AFM NEWS UPDATE - JAN-09
Afghanistan Receives Former Czech Hinds:
Delivery of the first of six former Czech AF Mi-24V Hinds to the Afghan National Army Air Corps (ANAAC) has now commenced. the first three were loaded on to a Volga-Dnepr An-124 which departed for Kabul on November 30.
J-10 Makes Public Debut at Airshow China:
Two Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Chengdu J-10As made the types public debut at Airshow China 2008, held at Zhuhai from November 4-9. the a/c from the 44th Division/131st Regiment at Luliang AB had flown into Zhuhai on October 22. both carried fixed refuelling probes just below the cockpit on the port side.
In addition to the J-10As, these included:
Xian H-6DU Tanker, Xian JH-7A, Shenyang J-8IIAs, Y-8, and the third prototype Hengdu L-15 jet trainer. Helicopters comprised Changhe Z-8, Harbin Z-9, and armed scout Changhe Z-11W plus army MiI Mi-17I.
SAAB 2000 J-019 (c/n ex SE-019, FGMVB) was officially transferred to the Pakistan AF (PAF) on September 26 at Linkoping, Sweden from where it departed on its delivery flight to the PAF on September 29, routing initially to Donetsk, Ukraine and then Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan. In standard passenger configuration, it will be used for transport and training prior to later delivery of the four Erieye airborne early warning and control variants of the type on order. the first Erieye variant is scheduled for delivery in mid-2009.