Lakenheath back to full strength

[slogen51]

30/11/2023 Retro 51/52 arrived back from rework behind KC-46 Blue 12 15-46068
00-3001 no colours
00-3003 no colours ( formerly Big Joker - I hope it is repainted as such)

Therefore

54 F-15E ( 54 serials but some are on depot maintenance)
41 F-35A ( 16 x 493FS, 25 x 495FS)

=95 48FW Aircraft

Less
11 F-15E away on depot maintenance**

=84 48FW aircraft available to be on base at 17:00 on 30/11/2023

- Less 12 Panthers in the sandpit :-
Cube 71 -73 went 13/10/2023 behind Python 15
01-2002 red
91-0335 red
91-0324 no colours

Tabor 71-75 went 16/10 behind Clean 01
91-0334 red
91-0313 no colours
96-0201 mlt '48FW'
91-0310 no colours
96-0202 blue

Tabor 81-84 went 16/10/2023 behind Clean 11
96-0204 no colours
91-0604 red
91-0602 red
00-3000 no colours

=72 48FW aircraft on base at 17:00 on 30/11/2023

+ Plus 4 Alphajets and 1 A-4N

=77 fast jets on base as at 17:00 on 30/11/2023 (31 F-15E, 41 F-35A, 4 Alphajet, 1 A-4N)

!! This assumes all four F-35A that went to Ghedi have returned - I have seen three of them at Lakenheath but could do with confirmation that 22-5684 is actually at Lakenheath

**The 11 Strike Eagles away on depot maintenance are :
Seven potentially at Warner-Robbins :-
91-0302 went 18/01/2023
91-0317 went 07/06/2023
91-0314 went 07/06/2023 '494FS'
91-0320 went 07/06/2023
91-0318 went 09/09/2023 ( serial from boom)
91-0301 went 09/09/2023 ( possibly 91-0301) seen during August without CFT
01-2000 went 09/09/2023 ( possibly 01-2000)

Four F-15E went to Kelly AFB where there is a 'Contractor Field Team '
91-0329 no colours went 02/05/2023
98-0133 blue went 02/05/2023
91-0332 no colours went 09/09/2023
91-0326 red went 09/09/2023

The Specials
______________________________
91-0312 mlt '48OG'
96-0201 mlt '48FW'
92-0364 '494FS' is the latest 494FS Boss jet
97-0221 '492FS' has 'Bolar 1' in the fin colour
19-5493 '493FS'
19-5495 '495FS'
19-5484 '48FW'
19-5485 '48OG'

Civilian Aggressors
_______________________________
Top Aces

Alphajets
C-GFTO/ 038 brown
C-GITA/040 blue - departed via ROXAT on 1/12/2023
C-GJTA/057 blue
C-GLTO/069 brown

A-4N Skyhawks
C-FGZE/495

RAVN Hawks
Nil

[slogen51]

C-GITA/040 departed this morning back to Nordholz

Therefore

=76 fast jets on base as at 17:00 on 01/12/2023 (31 F-15E, 41 F-35A, 3 Alphajet, 1 A-4N)

Alphajets
C-GFTO/ 038 brown
C-GJTA/057 blue
C-GLTO/069 brown

A-4N Skyhawks
C-FGZE/495

RAVN Hawks
Nil

[Professor_M]

Alphajets
C-GFTO/ 038 brown
C-GJTA/057 blue
C-GLTO/069 brown

A-4N Skyhawks
C-FGZE/495

RAVN Hawks
Nil

Before the Alpha Jets and Skyhawks arrived, who was responsible for providing aggressors for Lakenheath in the recent past (last decade or so, say)?

Was it done by other aircraft on base - Lightnings/Strike Eagles (and Eagles not too long ago) playing the "Bad Guys"? Or did someone else do it?

[POL]

Pre-2019...nobody. That's why the DOD and USAF have spent $10bn on adversary operators; https://www.airandspaceforces.com/artic ... ir-rising/

[slogen51]

04/12/2023 Harbinger 11-14 Four RAVN Aerospace Hawks arrived from Houston Ellington TX
N508XX ( wears NX508XX)
N503XX
N504XX
N511XX

Therefore

=80 fast jets on base as at 13:00 on 04/12/2023 (31 F-15E, 41 F-35A, 3 Alphajet, 1 A-4N, 4 Hawk)

Alphajet
C-GFTO/ 038 brown
C-GJTA/057 blue
C-GLTO/069 brown

A-4N Skyhawk
C-FGZE/495

RAVN Aerospace Hawk
N508XX grey ( wears NX508XX)
N503XX camo
N504XX camo
N511XX camo

[slogen51]

13/12 thanks to FC - Ambush 71 C-GFTO/ 038 went back to Nordholz on Wednesday

14/12 according to FR24 C-GLTO/069 is going to Nordholz this morning? Edit - According to FR24 this aircraft is still at Lakenheath Thursday evening

[AlexanderClover]

One of the 494th Jets in the Middle East 96-0204 is nick named Clawin Kitty and has some pretty snazzy nose art.

[slogen51]

11/01/2024 12 495FS F-35A departed to Aviano :-

Freyja 01-03 : 5580,5588,5582
Valkyrie 01-03 : 5495, 5486,5615 ( Valkyrie Taxied first but then had a tech issue)
Thor 01-03 : 5589,5600,5601
Asgard 01-03 : 5602,5590,5484

Therefore

=67 fast jets on base as at 17:00 on 11/01/2024 (31 F-15E, 29 F-35A, 2 Alphajet, 1 A-4N, 4 Hawk)

Alphajet
C-GJTA/057 blue
C-GLTO/069 brown

A-4N Skyhawk
C-FGZE/495

RAVN Aerospace Hawk
N508XX grey ( wears NX508XX)
N503XX camo
N504XX camo
N511XX camo

[slogen51]

Therefore

54 F-15E ( 54 serials but some are on depot maintenance)
41 F-35A ( 16 x 493FS, 25 x 495FS)

=95 48FW Aircraft

Less
11 F-15E away on depot maintenance**

=84 48FW aircraft available to be on base at 17:00 on 11/01/2024

Less 12 Panthers in the sandpit :-
Cube 71 -73 went 13/10/2023 behind Python 15
01-2002 red
91-0335 red
91-0324 no colours

Tabor 71-75 went 16/10 behind Clean 01
91-0334 red
91-0313 no colours
96-0201 mlt '48FW'
91-0310 no colours
96-0202 blue

Tabor 81-84 went 16/10/2023 behind Clean 11
96-0204 no colours
91-0604 red
91-0602 red
00-3000 no colours

Less 12 495FS F-35A departed to Aviano on 11/01/2024 :-
Freyja 01-03 : 5580,5588,5582
Valkyrie 01-03 : 5495, 5486,5615 ( Valkyrie Taxied first but then had a tech issue)
Thor 01-03 : 5589,5600,5601
Asgard 01-03 : 5602,5590,5484

=60 48FW aircraft on base at 17:00 on 11/01/2024

+ 7 Civilian Aggressors :-
Alphajet
C-GJTA/057 blue
C-GLTO/069 brown

A-4N Skyhawk
C-FGZE/495

RAVN Aerospace Hawk
N508XX grey ( wears NX508XX)
N503XX camo
N504XX camo
N511XX camo

=67 fast jets on base as at 17:00 on 11/01/2024 (31 F-15E, 29 F-35A, 2 Alphajet, 1 A-4N, 4 Hawk)

_____________________________________________

**The 11 Strike Eagles away on depot maintenance are :
Seven potentially at Warner-Robbins :-
91-0302 went 18/01/2023
91-0317 went 07/06/2023
91-0314 went 07/06/2023 '494FS'
91-0320 went 07/06/2023
91-0318 went 09/09/2023 ( serial from boom)
91-0301 went 09/09/2023 ( possibly 91-0301) seen during August without CFT
01-2000 went 09/09/2023 ( possibly 01-2000)

Four F-15E went to Kelly AFB where there is a 'Contractor Field Team '
91-0329 no colours went 02/05/2023
98-0133 blue went 02/05/2023
91-0332 no colours went 09/09/2023
91-0326 red went 09/09/2023

The Specials
______________________________
91-0312 mlt '48OG'
96-0201 mlt '48FW'
92-0364 '494FS' is the latest 494FS Boss jet
97-0221 '492FS' has 'Bolar 1' in the fin colour
19-5493 '493FS'
19-5495 '495FS'
19-5484 '48FW'
19-5485 '48OG'

[LN Strike Eagle]

Has the Skyhawk flown this year? Considering taking a day off for a trip out on Thursday if I can, but the A-4 is the thing I really want to see most. TIA.

[slogen51]

I don't believe the A-4N has flown this year at Lakenheath

The RAVN Hawks have begun operating to the 323s which could be a bad omen for anymore missions from the Top Aces team ?

[LN Strike Eagle]

Hmmm thanks. Probably missed the boat on that one then.

[slogen51]

17/1 with thanks to Binks on FC the A-4N went back home as HotRod 01 this morning

Perhaps the most photographed aircraft in the UK 2023 and it is civilian !

Therefore

=60 48FW aircraft on base at 17:00 on 11/01/2024

+ 6 Civilian Aggressors :-

Alphajet
C-GJTA/057 blue
C-GLTO/069 brown

RAVN Aerospace Hawk
N508XX grey ( wears NX508XX)
N503XX camo
N504XX camo
N511XX camo

=66 fast jets on base as at 10:00 on 17/01/2024 (31 F-15E, 29 F-35A, 2 Alphajet, 4 Hawk)

[Professor_M]

RAVN Aerospace Hawk
N508XX grey ( wears NX508XX)
N503XX camo
N504XX camo
N511XX camo

Having done a bit of digging to find anything definitive about N(X)508XX's nose - notably different and presumably radar-related, I came across this historical listing for a fleet of Hawks (https://www.globalplanesearch.com/aircr ... er-city-ut).

One aircraft has been upgraded with an ELTA EL/M-2052 AESA RADAR.

I'd hazard a guess that that's N(X)508XX.

[Macclad51]

Alphajet
C-GFTO/ 038 brown
C-GJTA/057 blue
C-GLTO/069 brown

According to FR24, C-GFTO departed Lakenheath to Cuxhaven/Nordholz on
13-12-23

[slogen51]

Thanks - C-GFTO went as Ambush 71 13/12 and I forgot to remove it from the list

Therefore

=60 48FW aircraft on base at 17:00 on 11/01/2024

+ 6 Civilian Aggressors :-

Alphajet
C-GJTA/057 blue
C-GLTO/069 brown

RAVN Aerospace Hawk
N508XX grey ( wears NX508XX)
N503XX camo
N504XX camo
N511XX camo

=66 fast jets on base as at 10:00 on 17/01/2024 (31 F-15E, 29 F-35A, 2 Alphajet, 4 Hawk)

[AlexanderClover]

All 12x 495th jets are back from Aviano. Down the 06 end so don’t have serials.

Therefore:

=72 48FW aircraft on base at 12:48 on 26/01/2024

=78 fast jets on base as at 12:48 on 26/01/2024 (31 F-15E, 41 F-35A, 2 Alphajet, 4 Hawk)

[slogen51]

I was not there but as far as I know :-

27/01/2024 Retro 51-53 departed to Warner-Robbins behind Blue 01/02

With thanks the provisional for Retro 51-53 is
91-0321
00-3004
91-0307

Therefore:

=69 48FW aircraft on base at 17:00 on 27/01/2024

+ 6 Civilian Aggressors :-

Alphajet
C-GJTA/057 blue
C-GLTO/069 brown

RAVN Aerospace Hawk
N508XX grey ( wears NX508XX)
N503XX camo
N504XX camo
N511XX camo

=75 fast jets on base as at 10:00 on 27/01/2024 (28 F-15E, 41 F-35A, 2 Alphajet, 4 Hawk)

**The 14 Strike Eagles away on depot maintenance are :
Ten potentially at Warner-Robbins :-
91-0302 went 18/01/2023
91-0317 went 07/06/2023
91-0314 went 07/06/2023 '494FS'
91-0320 went 07/06/2023
91-0318 went 09/09/2023 ( serial from boom)
91-0301 went 09/09/2023 ( possibly 91-0301) seen during August without CFT
01-2000 went 09/09/2023
91-0321 went 27/01/2024 not read off
00-3004 went 27/01/2024 not read off (seen during January without CFT)
91-0307 went 27/01/2024 not read off

Four F-15E went to Kelly AFB where there is a 'Contractor Field Team '
91-0329 no colours went 02/05/2023
98-0133 blue went 02/05/2023
91-0332 no colours went 09/09/2023
91-0326 red went 09/09/2023

The Specials
______________________________
91-0312 mlt '48OG'
96-0201 mlt '48FW'
92-0364 '494FS' is the latest 494FS Boss jet
97-0221 '492FS' has 'Bolar 1' in the fin colour
19-5493 '493FS'
19-5495 '495FS'
19-5484 '48FW'
19-5485 '48OG'

[slogen51]

30/01/2024 Hotrod 01 C-FGZI A-4N is a welcome addition from Nordholz

Therefore
=69 48FW aircraft on base at 17:00 on 27/01/2024

+ 7 Civilian Aggressors :-

A-4N
C-FGZI/531

Alphajet
C-GJTA/057 blue
C-GLTO/069 brown

RAVN Aerospace Hawk
N508XX grey ( wears NX508XX)
N503XX camo
N504XX camo
N511XX camo

=76 fast jets on base as at 17:00 on 30/01/2024 (28 F-15E, 41 F-35A, 1 A-4N , 2 Alphajet, 4 Hawk)

[AlexanderClover]

91-0320 has been spotted clean at Lackland Air Base (KSKF). So I’m expecting 91-0314 to be there also.