The Swiss Air Force is set for a unique exercise, testing the viability of using the A1 motorway near Payerne as a makeshift airfield for F/A-18 fighter jets. This unprecedented move, approved by the government and scheduled for Jun. 4-6 aims to enhance the flexibility and adaptability of the nation’s air defense capabilities.
The United Kingdom is reportedly considering deploying an aircraft carrier to the Red Sea to fill a potential security gap following the planned departure of the U.S. Navy’s USS Dwight D Eisenhower. This development comes amidst ongoing tensions in the region, fueled by Houthi rebel attacks on shipping vessels.
FULL UK CARRIER STRIKE GROUP ASSEMBLED FOR FIRST TIME The full UK Carrier Strike Group assembled for the first time during Group Exercise 2020 on 4th October. Aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth leads a flotilla of destroyers and frigates from the UK, US and the Netherlands, together with two Royal Fleet Auxiliaries. It is the most powerful task force assembled by any European Navy in almost 20 years.
In a development poised to potentially alter the landscape of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Boeing’s Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) is on the cusp of delivery to the Ukrainian military. This long-range precision munition, capable of striking targets up to 150 kilometers (93 miles) away, underwent successful testing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida before its imminent deployment. According to Politico, the weapons could be delivered to Ukraine on the last day of January, 2024.
In a significant milestone for both Textron Systems and the U.S. Navy, the Aerosonde Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) completed its first operational flight from a Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) on Jan. 29. Launching from the USS Savannah, the inaugural mission marks the start of Aerosonde’s operational deployment onboard the LCS platform, bolstering the Navy’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities and expanding its reach across diverse maritime missions.
In a bittersweet ceremony at the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit, the curtain closed on an era as the final class of AV-8B Harrier II power plant mechanics graduated on Jan. 29. These five Marines, armed with 60 days of rigorous training on the Harrier’s jet engine and gas turbine starter, will now report to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 14, the last remaining Harrier unit in the U.S. Marine Corps.
The final class of maintainers for the AV-8B Harrier II’s F-402 engine stand for a group photo with the course instructors and Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training leaders during a graduation ceremony of the last class of fixed-wing power plants mechanics, at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Jan. 29, 2024. This class consisted of the last maintainers of the AV-8B Harrier II’s F-402 engine and marks one of the Marine Corps final steps to transitioning to the F-35 Lightning II. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Lauralle Walker)
.jpg)
