These photos of Typhoon Haiyan's devastation show one of the problems (aviation) bedeviling the typhoon relief effort

The two photos below were taken by the photographers of the U.S. Navy and the Australian Defence Force respectively. The first photo shows Guiuan Airport, in Eastern Samar Province while the second is of Tacloban Airport in Leyte, approximately 50 miles (80km) from each other across the Leyte Gulf. Both areas have been hard hit by Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the Philippines a little over a week ago.

Other than showing the damage wrought by the ferocious typhoon, it also illustrates clearly one of the many (and by no means the most difficult) problems the global disaster relief efforts helping the victims of the record-breaking storm. Even without the airport facilities being badly damaged by the typhoon, the airports themselves are both very small and poorly equipped. With 2-3 C-130 Hercules-sized transports on the ground, both tarmacs are already at full capacity and the only other aircraft capable of operating at that particular time are light aircraft or helicopters (which can be seen in both photos). This would undoubtedly slow the pace of relief efforts as well as the evacuation of the victims.

On another note, up to 14 United States Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreys from the two Okinawa-based squadrons are already supporting the relief efforts in the area. The Ospreys are proving themselves in this situation, having the range to deploy from Okinawa to the Philippines without needing a ship to ferry them across. Their ability to operate from/to anywhere a helicopter can, as well as being able to fly at the speed of a fixed-wing asset, is also proving to be very useful.

The international community has so far been very generous in mobilising to assist the victims, with nations and non-governmental organisations rallying to contribute to the relief effort. However it will still be a long road ahead to recover fully from the effects of this devastating event.

Click on thumbnails for high-resolution image

Above: 131117-N-XN177-381 GUIUAN, Eastern Samar Province, Republic of the Philippines (Nov. 17, 2013) An HC-130 Hercules and other military aircraft sit on the tarmac at Guiuan airport waiting to airlift Philippine citizens in support of Operation Damayan. The George Washington Strike Group supports the 3d Marine Expeditionary Brigade to assist the Philippine government in response to the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda in the Republic of the Philippines. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Peter Burghart/RELEASED)

Above: 20131115raaf8298528_0820 Surrounded by the destruction caused by Typhoon Haiyan, US Air Force and Philippines Air Force C-130 Hercules (Ed: From left to right, the C-130s are from the Republic of Singapore Air Force, United States Marine Corps and Philippine Air Force. Two Philippine Navy Britten-Norman Islanders can also be seen, as well a U.S. Navy Seahawk) deliver aid and evacuate people at Tacloban airport. (© Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Defence Photo by CPL Glen McCarthy)

Singaporean F-16D gains colourful tailflash to mark 20 years at Luke AFB

U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Grace Lee. Click on thumbnail for high-resolution image

Airmen from the United States' Air Force 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron painted this colourful artwork on the tail of a 425th Fighter Squadron F-16D fighter jet (S/N 96-5034) to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Republic of Singapore Air Force partnering with Arizona's Luke Air Force Base and the 56th Fighter Wing in training fighter pilots. The 425th Fighter Squadron, also known as the Black Widows, was reactivated at Luke AFB in late 1992 and started training Republic of Singapore Air Force pilots on the F-16 soon after, initially using leased USAF F-16A/Bs before switching over to leased F-16C/Ds and finally transitioning over to the RSAF's own Block 52 F-16C/Ds when deliveries of the latter began in 1998.

The squadron is a mixed USAF-RSAF training squadron, and is one of several RSAF training detachments in the United States. The RSAF maintains several training detachments based overseas due to a lack of training areas at home, as well as monsoonal weather patterns over Singapore which frequently restricts training. Singapore operates 60 F-16C/Ds spread among 3 Singapore-based squadrons and the 425th FS at Luke AFB.

Humanitarian air bridge ramps up in support of Philippine typhoon victims

Reuters/Cheryl Ravelo

A global airlift armada has been converging on the Philippines in the past days, bringing relief supplies to the parts of the country devastated by the record-breaking Typhoon Haiyan. Greg Waldron has compiled a good list of the air forces providing aircraft over at Flightglobal. In addition, Singapore has sent a C-130 Hercules loaded with relief supplies over this morning, and has plans to send at least one more C-130 soon. Malaysia and Taiwan have also each dispatched a pair of C-130s along with medical teams/Non-Governmental Organisation personnel on board, and a Royal Swedish Air Force C-130 is also known to be inbound.

Meanwhile the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces will be sending the ships JS Ise, JS Towada and JS Osumi to join the relief effort, with three CH-47 Chinooks on board. They will be joined by a Japanese Air Self-Defense Force C-130 on the ground, in the Self-Defense Force's largest HADR mission since its formation.

The Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) has also sent three of its C-130s in support of the HADR effort, loaded up with more than 30 tons of relief supplies for the typhoon's victims.

NOTE: This blog post will be updated as more information comes in. Please let me know, via the comments, if you have any more information regarding countries sending aircraft to support the relief effort.

PHOTOS: Air-to-air images of RAAF Hornet in warbird photoshoot

I'm not a fan of using over-the-top superlatives to describe everything, but I think these photos are really stunning. On the 2nd of November, the Temora Aviation Museum in New South Wales, Australia held their second ever Warbirds Down Under airshow.

In addition, an air-to-air photoshoot was conducted from out the back of the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society's ex-Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) DHC Caribou, photographing some of the historical aircraft participating in the show. They were joined by a couple of RAAF F/A-18A/B Hornets and the photoshoot itself, along with some dusk/sunset photos were captured from the back seat of an F/A-18B.

More images can be found at this Gallery. Click on the thumbnails below for high resolution images.

© Commonwealth of Australia

© Commonwealth of Australia

New photos of China's new KJ-500 AEW emerge

More photos have emerged of the prototype KJ-500 Airborne Early Warning Aircraft. The new aircraft is based on the Shaanxi Y-9 turboprop transport, and features a fixed rotodome on the top fuselage, reportedly housing 3 Active Electronically Scanned Array radars providing 360° coverage. Additional sideways looking Synthetic Aperture Radar antennas also appear to be fitted, with 2 antennas on the rear fuselage side.

China already operates 2 other types of AEW aircraft, with the 11 KJ-200 aircraft (based on the Y-8 transport) and 5 KJ-2000s (based on the Ilyushin Il-76) already in service with the Chinese Air Force's 76th Electronic Warfare Regiment, 26th Special Mission Division at Wuxi-Shuofang.

And a couple of pretty well-done rendering of what the KJ-500 will look like, although the nosecone in the 1st rendering is of a typical Y-9. The KJ-500 seems to sport an enlarged nosecone, most likely housing a specialised radar set.

PHOTOS: Taiwanese AH-64E Apache being "wrung out" after assembly

Couple of photos of a Republic of China (Taiwan) Army Boeing AH-64E Apache being test flown at Tainan in southern Taiwan after being assembled. Six of the 30 helicopter gunships on order were delivered by ship to Taiwan in disassembled form last week. Click on thumbnails for high-resolution.

First Australian Growler pilot starts training at Whidbey Island

The Royal Australian Air Force's first EA-18G Growler pilot instructor has commenced flying on the type in the United States. The training is being conducted with the Electronic Attack Wing of the US Pacific Fleet at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.

Over the next three years, six RAAF crews (comprised one pilot and one electronic warfare officer) will learn to fly the Growler with the US Navy’s VAQ-129, with assistance from the US Program Management Office (PMA-265) at Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Maryland.

Australia has 12 new-build EA-18G Growler Electronic Attack Aircraft on order. It had originally intended to convert 12 of it's current fleet of F/A-18F Super Hornets (pictured above) into Growlers.

Singapore AF Weapon System Officer injured in U.S Navy T-45 crash

T-45 Goshawk. U.S Navy Photo by LTJG John A. Ivancic

A Republic of Singapore Air Force Weapon Systems Officer was injured in yesterday's crash of a U.S. Navy T-45 Goshawk at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Lieutenant (LTA) Lu, Zhen Yang Ephraim was undergoing a routine training flight and was in the backseat of a US Navy T-45C Goshawk training jet piloted by a U.S. Navy instructor pilot when it crash landed. Both LTA Lu and the USN IP were injured in the crash and are recovering in hospital.

According to the statement from Singapore's Ministry of Defence, LTA Lu was on a Weapon Systems Officer (Fighter) Course conducted by the US Navy. The RSAF has a number of training arrangements in the United States operating both their own aircraft, as well as airframe hours leased from U.S. Air Force and Navy assets.

JASDF intercepts more Chinese Y-8s, H-6s transiting Miyako Straits

Tracks of intercepted Chinese aircraft release by the Japanese MoD

Like I've said before, this is the New Normal.

Japanese fighters have intercepted two Xi'an H-6G bombers and a similar number of Shaanxi Y-8J AEW/MPAs [.pdf] belonging to the Chinese Navy transiting through international airspace over the Miyako Straits on their way to the Western Pacific on Friday. The two H-6s were flying together, while the Y-8Js flew singly, at different times of the day. The above graphic illustrates the tracks of the individual aircraft.

The Chinese aircraft would likely have been involved in a massive exercise involving all three fleets of the Chinese Navy. The Chinese have also said that the exercises were monitored by "foreign military vessels and reconnaissance aircraft".

We have previously covered the Chinese Navy's Y-8J and H-6Gs involved in greater details here and here respectively.

South Korea looking at STOVL aircraft carrier; S-3 Vikings

U.S. Navy S-3 Viking. (U.S. Navy Photo

South Korea is reported to have carried out a feasibility study to equip its navy with a small aircraft carrier capable of operating Short Take Off and Vertical Landing aircraft in the near future. It is also reported to have put a priority on purchasing ex-U.S. Navy S-3 Vikings retired in 2009.

Sounds like this is a good time to bring up my earlier look at the recent emergence of flat-tops in the Asia Pacific region.

PS. Another future operator of the F-35B in the making? Lockheed-Martin must have been licking its chops when this piece of news broke.

China leans (lightly) on South Korea to withhold jet sale

Republic of Korea Air Force KAI TA-50 Golden Eagle. (Credit Unknown)

This is interesting. South Korean press is reporting that China has leaned (albeit lightly) on South Korea to reconsider a proposed sale of KAI F/A-50 light combat jets to the Philippines. The reports say that while the South Korean government officially denies the reports, officials privately admit that this is happening. China and the Philippines are two of six claimants to the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, and both countries have been prominent in sparring publicly and diplomatically over their respective claims.

China is South Korea's largest trading partner and South Korea is China's third largest, and both countries currently enjoy cordial bilateral ties. South Korea is extremely keen to secure an export success for the jet, which has lost a number of competitions in its T-50 trainer guise. However, both it and China would be loathe to see relations deteriorate, so this would unlikely to blow up into anything bigger.

Of course bigger powers leaning on smaller countries to bar arms sales is not a new thing, and China has been on the receiving end of the practice as well, most notably when the United States successfully lobbied Israel to scrap a sale of Phalcon Airborne Early Radars to China. It's also not the first time China is dishing it out, with virtually no country willing to any partake in major arms sales to Taiwan out of fear of economic and diplomatic repercussions from China.

UPDATE: James Hardy from IHS Janes has just reported that both countries have inked an accord (article partially paywalled) related to the F/A-50 sale.

Singapore reportedly selects the F-35B; in no hurry to place order

F-35B Lightning II STOVL Joint Strike Fighter (Lockheed-Martin Photo)

I have written for The Diplomat on reports that Singapore has already selected the F-35B STOVL version of the Joint Strike Fighter. The piece also discusses the possible reasons behind the selection, and contains a nugget about developments in Singapore's fleet of Boeing F-15SG Eagles.

VIDEO: Australian Maritime Counter-Terrorism exercise Iron Moon 2013

Jumping out of a perfectly good C-17 (Screengrab from video). © Commonwealth of Australia

Boats and counter-terrorist special forces air dropped from a C-17, VBSS teams boarding a simulated hijacked commercial vessel by rappeling down from Blackhawks and more...

This is an awesome video from the Australian Department of Defence shot during Exercise IRON MOON 2013, a two week Maritime Counter Terrorism training exercise in the waters off Exmouth and Dampier in North West Australia. The annual exercise involved several hundred personnel from across Defence and Australian federal and state civilian agencies. The exercise is designed to enhance and validate the ADF Maritime Counter Terrorism response capability in the most realistic environment possible.

PHOTO: Air-to-Air of Singaporean PC-21 with Aussie PC-9, Hawk 127

© Commonwealth of Australia. Click on thumbnail for high resolution version.

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) recently conducted a joint flight over the city of Perth in celebration of 20 years of Singapore Flying Training at RAAF Base Pearce in Western Australia. A RSAF Pilatus PC-21 trainer flew in conjunction with a RAAF BAe Hawk 127 Lead In Fighter Trainer of 79 Sqn RAAF and a Pilatus PC-9 of No.2 Flying Training School.

More images by the RAAF's photographers in this Photo Gallery

Malaysia shows ECM pods, missiles for its Su-30s for the first time

Click on image for high resolution. Image © Iwan from Malaysianwings

The above photo was snapped by Malaysian plane spotter Iwan during the Malaysian Armed Forces 80th Anniversary Parade held at Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur on the 21st of September 2013. This aircraft, serialled M52-03, was one of 4 Sukhoi Su-30MKM Flankers that took part in a flypast held in conjunction with the parade. What is interesting about this aircraft is that it shows in public, for the first time, the Russian Knirti SPS-171 / L005S Sorbtsiya-S mid/high band defensive jammer pods Malaysia was known to have purchased with its Flankers.

Also on show, albeit mounted on flatbed trailers towed by prime movers as part of the ground portion of the parade, were several types of advanced missiles, also for the Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia's (Royal Malaysian Air Force) Su-30MKMs. Noted were the Vympel R-77 medium range active radar-guided air-to-air missile, Raduga Kh-59ME and Molniya Kh-29TE air-to-surface missiles and the Zvezda Kh-31P Anti-Radiation Missile, the latter the equivalent of the AGM-88 HARM (High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile) for use against enemy radars in the Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defence role.

These equipment were known to have been ordered by Malaysia in the original contract for the TUDM's 18 Su-30MKMs signed in 2003, with the first aircraft being delivered in 2007 with deliveries completed in 2009. All 18 aircraft serve with the TUDM's 11 Skuadron at Gong Kedak Airbase in the northeastern part of Peninsular Malaysia.

Asia-Pacific Military Aviation News roundup: 02 Oct 2013

HMM-262 Sea Knight at Ex Cobra Gold, Thailand in 2009

According to reports from Russia quoting Indonesian sources, Indonesia has a requirement of 112 fighters between now and 2024. The TNI-AU intends to form 8 squadrons of 16 aircraft each. It already operates 16 Su-27/30s and has 24 refurbished F-16C/Ds on order.

End of an era as the last Okinawa-based U.S. Marine CH-46 Sea Knight made its last flight prior to storage pending disposal. The helicopters from Marine Helicopter Medium Squadron 262 (HMM-262) is in the process of converting to the MV-22B Osprey. Another Okinawa-based squadron is now flying Ospreys since 2012, having also turned in its Sea Knights.

More details have emerged of the new Taiwanese-built air launched precision weapon we reported on a while back. The Wan Chien is a cluster munition with a range of over 200km. It will equip the AIDC F-CK-1 Ching Kuo fighters of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force, with forty Tainan based aircraft already retrofitted for the new weapon.

Marine aviation assets temporarily deployed to Japan are currently in the Philippines conducting training with Philippine Air Force personnel. F/A-18C Hornets from VMFA-232 'Red Devils' and AH-1W Super Cobras of HMLA-167 'Warriors' are temporarily deployed to Japan as part of the USMC's Unit Deployment Program (UDP)

Asia-Pacific Military Aviation News roundup: 30 Sept 2013

F-22A Raptor of the 525th Fighter Squadron

The F-22 folks at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, have devised a concept to rapidly deploy a contingent of four F-22s - supported by a C-17 - to any forward location and having the fighters combat-ready at the new location within 24 hours. PS. More of my F-22 photos.

Woah. Sections of the Chinese state-controlled media have lambasted the combat capabilities of the Shenyang J-15 when operating off the carrier Liaoning. However, as the linked Defensenews article makes clear, some of the criticism does not stand up to scrutiny. And the Flanker-family's limitations when operating in a STOBAR-configured carrier is already well-known.

Asia-Pacific Military Aviation News roundup: 26 Sept 2013

Kadena-based F-15C Eagle

Aircraft from the USS George Washington have conducted a joint exercise between the U.S. Navy and Air Force. USAF participants comprised of F-22s and F-15s from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa.

Demonstrating the global nature of their training, the Republic of Singapore Air Force's U.S.-based F-15s will train with the American, Canadian and German air forces in Idaho, while their F-16s are flying with the Indonesian Air Force and AH-64 Apaches and CH-47 Chinooks have been ferried to Australia to take part in Exercise Wallaby.

As if highlighting how they need replacement, a South Korean Northrop F-5E Tiger II has crashed. The pilot successfully ejected from the stricken jet.

The Chengdu J-10 fighter needs an export licence before it could be exported to overseas customers. There has reportedly been interest, though.

PHOTO: USAF F-16s under the Northern Lights in Alaska

U.S. Air Force Photo by SSgt. Kurtis Hoar. Click on image for high-resolution version

Not too sure how come I missed this back in 2011, but here it is anyway...

Airmen and Aircraft from the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan AB, South Korea, deployed to Alaska for five weeks in the fall to participate in both the Red Flag-Alaska and Distant Thunder exercises at Eielson AFB, Alaska. This image, taken on 17 October 2011 shows six Wolf Pack jets on the Eielson ramp illuminated by the Northern Lights.

Red Flag-Alaska is a realistic ten-day air combat training exercise held four times a year. The focus of the exercise is to bring Airmen together from all different platforms and backgrounds to execute in a multi-service environment. Distant Thunder is a regularly scheduled multi-unit coalition exercise.

Asia-Pacific Military Aviation News roundup: 25 Sept 2013

TNI-AU (Indonesian Air Force) Su-30MK2

Indonesia now has a full squadron of Sukhoi Su-27/30s after the last aircraft were accepted into the TNI-AU.

Bernama has reported that the recently unveiled Advanced Super Hornet would be offered for Malaysia's Multi-Role Combat Aircraft competition. However Jane's Malaysia correspondent Dzirhan Mahadzir has said that Boeing has offered the Advanced Super Hornet upgrade if Malaysia wants them down the line after acquiring regular Super Hornet airframes.

The first of 12 Lockheed-Martin P-3C Orions for Taiwan has arrived at Pingtung Airbase from Guam yesterday.