USAF's F-16s from 555TH FS 'Triple Nickel' Aviano AB head to Bulgaria for Thracian Viper exercise

Six F-16s from the 555th Fighter Squadron at Aviano Air Base in Italy arrived in Bulgaria Friday for training exercises with the Bulgarian, Greek and Romanian air forces. 

Other airmen and units from U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa ― including airmen from the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing at Ramstein Air Base, about 150 airmen from the 555th, and additional Aviano airmen ― are also joining the 555th for Thracian Viper 20, USAFE said in a Friday release. 

Thracian Viper, which began Friday and will run until Sept. 25, is a multilateral training exercise that aims to improve the allies' ability to work with and fight alongside Bulgaria, the release said. It is taking place at Graf Ignatievo Air Base in Bulgaria. 

airforcetimes

 

USAFE declares Polish Reaper detachment to be fully operational

The USAF in Europe (USAFE) has declared its Polish-based detachment of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to be fully operational.
The announcement on 7 March came some 10 months after the USAFE began operating the medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV out of Miroslawiec Air Base in northwestern Poland "as a visible expression of US efforts to enhance regional stability".
As noted by the USAFE, the declaration of full-operating capability (FOC) was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 52nd Expeditionary Operations Group (EOG) Detachment 2 at Miroslawiec (the 52nd EOG comes under the auspices of the 52nd Fighter Wing located at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany).
Gareth Jennings-janes

U.S. Air Force deploys F-15s, C-130 in Ukraine for the first time for Clear Sky exercise

F-15C Eagles from the 144th Fighter Wing, Fresno Air National Guard Base, Calif., have arrived at Starokostiantyniv Air Base, Ukraine, to participate in Clear Sky 2018, a joint and multinational exercise that will involve personnel from nine nations, including Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Additionally, a C-130J Super Hercules from the 146th Airlift Wing, Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, Calif., has arrived at Vinnytsia AB, Ukraine, to participate in the exercise.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of collaboration between the California Air National Guard and Ukraine as part of U.S. European Command's State Partnership Program, and the exercise will include robust participation of California ANG units.
Training will focus on air sovereignty, air interdiction, air-to-ground integration, air mobility operations, aeromedical evacuation, cyber defense, and personnel recovery.
This exercise aims to enhance regional capabilities to secure air sovereignty and promote peace and security through cooperation, collaboration and interoperability with NATO partners and other allies in the region.
usafe

USAFE F-22 Raptor trains with Spanish Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon and EF-18M at Albacete, Spain

On August, 17th took place, at the Albacete Air Base, a joint advanced aerial training exercise that included the participation of two F-22 aircraft of the USAFE and Eurofighter and F-18 aircraft of the Spanish Air Force.
In the traninig was evaluated the capabilities of the Albacete Air Base and the Tactical Leadership Program (TLP), to host an exercise that has the participation of a 5th aircraft generation, as are the F-22 of the USAF.
The exercise consisted of two independent missions to each other in the assigned flight zone, after carrying out the F-22 of the American Air Force a refueling mission in flight.
After the initial takeoff of two Eurofighters of the Air Force of Albacete Air Base, they carried out a mission with one of the F-22. Already in the work zone, dissimilar combat maneuvers were carried out, that is, between fighters of different characteristics.
At the same time, an F-18 of Ala 12 took off from the Air Base of Torrejón to meet in zone with the second American F-22 and perform the same type of mission.
Then the two Eurofighter of the 14th wing, in the air police mission, located the trace corresponding to the F-22 and made interception maneuvers for their subsequent identification. In the event of any offensive action of the attacking plane, they made defensive and coordination maneuvers in pairs to maintain the enemy's control zone.
Once the work was done in the sector, each American F-22 met with the couple of Spanish fighters assigned and proceeded to land at the Albacete Air Base.
usafe.af.mil
ejercitodelaire

USAF F-15 Fleet in Europe will shrink in the coming years

The size of the F-15 fleet in Europe will shrink in the coming years, according to the head of U.S. forces in Europe.
In Europe, there are 21 F-15Cs assigned to RAF Lakenheath.
In March, Air Force officials said the service wants to retire 51 F-15C Eagles, including 21 overseas, starting in fiscal 2015. The reductions would be made over the next five years, leaving the Air Force with 179 F-15Cs.
The upcoming F-15 cuts are one element of a broader Air Force plan to trim its force structure in the face of budget constraints.
stripes

U.S. sending F-15s, KC-135 to Norway for exercise

The U.S. is sending four F-15E fighters and a KC-135 Stratotanker to Norway to participate in an exercise..
The planes will take part in the Nordic Defence Cooperation, a regularly scheduled exercise that was planned before Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region at the end of February.
The F-15s will go to Bodo Main Air Station in Norway to work with the air forces from Norway, Finland and Sweden.
The threat of Russian expansionism has prompted both Sweden and Finland to consider becoming NATO permanent members, which already includes Norway.
airforcetimes

USAF 48th AEG to validate Amari Estonian Air Base as NATO FOB

Airmen from the 48th Air Expeditionary Group recently took a trip to Amari Air Base, Estonia, to engage and certify the aircraft arresting system, taking a critical step toward validating the new NATO Forward Operating Base.
Barrier maintenance Airmen from the 435th Construction and Training Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, deployed to the 48th Air Expeditionary Group at Siauliai Air Base, Lithuania, travelled to Estonia for the third time to certify the aircraft arresting systems and work alongside fellow Estonian air force counterparts.
Two F-15C Eagles, originally from RAF Lakenheath, U.K., helped conduct the certification.
Fighters staged at each end of the runway took turns engaging the barrier by taxiing at about 130 miles per hour with their tail hook lowered so as to hook onto the cable, which gradually slowed the aircraft to a safe, complete stop.
The Air Force requires barrier engagement tests every 12 months if not engaged by a plane in a one-year time span.
usafe

RAF Lakenheath recommended for closure in report commissioned by US government

The future of RAF Lakenheath is up in the air as a report commissioned by the US Government has recommended it for closure.
The report by thinktank RAND Corporation has suggested a range of cost-cutting measures in Europe to the US Department of Defense, including the closure of RAF Lakenheath.
Another option is moving the resident 48th Fighter Wing squadron to another air base and keeping RAF Lakenheath as an intelligence and communications centre.
In its current state RAF Lakenheath costs the USAF around $211 million per year to run.
The report also suggests relocating some forces from nearby RAF Mildenhall but the base would remain open and continue to host the 100th Refuelling Wing.
RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall contribute an estimated £500 million annually to the local economy and residents are concerns about the impact the potential closure.
A spokesperson for RAF Lakenheath said they were unable to comment on the report.
It was revealed last month that thousands of troops could leave both USAF bases this year as part of the US government’s sequestration programme which aims to reduce the number of global staff by 25,000 in the next five years.
Lakenheath is home to 5,000 servicement and women and 2,000 civilians, and Mildenhall to 3,000 military and more than 3,500 civilians.
cambridge-news

USAF wants to retire 51 F-15C

The U.S. Air Force intends to further whittle down the number of fighter aircraft based overseas as part of overall planned cuts to its fleet and wants to retire 51 F-15C Eagles, including 21 overseas, starting in fiscal 2015.
The reductions would be made over the next five years, leaving the Air Force with a total of 179 F-15Cs.
In Europe, 21 F-15Cs are assigned to RAF Lakenheath, England. Ten of those jets are currently in Lithuania to support the Baltic air policing mission. There are 54 F-15Cs based at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa.
The other two fighter squadrons at Lakenheath comprise the newer F-15E Strike Eagles.
If the proposed F-15C cuts do indeed come from Europe, it would mark the third significant reduction of USAFE’s fighter fleet since 2010. Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany lost 21 F-16s starting in 2010 as part of an Air Force cost-savings plan. The base last year also said goodbye to 21 A-10s — the last remaining “Warthogs” in Europe — as part of Air Force cutbacks to meet tougher budget limits and a new defense strategy shifting focus away from Europe to the Asia-Pacific region.
The service’s fiscal 2015 force structure adjustments call for the reduction of 24 A-10s overseas. Those are based at Osan Air Base in South Korea.
The plan also calls for cutting two C-20H aircraft from the Air Force’s overseas fleet in fiscal 2015. Those planes, a military modification of the commercial Gulfstream aircraft, are used to transport distinguished military and government officials.
stripes

Combined EUCOM-IDF 'Juniper Stallion 13' Aerial Exercise Underway

The U.S. European Command and the Israel Defense Forces have begun Juniper Stallion 13, a bilateral aerial exercise held between the U.S. and Israeli air forces. The exercise will last approximately two weeks, and is part of the regularly scheduled training between the two nations.
Juniper Stallion 13 is a combined, bilateral F-15/F-16 air-to-air exercise designed to improve the interoperability and cooperation between the U.S. and Israeli air forces. JS13 is an annual training event which has been in planning for more than a year.
idfblog

First two CV-22Bs arrive at RAF Mildenhall

The 352nd Special Operations Group resurrected a key capability June 24, 2013, when two CV-22B Ospreys touched down at RAF Mildenhall.
The Ospreys are the first of 10 slated to arrive as part of the 352nd SOG expansion, which will last through the end of 2014.
usafe

USAF deactivates lat A-10 Fighter squadron of A-10s in Europe

The Air Force inactivated the 81st Fighter Squadron June 18, here, in support of force-shaping procedures across the service.
The squadron employed the A-10 Thunderbolt II, and the closure signals the end of A-10 operations in Europe.

defencetalk

Spangdahlem launches final A-10 sortie in Europe

The U.S. Air Force launched the final A-10 Thunderbolt II tactical sortie in Europe at Spangdahlem AB May 14, 2013.
The airframe belongs to the 52nd Fighter Wing’s 81st Fighter Squadron, which inactivates in June.

dvidshub

USAFE fighter squadrons affected by sequestration

Nearly half of the fighter squadrons in U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa halted flying operations three weeks ago.
The action was a result of the reduction of flying hours Air Force-wide -- one impact of the current sequestration-related budget challenges affecting the Defense Department. When factoring in ongoing and anticipated deployments, there is limited ability to respond to operational requirements across two combatant commands.
af.mil

Comienza retirada de aviones de la USAF de Alemania/US drawdown begins in Germany

Seis F-16CJ de la USAFE se retirarán de la base aérea de Spangdahlem en Alemania, dentro del plan para reducir el despliegue de aviones a 250 unidades. La 52nd Fighter Wing de Spangdahlem reducirá sus dos escuadrones de F-16 a uno solo a finales de año. Gran parte de los aviones retirados, se reubicarán en la 148th Fighter Wing, Guardia Aérea Nacional de Minnesota, en la base de Duluth, y otros sustituirán a F-16A, basados en Edwards, California.
(key.aero)
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Six F-16CJ ‘Fighting Falcons’ are due to depart Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany.
Part of the US Air Force’s Combat Air Forces Restructuring plan to reduce the fleet by 250 aircraft, the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem will see its two F-16 squadrons merge into one later this year.
The remaining 15 aircraft will be withdrawn in phases by the end of May with the next six due to leave on April 30. Most of the F-16s will go to the 148th Fighter Wing, Minnesota Air National Guard at Duluth while one will transfer to Edwards Air Force Base in California, replacing older F-16A versions.
At Spangdahlem the 22nd and 23rd Fighter Squadrons will merge into a single, slightly larger squadron – both will be inactivated and a new squadron formed
(key.aero)

2 TYPHOON ESPAÑOLES DERRIBAN 8 F-15 DE LA USAF/TYPHOONS GOT THE BETTER OVER USAF F-15C

According KeyAero.com, Eurofighter ha anunciado que durante recientes maniobras de combate aéreo disimilar (DACT), el Typhoon se ha mostrado muy superior a los F-15C de la USAF. Los enfrentamientos tuvieron lugar en la base aérea de Gando, en Gran Canaria, donde se enfrentaron F-15C del 493FS de la 48FW, de la USAFE, y Typhoon del 111 Escuadrón del Ejercito del Aire español.
Según el comandante del 111 Escuadrón, una formación de 8 F-15 fue interceptada por 2Typhoon, "derribando" 7 de ellos.
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Según informa KeyAero.com, Eurofighter claims that during recent Dissimilar Aircraft Combat Training (DACT) exercises, Typhoons got the better of US Air Force F-15Cs.
The mock dogfights were carried out over Gando Air Base in Gran Canaria where the 493rd Fighter Squadron from the 48th Fighter Wing, US Air Forces in Europe matched up against Typhoons from 111 Escuadrón, Ala 11 of the Spanish Air Force (Ejército del Aire).
Commander of 111 Escuadrón said that a two-ship formation of Typhoons managed to “smash” a formation of eight F-15s with the first Typhoon managing to ‘shoot down’ four F-15s, the second downing three Eagles.

LA USAFE SE REDUCE/ USAFE REDUCTION

Según KeyAero.com la USAFE (Fuerza Aérea de los Estados Unidos en Europa), ha comunicado la reducción en el número de los F-16C estacionado en Spangdahlem, Alemania.
Así lo ha confirmado durante su visita a Alemania el Jefe de la USAFE (General Roger Brady). Esto forma parte de un plan para disponer de una fuerza aérea mas pequeña, pero mas capaz. En lugar de dos escuadrones con veintiún aviones, se dispondría de solo uno con 24, junto al escuadrón de A-10 Thunderbolt II allí desplegados.
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According KeyAero.com USAFE has confirmed the drawdown of F-16C fighters at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany.
During a visit to Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany, the US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) Commander General Roger Brady confirmed the drawdown of F-16C fighters at the base.
As part of the US Air Force’s plan to retire ‘legacy’ fighters to fund a smaller and more capable force, a squadron would be stood down at Spangdahlem with 24 aircraft, in addition to the A-10 Thunderbolt II squadron," he said.
The reduction plan will also include a possible reduction in manpower by approximately 450, and 18 F-16s will be removed saving around $355 million in 2010. With only two squadrons at the base, its future has also been in doubt.