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Third RAAF F-35 Makes First Flight

05 Desember 2017 A35-003 takes off from Fort Worth. (photo : AustralianAviationCarl Richards) The Royal Australian Air Force’s third F-35A Lightning II, A35-003, has completed its first flight. Photographer Carl Richards captured these images of A35-003 taking off on its first flight, from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, on December 1. The aircraft is due to be delivered to Luke Air Force Base, Arizona in early 2018 to be used for pilot and maintainer training, before being permanently relocated to Australia in 2020. A35-003, known to its manufacturer Lockheed Martin as AU-3, had its RAAF markings, including its 3 Squadron tail flashes, applied in early November, the final phase of the aircraft’s production process. 3 Squadron is due to become the first RAAF F-35 operational unit. ( AustralianAviation )

Duterte Eyes ’23 Gunship Helicopters’, ‘Multiple Rockets’

24 November 2017


Philippine will acquire MLRS (photo : themess)

During his visit to Philippine Army’s Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija on November 22, President Duterte specifically mentioned the acquisition of “23 gunship helicopters” and “multiple rockets”.

“You will have the best of the arms now. Hindi na ako pumayag na magbili tayo ng secondhand,” he said.

“Maybe next year, late, I don’t know but sabi ni [Secretary of Budget and Management Benjamin] Diokno, scheduled for delivery na ‘yung 23 gunship helicopters,” President Duterte told the elite troops.

He said that he will be “buying all the available equipment that are needed to fight the rebellion.”

“‘Di naman kayo tinamaan ng ballistic missiles. ‘Yung mga multiple rockets, ‘yun ang kunin natin so utangin ko na lang. Mahirap naman na kasi mag-sige lang tanggap,” he added.

“Maybe Secretary Esperon will go back there to – ito ngayon, credit na ang. Uutang na lang tayo tapos payable in soft loan 25 years but we have to borrow to buy the equipment na kailangan ninyo,” he added.

(Update)

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