Hopefully, this will end the silly brouhaha. The bombs jettisoned into the Coral Sea by Marine Harriers during Talisman Saber in late July have been disposed of.
An look into the possible reasons for Indonesia's choice of the AH-64E Apache helicopter gunship.
AV-8B Harrier II of VMA-214 Blacksheep
Marine Corps aviation units based in Japan, in addition to those attached to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit which is currently embarked on board the ships of the Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group, are currently training with embarked 31st MEU Marines, the 5th Royal Australian Regiment and Marine Rotational Force–Darwin during Exercise Koolendong 2013, a bilateral exercise taking place at the Bradshaw Field Training Area in the Northern Territory starting 27 Aug. for approximately two weeks.
Exercise Koolendong 2013 is designed as a “proof of concept” to assess the capacity of the Bradshaw Field Training Area to accommodate live-fire training for battalion-sized units of approximately 1,000 personnel and demonstrate the capabilities that U.S. amphibious forces can provide.
The exercise will feature day and night live-fire training that includes light and heavy machine guns, mortars, artillery and aviation-delivered ordnance from AV-8B Harriers from the 31st MEU (attached from VMA-214 Blacksheep) and FA/18D Hornets from VMFA-242 Bats. Additionally, three KC-130Js from the Sumos of VMGR-152 will provide tanker and transport support while MV-22 Ospreys, CH-53E Super Stallions and UH-1Y Hueys from VMM-265 (Reinforced) will provide assault support transportation from the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) operating at sea.
The Bradshaw Field Training Area is a remote training range in the Northern Territory, Australia; it is approximately 200 miles south/southwest from Darwin and is over 3,300 square miles in size.
AV-8B Harrier II of VMA-214 Blacksheep
More details have emerged regarding the unintended dropping of practice and unarmed bombs by U.S. Marine Harriers on the Great Barrier Reef during Talisman Saber in July.
It has been happening for a while, but news has just got out that the F/A-18D Hornets of VMFA(AW)-242 Bats are currently in Tindal, Australia for Exercise Southern Frontier.
The Korean Aircraft Industries (KAI) FA-50 is to begin service with the Republic of Korea Air Force this week. 60 of the light attack aircraft will be replacing the RoKAF's F-5E/F Tiger II interceptor fleet.
If you still doubted that the ongoing Red Flag - Alaska (which I wrote about here) was practice for a North Korea scenario, this story about DHC-2 Beavers simulating An-2 Colts at the exercise should erase them.
VMA-211 AV-8B Harrier in 2009. Click for high-resolution image
In a brazen assault reminiscent of the attacks by the Vietcong against American airbases during the Vietnam War, the Taliban in Afghanistan have destroyed six United States Marine Corps (USMC) AV-8B Harrier jump jets on the ground and "significantly" damaged two other Harriers at Camp Bastion, in Afghanistan's southern Helmand Province on Friday. According to a statement by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF):
The insurgents appeared to be well equipped, trained and rehearsed.
Dressed in U.S. Army uniforms and armed with automatic rifles, rocket propelled grenade launchers and suicide vests, the insurgents attacked Coalition fixed and rotary wing aircraft parked on the flight line, aircraft hangars and other buildings.
Six Coalition AV-8B Harrier jets were destroyed and two were significantly damaged. Three Coalition refueling stations were also destroyed. Six soft-skin aircraft hangars were damaged to some degree.
The attack commenced just after 10 p.m. when approximately 15 insurgents executed a well-coordinated attack against the airfield on Camp Bastion. The insurgents, organized into three teams, penetrated at one point of the perimeter fence.
The Harriers were from the Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 211 "Avengers", normally based at Yuma, Arizona. Two coalition members, including the squadron's Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. Chris "Otis" Raible, were also killed during the attack. Given that a typical Marine Harrier squadron deploys with ten jets, and with approximately 120 active aircraft currently in the Marines' inventory, having eight aircraft put out of action (1/15 or 7% of the fleet) in one single action would be a big blow to the Marines, as well as ISAF operations in and around Camp Bastion. The Avengers were deployed to Afghanistan since May 2012, and had operated from Camp Bastion since July.
Camp Bastion is usually regarded as a relatively safe operating location due to its remoteness in the deserts of Helmand, away from built up areas and devoid of cover which can be used to conceal the approach of insurgents. In a statement, the Taliban claimed that they were attempting to kill Britain's Prince Harry, who had recently been deployed to Camp Bastion, and also engaging in the attack to get retribution for the recently viral video about Prophet Muhammed and Islam.
AV-8B Harriers with the Tigers of Marine Attack Squadron 542 join the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard at sea. The 31st MEU is currently deployed in the Asia-Pacific region in support of theatre security operations. VMA 542 is the fixed wing asset of the MEU's Air Combat Element, providing long distance reconnaissance and close air support capabilities.
