Page 5 - AirForces Monthly - Issue 381 (December 2019)

Features

3 Comment
AFM’s opinion on the hot topics in military aviation.
48 NATO’s last Fitters
While the Su-22 swing-wing strike aircraft may
be obsolescent by today’s standards, 35 years
ago it provided Poland with a technological leap
comparable only with its subsequent purchase
of F-16 fighters. Piotr Butowski assesses the
current status of NATO’s last surviving Fitters.
62 Croatia’s new Warriors
After three years of intensive training, Croatia’s
Kiowa Warriors and their crews are on the
brink of attaining full operational capability.
Martin Scharenborg and Ramon Wenink
followed their final steps towards readiness.
66 Lightning Force at sea
The UK Lightning Force has embarked on
what is arguably its most important mission
to date, taking a meaningful complement of
F-35Bs to the HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08).
Jamie Hunter evaluates this major step towards
establishing the new UK carrier strike force.
80 Operation Northern
Lightning
In a first among Joint Strike Fighter partner
nations, Italy deployed its F-35As to Iceland
in October in support of NATO’s Icelandic air
policing mission. David Cenciotti visited the Italian
detachment at Keflavik Airport and talked to the
pilots involved in Operation Northern Lightning.
90 The long arm of the Israeli
Air Force
While the Israeli Air Force is well equipped
with ‘smart’ standoff weapon systems,
threats developing close to the country’s
borders and further afield require additional,
even more capable munitions. Arie Egozi
examines those currently in production.
94 Fifty-fifty over the Baltics
Hungarian Gripens took part in 50 live scrambles
during the 50th rotation of NATO’s Baltic
Air Policing mission. Lt Col István Toperczer
joined them as they patrolled the skies of
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania this summer.
News

All the world’s military aviation news, by region
6-7 ............................Headlines
8-9 ............................United Kingdom
12-15 ........................Continental Europe
16-18 ........................North America
19 ...............................Russia & CIS
20 ..............................Middle East
21 ...............................Latin America
22 ..............................Australasia
See pages 28-29 for details 23 ..............................Africa
26-27 ......................Asia Pacific

www.Key.Aero #381 December 2019 // 5

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