Page 15 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

[NEWS]

UNIT AND LOSSES

DEPLOYMENT NEWS Compiled by Tom Kaminski

• An Indian Navy MiG-29KUB assigned to the air force’s transport
• The 355th Fighter Squadron (FS) • The 56th Rescue Squadron crashed shortly after taking off from group, crossed a taxiway and a
has been inactivated and in its returned to Aviano Air Base, INS Hansa in Dabolim on November ditch, causing the main landing
place the 24th FS stood-up during Italy, on October 8, concluding a 16. Both pilots ejected safely before gear to collapse. One member of
ceremonies held at NAS JRB Fort deployment in support of Central the fighter came down in Goa. the seven crew was injured.
Worth, Texas, on October 25. The Command that began in May 2019. The crash followed multiple bird • AF-1B (A-4KU) serial N-1013
24th FS is an active associate unit strikes that caused a dual-engine (ex-BuNo 160198, c/n 14566),
that is stationed alongside the Air • The Ohio Army National Guard’s flame-out. operated by the Brazilian Navy’s
Force Reserve Command’s 301st Detachment 2, Company A, 2nd • A Nigerian Air Force A109LUH First Interceptor Attack Squadron
Fighter Wing. Assigned to the 495th Battalion, 641st Aviation Regiment was destroyed in a hard landing in (VF-1), was heavily damaged in
Fighter Group at Shaw AFB, South is deploying to Afghanistan. Enugu state on November 14. No an aborted take-off at São Pedro
Carolina, the squadron shares the Normally stationed at Rickenbacker fatalities were reported as a result da Aldeia Naval Air Base in Rio de
responsibility for operating the International Airport, Columbus, of the mishap or the post-crash fire. Janeiro, Brazil, on October 21. The
301st FW’s F-16Cs with the wing’s the unit provides Operational • Italian Navy SH-101A (AW101) former Kuwaiti Air Force Skyhawk
own 757th FS. Support Airlift with a single C-26E serial MM81487 (c/n 50039) from was only returned to service after
Metroliner. the 1st Helicopter Squadron receiving upgrades in September.
• The last deployed EC-130H crashed aboard the Horizon-class The pilot was able to egress the
Compass Call departed from Ali Al • Company F, 1st Battalion 82nd destroyer Caio Duilio (D554) during aircraft without incident.
Salem Air Base, Kuwait, on October Aviation Regiment has deployed a training flight on November 6.
2. The departure of the aircraft to the US Central Command Six passengers and crew escaped USAF safety improves
coincided with the inactivation of Area of Operations (CENTCOM) without serious injury following the US Fiscal Year 2019, which
the 43rd Expeditionary Electronic area of responsibility in support Merlin’s hard landing. concluded on September 30,
Combat Squadron. of Operation ‘Inherent Resolve’. • An F-16 from the USAF 49th proved to be a far safer year for the
Assigned to the 82nd Airborne Wing’s 54th Fighter Group at USAF than 2018. According to data
• The deployment of three RQ-4Bs to Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade, Holloman AFB, New Mexico, from the Air Force Safety Center
Yokota Air Base, Japan, concluded the Attack Reconnaissance crashed during an evening training at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, the
when the Global Hawks returned to Battalion operates the MQ-1C Gray flight on October 29. The pilot service suffered 14 major mishaps
Andersen AFB, Guam, on October Eagle remotely piloted aircraft. successfully ejected and suffered compared with 23 in FY 2018. A
20. Assigned to Det 1, 319th only minor injuries. The crash Class A mishap is one that results
Operations Group, the remotely • The New York Air National Guard’s occurred around 80 miles (128.7km) in more than $2 million in damage,
piloted aircraft shifted operations to 109th Airlift Wing began its 32nd southeast of Holloman. or a death or permanent disability.
Yokota during the summer typhoon year of support of the US Antarctic • Bell 412EP serial FAC0006 (c/n The recorded mishaps resulted
season when weather has a greater Program under Operation ‘Deep 36585), operated by the Colombian in the loss of three aircraft and a
potential to affect operations in Freeze’ on October 28, when the Air Force, crashed during a single fatality. The service suffered
Guam. first of five LC-130Hs departed from maintenance test flight on October 19 fatalities in FY 2018. Incidents
Stratton Air National Guard base 25. Six crew and passengers that involve the destruction of a
• The Wisconsin Air National Guard’s in Scotia. The wing’s 109th Airlift were killed when the helicopter remotely piloted aircraft are not
115th Fighter Wing completed a Squadron flies 10 ski-equipped LC- went down near Subachoque in included in the statistics unless one
four-month deployment in support 130H aircraft. During the upcoming central Colombia’s Cundinamarca of the criteria is met.
of Operation ‘Freedom’s Sentinel’ support season, which runs department. The 14 Class A events involved six
on November 9. In addition to the through February 2020, the 109th • An Indian Army Dhruv F-22s, two F-15s, and two F-16Cs,
wing’s own 176th Expeditionary expects to fly around 160 missions, helicopter was destroyed in an as well as single examples of the
Fighter Squadron, the deployment from its base at McMurdo Station. emergency landing in Kashmir C-17A, T-38C, T-6A, and CV-22B. The
was supported by the 378th Missions will include logistical on October 24. Two pilots and service also saw a reduction in Class
Fighter Squadron. The active-duty support for research in western five passengers, including the B mishaps, which cause between
associate is stationed alongside the Antarctica, where scientists are Northern Army commander, $500,000 and $2 million in damage,
115th at Truax Field in Madison. studying ice loss in glaciers as were on board, but no serious a permanent or partial disability, or
While deployed to Bagram Airfield, part of the International Thwaites injuries were reported — the the hospitalization of three or more
Afghanistan, the unit was assigned Glacier Collaboration. Throughout helicopter went down alongside a personnel.
to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing. the 2018-2019 season, the river in the Poonch district of the The improvements can be
squadron completed 242 missions Jammu region. partially attributed to new
• The 20th Fighter Wing’s 79th within Antarctica transporting • Salvadoran Air Force BT-67 technologies and procedures
Fighter Squadron deployed 18 scientists, fuel, medical and other serial FAS-116 (ex-C-47B serial that are being put in place. The
F-16Cs to Bagram in late October, supplies. As part of Operation 44-76950, c/n 33282/16534) incorporation of a new Automatic
replacing the Wisconsin jets. The ‘Deep Freeze’, Joint Task Force- suffered a runway excursion during Ground Collision Avoidance System
aircraft arrived in Afghanistan on Support Forces Antarctica employs take-off at San Salvador/Ilopango in the F-16 fleet is one example.
October 26 following a stop at sealift and airlift to deliver supplies International Airport on October The system has reportedly already
Morón Air Base in southern Spain. and personnel to Antarctica.
22. The Basler Turbo BT-67, which is saved nine lives and eight aircraft.

www.Key.Aero // January 2020 15

22/11/2019 13:18
8-15 News C.indd 15 22/11/2019 13:18
8-15 News C.indd 15