seem to want to get serious about the U.S. military in Africa. Twelve years after its decommissioning, comes back to life the 17th AF (Seventeenth Air Force), 17 Wing Air Force of the United States of America. It takes the fancy name of "AFAFRICA" and the direction of the newly established U.S. air component for the African continent.
The 17th AF became operational less than a month ago at the big air base at Ramstein, Germany, the orders of the new command for operations on the African continent, Africom. "It's about 400 soldiers of the U.S. Air Force who are already receiving a first specific training to contribute to the strong security cooperation program, according to the strategic vision of the U.S. Command for Africa," said Colonel Keith Cunningham of the 17th Air Force. "We expect to reach full operational capability between 2009 and 2010, but already we are now the key driver for the air operations of AFRICOM."
Known for having coordinated the installation in the 80s in three bases European GLCM (Ground Launched Cruise Missile), the nuclear-capable cruise missiles - among them that of Comiso, Sicily - The 17th Air Force will now function as the main air transport of men, equipment and weapons from Europe to African continent. The 17th Wing of the U.S. Air Force has an organizational structure based on the newly formed 404th Air Expeditionary Group and the 42nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, the squadron of aviation from the Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Alabama. The latter group has a number of flight operations in the latest international chessboard of war. During the first Gulf War, his B-52 bombers performed for 960 missions against Iraq, dropping in just 44 days more than 12,588,766 pounds of bombs. USA, 42 Squadron is also operating in Africa for some years, having carried out several missions in support of "Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa", the Special Task Force that Washington has set up in Djibouti. The squadron has also participated in multinational exercises like the "flintlock" in Mali and the "Enduring Freedom - Trans Sahara" in several countries of North Africa and West Africa.
AFAFRICA has already been supplied with two cargo aircraft C-130 Hercules, from the air base in Little Rock, Arkansas, where the October 1, 2008 (the same day the command is Africom in Germany ), was reconstituted on 19th Airlift Wing. This group for air travel has already started to operate on routes US-Europe-Africa, but chess is not new in Africa. From 1955 to 1961 he worked at it steadily Moroccan air bases at Sidi Slimane, and Ben Guerir. Later transferred to Arkansas, the group took over the tasks of air transportation and supply, playing a key role in the U.S. invasions of the island of Grenada (1983) and Panama (1989). After the first direct intervention in the war against Iraq, the 19th Airlift Wing was deployed in some European bases to ensure the in-flight refueling of fighters during the NATO campaign in Bosnia in autumn 1995. The group was operating in Europe until the end of U.S. and NATO bombing against the former Republic of Yugoslavia (1999).
according to the command of 17 th Air Force at Ramstein U.S., as early as next year, the C-130 Hercules will be replaced by a newer version of the aircraft, the C-130J, with better flexibility and transport capacity. AFAFRICA will also be assigned to an operational squadron with the new C-17 transport aircraft. "If you fly from Germany and takes a C-130, may require several intermediate stops during the transfer to Africa," said Gen. Tom Hobbins, under the new command of the U.S. Air Force. "But when we can use in this scenario, the C-17, you can reach the Zambia without needing refueling. For the U.S. Air Force's main reason for this acquisition program aircraft with greater range, is to be able to offer support to military forces lighter e più veloci, nelle loro missioni alle basi europee dell’est Europa, e attraverso l’intero continente africano”.
In vista del rafforzamento delle proprie responsabilità operative, Air Forces Africa ha pure pianificato di trasferire stabilmente presso la base di Camp Lemonier, Gibuti, gli uomini e i mezzi di un altro gruppo di trasporto aereo, il 449th Air Expeditionary Group. Dotato anch’esso di velivoli C-130 “Hercules”, il 449° Gruppo ha già sostenuto importanti attività logistiche per le forze terrestri USA che operano in Corno d’Africa.
Il trasporto non sarà comunque l’unico settore d’intervento di Air Forces Africa. Il Comando of the 17th Air Force has already planned for 2009 its participation in a thirty training exercises with the air forces of the African partner countries. Two activities for the "promotion of aviation safety in the continent have already been carried out in Morocco and Nigeria in October and November 2008. "With the training and interaction of staff support Africans in building a sustainable aviation safety," said Gen. Ronald R. "Ron" Ladnier, commander of the U.S. 17th Air Force. "And we will be more committed to helping our partners in Africa to develop their military capabilities." Article published on November 25, 2008 Agoravox.it
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