Free Republic

Irma Update and an explanation of the Hurricane Hunters mission from a C-130 pilot's perspective.

A U.S. navy patrol plane was destroyed Tuesday when it overshot the runway while landing at a base north of the Afghan capital, but none of the crew was seriously hurt, the U.S. military said.

UAE 'keen on early warning plane' By Ahmed A. Elewa, Staff Reporter Abu Dhabi: The UAE is seeking to order several units of Lockheed Martin's P3 early warning aircraft, according to company officials. "The UAE is absolutely interested in ordering P3s, but until a country is committed to a contract we cannot reveal anything," Robert S. Nasby, Middle East, Africa and Europe regional director told Gulf News yesterday. With the Awacs out of production since 1991, other reliable alternatives are proving to be relatively expensive. "The only early warning aircraft that is still in production in the US is the...

Indian Navy eyes 100 aircraft by 2020 IANS Tuesday, July 18, 2006 08:08 IST NEW DELHI:After the Indian Air Force (IAF), the Indian Navy is looking at acquiring close to 100 aircraft in a mix of fighters, patrol planes and trainers by 2020. On the shopping list are 40 to 50 MiG-29K fighters, 30 long-range maritime patrol (LRMP) aircraft and 10-15 Hawk advanced jet trainers (AJTs), navy chief Admiral Arun Praksh told India Strategic magazine in an interview. According to him, as the IAF was acquiring the Hawk trainers, it was logical for the navy to go in for either...

Enemy subs a tricky target Increasingly complex exercises train the Pacific Fleet to detect quiet new diesel craft By Gregg K. Kakesakogkakesako@starbulletin.comSEVENTY-FIVE MILES SOUTH OF OAHU » For nearly seven hours, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Bill Perkins and his Kaneohe Bay-based P-3 Orion sub-hunting aircraft spent the night participating in an anti-submarine chess game. The mission of his Patrol Squadron 4 Skinny Dragons was to keep submarines away from the high-value target presented by the USS Lincoln aircraft carrier and its 75 combat jets. Other Orion squadrons participating in the anti-submarine warfare exercise that ended Tuesday were Kaneohe Bay's VP-9 Golden...

<p>WHIDBEY ISLAND NAVAL AIR STATION, Wash. — Prop wash from a P-3 Orion on the tarmac flipped a Cessna 152 behind it at the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, said spokeswoman Kim Martin.</p> <p>A student pilot and instructor inside the Cessna, which belongs to a Navy flying club, were not seriously injured in the incident at 5:55 p.m. Sunday, Martin said. They were taken to the base hospital in stable condition.</p>