US seeks military ties, not base, in Philippines

WASHINGTON (AP) – The United States says it shares a common interest with the Philippines in protecting freedom of navigation in the South China Sea but is not seeking to re-establish a military base on the territory of its Southeast Asian treaty ally.

Despite impending budget cuts, the U.S. has signaled its intent to reinforce its presence in the Asia-Pacific, where there is some trepidation over China’s rising military capabilities. In recent months it has announced plans to station troops in Australia and dock Navy ships in Singapore. That has fueled speculation the U.S. could seek to re-establish the permanent military presence it had in the Philippines until the early 1990s.

As senior diplomats and defense officials from the Philippines and the U.S. began two days of annual strategic talks in Washington on Thursday, both sides said the focus was on intensifying military cooperation in other ways, such as more joint exercises.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the U.S. is interested in increasing training and cooperation in areas including search and rescue, freedom of navigation, countering terror and countering piracy.

“The idea that we are looking to establish U.S. bases or permanently station U.S. forces in the Philippines, or anywhere else in Southeast Asia, as part of a China containment strategy is patently false,” said Cmdr. Leslie Hull-Ryde, a Defense Department spokeswoman.

The Philippines has turned to Washington for military hardware after accusing Chinese ships last year of repeatedly intruding into areas it claims in the South China Sea’s disputed Spratly Islands and disrupting oil exploration in its territorial waters.

The U.S. says it has a national interest in peaceful resolution of the territorial conflicts and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea – where Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan also have claims. The waters are also home to some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

“Certainly freedom of navigation in the South China Sea is something we share an interest in and something that we are interested in protecting together,” Nuland told a news conference.

Earlier, in Manila, Philippines Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said any additional joint military activity would conform with the 1999 agreement that allows U.S. ship and aircraft to visit and resupply, and for joint military exercises in the Philippines.

The Philippine Senate voted in 1991 to close major U.S. military bases in the country, but since 2002 hundreds of U.S. troops have been training and arming Filipino soldiers fighting al-Qaida-linked militants in a Muslim-majority region of the southern Philippines.

The talks in Washington involve the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia, Kurt Campbell, and Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense Peter Lavoy. Their Philippine counterparts are Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Erlinda Basilio and Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino.

During the talks, the Philippines will discuss requests for an additional U.S. Coast Guard cutter, a squadron of F-16 fighter jets and other weapons the Philippines needs to bolster its territorial defense, Philippine defense spokesman Peter Paul Galvez said.

 

-ktvn.com

Military Aircraft Trains for the Olympics

The British Armed Forces are conducting major training exercise in their preparation to secure the 2012 Olympic Games. Royal Air Force and Royal Navy Aircrafts are conducting their drills on skies of New Yorkshire.

Fast jets and helicopter pilots participates on this exercise codenamed Exercise taurus Mountain One. They will play a supporting role on the security measures for the Games that will be led by the police.

Wing Commander Paul Godfrey, officer-in-charge at RAF Coningsby, said: “We take great pride in the fact that we have a key role to play in providing airspace security for the Olympics.”

Military aircrafts trains alongside each other in order to hone their operations. Participating aircrafts include two GROB Tutor aircraft from RAF Leeming, Typhoon jets, Puma helicopters, Lynx helicopters, a Sea King SkASACD helicopter, and Sentry E-3D. Some of these aircraft had just retuned from combat operations in Libya.

source: yorkpress.co.uk

“Red Tails” film honors Tuskegee Airmen

Yesterday, Jan. 20, was the special screening of the new George Lucas-produced film “Red Tails” at Rave Cinemas Franklin Park, Toledo, Ohio.

The all-black unit Tuskegee Airmen of the Army Air Corps in the segregated military of World War II didn’t often get recognition, let alone applause, as its members flew successful missions over Europe.

The Airmen believe the new film, directed by Anthony Hemmingway, will bring long overdue attention to their service.

“What we did was to pretty much change the course of history in terms of civil rights and everything that came after it,” said Harold H. Brown of Port Clinton, 87, who was a pilot flying escort missions as part of the Airmen’s 332nd Fighter Group — the Red Tails that are the subject of the film and so named for the bright red painted on the tails of the P-51 Mustangs they flew.

“There was an awful lot of history in terms of breaking down barriers,” said Mr. Brown, of the Airmen’s Ohio Chapter, in a conversation before a dinner to honor the Airmen.

“This movie is important because it tells a story that needs to be told without the usual Hollywood embellishments,” said John M. Stewart, of the Tuskegee Airmen Inc. Detroit chapter. He served stateside in the Air Force from 1949 — the year after the armed forces were integrated — to 1954. Unlike Mr. Brown, he is not an “original,” as the Airmen call those in the contingent trained at Tuskegee, Ala., for the war effort. But he joined the organization to honor those who were.

“If it wasn’t for the Tuskegee Airmen and the black Marines, we’d all be marching with a swastika flag in front of us,” Mr. Stewart said.

A poster for the movie — which features vanquished Nazi planes aflame and headed earthward — was on prominent display at the dinner, held at the Elephant Bar & Restaurant. Under the movie title was the legend, “Courage has no color.” The Airmen autographed the poster and stood in ones and twos in front of it as comrades or family members took pictures.

In a program at the theater, Mayor Mike Bell, who was made an honorary Tuskegee Airman last summer, said: “The idea of what these Tuskegee Airmen still stand for is a great thing.”

He said that he realized when took a ride aboard an F-16 fighter jet courtesy of the 180th Fighter Wing not only what that unit of the Ohio Air National Guard has done for America, “but also about what these gentlemen have done for America, and at how smart and how quick you have to be able think and how much you have to know to be able to fly.

“It made me think as we were riding home how safe America is because of people like the Tuskegee Airmen and the 180th that protect our country every day.”

The audience in the packed theater included the mayor, Mr. Brown, and U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R., Bowling Green), whose newly constituted Fifth District will include Toledo Express Airport. About 450 were members of the 180th Fighter Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard, which is based at the airport.

Lt. Col. Mike Digby of the 180th Fighter Wing said the screening was held “to recognize the heritage and history and to see how far we’ve come.” They turned out to be one of the best flying squadrons in World War II.

By chance, when the 180th deployed to Iraq, it was assigned to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, a successor to the Red Tails’ fighter group. Airspace over Balad Air Base was divided into “Tuskegee North” and “Tuskegee South,” and when Colonel Digby was a supervisor there, he was designated Red Tail 1 or Red Tail 2.

“It all ties together,” Colonel Digby said.

The Tuskegee connection to northwest Ohio goes back to World War II. Art Jibilian, who grew up in Toledo, was one of three who parachuted behind enemy lines in Nazi-occupied Serbia to orchestrate the air rescue of more than 500 downed U.S. airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen — the Red Tails — provided air cover for what was called “Operation Halyard,” which took several months.

Brian McMahon, a Perrysburg real estate developer, helped arrange honors for Mr. Jibilian and for the surviving Tuskegee Airmen in 2009 at the largest private air show in the world. He and Colonel Digby helped arrange the dinner and screening.

The story of Mr. Jibilian and the Airmen will have to wait for another movie. But Mr. McMahon hopes that awareness created by Red Tails leads to a Medal of Honor, the highest U.S. military honor. Mr. Jibilian died in March, 2010, in his Fremont home. A resolution for the medal was co-signed by Mr. Latta and U.S. Rep Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo).

After the movie showing, some airmen commented on how realistic it was.

“They had to jazz up a few things, but if you don’t do that, you don’t have a good movie,” Mr. Brown said.

His favorite part was the raid on Berlin, but he noted that all of the accounts in the movie occurred in real life.

Before the screening, four Tuskegee Airmen in attendance, including Mr. Brown and Alexander Jefferson, both of whom were shot down and became Nazi prisoners of war, were honored with coins — a military tradition, Brig. Gen. Mark Bartman said — and congratulations.

Mr. Bell also was made an “honorary Buckeye colonel” and thereby an official member of the militia in the state.

 

-toledoblade.com

Hong Kong Added To Qantas Airbus A380 Destinations

The arrival of two more Airbus A380s last month is enabling Qantas to introduce the aircraft on its Sydney-Hong Kong route, as well as boosting A380 service in other markets.

The aircraft are the 11th and 12th A380s for Qantas. The carrier is not receiving any A380s this year, and the next two are not due until early 2013, an airline spokesman says.

Hong Kong is the fourth destination in the Qantas network served by the A380. The aircraft will fly this route four times a week. Qantas already operates Airbus A330-300s and Boeing 747-400s on the route.

Qantas is boosting A380 service on the Melbourne-Singapore-London route from six times a week to daily. The carrier also operates a second daily flight on this route using 747-400s. The Melbourne-Los Angeles route also will receive daily A380 service, up from four times a week.

The airline already operates daily A380 flights on the Sydney-Singapore-London and Sydney-Los Angeles routes.

 

-aviationweek.com

-australianaviation.com.au

British Airways Get a Make-Over for 2012 Olympics

British Airways planes will get a new look just in time for the London 2012 Games. Designed by a celebrated artist from Brighton, the aircraft will be repainted with a special dove design. Pascal Anson, 38, beats hundreds of competitors for his design to be chosen for programme of BA Great Britons. Under the guidance of Royal Academician Tracey Emin, Anson is in the process of adding the finishing touches to the design.

Anson’s design will be painted on 12 members of the British Airways fleet. A mixture of long and short haul airplanes, which includes a Boeing A319, would be the canvas for his design.

The design concept started on Anson’s visit to London. He was watching an airplane lands and wonders if it is a bird or a plane. He thought a dove will be perfect because it is a symbol of peace and unity. Moreover, dove had been used in previous Olympics as well as the last games held in London in 1948.

Tracy Emin praised Anson’s design, “It would have been easy to put a motif or a pattern on the side of an aircraft – but Pascal’s design takes it to another level. He uses the entire livery of the aircraft to redefine the way you look at it. The dove is a stunning piece of work and will bring real excitement to anyone who flies on one of the repainted planes.”

British Airways is a proud sponsor of London Games 2012. It operates one of the largest and sophisticated airlines in the world. Its fleet includes Boeing 777-300, Boeing 757-200 and Boeing 747-400 and many more sleek and modern aircraft models.

The newly-designed airplanes will be unveiled on April 2012.

Source: stanfordmercury.co.uk

Seoul To Solicit Attack Helo Bids

LONDON and WASHINGTON — The South Korean defense procurement agency will announce Jan. 12 that it plans to buy up to 36 AH-X attack helicopters, kicking off a major competition.

Bids are due May 10.

Likely entrants include the Boeing AH-64D Block III Apache, now preparing for initial operational test and evaluation in March for the U.S. Army. Bell also is planning to propose its AH-1Z “Zulu,” which is now on its first deployment for the U.S. Marine Corps. Also in the running are the Eurocopter Tiger and the AgustaWestland A129, likely in the T129 ATAK configuration in development for Turkey.

This competition will be the first international bid for Bell’s AH-1Z, and, thus, its first attempt to go head-to-head against its U.S.-made competitor, the Apache.

Also this year, India is expected to solidify its contract with Boeing for 22 Apache Block IIIs to satisfy its attack helicopter requirement.

 

-aviationweek.com

17th Annual Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

CLARK, Philippines — This February, colorful hot air balloons and different aircraft will soar into the clear blue skies of Clark, Angeles as the 17th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta commences at the Omni Aviation Complex in Clark Airfield.

The said venue could host over 100,000 tourists from February 9 - 12, 2012.  It is anticipated that this year’s crowd will be 20,000 more than last year’s 80,000 figure.

Aside from the hot air balloons, different aviation related events such as sky diving, paragliding, kite flying, aerobatic flight display, rocketry demonstration, RC helicopter and airplane flying, and many more will take place.

The Clark Freeport zone is home to this annual international aviation sporting event due to its wide-open spaces, favorable flying weather, scenic ambiance and the general features and tourist amenities.

Also, Clark has a wide array of hotels and resorts to cater to just about every budget, from simple and small single unit hostels to incredibly high-end hotels and leisure establishments that provide full suite and even villas for any number of group accommodations.

The close proximity of Angeles city, with all of its casinos, resorts, night life, bars and restaurants and mention additional lodging options, makes for a complete, integrated fun zone for this – the largest of all events in the Philippines.

Tickets are now available through clarksubicmarketing.com.

Shelby County Man Forfeits Vintage Military Aircraft to US government

Following orders from a judge, Claude Hendrickson from Shelby Country, Alabama forfeited a vintage military aircraft to the US government because the aircraft had been smuggled to the States illegally.

According to the press released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the vintage aircraft Douglas AD-4N Skyraider is now going to the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. Hendrickson bought the aircraft more than two years ago from a private owner in France.

The Douglas AD-4N Skyraider  was seized in May 2009 by the authorities. After the seizure, the complaint filed indicates that Hendrickson failed to register the aircraft with the US. Bureau of Alcohol, Tabacco, Firearms and Explosives. It airplane still have artillery and should have been registered. Furthermore, the complaint also claimed that the pilot that Hendrickson hired to fly the plane to the country provided false information to the immigration authorities.

Hendrickson, owner of Dixie Equipment in Woodstuck, said that he was not aware that the Douglas AD-4N Skyraider has to be registered.

Source: al.com

F-15 and Sentinel R1 in near collision over Lincoln

A Sentinel spy plane was on a “collision course” with two F15 jets in the skies over Lincoln, a report has revealed.

The Sentinel R1, based at RAF Waddington and used for covert surveillance, was on a training flight from the base when it found itself on a collision course with the two jets. The report said all three aircraft were forced to take action to avoid each other. It also suggested in the report that air traffic controllers’ high workload meant they were perhaps not as alert to the danger as they should have been as it unfolded over 30 seconds.

The report added that “Given the time gap, best controlling practice suggests that the opportunity existed for a more timely warning to be given. It is possible that this missed opportunity may be grounded in reduced levels of psycho-physiological alertness caused by workload history, however, it is not possible to sustain this hypothesis.”

The F15s eventually passed 1,600ft overhead after the Sentinel pilot dropped his altitude and both jets began to climb.

The report told how the lead F15 pilot first spotted the risk.

“He realised that they were on a collision course and saw that the traffic was continuing to climb up towards their formation,” the report said. “He saw that the Sentinel was not stopping its climb and he directed the pair to climb to avoid it.”

“Class G airspace is effectively ‘free’ airspace where anyone, civilian or military, can operate and where ‘see and avoid’ is the primary means of collision avoidance with or without a radar service”, said MoD spokesman.

Source: Lincolnshire

F-35B completes first sea trials on USS Wasp

The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) turned toward homeport Oct. 21 after three weeks hosting the initial sea trials of the F-35B Lightning II, Joint Strike Fighter.

The first F-35B landed on Wasp’s flight deck Oct. 3, beginning an 18-day test period for the aircraft. During testing, two F-35B Marine Corps test jets (BF-2 and BF-4) accomplished vertical landings and short take-offs under various conditions.

While under way, the world’s first supersonic short take-off, vertical landing fighter logged more than 28 hours of flight time and completed 72 short take-offs and 72 vertical landings.

Wasp crew members worked around the clock with pilots, engineers, mechanics and a wide array of aeronautical professionals, both military and civilian, to meet the mission of the F-35B sea trials.

“Wasp Air Department personnel and the JSF team started working together from day one,” said Lt. Cmdr. Michael Curcio, Wasp’s assistant air officer and JSF program officer. “Starting initially with the leadership interacting to set the vision for the ship trials, we worked a top-down approach to gradually bring in more people from each respective team.”

“This ensured that, from planning to execution, every detail

was tended to and no stone was left unturned. Ultimately, this group was well ahead of the power curve at every juncture,” he said.

The Wasp and the JSF team have been preparing for these sea trials for more than a year. The ship, which typically accommodates the AV-8B Harrier, had to receive modifications and installation of test monitoring equipment in preparation for the F-35B’s arrival.

“We used Harrier operations as a baseline from which to deviate. Working with the JSF team, we identified the operational differences between the AV-8B and the F-35B and we trained to those differences,” said Curcio.

The trials are the first of three scheduled sea-based developmental test events for the STOVL variant periods. One goal was to collect environmental data on the deck using instrumentation to measure the F-35B’s sound, power and thermal impact during flight operations.

Ansis Kalnajs, better known as “AK,” a topside design and integration technical warrant for Naval Sea Systems Command, and his team of 31 engineers collected data to capture the effects of the F-35 on flight deck and superstructure components.

“We have been collecting data on how the main engine effects deck edge equipment, as well as thermal load stresses to the structure and the acoustic effects,” said Kalnajs. “We got a sufficient amount of data and real good assessments for the road ahead.”

Also being tested is a newer nonskid deck surface, Thermion, which is supported by a mechanical bond of ceramic and aluminum that makes the surface more resistant to extreme heat and better endures the wear and tear of flight operations. The Thermion covers landing spot nine on the flight deck, a small area used for vertical landings.

“The Thermion shows no signs of heat stress, which is good for the F-35, and eventually good for all surface ships,” said Kalnajs.

During the testing period the WASP and JSF team demonstrated the F-35B‘s at-sea capabilities for the Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Ray Mabus; Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James Amos; senior military officers; JSF international partners and members of the national media.

The testing for the F-35 and its sea-based operations will continue over the next several years.

“It is imperative that we build off that basic knowledge for the next sea trials,” said Curcio.

The next sea trial, DT-2, is scheduled for 2013 after Wasp receives additional modifications for F-35B operations.

 

-dcmilitary.com