Page 3 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

INSIDE

January 2020 • Vol 21 • No 1

IN THE NEWS 64 GOSHAWK: BACK ON TRACK
The US Navy was struggling to train
aviators amid big problems with its
6 HEADLINE NEWS SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE! Boeing T-45 Goshawks in 2017. But
Euro ghter targets electronic warfare, with the problems xed, Andy Wolfe
GlobalEye tracks more success, and USAF As part of your subscription, you can now enjoy even reveals how training is back on track
light attack moves slowly forward more Combat Aircraft, more often, with the launch of thanks to a number of new initiatives
Key.Aero — Your Aviation Destination.
8 NEWS Visit www.key.aero and use your customer ID and email 72 FROM STARFIGHTER TO
Our new integrated news and analysis address to register today for your exclusive access. EUROFIGHTER
section includes a USAF F-35 air power Stefan Petersen recounts one family’s
milestone in the Middle East, the rst history that charts a remarkable story
P-8 Poseidon for the UK plus latest unit 50 of the Luftwa e, from the F-104G
and deployment news and all the latest TOPGUN — THE REAL STORY Star ghter to the F-4F Phantom II and
military losses The long-awaited sequel to the movie the Euro ghter
Top Gun is released in June 2020, but
it will be a Hollywood depiction of 78 MOODY’S RETRO ‘HOG’
16 THE OPS DESK what happens at the US Navy Fighter The 23rd Wing at Moody AFB,
Scott Wol ’s fascinating column details how Weapons School. Jamie Hunter and Georgia, has painted one of its A-10Cs
special forces tackle deliberate targeting Richard Collens tell the story of the in special markings to salute the
real TOPGUN — a school of combat history of the unit, as Nate Leong
20 READY ROOM excellence in the high desert reveals
Combat Aircraft’s regular column, looking at 80 ‘FULCRUM’: THE STORY
the stories behind the US Navy and Marine OF A RUSSIAN CLASSIC
Corps headlines, by Rick Burgess
In the second of a two-part feature,
24 AMERICA’S TANKER: Alexander Mladenov looks at the
TOO IMPORTANT TO FAIL? most ambitious ‘Fulcrum’ derivative
This year has seen a succession of problems — the MiG-29M. It was also used as
emerging for the USAF’s already delayed a baseline for the MiG-29K shipborne
Boeing KC-46 tanker program. Jon Lake ghter, eventually ordered by India
assesses the options available to the US Air and Russia. After the MiG-29K’s land-
Force based export version was sold to
Egypt, the further improved MiG-35
32 CONTRACT ADVERSARIES: was ordered for the Russian air arm
USAF PROJECT MOVES AHEAD
The US Air Force announced at the end 88 THE F-4 THAT REFUSED TO DIE
of October that it had earmarked seven Ted Carlson recounts a memorable
companies to provide contract aggressor mission with QF-4 Phantom IIs and
services across the combat air forces (CAF). F-14 Tomcats in the heyday of missile
Jamie Hunter evaluates what this means and testing operations at Point Mugu
how it will evolve
94 CUTTING EDGE
38 MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK: David Axe’s column looking at the
CONTRACTED CLOSE AIR SUPPORT latest technological developments in
The US Air Force’s over-arching contract military aerospace
covering contracted training for ‘Red Air’ 96 FLASHBACK
aggressors also includes close air support. Combat Aircraft’s trip down memory
Joe Copalman meets Valkyrie Aero, which lane, this month it’s an A-7D at
o ers cost-e ective aircraft and optimized ‘Gunsmoke’
support to the military
48 BIG SHOT: NIGHT ‘RHINO’ ON THE COVER | PAGE 50
Combat Aircraft’s new feature showcasing
military aviation’s best images each month Your Aviation Destination
— this month it’s a Greek F-4E
62 ‘ATLANTIC RESOLVE’: Two of the most striking fi ghters See
DOWN AT THE DOCKS on the planet — adversary F-16A page 99
Part of the European Reassurance Initiative, and F/A-18C over Nevada as
‘Atlantic Resolve’ has seen a series of large they hunt down a student. In for full SUBSCRIBER
US Army deployments to Europe, with this issue we meet the TOPGUN details EXCLUSIVE
the latest example getting under way in instructors. Jamie Hunter
October, as Dino van Doorn reports

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