Retirement
New Zealand expedites P-3K2 Orion retirement despite capability gap
The New Zealand Defence Force announced on December 13 that it will retire its five remaining Lockheed P-3K2 Orion maritime patrol aircraft five months earlier than planned due to staff shortages and maintenance constraints
French Navy retires iconic Sud Aviation Alouette III helicopters
The French Navy has withdrawn its final Sud Aviation Alouette IIIs after an illustrious career spanning six decades on land and at sea, reports Babak Taghvaee
Why is Brazil retiring its Mi-35M gunships after just 10 years of ops?
The decision by Brazil to ditch its Hind gunships by the end of 2022 came as a surprise. AirForces Monthly examines the factors behind the grounding of the fleet
Spain's venerable Sea King fleet bows out of service
The venerable Sea King has finally retired from Spanish Navy duties. AirForces Monthly examines the impact of the iconic helicopter that served for 56 years
Norway bids farewell to Falcon 20ECM fleet after 50 years of ops
The Royal Norwegian Air Force marked the end of an era on September 30, when its two-strong fleet of ageing Dassault Falcon 20ECM multi-mission aircraft were flown operationally for the final time – bringing almost 50 years of operations with the type to a close
Is Slovakia’s recently retired MiG-29 fleet destined for Ukraine?
Having recently bid farewell to its iconic fleet of MiG-29AS/UBS Fulcrum fighters after more than 30 years of operational service, Slovakia is now discussing how best to use the 11 decommissioned aircraft with its allies and a move to transfer them to Ukraine is definitely on the table
Finnish Air Force retires L-70 Vinka trainer fleet
After more than 40 years of service, the Finnish Air Force has retired its fleet of Valmet L-70 Vinka primary training aircraft
Final A310 MRTT retires from Luftwaffe service
After 22 years of operations, the Luftwaffe retired the last of four Airbus A310-304 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft from active service on June 15, leaving Canada as the sole remaining military operator of the widebody strategic tanker/transport
Romanian MiG-21 fleet gains one-year lease of life as operations resume
After suspending all flight activities with its ageing MiG-21 LanceR B/C fleet on April 15 for safety reasons, the Romanian Air Force has resumed operations with the Cold War-era fighter for a one-year period, after which the type will be withdrawn from service
RAF retires BAe 146 to IWM Duxford
The RAF has begun retiring its four British Aerospace BAe 146s, leaving the BAE Systems Hawk as the force's sole remaining British-designed and built type