Free Republic

Turkey has acted to address its urgent need for more attack helicopters and is looking at a possible interim deal to bridge the gap until the availability of its delayed Airbus Military A400M transports. To fill the first requirement, Turkey's Undersecretary of Defence Industries (SSM) has decided to buy nine secondhand AgustaWestland A129s from the Italian army. The Turkish army has an active fleet of 28 Bell AH-1s in the P, S and W variants, as listed by Flightglobal's HeliCAS database. It mainly uses the aircraft in the south-east of Turkey against PKK militants, but urgently needs to replace the...

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — As the C-130E Hercules slowly rolled down the taxiway, fire trucks on both sides gave the big, gray aircraft a shower and dozens of airmen lining its path quickly saluted. It was a final farewell for an old plane with more than 44 years of service and a heroic legacy. The 86th Airlift Wing said goodbye to the plane, which earned an honorary Purple Heart during the Vietnam War. The aircraft, known only by its 63-7865 tail number, left Ramstein on Wednesday for its final resting place at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. Staff Sgt....

BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Iraq, Dec. 2, 2005 – An all Iraqi aircrew flew its first solo mission aboard a C-130E from Ali Air Base, near Nasariyah in southeast Iraq, to New Al Muthana here Nov. 28, officials reported today. The nine aircrew members are part the 23rd Iraqi Squadron, which has been receiving training at Ali Air Base. "The flight marked a major milestone achievement by showing Iraq's capability of providing its own military transport," said Air Force Capt. Jerry Ruiz, forward operations executive officer at New Al Muthana Air Base. The aircrew performed what's called an engine running on-load,...