The GCP (Groupement des Commandos Parachutistes – Commando Parachute Group) are the elite operational pathfinders units within the 11th Parachute Brigade of the French Army. In this photo from Exercise Baccarat in September 2020, a forward observation and reconnaissance team rappels from an NH90 helicopter in the Alps near Grenoble at an altitude of more […]
On 4 September 2020, Bell Textron Inc., Fort Worth (TX) was awarded a USD 272 million fixed-price-incentive-firm-target contract for the production and delivery of eight UH-1Y Venom and four AH-1Z Viper helicopters to the government of Czechia. All work will be performed at Fort Worth (TX) and Amarillo (TX) and is expected to be completed […]
On 1 September 2020, during a ceremony at the Boeing Ridley Park, Philadelphia (PA) facility, Boeing delivered the first MH-47G Chinook Block II to the US Army. The US Army appears to stalling the replacement of its current fleet of CH-47F helicopters with the improved CH-47F Chinook Block II, but the US Special Operations Command […]
The French Air Force’s jump school, École des troupes aéroportées (ETAP), last week conducted the final parachute jumps from the C-160 Transall aircraft as it is retired from service. The Transall C-160 is a military transport aircraft, produced as a joint venture between France and Germany that has been in service for more than […]
On August 23, 1954 the YC-130 Hercules made its maiden flight in California from the Lockheed Martin plant in Burbank to Edwards Air Force Base. The C-130 is still in production today, making it the longest running military aircraft production line in history. The need for the C-130 came from Air Force’s Tactical Air […]
President George W. Bush created National Airborne Day in 2002. It was created to honor all current U.S. Airborne Forces, and to commemorate the first parachute jump of 48 volunteer members of the U.S. Army Parachute Test Platoon on August 16, 1940. After months of restriction due to Covid-19, U.S. Army Paratroopers assigned to 2nd […]
Like a lot of old Ground-Pounders I’m very fond of the A-10 Thunderbolt and the OV-10 Bronco close air support / ground attack aircraft – they truly were the infantryman’s friend. And both still soldier on despite the repeated attempts by the air superiority fighter jocks to kill them off. There also happens to be […]
Mask up, hook up! Last week Canadian Army members completed the Static Line Square Canopy course with COVID-19 protocols in place at the Canadian Army Advanced Warfare Centre in Trenton, Ontario. Canada entered the airborne world with the creation of two airborne battalions in 1942 that were initially trained at Fort Benning, Georgia, USA, and […]
British paratroopers have recently jumped with British parachutes from a US Air Force aircraft for the first time, strengthening the ability of British and US airborne forces to operate together. Exercise Pegasus Eagle has seen a C-130J Hercules from USAF’s 37th Airlift Squadron fly into RAF Brize Norton from its base at Ramstein in Germany […]
U.S. Army paratroopers of the 187th Regimental Combat Team jump out of U.S. Air Force C-119 Flying Boxcars of the 403rd Troop Carrier Wing during a maneuver near Taegu, Korea, on 1 November 1952. Photo credit: US Department of Defence On 20 October 1950, the regiment made successful combat parachute assaults near the towns of […]