Tag Archives: Russia

Dramatic footage shows Russian Mi-28N gunship crashing at airshow

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A Mi-28N Havoc gunship has crashed in Russia during an airshow.

A Russian Mi-28N Night Hunter helicopter crashed during Aviamix airshow at Ryazan airbase, southeast of Moscow, Russia.

The gunship was taking part in an aerial display with other 3 (or 5 according to some sources) Mi-28s when it started to spin and steeply fall towards the ground until it crashed and caught fire. According to the first reports, one of the crew members has died, while the other one was severely injured.

 

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This Is What It’s Like to Fly to the Edge of Space in a MiG-29 Fulcrum

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GoPro cameras bring you aboard a Mig-29 Fulcrum during a flight to the Edge of Space.

Ever wondered what flying one of the most famous Russian warplanes at supersonic speed and so high (between 17 and 22 km) that you can clearly see the curvature of Earth looks like?

The video below will give you a hint.

It was produced by MigFlug, a company that offers fighter jet flying experiences in wide variety of aircraft in Russia, Europe and North America, during a Edge of Space mission with their MiG-29 Fulcrum.

Edge of Space Flight I

Interestingly, the video was shot by a famous aviation video producer, Artur Sarkysian, who attached a GoPro cameras to the two-seater Mig-29UB’s outer surfaces in such a way they could withstand speed up to 2450 km/h and a load factor of 9g!

Edge of Space Flight II

From several different points of view you can watch one of the most famous Soviet-era jet (still serving in Russia, Ukraine, North Korea, Poland, Syria and Iran, among the others) fly at supersonic speed and high altitude, maneuver, perform aerobatics and land.

Edge of Space Flight V

The video was produced over a time of 6 months. But the results are stunning.

Edge of Space

Here below you can watch the whole video. Enjoy!

 

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U.S. A-10 Thunderbolt attack planes have arrived in Poland

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Four U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft have arrived at Polish Powidz AB.

Last month, when the U.S. deployed 12 A-10s to Germany as part of the first TSP (Theater Security Package) we wrote that the aircraft might be temporarily stationed in Poland. Apparently, our assumptions turned out to be founded: on Mar. 24, four Thunderbolts have arrived at the 33rd Powidz Transport Air Base, near Gniezno, in the Greater Poland District.

The purpose of the visit is yet unknown. Most probably the Thunderbolts will be involved in the exercises related to Operation Atlantic Resolve, which is a NATO programme aimed at providing reassurance for the Mid-Eastern European countries (against the Russian threat).

The arrival of the attack aircraft was preceded by arrival of two USAF C-130 Hercules transports, one from the 86th Airlift Wing stationed at Ramstein AB and another one from the 302nd Airlift Wing from Colorado Springs, both part of the rotational USAF Aviation Detachment.

We do not have any information related to length or plan of the unexpected visit. Notably, one of the Warthogs was piloted by a female pilot.

Image Credit: 3rd Transport Aviation Wing, cpt. Włodzimierz Baran, Polish Air Force. More photos here.

 

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U.S. A-10 Thunderbolts to be temporarily stationed in Poland?

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A-10 Warthogs moving east

The U.S. Air Force A-10s of the first Air Force Theater Security Package have eventually arrived at Spangdahlem airbase, in Germany even though their deployment did not complete as planned: two jets had to divert for a failure (pressurization issue according to some sources) and landed at Amsterdam Schiphol airport.

According to the German media outlet “The Local”, US Navy Captain Greg Hicks, who is acting as a spokesman of the US European Command, has confirmed that the Warthogs, after a stop in Germany, will forward deploy to locations in eastern Europe.

With several airbases able to host the Hogs, it is safe to assume the Thunderbolts may soon operate in the Polish airspace, since Polish Armored Cavalry brigades are currently in process of carrying out field training program related to introduction of the Leopard 2A5 tanks into active service.

What is more, some elements of the U.S. Army have already been deployed to Poland, as a part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

The 6-month TSP is officially aimed at enabling joint training among NATO units, but the deployment of the 12 A-10s in eastern Europe is, among all the other things, just an another way to increase presence in Europe and reassure regional allies in light of Russian increasing threat.

As we already mentioned in our first report on the deployment, the A-10 was designed to play a vital role in a possible war against the Soviet Invasion across the German plain and the Fulda Gap.

The Thunderbolt has been one of the cornerstones of the AirLand Battle Doctrine which involved AH-64s, OH-58s, Abrams MBTs (Main Battle Tanks) along with Bradley IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicles) and artillery – M109 and MLRS systems, along with numerous anti tank weapons. This stands in line with the fact that e.g. the Stryker APCs are currently stationed in Poland, and are taking part in some of the Polish Army exercises organized within the area of the Drawsko Pomorskie firing range. This is yet another argument, according to which forward-deployment of the Warthog in Poland would be possible.

On the flip-side, one should remember that the Russian air defense systems protecting mobile armored units, have evolved since the Cold War. As highlighted by some analysts, in case of a regional war in eastern Europe, should the NATO forces not gain total air superiority and support it with plenty of SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defense) operations required to neutralize enemy air defense systems, employment of the Warthogs would be quite difficult and risky.

Nevertheless, the A-10 has proved to be extremely effective role during the operations in Iraq or Afghanistan, where it is the platform of choice for the CAS (Close Air Support) mission, in spite of the impending retirement and subtle criticism: some arguments have been made in the U.S. that the A-10 is dangerous for the troops on the ground, due to the statistical data suggesting that when the Warthog was employed in that role, a rate of friendly fire incidents has been higher.

Nonetheless, it shall be clarified that it is the peculiarity of providing close air support with troops in contact – the A-10 may act close to the positions where own forces are operating, and this may lead to inevitable incidents.

Anyway, in case of full-scale air- and land-war, all the tactics would need to be ultimately reviewed and tailored to the real scenario, and little can be really predicted about the way a conflict in Europe may really develop.

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Polish Fulcrums join Italian Typhoons to provide NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission

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Polish Air Force Mig-29s once again deployed to Lithuania for Baltic Air Policing.

According to a press release issued by the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, four Polish MiG-29 Fulcrums have deployed to Šiauliai airbase, Lithuania, in order to augment the NATO presence provided within the scope of Baltic Air Policing Mission.

The Polish jets are set to join the Italian Eurofighter Typhoons, already stationed in Lithuania, with the leading role within the mission. The reinforcement of Baltic Air Policing is a part of the NATO reassurance program, which has been taking place with the aim of providing additional air-assets for the states in the region since Apr. 2014. The reinforcement operation is directly linked with the Ukrainian crisis and the growing Russian presence in the Baltic region.

Polish MiGs come from the Minsk Mazowiecki 23rd airbase, along with over 100 military. Last time the Poles took part in the Baltic Air Policing was between May and August last year, which (notably) happened in the early days of the Ukrainian crisis.

During that deployment the Polish AF had the role of leader of the operation. It’s the sixth time the Polish MiG-29 jets are called to monitor the airspace over the Baltic states which are not in possession of their own airspace monitoring capabilities.

The Polish fighters will act under command of Lt. Col. Piotr Iwaszko, who is also the pilot flying the Polish MiG-29 demonstration act during the airshows all around Europe.

According to the General Command of the Armed Services of Poland, the main task which is to be fulfilled by the Fulcrums is to prevent any intrusion within the airspace of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. Secondly the jets are to provide support for military and civilian aircraft in emergency situations.

It is worth noting, that this is the 37th rotation which is taking place within the BAP operation since the very beginning of the mission, which started back in March 2004. At that date the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia joined the NATO alliance.

As a consequence of the Ukrainian crisis, NATO largely reinforced its presence in the Mid-Eastern Europe, not only in Lithuania. Just recently, Spanish Eurofighter Typhoons have deployed to Estonia, while on Jan. 8. the Belgian F-16 fighters have arrived at Malbork, Poland to replace the Dutch Fighting Falcons stationed there.

 

Top image credit: Pawel Duma via http://www.airpolicing.wp.mil.pl

 

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