Syrian Air Force

The Syrian Air Force
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A short history of Syria and it's air force: The Syrian Arab Air Force is one of the air force's in the Middle East that suffered the from the many wars with Israel in the past 40 years. The build-up began after the second world war when Syria gained its independence from France and Great Britain and during the 1950's the air force grew mainly due to the forming of the United Arab Republic (the alliance with Egypt). The biggest build-up however followed after Hafez Al Assad became President of Syria. Under Assad the Syrians made strong ties with the Russians that resulted in an expansion of the air force through acquisitions of Russian equipment.

Uzbekistan Air Forces

Uzbekistan's armed forces are the largest in Central Asia.[citation needed] According to the 1992 Law on Defense, Uzbekistan's military is for defensive purposes only. In terms of potential recruits, Uzbekistan has about 7 million males age 15-49. The Government of Uzbekistan spends about 3.7% of GDP on the military.

The Uzbek air forces consist of units formerly part of the 49th Air Army of the Turkestan Military District headquartered at Tashkent. There are two remaining combat units, brigades at Karshi-Khanabad and Dzhizak.[9]
The 60th Separate Brigade is the former 735th Bomber Aviation Regiment combined with the former 87th Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment. It has 31 Su-24s, 32 MiG-29s (which are apparently in store) and 6 Su-27s. Other recently disbanded units include the 61st Fighter Aviation Regiment at Kokand, which was itself a merger with the previous 115th Fighter Aviation Regiment, and the 62nd Fighter Aviation Regiment at Andijan. Regiments at both bases were disbanded in 1999. Apparently a total of 26 stored Su-17s, in very bad condition, may remain at Chirchiq.
25 Sukhoi Su-27
31 Sukhoi Su-24 (Stored)
32 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 (Stored)
26 Sukhoi Su-17 (Stored)

Lebanese Air Force

The Lebanese Air Force (LAF) (Arabic: القوات الجوية اللبنانية Al Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Lubnania) is the aerial warfare branch of the Lebanese Armed Forces. The seal of the air force is constituted of a Roundel with two wings and a Lebanese Cedar tree, surrounded by two laurel leaves on a blue background.

History

The Lebanese Air Force was established in 1949 under the command of then Lieutenant Colonel Emile Boustany who later became commander of the army. Soon after its establishment a number of planes were donated by the British, French, and Italian governments, while an additional number of planes were donated by Britain and Italy the same year. Britain donated 4 Percival Prentices and 2 World War II period Percival Proctors while Italy donated 4 Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 bombers which were mainly used for transportation.[1] In 1953, jet fighters were introduced when a number of de Havilland Vampire jets were received. The first Hawker Hunters arrived in 1959 and were followed by additional fighters through 1977. In 1968, 12 Mirage IIIELs were delivered from France but were grounded in the late 1970s due to lack of funds. In 2000, the grounded Mirages were sold to Pakistan.[2]
The air force, in the absence of advanced fixed wing aircraft, currently relies on a helicopter force and a some Hawker Hunter jets that have been put back in service at late 2008. The Lebanese Air Force consists of six squadrons distributed on three air bases.

Kyrgyzstan Air Force

The Air and Air Defense Force includes a regiment of MiG-21s and L-39s, four Antonov transports, and a helicopter regiment (apx 23 Mi-8, 9 Mi-24). Estimates for the numbers of MiG-21s range from 48 to 60-odd. However, Brinkster.com says that only a few L-39s and the helicopters are capable of flight. All Kyrgyz military aircraft are reportedly based at Kant, alongside the Russian 999th Air Base.
Because of expense and military doctrine, Kyrgyzstan has not developed its air capability; a large number of the MiG-21 interceptors that it borrowed from Russia were returned in 1993, although a number of former Soviet air bases remain available. In 1996 about 100 decommissioned MiG-21s remained in Kyrgyzstan, along with ninety-six L-39 trainers and sixty-five helicopters. The air defense forces have received aid from Russia, which has sent military advisory units to establish a defense system. Presently Kyrgyzstan has twenty-six SA-2 and SA-3 surface-to-air missiles in its air defense arsenal.
Kyrgystan also secretly maintains an unknown number of Mig-29 Fulcrum aircraft, two of which were sold to a private collector in 1994. They are kept in underground bunkers at an airfield in Bishkek where they are kept in pristine condition.

Japan Air Force

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (航空自衛隊 ,Kōkū Jieitai?), or JASDF, is the aviation branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace and other aerospace operations.[1] The JASDF carries out combat air patrols around Japan, while also maintaining an extensive network of ground and air early warning radar systems. The branch also has an aerobatic team known as Blue Impulse and has recently been involved in providing air transport in several UN peacekeeping missions.
The ASDF had an authorized strength of 47,000 and maintained some 46,000 personnel and approximately 330 combat aircraft in 1992. Front-line formations include twelve fighter squadrons, one reconnaissance squadron and five transport squadrons

Canadian Forces Air

The Canadian Forces Reorganization Act came into effect on February 1, 1968 and the RCAF ceased to exist. All branches of the Canadian Forces were unified into a single service with the aim of improving Canada's military effectiveness and flexibility.
Aircraft and bases of the RCAF and the Royal Canadian Navy (the Royal Canadian Naval Aviation Service), were scattered across several different commands of the newly unified forces. Air Defence Command consisted primarily of former RCAF CF-101 Voodoo fighter-interceptor aircraft, as well as the radar networks of DEW Line, Mid-Canada Line and Pinetree Line early warning stations. Air Transport Command was responsible for strategic airlift and refueling aircraft, namely the CC-137 Husky, with the primary role being to transport ground troops from Mobile Command to and from distant conflict zones in Europe. Mobile Command itself was composed of former Canadian Army ground forces, as well as the army's tactical helicopters (CH-135 Twin Huey, CH-136 Kiowa, CH-147 Chinook, CH-113A Voyageur) and the RCAF's tactical and ground attack aircraft (CF-104 Starfighter). Maritime Command was transferred responsibility for the newly-formed Maritime Air Group, which operated aircraft in support of former RCN vessels, including CH-124 Sea King, CP-107 Argus, and the CP-121 Tracker, some of which operated from HMCS Bonaventure until that vessel's retirement in the early 1970s. Pilot and aircrew training were taken over by Training Command, which was responsible for trades training across all other commands in the armed forces.

On August 9, 1974 a CC-115 Buffalo of No. 116 Transport Unit operating on UN duties was shot down by a Syrian Surface-to-air missile killing all nine CF personnel on board. This represents the single biggest loss of Canadian lives on a UN mission as well as the last Canadian military aircraft to be shot down.
On September 2, 1975, the Canadian Forces saw a reorganization that merged all aircraft across all commands into a newly formed Air Command (AIRCOM). Air Defence Command and Air Transport Command were eliminated, and Training Command, Maritime Command, and Mobile Command (renamed Force Mobile Command) were realigned to reflect the new structure. AIRCOM was very similar to the old RCAF as the new command would handle all the aviation requirements of Canada's military.
Duplication saw several base closings through the 1970s-1990s, largely as aircraft changes took place. The acquisition of the CF-18A/B Hornet tactical fighter bomber saw CF-104 Starfighter and CF-101 Voodoo fighter aircraft retired in the early-mid 1980s, along with a corresponding downturn in several bases which had been exclusively dedicated to these aircraft. The closures of CFB Chatham and CFB Baden Soellingen along with various bombing ranges and the retirement of the CF-116 fighter aircraft and Boeing 707 transport/refuelling aircraft saw AIRCOM retract to its present base and force structure.
AIRCOM also underwent significant changes in the late 1970s when the CP-107 Argus and CP-121 Tracker were replaced with the CP-140 Aurora/CP-140A Arcturus maritime patrol aircraft. The shift of east coast maritime patrol aircraft at the time of the Argus retirement to CFB Greenwood eventually saw CFB Summerside closed in the late 1980s.
After unification, all personnel in the Canadian Forces wore a dark-green uniform with only cap and collar badges (a modified version of the former RCAF crest) as distinguishing marks for pilots and aircrew. This uniform continued under the newly-formed AIRCOM from 1975 until the mid-1980s, when AIRCOM returned to blue-grey uniforms broadly similar to those of the former to the RCAF, though the army-derived ranks adopted upon unification were retained.
In the early 1990s, AIRCOM transport and utility helicopters in support of army operations were cut back and consolidated with the purchase of the CH-146 Griffon, replacing the CH-135 Twin Huey, CH-136 Kiowa, and CH-147 Chinook. The army continues to consider this a loss of capability, particularly with the loss of the heavy lift Chinooks.
Search and rescue squadrons have also seen new aircraft when the CH-149 Cormorant replaced the CH-113 Labrador beginning in 2002. The CC-115 Buffalo short takeoff and landing fixed wing aircraft are also being replaced in the 2000s with a dedicated STOL search and rescue aircraft.
Ship-borne anti-submarine helicopter squadrons are currently operating the 40-year old CH-124 Sea King. The new Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone will begin service in 2008.
In 2007 and 2008, 4 C-17 Globemaster III were added. They are based at CFB Trenton

The UNITED ARAB EMIRATES AIR FORCE

The UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

AIR FORCE is funded by the seven emirates - Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Qarwain - which form the UAE. Combat aircraft, trainers and transports are controlled jointly and four of the states have aircraft operated as royal flights. Within the seven states of the United Arab Emirates, only Abu Dhabi has a truly combat-capable air force. Abu Dhabi has also finalised the 'last big deal of the century' by signing a $6.4 billion contract for 80 Block 60 F-16s on March 5,2000.. The aircraft will be armed with the AIM-120 AMRAAM and the UAE's Marconi Electronic Systems-developed precision guided munitions family.Dassault did not lose out entirely, as the UAE also ordered 30 Mirage 2000-9s and committed to upgrade 33 of its Mirage 2000 fleet. The -9 has both an air-to-air and air-to-surface capability and will be equipped with Matra BA Dynamics Mica active radar guided medium range AAM and ASRAAM short-range IR guided AAMs.