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Edited by: Sidney McAlear

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This past week has been a somber reminder of the inherent risks in aviation, despite the tireless efforts of thousands of dedicated aircrew who work diligently every day to ensure safe skies. The events of the last week underscore the grave consequences that can occur in the complex field of aviation. Our hearts go out to the families and friends affected by this devastating loss, and we extend our deepest condolences to all those impacted by these tragic events.
▫️F-35 Crash Eielson Air Force Base
▫️AA5342 Washington D.C.
▫️Lear 55 Philadelphia

HISTORY OF THE DAY

Alaska Airlines Flight 261 – January 31, 2000 | An MD-83 aircraft plunged into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California, killing all 88 people on board. The crash was caused by a failure of the horizontal stabilizer jackscrew in the trim system due to inadequate maintenance.

 American Airlines Flight 587 – November 12, 2001 | An Airbus A300 crashed into a residential area in Queens, New York, shortly after takeoff from JFK Airport, resulting in 265 fatalities (260 onboard, 5 on the ground). The accident was attributed to the first officer’s overuse of rudder controls in response to wake turbulence.

Comair Flight 5191 – August 27, 2006 | A Bombardier CRJ-100ER attempted takeoff from the wrong runway at Lexington Blue Grass Airport, Kentucky. The runway was too short, causing the aircraft to overrun and crash, killing 49 of the 50 people on board.

Colgan Air Flight 3407 – February 12, 2009 | A Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 stalled and crashed into a house while on approach to Buffalo Niagara International Airport, New York. All 49 on board and one person on the ground perished. The crash was attributed to icing, pilot error, and fatigue.

American Eagle Flight 5342 – January 29, 2025, | A Bombardier CRJ700 collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport, Washington D.C. All 64 people aboard the flight, as well as the three aboard the Blackhawk helicopter, perished. 

THREAT OF THE DAY (TOD)…via Wikipedia

Threat: Tupolev Tu-95MS “Bear”
Country of Origin: Soviet Union/Russia
Initial Operational Capability: 1956 (modernized variants active through 2040)
Primary Role: Long-range strategic bomber, maritime patrol, and nuclear deterrence/delivery.

Variants:
🔺Tu-95MS: Standard modernized strategic bomber
🔺Tu-95MSM: Latest upgrade with digital avionics and increased missile capacity
🔺Tu-142: Maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare variant

  • Range: 15,000+ km (9,300+ mi) unrefueled; global reach with in-flight refueling

  • Speed: 830 km/h (515 mph) cruising speed; Mach 0.77

  • Payload: 8 Kh-101/Kh-102 cruise missiles (Tu-95MSM variant)

  • Propulsion: 4 Kuznetsov NK-12MP turboprop engines

Defensive Capability: Upgraded electronic warfare suites, countermeasures, and tail-mounted GSh-23 cannons.

Recent Combat Activity:
🔺January 2025: Launched 40+ Kh-101 missiles at Ukrainian energy infrastructure from Olenya Airbase
🔺December 2024: Participated in Russia’s largest air raid (200+ missiles/drones) on Ukraine
🔺July 2024: Conducted joint patrols with Chinese H-6 bombers near Alaska

Fun Fact:
The Tu-95’s counter-rotating propellers are so loud that submarines can detect the bomber flying overhead, earning it the nickname “The Russian Thunder.”

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FLIGHT LINE

🎯 Iran Finalizes Purchase of Russian Sukhoi-35 Fighters | Iran has purchased Russia’s advanced Su-35 fighter jets, significantly upgrading its aging air force amid longstanding Western sanctions. This is according to a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander in an interview this past week. The number of aircraft to be acquired was unspecified.
▫️The Su-35 is an advanced, twin-engine, multi-role fighter jet capable of air superiority and precision ground strikes.
▫️Iran’s Air Force is predominately comprised of aging F-14 Tomcats, F-5s, F-4 and MiG-29s.

Su-35 Headbutts F-16 

🎯 First EPAWSS-Equipped F-15E Strike Eagles Deploy to UK | The U.S. Air Force delivered two F-15E Strike Eagles equipped with the Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS) to RAF Lakenheath, UK, on January 16, 2025. 
▫️EPAWSS is an advanced autonomous threat detection/geolocation, radar jamming, and countermeasure deployment.
▫️The system can proactively deny, disrupt, and degrade detected threats, thus increasing survivability in highly contested environments.

🎯 China Building Special Barges Potentially for Taiwan Invasion | Defense analysts have observed the construction of at least 3-5 unusual barges at Guangzhou Shipyard in southern China. These vessels feature exceptionally long road bridges extending from their bows, making them particularly suitable for amphibious landings on Taiwanese islands.
▫️ 120-meter design (393 ft) with an extendable bridge, capable of reaching coastal roads beyond beaches, with an aft platform for additional ship docking and unloading.

Source: Naval News

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🎯 Pentagon Revokes Gen. Mark Milley’s Security Detail and Clearance | The U.S. Department of Defense, under new Secretary Pete Hegseth, stripped retired General Mark Milley of his security clearance and protective detail on January 29, 2025. Additionally, the security details were removed for:
▫️Former Secretary of State and CIA Director Mike Pompeo
▫️Former Special Envoy to Iran Brian Hook
▫️Former National Security Advisor John Bolton

🎯 Sweden Detains Sabotage Ship | A critical fiber-optic cable linking Latvia and Sweden, owned by the Latvian State Radio and Television Centre (LVRTC), was severed on January 26, 2025, in Swedish waters. The damage occurred at depths exceeding 50 meters, with preliminary assessments citing “external influence” as the likely cause.

Cargo Ship Vezhen | Anchored outside Karlskrona, Sweden | 27 Jan 2025

Cargo Ship Vezhen | Anchored outside Karlskrona, Sweden | 27 Jan 2025

🎯 Sweden Announces $1.23B Military Aid Package for Ukraine | Sweden pledged its largest military aid package yet to Ukraine on January 30, 2025, totaling $1.23 billion (13.5 billion kronor). This marks Stockholm’s 18th aid package, bringing its total military support to over $5.8 billion since 2022.
▫️32 Stridsbåt 90 Combat Boats 
▫️1,500 TOW Anti-Tank Missiles + 200 AT4 Anti-Tank Weapons 
▫️$630 Million for new artillery, drones, and long-range strike systems from Swedish/international suppliers
▫️$178 Million to fund Ukrainian defense industry production (long-range missiles/drones)
▫️$71 Million for repairs of donated equipment (Leopard 2 tanks, CV90s, Archer howitzers)

🎯 Poland Secures Advanced Radar-Homing Missiles for F-35 Fleet | Poland has signed a $745 million deal with the U.S. to acquire 200+ AGM-88G AARGM-ER missiles, becoming NATO’s first Eastern European ally to field these advanced anti-radiation weapons. The missiles will equip Poland’s incoming F-35 jets (first delivery in 2026) and potentially be upgraded to be compatible with its existing F-16 fleet.

🎯 Air Force Triples Funding for NGAP Adaptive Fighter Engines | The U.S. Air Force expanded funding for its Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program on January 28, 2025, awarding $3.5 billion each to General Electric and Pratt & Whitney to develop prototype sixth-generation fighter engines. This triples the original $975 million contracts from 2022.

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