11/04/2011

Free Libyan Air Force!!!!!!!!!


(Copyright CBS)

(Copyright AFP)


Picture's are starting to emerge of Aircraft that have found their way into rebel service. They seem to have been adopted from the old Royalist flag. The MiG-23's are based at Benina, though im not sure where the Hind's are based.




08/04/2011

Ugandan L-39ZA Albatross!

(Copyright Unknown)


This has been sitting on my hard drive for a while now, so much so that i cant recall the forum its comes from, so apologies for not being able to credit the photo to anyone. Anyways, this is one of three ex Libyan L-39ZA's donated to Uganda, which spent most of their time sitting on the Entebbe ramp.

The above Photo is not Entebbe though, and looking at the Apron, its somewhere in Eastern Europe, Russia or Ukraine. If so, then they are for upgrade, and are now back in service.

The three L-39ZA'S are:-

AF-701
AF-702
AF-703










06/04/2011

Mozambigue recieve's FTB.337G's


(Copyright Jacqueline Cação da Costa)

Seen at Nampula Air Base back in March, is one of the Forca Aérea De Moçambique's two recently transferred ex Portuguese FTB.337G Milirole's. They will be used for a number of task's that will include Liason, Medevac and training. They are also equipped for the Surveilance role, though it is unknown whether they have been stripped of their weopon's capability.

The Aircraft transferred are:-

Ex FAP 13713 (c/n.0014) to FAM-45?
Ex FAP 13729 (c/n.0030) to FAM-457













05/04/2011

Year 2000 - Baku


This and the following photo's seem to have been taken during a CFE arms inspection to an Airfield in Baku, Azerbaijan back in 2000. Pictured above is AN-2 Colt, that seems to have been requisitioned for Military service during its bloody war with Armenia during the 1990's, hence the ad hoc application of Dark green over its former Aeroflot marks. No serial or code is visable, if indeed it carries one at all, though the Azeri fin flash can just be made out on the tail.


Azeri AN-12B Cub without any visable serial. Accurate figure's as to how many aircraft served with the Air Force during the conflict over Ngorniy Karabakh are hard to assertain, since many aircraft were requisitioned. The Transport element was based at Gyandzha. Although faded, the cheatline on this aircraft is actually Blue, with the small Azeri flag situated on the rear fuselage, above the cabin window's.



A very nice suprise must of been these two BE-12PS Chaika ASW/Maritime Patrol aircraft taken over from the Russian's at Baku, but seemingly placed in storage and never used by the Azeri's. The posibility is, that they may have been earmarked for the Azeri Navy.


                                       



Another type included in the Black Sea Fleet transfer were a number of KA-27PS Helix-A, three of which are seen here. Visible serials are 142 and 143, with 142 wearing fresher marking's. These would of been earmarked for the Azeri Navy, and not the Air Force.




Between 24-30 L-29 Delfin advanced Trainer's were inherited by the Azeri Air Force, and several actually undertook combat mission's over Ngorniy Karabakh from there home base at Kyurdamir, with some being lost due to lacking any armour agiainst light arms fire.



A few Mil Mi-2 Hoplite's were inherited from the Russian's, with yellow 40 still showing it's ancestry through her weathered camo. Mi-2's are currently in service with an Helicopter regiment based at Gala. Note the L-29 Delfin serialed 116 in the top photograph.


Weopon rack's are seen attached to this former Russian Mi-8MT Hip-H. Carrying the Azeri code of Red 121 over its former Russian code of 43, they served heavily in the War with Armenia, wih several being shot down.


Red 135 has the Azeri fin flash coving it's tail, and painted in a smart Green and Grey scheme.


Another veteran of the conflict with Armenia, is this Mi-24P Hind-F. Note the Shark mouth!


Another veteran, this time in the form of red 115, a former Russian Mi-24V. It wear's a shark mouth, with the Fin flash covering the whole fin, which was possibly applied as an identification aid against confusion with Armenian example's.


(All Photo's courtesy of Cold War Warrior)

These Hind's dont seem to carry any Azeri insignia and may have been used for spare's recovery to keep the service's other Hind's operational.





You can see many more excellent and extremely rare image's in Cold Water Warrior's Flickr account, http://www.flickr.com/photos/16498755@N07/














04/04/2011

Almaty - Pervomaiskiy








(All Photo's Copyright Vyacheslav Firsov - RussianPlanes.net)


Seen at Almaty - Pervomaiskiy on the 29th March were these Helicopter's of the 486th Brigade(?).







Al Quwwat al-Jawwiyah al Arabiya as-Souriya!!!



Syria's aircraft strength is very hard to assertain with various estimate's to number's of Aircraft delivered or in service, so please excuse me for any inaccuracie's if indeed they are inaccurate! Seen above are two image's of Syria's 40 or so MiG-29A Fulcrum-A's. Unfortunately, the serials are a little obscured due to haze and distance, but the scheme is very apparent. Syria is upgrading it's early MiG-29's to M-2 standard, and has ordered the more advanced MiG-29SMT.






The picture's above are taken Aleppo, and show some of the 33 MiG-23MLD Flogger-K's and MiG-23UB Flogger-C's that were transferred to Syria during 2008 from Belorussian stock's. They dont seem to carry any Syrian markings, so are proberly used as spares to keep the 100 or so fleet of earlier delivered MiG-23's airworthy, most of which are being upgraded. With that in mind, its also possible that some of the above may be upgraded, but it would be a pretty costly exercise to deliver the aircraft then take them back for upgrade!



A rare beast indeed! Seen here are example's of Syria's estimated 20 SU-24MK Fencer-D strike and interdiction Aircraft. They seem to wear the same scheme as Algerian examples, but unfortunately, no codes/serial's are noticable.


Another rare beast is the Syrians SU-22. A fleet of around 50 Su-22M-2 Fitter-J and SU-22M-4 Fitter-H aircraft. This aircraft seems to be wearing a scheme very similar to those of Iraq.


Three of Syria's 60 MiG-23BN Flogger-H aircraft formate over the Syrian skyline. Like those delivered to other countries, they seem to be painted in seperate schemes?


Not all of Syria's airpower is from the former Soviet Union as these Aerospatiale SA-342L Gazelle's testify. They suppliment the much heavier Mi-24 Hind in the close support and and anti-armour role, and have seen action over Lebanon. It is estimated that 42 may be in service, though attrition and serviceability issue may mean less are available.


Syria has over the year's recieved over a 100 Mi-8's in differing version's that include ELINT, VIP, Transport, and Assualt. This seem's seem's to be an armed Mi-8TB Hip-F model, used for Assault.



The fleet of early model Mi-8's has been supplamented by the much more capable Mi-17 Hip-H in the armed Assault role, with around 40 being delivered.

                                                    (All Photo's courtesy of Luftwaffe A.S.)





Many thank's to Luftwaffe A.S for his permission in using his unique and wonderful Photographe's!