Moderadores: Lepanto, poliorcetes, Edu, Orel
Belgian Alpha Jets retired
On 13 January 2020, the last three Force Aerienne Belge (Belgische Luchtmacht) Alpha Jets returned from Cazaux air base (France) after more than fifteen years of joint Fighter training with the Armée de l'air (AdlA, French Air Force). The aircraft landed at Beauvechain air base (Bevekom) around 13:00hrs LT .
In 2003, the French and Belgian Air Forces decided to set up a joint training school. The cooperation was due to an overcapacity of Belgian Alpha Jet training aircraft, a minimum quota of Belgian students and a shortage of aircraft with the AdlA. Since June 2004, the Belgian 11 Squadron has had a permanent detachment at Cazaux, where it had been incorporated in L'Escadron de Transition Opérationnelle 2/8 'Nice' (ETO02.008), with a total of 29 Alpha Jet 1B+ training aircraft. Together with the French Alpha Jets they formed the French-Belgian Advanced Jet Training School (AJeTS).
AJeTs ceased joint training in October 2018. In total 165 Belgian pilots were trained at Cazaux. The school realised more than 50,000 flight hours with the Alpha Jets in the last fifteen years. It had already been decided that, due to budget constraints, the Belgian Alpha Jets will not be replaced. The aircraft have been available for sale since October 2018. The mentioned last three aircraft will join the others already stored at Beauvechain.
For jet pilot training, the Belgian Air Force joined the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Programme (ENJJPT) at Sheppard Air Force Base (TX). ENJJPT is NATO’s only multi-nationally manned and managed flight training programme. It is hosted by the 80th Flying Training Wing within of the US Air Force. The 80th FTW has a fleet of 201 training aircraft - consisting of both the T-6A Texan II and T-38C Talon - to train future fighter pilots. Fourteen NATO partners have joined the ENJJPT since its foundation in 1983.
RAAF F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft leaving Luke AFB
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) started training on the F-35A Lightning II at Luke AFB (AZ) in December 2014. Since then, the aircraft had been operated by the 61st Fighter Squadron 'Top Dogs' (56th Fighter Wing). In December 2019, after five years of continuous presence, the Australians have started recalling their pilots, maintainers and aircraft to RAAF Base Williamtown (NSW, Australia). Since 2014, 34 Australian pilots and 16 instructor pilots have earned their certifications, and as of January 2020, the RAAF has taken delivery of 20 F-35As.
In the future, all Australian F-35 pilots and maintainers will be trained with the 2nd OCU (Operational Conversion Unit) 'at home' in Williamtown. However, according to Wing Commander Jordon Sander, who is the 61st FS Australian Senior National Representative and the new commander of the 2nd OCU, Luke AFB will still be the RAAF’s F-35A delivery location. Australian pilots will return to the base several times a year to ferry the country’s latest delivered fifth generation fighters to Australia. The ferry missions will continue until the RAAF will have received its final F-35A Lightning II in 2023.
Source: luke.af.mil and RAAF
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Saab is responsible for the development and production of the aft fuselage section for the advanced trainer, with seven aft units being produced in Linköping, Sweden for final assembly at Boeing’s U.S. facility in St. Louis, Missouri.
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Unos, que dejan de entrenar pilotos con sus propios aviones y pasan a hacerlo en la escuela conjunta de la OTAN.
¿seguimos discutiendo en adquirir T50 supersónicos o nos bajamos del guindo y hacemos lo mismo cuando se den de baja los F-5?
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