MILITARY AVIATION REVIEW APRIL 2013 ISSUE No. 305 EDITORIAL TEAM COORDINATING EDITOR - BRIAN PICKERING WESTFIELD LODGE, ASLACKBY, SLEAFORD, LINCS NG34 0HG TEL NO. 01778 440760 E-MAIL”[email protected]” BRITISH REVIEW - MICK BOULANGER 27 Tudor Road, Heath Town, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV10 0LT TEL NO. 0770 1070537 EMail "[email protected]" FOREIGN FORCES - BRIAN PICKERING (see Co-ordinating Editor above for address details) US FORCES - BRIAN PICKERING (COORDINATING) (see above for address details) STATESIDE: MORAY PICKERING 18 MILLPIT FURLONG, LITTLEPORT, ELY, CAMBRIDGESHIRE, CB6 1HT E Mail “[email protected]” EUROPE: BRIAN PICKERING OUTSIDE USA: BRIAN PICKERING See address details above OUT OF SERVICE - ANDY MARDEN 6 CAISTOR DRIVE, BRACEBRIDGE HEATH, LINCOLN LN4 2TA E-MAIL "[email protected]" MEMBERSHIP/DISTRIBUTION - BRIAN PICKERING MAP, WESTFIELD LODGE, ASLACKBY, SLEAFORD, LINCS NG34 0HG TEL NO. 01778 440760 E-MAIL.”[email protected]” ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION (Jan-Dec 2013) UK £40 EUROPE £55 ELSEWHERE £60 @MAR £20 (EMail/Internet Only) MAR PDF £20 (EMail/Internet Only) Cheques payable to “MAP” - ALL CARDS ACCEPTED - Subscribe via “www.mar.co.uk” ABBREVIATIONS USED * OVERSHOOT f/n FIRST NOTED l/n LAST NOTED n/n NOT NOTED u/m UNMARKED w/o WRITTEN OFF wfu WITHDRAWN FROM USE n/s NIGHTSTOPPED INFORMATION MAY BE REPRODUCED FROM “MAR” WITH DUE CREDIT EDITORIAL Further to last month’s Editorial, the situation in the USA has deteriorated with the news that the Blue Angels display team are now joining the Thunderbids in cancelling all display appearances for the rest of Fiscal Year 2013, as part of cost saving moves resulting from the large budget cuts brought into effect as a result of the lack of agreement over a budget for 2013. Many air shows for later in the year are still not admitting to having to cancel but they will have to unless the situation changes drastically. Some show web sites still detail the forthcoming show while the Base Commander’s Office have already announced its cancellation! The USN will have 4 carriers and carrier groups returned to their home bases by the end of the year and the carrier flying squadrons will then have to store their aircraft at their home bases. The USAF is cutting back drastically on non essential flying with the emphasis being placed on those units in Iraq or Afghanistan or scheduled to go there, they will continue their flying programme but many other combat squadrons will be stood down with only minimal flying allowed to take place - included in this category are the 492 FS and 494 FS at Lakenheath and the 555 FS at Aviano. A more detailed report on all these moves will appear in the US News Section of @MAR at the end of April. The April @MAR will include details of all changes in 2013 resulting from the Budget cut backs as well as planned changes in the 2014 budget to cope with the continuing budget cuts. COVER PHOTOGRAPH: Ex Afghan AF C-27A 84025 arriving at Ramstein AB, Germany on March 21st - four C-27As arrived in March and are now stored on the airfield (Mike Tafel) Closing date for the May issue is 08.05.13 Brian Pickering 12.04.13 164 BRITISH REVIEW It has been announced that the Bristow Group will take over from the Royal Navy and RAF in a £1.6bn contract to run the United Kingdom’s search & rescue from April 2015 until 2026. This will result in the withdrawal of the Sea King HAR.3 and HU.5SAR fleets and closure of the SAR facilities at several bases. Those affected are: Culdrose SAR will move to Newquay, Wattisham SAR will move to Manston, Valley SAR will move to Caernarfon, Chivenor SAR will move to St Athan, Leconfield SAR will move to Humberside Airport, Lossiemouth SAR will move to Inverness, Prestwick SAR will relocate to a new facility at Prestwick and Boulmer SAR will close In a (edited) Ministerial statement read to the commons on 15th March 2015, it concluded that RAF Marham is the most appropriate station for the main operating base for the new F-35. Given that RAF Lossiemouth will now host 3 Squadrons of Typhoon and given the altered draw-down profile and out of service date for Tornado, RAF Marham will have sufficient capacity for the basing of Lightning II, which will be operated jointly by the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. No. 1 (Fighter) Squadron and No 6 Squadron currently based at RAF Leuchars which provide the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) North role and will relocate to RAF Lossiemouth beginning summer 2014, with Typhoon flying operations ceasing at RAF Leuchars during autumn 2014, following a progressive transfer of the base from the RAF to the Army. Due to the significant running costs associated with maintenance of an operational airfield at RAF Wyton, it has been decided to relocate the flying units based there. No.57(R) Squadron, who undertake elementary flying training (EFT), will relocate from RAF Wyton to RAF Cranwell by the summer of 2013. The relocation of Cambridge and London University Air Squadrons (UAS) and No. 5 Air Experience Flight (AEF) to RAF Wittering is planned by mid-2014, once preparatory work has been completed. The opportunity has been taken to rationalise other light aircraft flying tasks in the region to achieve greater coherency and more efficient use of manpower and assets, delivering better value for money for the taxpayer. This will result in East Midlands Universities Air Squadron and No. 115(R) Squadron relocating from RAF Cranwell to RAF Wittering. Reductions in the flying training pipeline, means that RAF Church Fenton is no longer required to host training operations and will close by the end of 2013. The units based at Church Fenton, including the Yorkshire University Air Squadron (incorporating No. 9 Air Experience Flight), will relocate; work is on-going to determine the optimum location for the University Air Squadron. Following the vacation of RAF Kirton in Lindsey by No.1 Air Control Centre (1ACC), the site has been used to house personnel employed at RAF Scampton. While this use will continue, alternative defence uses have not been identified for the former airfield and technical facilities, so a decision has now been taken to dispose of these parts of the site. Discussions have been on-going with the Welsh Government, which leases large areas of the St Athan site, to establish how defence plans can also complement economic development by enabling its aim to develop an aerospace business park within the St Athan enterprise zone. MOD has no current requirement beyond 2017 for the St Athan “Superhangar”, which will progressively be made available for commercial occupation. The intent remains to relocate No. 4 School of Technical Training from East Camp at St. Athan to Lyneham, Wiltshire in the medium term as part of the defence technical training change programme. It is also intend to move personnel of the RAF’s No.71 Investigation and Repair Squadron from St Athan to collocate with other components of No.42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing at RAF Wittering. The relocation of the squadron will affect 47 service personnel who will transfer to RAF Wittering.......Mick Boulanger (Military movements is history, now and for our future) DSEME ARBORFIELD A recent visit here on 20.03 found the following aircraft still present: A-109A ZE412 Gazelle AH.1/ HT.2/HT.3 XW860/TAD021 XW888/TAD017 XW912/TAD019 XX454/TAD023 XZ316/B XZ325 XZ332 XZ333 XZ835/9332M ZA735 ZA769 ZB668/TAD015 Lynx XW838/TAD009 Lynx AH7/9 XZ170 XZ172 XZ187 XZ188 XZ207 XZ216 XZ607 XZ666 ZE381 Scout AH.1 XP855 XP899/D XT623 XT633 Scout AH.1 XP848 is still preserved as the gate guardian BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT - Military visitors noted during March: - 12 ZH870/870 Hercules C.4 24/30 Sqn “Jackdaw1”* 20 ZZ172 Globemaster II 99 Sqn “ISF19NZ” 15 ZZ176 Globemaster II 99 Sqn “ISF19NZ” ZA148/G VC.10 K.3 101 Sqn “RRR870”* 19 ZA149/H VC.10 K.3 101 Sqn “RRR878”* 30 ZZ175 Globemaster II 99 Sqn “ISF19NZ” BIGGIN HILL - Military visitors noted during February: - 07 012 C-295M Polish AF 13.eltr “PLF032” 20 ZJ78? AS365N3 8 Flt “1AM13”* 14 ZR322 A-109E 32(TR) Sqn “RRR1187”* 21 017 C-295M Polish AF 13.eltr “PLF038/4” 18 ZJ992/AB Merlin HC.3A 28/78 Sqn “SHF290”* 22 ZK459/X King Air 200GT 45(R) Sqn “CWL15”* BOURNEMOUTH HURN AIRPORT - Military visitors noted during March: - (With thanks to BAEG) 02 ZJ785 AS365N3 8 Flt “1DS10” 04 QQ101 RJ100 QinetiQ “Tester78”* 165 04 ZB507/F Sea King HC.4 845NAS “NVY Y410”* 20 ZF119/WY Sea King HC.3 848NAS “Avenger911”* 05 ZK456/P King Air 200 QinetiQ “Tester76”* 22 ZJ123/G Merlin HC.3 28/78 Sqn “SHF750”* 06 ZD984/DH Chinook HC.4 Odiham Wg “SHF573”* ZH904 Chinook HC.3 Odiham Wg “SHF524”* 14 554 A320-214CJ RAFO 4 Sqn “MJN535” QQ101 RJ100 QinetiQ “Tester78”* 15 2377/FU A.S332M FrAF EH 03.067 “CTM1360” ZH903/HR Chinook HC.3 Odiham Wg “SHF572”* 18 ZF622 PA.31-350 QinetiQ “Gauntlet58”* 25 ZJ135/T Merlin HC.3 28/78 Sqn * 19 ZF622 PA.31-350 QinetiQ “Gauntlet58”* 27 ZA472/031 Tornado GR.4 Marham Wg “MRH49”* ZK453/M King Air 200 QinetiQ “”Gauntlet04”* 28 ZR336 AW-101-643 Ag-WHL* On 19.03A330.Voyager MRTT019 departed the Cobham facilities here on 20.03 to Air Livery at Manchester Airport for painting, the aircraft returned to Bournemouth on 02.04 still carrying the serial MRTT019 but with 332 on the nosewheel doors.