The Aviationist Blog

The Royal Air Force has unveiled a new special-colored Tornado. The RAF has painted a Tornado GR4 fighter-bomber in ‘desert pink’ paint scheme to honour the aircraft type’s almost continuous operational service since the Gulf War 25 years ago. The jet, ZG750 and based at RAF Lossiemouth with XV(R) Squadron, was one of those that took part in […]

Eight Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon are about to attend Exercise Red Flag 16-2. On Feb. 19, seven Italian Air Force Typhoon jets left Grosseto airbase, Italy,  for Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, where they will attend Ex. RF 16-2, their first ever Red Flag. The Aviationist’s photographer Giovanni Maduli was there to take the […]

…an ordinary day for the British Typhoons in QRA (even though the photos show two French interceptors). Social media went abuzz yesterday as two nuclear-capable Russian Air Force Tu-160 Blackjack bombers were intercepted by RAF Typhoons during a long-range sortie from their base in the Kola peninsula. Although some British media reported that the Russian […]

Close encounters in the skies over Syria between Russian and German fighters. As reported by several media outlets on Feb. 16, Russian Air Force (RuAF) fighter jets often shadow German Air Force (GAF) Tornados performing reconnaissance missions in Syrian airspace. Although shadowing a foreign combat plane in Syria’s skies filled with jets and UAVs may […]

Four Raptors have deployed to South Korea. On Feb. 17, four U.S. Air Force F-22 “Raptor” fighter aircraft from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, deployed to Osan Air Base, in South Korea. The multi-role stealth fighters were joined by four Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) F-15 Slam Eagles and U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting […]

First simulated deployment for the U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs. Taken on Feb. 8, 2016 the following pictures feature six F-35A Lightning IIs belonging to the 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES) from Edwards Air Force Base, California, arriving at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, for the fifth generation aircraft’s first simulated deployment […]

A Russian Air Force Tu-214R is about to land at Latakia, Syria. The Tu-214R is a Russian ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance) aircraft. In other words, a quite advanced spyplane. As we have already explained here in the past, it is a special mission aircraft equipped with all-weather radar systems and electro optical sensors that produce […]

Recce role for the Polish F-16 Fighters in the fight against ISIS in Syria. According to the Polish President and the Polish Minister of Defense, Poland is going deploy a “small number of F-16 fighters” to Syria, in order to “support the observation missions in the region,” local media outlets confirmed on Feb. 15. Antoni […]

The impressive story of the only air-to-air victory achieved by the F-15E Strike Eagle. Developed to replace the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark, the McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15E is a dedicated multi-role version of the F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter: named “Strike Eagle” to point out its attack capabilities, the F-15E is one of the best fighter […]

Royal Saudi Air Force aircraft will launch air strikes against Daesh from Turkey. RSAF aircraft are being deployed to Incirlik airbase, Turkey, from where they will launch air strikes against ISIS, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğluy said on Feb. 13. Saudi Arabia has been part of the US-led coalition fighting Daesh since 2014; by moving […]

Red Flag 16-1 is underway and here are some cool images. The images in this post show two F-22 Raptors assigned to the 95th Fighter Squadron, from Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, refueling from a KC-135 Stratotanker over the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) on Feb. 4, 2016, during an Exercise Red Flag 16-1 […]

Aerial refueling, German-style. Joint Warrior is a twice-yearly UK-led multinational exercise, involving warships, aircraft, marines and troops. Last year, Foto Poork‘s photographer Filip Modrzejewski had the opportunity to take part in an aerial refueling mission in support of some of the aircraft involved in the exercise. He flew aboard a German Air Force Airbus A310 […]

Enjoy a 360 degree video of a Super Hornet launching during blue water operations Enjoy a cat launch with a specialized camera, able to capute a video in 360 degree from inside an F/A-18F Super Hornet launching from USS Harry S. Truman, courtesy of the Strike Fighter Squadron One Zero Three (VFA-103) “Jolly Rogers.” As […]

Another episode that further escalates the crisis between Turkey and Russia. Turkey has barred a Russian Antonov An-30B spyplane, that was supposed to operate out of Eskisehir airfield, Turkey, on Feb. 1 to 5, from performing an Open Skies Treaty flight over its territory. As told to Tass.ru by Sergey Ryzhkov, chief of the Russian Defense […]

Interesting footage features an historic A-7 Corsair jet “sling loaded” by a CH-47 Chinook helicopter Taken on Aug. 15, 2013, the following video shows members of the Iowa Army and Air National Guard “sling loading” a historic U.S. Air Force jet, an A-7K Corsair II, via CH-47F Chinook helicopter. The A-7, from 185th Air Refueling […]

The Globemaster at work in Alaska. Taken on Nov. 3, 2015 the following photos show a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster landing on the icy tarmac at Deadhorse, Alaska, after having successfully deployed part of a Stryker platoon assigned to U.S. Army Alaska’s Bravo Company, 3-21 Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team. Operation Arctic Pegasus […]

The U.S. are ready to defend South Korea after the umpteenth provocative action by North Korea . On Jan. 10, 2016 in  response to the North Korea’s recent nuclear test, a U.S. Air Force B-52 from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, performed a low-level flight over Osan Air Base, South Korea. A Republic of Korea […]

This video shows that an Iranian ship actually fired rockets near USS Harry S. Truman. As reported by several media outlets on Dec. 26, 2015 an Iranian vessel approached aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) while transiting the Strait of Hormuz and fired rockets in a direction away from the American flattop. According to […]

Here are some incredible photos captured by a Travis Air Force Base KC-10 Extender aircrew. We have already published a cool aerial photograph and footage of the flyover conducted on Jan. 1, 2016, by a B-2 Spirit belonging to the 509th Bomb Wing from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri that opened the 102nd Rose Bowl […]

Another cool “brttttttttt video.” Filmed throughout acceptance trials for a new lot of ammunition, this impressive clip shows a GAU-8/A Avenger Gatling Gun firing from a test stand. What makes this video interesting is the fact that although the muzzle was placed 40 feet from the camera you can clearly hear the noise of the […]