers) comfortably. Dauphins are particularly well-received in police, fire-fighting, disaster management and news gathering activities. There are currently 57 Dauphin helicopters operating in Japan.

The EC135 is a light twin-engine helicopter equipped with state-of-art technology, including Eurocopter’s Fenestron® tail rotor. Not only does it have a low noise level compared with helicopters in the same class, it is also able to perform many different types of missions with good fuel efficiency. Used widely for law enforcement and emergency medical services worldwide, it is also a popular machine in Japan, with 75 EC135s currently being operated in various types of missions.

‘C’ the Galaxy

The Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® facility in Palmdale, Calif., performed maintenance on one of just two C-5C Galaxy aircraft in the world in May 2013.  The C-5C features more cargo capacity than A & and B models due to removal of the entire passenger compartment. Each of the two C-5C aircraft is assigned to Travis Air Force Base, Calif., and will eventually be modernized to become the C-5M Super Galaxy.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 118,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services. The Corporation’s net sales
for 2012 were $47.2 billion.

Today's Air Force visits the Boneyard, takes glimpse at aviation history (VIDEO)

Air Force Television News released a new, special edition of Today's Air Force on May 31.

Featured in this episode is a visit to the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., taking viewers for an inside look at what happens to Air Force planes after they've flown their last mission. Here, a dedicated team brings new life to old aircraft and retrieves aircraft parts for future use.

Then, Today's Air Force listens to the nostalgic stories of former Airmen who flew these planes decades ago and carry with them memories and stories of missions long past.

This 30-minute, bi-weekly news show can be seen every day on The Pentagon Channel and American Forces Television Service stations around the world. The show also airs on more than 140 public cable-access stations within the United States.

Today's Air Force: May 31, 2013

617 Sqn in the Middle East

31 May 2013

Royal Air Force personnel from 617 Squadron take part in a multinational exercise from 906 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) in the Middle East.

Exercise Shaheen Star 4, a Combined Air Operation (COMAO) exercise, was conducted over the skies of the Middle East during May 2013. 617 Squadron squadron from RAF Lossiemouth commenced flying on 3 May for three weeks, culminating in a large scale exercise. In addition to host nation, the exercise involved aircraft types from the United States Air Force (USAF) and the French Air Force (FAF), all being supported by the ground element from the Australian Defence Force (ADF).


The COMAO allowed 617 Squadron to train in high-end war fighting scenarios against 21st Century threats with other nations. In turn, this forged coalition relations as equipment and personnel were tested to the limit.The detachment Commander, Squadron Leader Mark Still, stated: “The exercise satisfied and exceeded it’s aims of increasing the squadron’s capability. It also provided the opportunity for 617 Squadron to enhance UK Defence relations in this region through personal liaison with the Host Nation, USAF, FAF and ADF.” Corporal Sean Williamson, a squadron avionics technician, stated: “Our primary role is to provide fast air cover for troops on the ground. This exercise has allowed us to train these skills in a similar environment to Afghanistan, as we prepare to deploy there later this year.” 617 Squadron return home to RAF Lossiemouth at the end of May in order to continue training and begin preparation for their deployment on Operation Herrick at the end of the year.

Editor: Flt Lt Tim Peakman.
Photography: Cpl Babbs Robinson.