AirForces Monthly Magazine March 2020 Edição anterior

The March issue of AFM takes a timely look at the RAF’s Typhoon Force, with a free 24-page supplement examining the current status of the fleet, from the UK’s quick reaction alert role to defence of the Falkland Islands and the ongoing Operation Shader in the Middle East. Jamie Hunter meets Air Cdre Mark Chappell, the Typhoon Force Commander, who oversees all elements of the current operation, while there’s coverage of all the active units, from No 1 (Fighter) Squadron to No 1435 Flight, plus a full order of battle and base map.

Our unrivalled coverage of military aerospace and air wars from around the world brings a threat analysis focusing on Iran’s air defence systems, as tensions in the Middle East mount, while contributors Hans van der Wilt and Bas Stubert report from Dhaka, where Bangladesh celebrated its annual Victory Day with a mass flypast. Acclaimed war journalist Al J Venter concludes his two-part feature from Bangui in the Central African Republic where, as insurgency in the area increases, so does the deployment of air assets.

This month’s cover story focuses on the Italian Air Force’s Tornado, where a combination of enhancements and major upgrades has ensured the jet remains one of NATO’s premier attack aircraft. From France, there’s an analysis of the Forces Aériennes Stratégiques – the air force’s arm of the French nuclear triad – and we report from Leeuwarden Air Base in the Netherlands, where the latest edition of the multinational F-16 Fighter Weapons Instructor Training Course recently concluded.

Patrick Dirksen and Frank Mink were invited to Royal Australian Air Force Base East Sale, Victoria, to witness operations by the PC-21 and learn more about the benefits of the new training system that comes with it.