AirForces Monthly Magazine September 2019 Vorige editie

In the September issue of AFM we celebrate 70 years of NATO with a series of features covering different elements of current NATO air arms. While introduction of the F-35A represents the most important element in the modernisation of Norway’s air arm, changes within airborne surveillance, search and rescue and other rotary components are helping to redefine its future shape and capability, as Ian Harding and Kevin Wills discover.

Earlier this summer, 1 Squadron ‘Stingers’ of the Belgian Air Component departed their home base of Florennes for a two-week deployment to Solenzara on the French island of Corsica. Joe Campion joined them. RAF F-35Bs and USAF F-35As joined Italian Air Force F-35As for joint drills at Amendola air base, and David Cenciotti flew with them.

Martin Scharenborg and Ramon Wenink flew with the Croatian Air Force’s Fixed-Wing Squadron at Zadar-Zemunik to report on its wide variety of tasks and the challenges it is currently facing. The 41° Stormo of the Italian Air Force at Sigonella has introduced to service a true force-multiplier. As Dino Marcellino finds out, the multi-role P-72A is suitable not only for maritime patrol duty, but also offers powerful C4ISR capabilities in a variety of scenarios.

The UK’s latest Lockheed Martin F-35B unit returned to RAF Marham on July 16. No 207 Squadron is the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) and Jamie Hunter was there for the arrival.