US Air Force (USAF)
The ultimate guide to everything happening at RAF Lakenheath
AirForces Monthly looks at RAF Lakenheath, where the 48th Fighter Wing is continuing to transition from an all Eagle force to welcome the new fifth-generation capabilities offered by the F-35A Lightning II
USAF transfers former Kadena-based F-15Cs to 144th FW
As the USAF continues to rapidly withdraw its F-15C/D Eagles from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, the US Air National Guard’s 144th Fighter Wing at Fresno-Yosemite International Airport in California has revealed that it received three of the former Japan-based fighters in December
Spangdahlem F-16CMs arrive at Kadena Air Base in rare deployment
Eight USAF Lockheed Martin F-16CM Fighting Falcons from the 480th Fighter Squadron ‘Warhawks’ of the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany touched down at Kadena Air Base in Japan on January 16
USAF set to continue flying ‘retired’ F-117As for another decade
While the USAF formally ‘retired’ its fleet of F-117A Nighthawk stealth attack jets in April 2008, the air arm is now seeking to keep a number of examples flying in support of “limited research and training activities” until at least 2034 – more than 25 years after the type was initially withdrawn from service
‘Ironmen’ reactivate as new F-22A FTU at Langley-Eustis
In preparation for the relocation of the F-22A Formal Training Unit mission from Florida to Virginia, the USAF’s Air Combat Command reactivated the 71st Fighter Squadron under the 1st Fighter Wing/Operations Group at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton on January 6
USAF performs largest mass C-17A launch in joint force exercise
Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina carried out the launch of 24 USAF-operated C-17A Globemaster IIIs on January 5 – the largest mass launch of the type from a single base – as part of a mission generation exercise that the air arm claims involved almost 60 aircraft
Ex-RAF chief condemns US-hosted ENJJPT pilot training programme
Training British fast-jet pilots in the US is a waste of taxpayers’ money and does not meet the needs of the RAF, a former senior commander has said
First F-35A to receive TR-3 upgrades completes maiden flight
A developmental test team from the USAF’s 461st FLTS ‘Deadly Jesters’ conducted the first flight of an F-35A Lightning II in the fifth-generation fighter’s new Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) configuration at Edwards AFB in California on January 6
Why is the USAF rapidly moving to withdraw its F-15C/D Eagles from Kadena?
Barely a month after the USAF announced that Kadena Air Base in Japan would lose its F-15C/D Eagles, they are now heading home. Combat Aircraft Journal reports
USAF pushes forward with RC-26B Condor retirement plan
Having served as an integral part of US ANG counter-narcotics operations for the last 30 years, the USAF is now moving to accelerate the retirement of its 11-strong fleet of RC-26B Condor reconnaissance aircraft – a type the service has been pushing to divest in recent years