During Exercise Torrent 2016, RSAF (Republic of Singapore Air Force) combat planes, including for the first time Singapore’s Strike Eagles, perform “alternate runway operations” using a public road.
Taking place at Lim Chu Kang Road from Nov. 10 to 14, Ex. Torrent 2016 features the RSAF‘s aircraft conducting simultaneous launch and recovery operations from Lim Chu Kang Road and the Tengah Air Base runway.
Interestingly, among the warplanes operating from a public road, there are also F-15SGs: although Eagles of various variants have already performed alternate runway exercises before (reportedly, South Korean F-15Ks in 2008) this is the first time the Singaporean Strike Eagles took part in public road operations.
The RSAF operates a fleet of 24 examples of the hottest F-15 version to date. Based on the standard F-15E, the SG embeds few enhancements: it’s equipped with the APG-63(V)3 AESA radar, a Sniper XREO/laser targeting pod and the AAS-43 Tiger Eyes IRST (infrared search-and-track system), the ALQ-135M system, an NVG-compatible cockpit, the JHMCS (Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System) and the ability to drop a wide array of weapons, including the AIM-9X Sidewinder, the AIM-120C AMRAAM, the AGM-154 JSOW (Joint Stand Off Weapon), the SDB (Small Diameter Bomb). Moreover, unlike the “baseline” F-15E the SG is powered by General Electric F-110-GE-129 engines.
Developed within a German-led multinational program as a short-range air-to-air missile to replace the ageing AIM-9 Sidewinder the IRIS-T has a range of 25 km and can engage targets flying behind the launching platform thanks to an extreme close-in agility which allows turns of 60 g at a rate of 60°/s.
Interestingly, as the top image (taken by The Aviationist’s contributor Giovanni Maduli) shows, the dummy IRIS-T missile was carried on an underwing pylon while previous tests with the AIM-9L Sidewinder were carried out with the air-to-air missiles mounted on the wing tip launchers.
Among the aircraft deployed to Nellis Air Force Base for the Red Flag 14-3 last summer, were the Republic of Singapore Air Force F-15SGs, and F-16s. All painted with various special designs on the tails.
Along with the American hi-tech combat planes and the supporting planes, Red Flags attract many interesting foreign participants.
The 14-3 edition held last summer featured, among all the others, even the RSAF F-16s and F-15SG currently working and training with the 56 FW at Luke AFB, Arizona, and the 366th FW at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho.
Four of these combat planes sported special tails.
The images in this post were shot by The Aviationist’s photographer Tony Lovelock in July, as the aircraft recovered to Nellis at the end of their RF 14-3 missions.
Even this RSAF Chinook was deployed to Nellis AFB.
The M-346 “Master” Advanced Combat Trainer is getting a new type of fuel tank.
Taken at Decimomannu airbase by The Aviationist’s contributor Gian Luca Onnis, the above picture shows an M-346 “Master” advanced combat trainer carrying three 630l (450kg) external fuel tanks
Interestingly, the shape of the fuel tanks is different from that of the drop tanks initially carried by the Master prototypes (as those shown in the image below) which resembled th 500l (380kg) type carried on outer wing pylons by Italian Air Force AMX light fighter bombers.
Taken at Decimomannu airbase last week, the following picture shows an M-346 “Master” advanced combat trainer with two dummy AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missiles at the wing tip launchers.
Serialled CP X617, the first IPA (Initial Production Aircraft) is involved in a testing campaign which follows the one conducted last April at Decimomannu airbase when the aircraft flew with BRD (Bombs and Rocket Dispencer) for Mk-106s thin-cased cylindrical bombs used to simulate the high-drag (retarded) Mk-82 Snakeye bombs.
