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First Nigerian Super Tucano revealed

Pictures of the first of twelve A-29 Super Tucano light attack, combat/reconnaissance aircraft for Nigerian Air Force painted in full combat colours have been released by Embraer Defense & Security and Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC).

On 28 May 2020, Sierra Nevada/Embraer released some photos of the first Nigerian Air Force painted Super Tucano at their Jacksonville (FL) production facility. Although its future NAF serial number is not known yet (it was taped over), it was stated that the delivery to Nigeria is scheduled for 2021.

Earlier, Embraer Defense & Security and Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) announced the first Super Tucano light attack, combat and reconnaissance aircraft for the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) successfully completed its inaugural flight at the production facility in Jacksonville (FL) on 17 April 2020.

In December 2018, SNC and Embraer Defense & Security were awarded the contract to deliver 12 A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft to the Nigerian Air Force. The contract for the NAF includes ground training devices, mission planning systems, mission debrief systems, spares, ground support equipment, alternate mission equipment, contiguous U.S. interim contractor support.

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Thunderbolts and Lightnings conducted SEAD/DEAD missions together

As expected, eighteen 389th Fighter Squadron F-15E Strike Eagles arrived at RAF Lakenheath (UK) from Muwaffaq Salti/ Al Azraq Air Base (Jordan) on 27 and 28 May 2020.

The MO coded "Thunderbolts" Strike Eagles were the past eight months deployed as 389th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron (EFS), part of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing and are transiting Lakenheath back to their stateside home base Mountain Home AFB (ID).

Scramble has learned that at the beginning of 2020, when tensions rose with Iran, the 389th EFS worked multiple times together from Jordan soil with F-35A Lightnings from Hill's 388th Fighter Wing. As the Mountain Home "Thunderbolts" are normally primarily tasked with Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) and Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses (DEAD) missions, Scramble assesses that they conducted them together. Although the USAF frequently uses the 4th Generation (i.e. F-15E) and 5th Generation (i.e. F-35A) aircraft together during exercises, this was the first time whilst being operationally deployed. Also, Jordan is quite close to Syria. Since the end of 2015, Russia has multiple Air Defense systems deployed in Syria. It is imaginable that the USAF tested their 4th Gen aircraft in close combination with their 5th Gen aircraft SEAD/DEAD capabilities during missions close to the Syrian border.

The 389th FS was replaced up by strike Eagles from Lakenheath's 492nd FS.

Having picked up by KC-10A tanker aircraft, the 389th FS Strike Eagles arrived in three waves at Lakenheath.
On 27 May :
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On 28 May 2020:
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https://www.flightglobal.com/airframers ... 00.article
https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing ... 98.article
https://www.flightglobal.com/airlines/k ... 97.article
https://www.flightglobal.com/air-transp ... 96.article
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https://www.defenseworld.net/news/27077 ... ealth_Jets

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Cool video!

A Russian Su-27P of most probably 689th Fighter Air Regiment based at Chkalovsk air base (Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia) was SCRAMBLE'd to a US Air Force B-1B Lancer over the Baltic Sea.

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Naval Air Training Command slowly changing. recently they decided to purchase the TH-119 as a replacement of the TH-57B/C Sea Ranger training helicopter, mid-May 2020 Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) issued a Fequest For Information (RFI) to industries for the future replacement of the T-45C Gowshawk training jet (*) and now NAVAIR is looking at options for the replacement of the T-44 Pegasus

The T-44C Pegasus, a military variant of the Beech 90 King Air, is used since 1980 for multi-engine training, the choice for replacement aircraft may not be “new.” The US Navy is exploring options for adapting an existing aircraft design to the service’s Multi-Engine Training System (METS).

According to a draft RFI posted on 26 May 2020, the US Navy is looking at existing twin-engine aircraft to replace the service’s fleet of 54 T-44Cs used to train US Navy, US Marine Corps, and US Coast Guard pilots as well as pilots from some allied nations. Within US service, graduated T-44 pilots will start to fly aircraft such as the V-22 Osprey, E-2C/D Hawkeye, P-8 Poseidon, P-3 and EP-3 Orion, C-130/KC-130/HC-130 Hercules, E-6 Mercury, C-40 Clipper, HC-27 Spartan and HC-144 Ocean Sentry.

NAVAIR said the METS should have an FAA type certification for single- and dual-pilot operations under day and night visual flight rules and under instrument flight rules. It shall cruise at speeds greater or equal to 195 knots and shall be able to operate at a minimum of 20,000 feet above sea level. The aircraft also should have an endurance of 3.5 or more flight hours.

The pressurized aircraft cockpit will have side-by-side seating, as well as a jump seat for an instructor pilot. The cockpit will be equipped with multifunction displays with digital moving map; redundant VHF and UHF radios; an integrated GPS/inertial navigation system; Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast; flight management system; weather radar, radar altimeter, and a cockpit data recorder.

The METS aircraft also shall have tricycle landing gear and a reconfigurable cargo bay in the cabin.

In contradiction with the T-45C RFI, now date was revealed by NAVAIR when the defence industry must send their responses, nor a date was given when the T-44C operational life cyclus will end.

A most likely candidate to replace the Pegasus could be the Beechcraft Super King Air 350, already widely in use with US Forces, but other options, among others could be (variants of) the Cessna 425, Piper Seneca V and Tecnam P2006T.

The current fleet of T-44s is based at NAS Corpus Christi (TX) and are assigned to Training Air Wing (TAW) 4 ('G-xxx'), with Training Squadron (VT) 31 "Wise Owls" and VT-35 "Stingrays".

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Behold

The first clear pictures of a MiG-29(BM) that is assigned to support the Libyan National Army (LNA) Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar.

The pictures were possibly made on 20 May 2020 during a refueling stop on the Russian air base Khmeimim (Latakia, Syria) while the MiG-29s were en-route to Libya on . The aircraft

US Africa Command released some pictures of the MiG-29 deployment to Libya that contains multiple unmarked MiG-29 and a certain number of Russian Su-24s. In total it is reported that at least fourteen jets been have deployed of which four Su-24s are comfirmed in Libya. The whole flight was supported by possibly Su-35s and Su-24s from the Russian Special Purpose Air Brigade in Khmeimim.

USAFRICOM also revealed some satellite images of the MiG-29s in Libya and images of the fuelstop at Kheimim. It is not clear to what Libyan main base the MiGs have deployed but images appear from Tobruk air base in eastern Libya, Al Jufra air base in central Libya.

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The government of South Korea has signed a contract with Korean Air to lease a The Boeing Company B747-8 for five years.

The Jumbojet will be used by the 대한민국 공군(Republic of Korea Air Force) to replace their B747-400 10001 as the country's governmental jet, which is also leased from Korean Air.

The plane will now undergo modifications and a repaint and is expected to enter service next year.

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Two B-1B Lancers from Ellsworth AFB (SD), conducted a long-range, long duration strategic Bomber Task Force (BTF) mission throughout Europe and the Black Sea region on 29 May 2020.

This marked the first time that a Bomber Task Force mission integrated with Ukrainian Su-27 Flankers and MiG-29 Fulcrums, Romanian F-16s and MiG-21s, and Turkish KC-135s, which provided escort and combat patrol overwatch in the Black Sea region

"Bomber Task Force (missions to Europe demonstrate commitment to our allies and partners all while providing a clear deterrence message to any adversary,” said Gen. Jeff Harrigian, US Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa commander. “The integration of our strategic bomber presence across Europe proves that the US, alongside any ally or partner, stands ready to deter, and if needed, can employ these capabilities together.”

A KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall UK), Turkish and US KC-135s based out of Incirlik Air Base (Turkey), and other NATO aerial refueling aircraft enabled the B-1 to complete the round trip from Ellsworth without delay, while also providing aerial refueling support to our partner-nation aircraft.

Additionally, the B-1s integrated with Greek F-16 air policing for an overflight of Skopje, North Macedonia.

“The Bomber Task Force missions demonstrate to our NATO Allies, including our newest member - North Macedonia - that these strategic missions enhance the readiness and training necessary to respond to any potential crisis or challenge around the globe,” said Gen. Tod D. Wolters, US European Command commander. “The integration and interoperability with our NATO Allies during these missions, be it aerial tanker support or fighter escorts, are indelible actions that show the Alliance is as strong as I've ever witnessed.”

Bomber missions familiarize aircrew with air bases, airspace, and operations in different geographic combatant commands. These missions build proficiency and confidence, and they demonstrate the credibility of our forces to address a global security environment that is more diverse and uncertain than at any other time in our history.

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https://www.key.aero/article/italian-mo ... 180-fleets