Crews from the U.S. Air Force’s 9th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, have been awarded the 2023 Brig. Gen. Ross G. Hoyt Award for their exceptional performance during a presidentially-directed contingency operation. The operation involved supporting the single-longest U.S. Army helicopter mission to rely entirely on aerial refueling, marking a significant milestone in U.S. military aviation history.
U.S. service members from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), 6th Special Operations Squadron and 109th Airlift Wing watch a MH-47G Special Operations Aircraft assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), refuel mid-air during Arctic Edge 24(AE24) over the Alaskan wilderness, March 2, 2024. During AE24, more than 400 joint and allied Special Operators trained in extreme cold conditions to sharpen SOF readiness across unique specialties like long range fires and movements, special reconnaissance, rapid resupply, personnel recovery, and medical care in the austere Arctic environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Drew Cyburt) Continue reading “Two MC-130J Commando II crews earn prestigious Hoyt Award for unprecedented aerial refueling mission”
In a positive turn of events for Ukraine’s air defense capabilities, Canada’s procurement of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) is showing signs of advancement following earlier setbacks. The $406 million purchase, initially announced in January 2023, is now on track for delivery in early 2025, marking a significant step forward in bolstering Ukraine’s defensive arsenal.
Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas, has recently completed the installation of aircraft arresting system on its runway, marking a crucial step in its preparation for the arrival of the first foreign F-35 fighters set to train there. Coinciding with this development, Poland, slated to be the first foreign air force to send F-35s to Ebbing, has taken delivery of its initial F-35 fighter jet, heralding a new era in NATO’s air defense capabilities.
An investigation by FOX 13 News into a Utah National Guard helicopter crash has revealed that the pilot, an F-35 pilot without the necessary qualifications, was at the controls during the incident.
The Japanese government has announced plans to equip the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (MSDF) Aegis destroyer JS Chōkai with the capability to launch U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles.
