Page 7 - AirForces - Monthly (February 2020)

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First flight of Eurofighter NATO Last F-35A Lightning II for
Hill’s fighter wings

moves to

in Kuwaiti configuration replace THE USAF’s 388th Fighter years, the wings have also F-16 downs target drone
Over the last three
Wing (FW) at Hill Air Force
Base, Utah, received its
deployed to the European
AWACS
and Pacific theatres and
final F-35A on December
participated in several large-
17. The delivery brings the
fleet

combat exercises. At the
at the base to 78.
The first operational F-35As time of the delivery, airmen
NATO HAS awarded total number of aircraft scale USAF and international with laser-guided rocket
contracts for the Alliance arrived at Hill in September from the wings were
Future Surveillance and 2015. Since then, the active- engaged in a second F-35A THE USAF has conducted Above: A screen capture
Control (AFSC) capability duty 388th and Reserve combat deployment of what it described as an from the December 19 test,
that is intended to 419th FWs have flown more 2019, supporting operations “unprecedented test”, in showing an 85th TES F-16C
replace its E-3A Airborne than 17,500 sorties and more to the Middle East. which an F-16C operated launching an AGR-20A from
Warning and Control than 33,000 flying hours. Hill was chosen to be by the 85th Test and a seven-round underwing
System (AWACS). The six The wing’s three the home of the USAF’s Evaluation Squadron (TES) pod. USAF
contracts were announced squadrons, the 4th, 34th first deployable F-35A shot down a cruise missile 53rd Wing, said: “The test
by the NATO Support and 421st Fighter Squadrons units because of the Total target using a laser-guided will shape the future of
and Procurement Agency (FS), now each have 24 Force partnership of the rocket. The December how the air force executes
(NSPA) on December 5. primary assigned aircraft 388th and 419th FWs, its 19 test involved the jet [cruise missile defence].”
The agency described it as with six back-up jets. The proximity to the Utah Test destroying a subscale He added that the air-to-
“a significant step that will 419th FW’s 466th FS also and Training Range and drone using an AGR-20A air APKWS could “have
enable the development supports routine F-35 the Ogden Air Logistics Advanced Precision Kill implications for homeland
of high-level technical operations alongside the Complex, the base’s weather, Weapon System (APKWS) defence missions,
concepts for NATO’s active-duty squadrons. zoning and airspace. laser-guided rocket. In combined defence of the
future surveillance and the proof-of-concept Arabian Gulf and beyond”.
control capabilities”. test, the rockets were Originally developed
Following an international cued from the F-16’s AN/ as a low-cost, low-
bidding process, contracts AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced collateral-damage, air-to-
were awarded to the Targeting Pod (ATP). ground weapon for use
Boeing ABILITI Consortium, It remains unclear how in Afghanistan and Iraq,
General Atomics, Lockheed the Fighting Falcon’s pod the AGR-20A had not
Martin, Airbus Germany, was able to track a low- previously been adapted for
L3Harris Consortium level target moving as counter-air use. Compared
UK, and MDA under the fast as a cruise missile with the AIM-120 missile,
NATO Security Investment and how the rocket the AGR-20A is “a fraction
Programme (NSIP) was able to manoeuvre of the cost”, can be loaded
infrastructure programme. to shoot it down. faster and an aircraft can
The Boeing ABILITI The 388th FW’s final F-35A, 17-5276 ‘HL’ (AF-218), which arrived Col Ryan Messer, carry two-to-three times
Consortium includes at Hill on December 17. The jet wears the markings of the 421st commander of the parent the number of weapons.
Thales France, Leonardo FS ‘Black Widows’. USAF/Capt Kip Sumner
Italy, Indra Systems, and
Inmarsat, while the L3Harris
team includes Musketeer MH-139A Grey Wolf begins testing
Solutions, Videns, 3SDL,
Synergeticon, Hensoldt
Sensors, IBM UK, and AIR FORCE Global Strike that roam the northern tier rescue, airlift support, USAF’s only dedicated
Deloitte Belgium. Command (AFGSC) has of North America, which National Capital Region rotary test unit. Detachment
The AFSC concept stage established a detachment also encompasses the missions, as well as survival 7 provides pilots and special
was launched by the at Duke Field, Florida, command’s intercontinental school and test support. mission aviators for the
North Atlantic Council, the to support testing and ballistic missile (ICBM) After receiving its first test effort. The detachment
alliance’s highest decision- evaluation of its new bases. The MH-139A will helicopter, AFGSC’s will eventually field four
MH-139s and move to
provide security and support
Detachment 7 was
MH-139A helicopter –
making body, in 2017.
C295 testing hose-and-drogue refuelling system is planned to retire officially named Grey for the nation’s ICBM established at Duke Field Malmstrom Air Force
NATO’s AWACS fleet
Wolf during a ceremony
fields that span Wyoming,
Base, Montana, to perform
on December 20 to support
in 2035. The NSPA is at the base on December Montana, North Dakota, testing and evaluation of additional testing and
responsible for conducting 19. The Grey Wolf is the Colorado and Nebraska, the new helicopter. The evaluation. A second aircraft
studies and developing first major acquisition for replacing the UH-1N, which detachment will work in was due to arrive mid-
technical concepts that the AFGSC in its ten-year entered USAF service in conjunction with Air Force January, while the third and
will help inform future history. The name is derived 1970. Other missions will Materiel Command’s 413th fourth aircraft are scheduled
decisions by the alliance, from the wild wolves include civil search and Flight Test Squadron, the to arrive in February.
individual nations or
multinational groups to A first MH-139A for AFGSC’s
acquire new systems. Detachment 7 arrives at
The best value award of Duke Field on December 19.
the current contracts is USAF/Samuel King Jr
the first step in a series
of concept development
and assessment activities
that will take place in
the 2020-22 timeframe.
Concepts proposed
by the six contractors
will be assessed for
further development and
feasibility analysis in a
second competition to be
announced later this year.
www.Key.Aero #383 February 2020 // 7
06/01/2020 12:38:17
06-07 HeadlineNews AFM Feb2020.indd 7
06-07 HeadlineNews AFM Feb2020.indd 7 06/01/2020 12:38:17