AirForces Monthly Magazine #354 -September 2017- (ENG) Oficially the World's Number One Authority on Military Aviation

AirForces Monthly Magazine #354 -September 2017- (ENG) Oficially the World's Number One Authority on Military Aviation.

Regular features

EXERCISE REPORT: Balkan Spartan
This yearandrsquo;s Balkan Spartan exercise saw three C-27J operators train together. Alexander Mladenov observed the action.

INTEL REPORT: Red Air, Blue Air
Having outsourced flying training over the past ten years, the UK MOD is preparing for the next challenge. A new element of the Military Flying Training System is now taking shape andndash; the Air Support to Defence Operational Training (ASDOT) contract. Alan Warnes investigates.

FORCE REPORT: Nigerian Air Force
The Nigerian Air Force is making efforts to become an efficient, modern air arm in the face of constant terrorist threats and sectarian violence. In the first of a two-part study, M Mazumdar unravels some of the confusion and secrecy surrounding the NAF.

SURVEY: European maritime patrol aircraft
AFMandrsquo;s team of correspondents launch a new survey profiling the fixed-wing maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) communities of the European NATO and Partnership for Peace (PfP) air arms. First up, AFM details the traditional MPA stalwarts of France and Germany.

FEEDBACK
AFMandrsquo;s letters page.

ATTRITION
Dave Allport details the worldandrsquo;s most recent military accidents.

FLASHPOINT: Air war in Yemen
Saudi Arabiaandrsquo;s controversial military operations against the Houthi rebels across its southern border in Yemen have involved a coalition of Gulf and Arab air arms. Arnaud Delalande provides an air power assessment and looks at the impact in the region.

COMING UP
See whatandrsquo;s featured in your AFM next month.

Features

Comment
AFMandrsquo;s opinion on the hot topics in military aviation.

Back in business
Britainandrsquo;s newest and biggest aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08), is approaching the end of a first phase of sea trials. Tim Ripley visited her in Rosyth dockyard to bear witness to the UKandrsquo;s return to the aircraft carrier business.

Couteau Delta
P Olivier and J Lemoigne chart the establishment of the French Air Forceandrsquo;s latest display team andndash; Couteau Delta.

Freedom at work
In the wake of the first US kill of a manned aircraft since Operation Allied Force in 1999, AFM went aboard USS George H W Bush to hear an account of the shootdown.

Black Sea defenders
NATO has responded to increased Russian military air activity over the Black Sea by reinforcing Romanian Air Force LanceRs with RAF Typhoons, as Liviu Dnistran discovers.

Israeli Fight Test Center
The Israeli Fight Test Center begins a new series of features examining military flight test establishments. Noam Menashe obtains an insight into this secretive unit.

Changing of the guard at Grottaglie
With the introduction of the NH90 the Italian Navy, Dr Andreas Zeitler joined a training flight from Grottaglie to learn about the helicopterandrsquo;s capabilities.

Lokiandrsquo;s guardians
Earlier this year the Royal Canadian Air Force deployed six CF-188 Hornets to Keflavandiacute;k as part of Operation Reassurance/Air Task Force-Iceland. Martin Scharenborg and Ramon Wenink were there.

Pinky bows out
A special Royal Air Force Tornado GR4, painted in andlsquo;desert pinkandrsquo; colours as a tribute to Operation Granby in 1991, has been retired as the type enters its final chapter in service, as Rich Cooper reports.