The MQ-1 Predator is a medium-altitude; long-endurance, remotely piloted aircraft built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and entered service with United States Air Force in 1995. The MQ-1’s primary mission is conducting armed reconnaissance against targets and interdiction.

The MQ-1 Predator is a fully operational system that consists of four aircraft with censors, a ground control station, and a Predator Primary Satellite Link (PPSL). This UAV can carry two AGM-114 Hellfire missile targeting capability and integrates electro-optical, infrared, laser designator and laser illuminator into a single sensor package. The aircraft can employ two laser-guided Hellfire anti-tank missiles with the MTS ball. Powered by a 115-horsepower Rotax 914F piston engine, the Predator can operate from 5,000-by-75-foot hard-surface runways. It needs line-of-sight communications for takeoff and landing, though the PPSL provides over-the-horizon control and communications.

The MQ-1 Predator had been in successful combat since 1995 over Afghanistan, Serbia, Yemen, Pakistan, Iraq and is known as the Top 1 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for its advance technology performance and advantageous operations.

YOKOTA AIR BASE, JAPAN, December 17, 2007 – U.S. Force Japan and 5th Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Bruce Wright will retire in February after a 35-year career, according to a press release Sunday.

A career fighter pilot with the call sign “Orville,” Wright’s effective retirement date will be April 1.

Lt. Gen. Edward A. Rice, Pacific Air Forces vice commander at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, has been confirmed by the Senate to take command of USFJ and 5th Air Force as Wright’s successor.

Wright assumed the dual-hat command in February 2005. During his tenure he has focused on strengthening the U.S.–Japan Security Alliance and cross-training of the two militaries. He also oversees execution of the U.S. Defense and State departments plus Japanese Defense and Foreign ministries to establish common strategic objectives for the bilateral military alliance.

Among those tasks has been to improve ballistic missile defense capability for Japan.

Beginning with his first tour of duty in Japan in 1978 as an F-4C “Wild Weasel” instructor pilot at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa through his current command, Wright has more than eight years collective military service over four assignments in Japan.

“It has been an honor to serve, primarily in overseas units and combat wings,” Wright said in the release.

Rice’s Air Force flying experience has been mainly in B-52, B-1 and B-2 bombers. He was awarded the Air Combat Command 2002 Moller Trophy for outstanding wing commander after a two-year assignment as commander of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.

A date for the change of command and Wright’s retirement ceremony, expected to be held at Yokota, has yet to be announced.

Turkish warplanes as seen bombarding Iraqi villages

Istanbul, Turkey, December 16, 2007 – “Turkish warplanes and long-range missiles attacked Kurdish rebel positions in the mountains of northern Iraq near the Turkish border early Sunday”, according to Turkish military officials.

It was said that, “the air attack began at around 1 a.m. and lasted for more than three hours, targeted Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) outposts in the Qandil mountain. It was also said that, Turkish ground troops launched long-range missiles at the PKK positions after the air attack.”

The military stated that, “all warplanes returned safely to their bases in Turkey.”

“The targets of the attack appeared to be PKK fighters in the border area, but there are reports of civilian casualties in nearby villages” explains Jamal Abdullah, spokesman for Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish regional Government.

A top Iraqi official said Turkish warplanes bombarded 10 Kurdish villages, killing one woman and injuring two others.

Tensions have been high along the Iraqi-Turkish border, with Turkey threatening to launch a full-scale cross-border offensive against separatist guerillas from the PKK.

Those militants have launched actions against Turkish troops from northern Iraq and have been fighting the Turkish government forces in southeastern Turkey, where violence has been steady.

The Turkish military government received approval from the parliament in October to take military action “at any time.” There are tens of thousands of Turkish troops near the border area.

The United States, the Iraqi government and the Kurdish Regional government had pursued diplomatic efforts over the past two months to keep Turkey from launching an offensive against the PKK.

Though it’s not clearly stated what specific type of aircraft was used, the aircrafts that were shown resembled somewhat to an aircraft of the Fighting Falcons.

Boeing designed and built these big bombers with the single purpose of destroying the Japanese Empire. The B-29 entered service in October 1944.

The B-29 Superfortress is a strategic bomber type of aircraft. Its maiden flight was on the 21st of September 1942. Its primary users are the United States Army Air Force, Royal Air Force, and Royal Australian Air Force.

It is a four-engine bomber propeller aircraft flown by the US Army Air Forces in World War II and later by other military organizations. Its name Superfortress came from the well-known predecessor, the B-17 Flying Fortress. It is said to be one of the largest aircrafts in service during World War II.

The B29 Superfortress was also the most advanced bomber during that time. It has a pressurized cabin, a central fire-control system, and remote controlled machine gun turrets.

The Boeing B 29 Superfortress has many variants; each has a specific unique element. The first variant is the XB-29 which is the prototype model that was delivered to the Army Air Corps. The aircraft’s testing continued until February 18, 1943 when the second prototype crashed, causing a lot of peoples lives including a number of Boeing personnel that was involved in the aircraft’s design. After the incident, the US Army Air Forces and some congressional committee investigated the B-29 programme and later assigned the Army Air Force to take charged over its programme. The B-29 is another variant and is the original production version of the Superfortress.