Alert 5

British Army bids farewell to Apache Mk.1

Posted on March 22, 2024March 22, 2024 by alert5

The curtain falls on a storied chapter in British aviation history as the final flight of the Apache Mk.1 attack helicopter approaches. After more than two decades of service with the British Army, the venerable attack helicopter stationed at Wattisham Flying Station in Suffolk will be retired on Mar. 25th. This retirement marks the handover of the reins to the more advanced Apache AH-64E model.

Ronnie Macdonald from Chelmsford, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Ukraine’s arms industry takes flight

Posted on March 22, 2024March 21, 2024 by alert5

The Washington Post has a report on a remarkable transformation in Ukraine. Prior to the February 2022 Russian invasion, Ukraine relied heavily on foreign suppliers for its weapons. Years of neglect and an industry focused on the Russian market left the nation with limited domestic production capabilities. However, the harsh realities of war have spurred a dramatic shift, with Ukraine’s aerospace and defense sectors undergoing a rapid transition towards self-sufficiency.

VoidWanderer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Farewell, Warthog: A-10 Demonstration Team takes flight for final season

Posted on March 21, 2024March 21, 2024 by alert5

Calling all aviation enthusiasts! The roar of the A-10 Thunderbolt II, affectionately nicknamed the “Warthog,” will grace the skies for one last season. The U.S. Air Force’s A-10C Demonstration Team announced on Mar. 20 that this year marks the end of an era, with their final performance scheduled for Oct. 6th at the Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach, California.

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U.S. Navy will now take delivery of its last Super Hornet in 2027

Posted on March 21, 2024 by alert5

The U.S. Navy has awarded Boeing a $1.3 billion contract on Mar. 19 to deliver 17 advanced F/A-18E/F Block III Super Hornet fighter jets, bolstering its fleet of carrier-based combat aircraft. This agreement also includes a critical technical data package that will ensure the long-term operational readiness and maintenance of these jets. The agreement comes after previous negotiations for the Navy’s final batch of Super Hornets stalled in late 2023 due to rising aircraft costs.

150608-N-EH855-654 WATERS NEAR GUAM (June 8, 2015) Capt. William Koyama, commander, carrier air wing (CVW) 5, prepares to make an arrested landing on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) in an F/A-18E Super Hornet from the “Dambusters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 195, after completing his 4000th flight hour. George Washington and its embarked air wing, CVW 5, are on patrol in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. George Washington will conduct a hull-swap with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) later this year after serving seven years as the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier in Yokosuka, Japan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Bryan Mai/Released)

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U.S. Air Force ends AC-130J Ghostrider laser weapon integration efforts

Posted on March 20, 2024 by alert5

The dream of equipping the AC-130J Ghostrider gunship with a high-energy laser weapon system has come to an end. The U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has officially shelved its Airborne High Energy Laser (AHEL) program due to “technical challenges” encountered during integration and ground testing.

U.S. Air Force, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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