Page 63 - Air Forces Monthly - September 2017

drop our ordnance over Syria and Iraq. Above: In the cockpit
“For the southern route, we have of a C-2A fl ying over
co-operation with Israel, Jordan and Crete on the way to
USS ‘George H W Bush’.
Iraq. This route allows us to ‘go in the Frequent fl ights were made
back’ of Syria, in the Raqqa and al-Tanf between the carrier and
areas, and it also allows us to get to the Souda Bay. Flying time
between Crete and the
northern part of Iraq, including the Mosul carrier was around two
area. At the same time, we have Cyprus hours. All photos Vangelis
co-operating with us in administration Antonakis unless stated
support and rescue operations. It is very Below: An F/A-18F assigned
comfortable operating here in the eastern to VFA-213 ‘Blacklions’
Mediterranean. It is a crowded area, prepares to launch from
USS ‘George H W Bush’
but it is a comfortable crowded area.” with a full load of ten
1,000lb GBU-32 JDAMs.
Russian rendezvous US Navy/Mass
Operations in the Mediterranean – the Communica-
tion Special-
Sixth Fleet area of operations (AOR) – ist 2nd Class
present CSG-2 and the embarked Carrier Hank Gettys

FREEDOMREEDOM
F

AT WORK

In the wake of the first US kill of a
manned aircraft since Operation
Allied Force in 1999, AFM’s Vangelis
Antonakis went aboard USS George H
W Bush in the eastern Mediterranean
to hear a first-hand report of the shoot-
down at a time of escalating tensions
in the region.

www.airforcesmonthly.com #354 SEPTEMBER 2017 // 63