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65-472: System acquisition and training started in 1994 but production was cancelled in 1996 due to concerns over program mismanagement. Seven low rate initial production (LRIP) systems of eight aircraft each were acquired, four of which remained in service: one for training and three for doctrine development, exercise, and contingency support. Hunter was to be replaced by the RQ-7 Shadow , but instead of being replaced,

130-603: A Deperdussin racer on 4 August 1914 above Liège. Adjutant Behaeghe was the first to engage an enemy, a few days later. On 26 September, the Belgian air crew of Sous Lieutenant de Petrowski and Sergeant Benselin mortally wounded a German pilot with a rifle bullet and forced his Taube to land at Sint-Agatha-Berchem ; if they had submitted a claim for this victory, its approval would have marked history's first air-to-air combat victory. On 3 January 1915, two machine guns supplied by British were fitted to two Belgian aircraft, making

195-567: A 2008 report. This United States military article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Belgian Air Force The Belgian Air and Space Component ( Dutch : Luchtcomponent , French : Composante air ) is the air arm of the Belgian Armed Forces , and until January 2002 it was officially known as the Belgian Air Force ( Dutch : Belgische Luchtmacht ; French : Force aérienne belge ). It

260-462: A commander, five pilots, and six observers, with all officers seconded from parent units. As a result, most of the new aviators were from the Engineers and Artillery components of the Belgian armed forces. As the war began, a fifth squadron was created, staffed with civilian pilots called to the colors and equipped with Bleriots . Sous Lieutenant Henri Crombez flew one of the first war patrols, in

325-484: A dual effort against the foe possible; these were Belgium's first dedicated fighter planes. In February, thirteen of the Belgian airmen flew 28 offensive patrols; their first dogfight was fought on the 26th, with ten Albatroses against three Belgian Farmans. On 26 March, Sous Lieutenant Boschmans sent a German two-seater into a steep dive when he seemed to hit the pilot; the German was not seen to either crash or land. This

390-717: A vehicle over Crimea. On 16 December 2015, the Hunter flew its final flight in Army service at Fort Hood. Since entering service in 1995, the aircraft had been deployed to the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan. It was deployed to the Balkans four times between 1999 and 2002, accumulating 6,400 flight hours, and was the first Army UAS to cross into Iraq in 2003, proving itself for the first time in contingency operations as an intelligence asset to commanders at all levels and flying more hours than any other NATO reconnaissance platform. One capability unique to

455-402: A woodworker. It received its first aircraft via Baron Caters, who gave the aircraft to King Albert, who in turn presented it to the school. On 12 September 1912, pilot Lieutenant Nelis and observer Sous Lieutenant Stellingwerff were the first Europeans to fire a machine gun from an aircraft; while Nelis brought the aircraft low, Stellingwerff put some bullets through a sheet staked out on

520-481: Is committed to transfer 30 F-16 to Ukraine from 2024 to 2028 in the context of the planned transition to the F-35A. Below is a list of some notable retired aircraft In the strategic defence vision report of the Belgian government it was stated that the Belgian air component will invest in 34 new fighter aircraft being introduced into service 2025–2030 and contribute for one aerial refuelling aircraft (A330 MRTT) as part of

585-700: Is for this additional cost to be spread out over future production carried out by the assembly capacity developed during LRIP. Immaturity in a system's design or its method of production discovered during LRIP phase can result in additional LRIP phases to verify corrections and improvements, or project cancellation. The Congressional Budget Office has found that the United States Department of Defense rarely achieves projected cost savings because too many programs fail to move from LRIP to full-scale production. The Japanese Ministry of Defense similarly lists R&D and initial production as "high-risk phases" in

650-616: Is interested in buying off-the-shelf Lockheed F-35 Lightnings by 2020. In 2013 the Belgian Air Force supported French operations in Mali providing Medevac helicopter support with two A-109 helicopters and two C-130 Hercules in a tactical air transport role. On 2 September 2013, four F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter-jets of the Royal Belgian Air Force landed at the Šiauliai Air Base to take charge of NATO's Air Policing mission over

715-682: The Aviation Militaire with foreign designs, ordering production licences in Poland and France and aircraft in the USA. However, the acquired licences could not be used until May 1940 and the aircraft produced in the USA were eventually delivered to France and to the United Kingdom . After the surrender of Belgium on 28 May 1940, a very small Belgian Air Force in exile was created in Great Britain as

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780-621: The 2nd Tactical Wing in Florennes Air Base and the 10th Tactical Wing in Kleine Brogel Air Base , both flying F-16s in four squadrons. Out of the 160 F-16s originally bought by Belgium, only 105 were upgraded; with further reductions to 72 aircraft in 2005; and planned to 60 by 2012. The 1st Wing at Beauvechain Air Base is assigned for the training of pilots, using the piston-powered Aermacchi SF.260 for elementary training, and

845-656: The Agusta A109 helicopters moved to Beauvechain Air Base to become 1st Wing . The SF260 squadrons became part of the Basic Flying Training School . On 24 May 2011, it was reported that the two retired Airbus A310 aircraft have been sold to the Brussels -based company MAD Africa for the amount of 700,000 euros. The company then sold them on to the Dutch Van Vliet transport company, who in their turn will transfer

910-781: The Alpha Jet for advanced training. Advanced combat training is done on F-16's at Kleine Brogel . COMOPSAIR still operates the Lockheed C-130 Hercules in the 15th Air Transport Wing based at Melsbroek Air Base , planning to replace them by seven Airbus A400M transport aircraft. VIPs are transported with Embraer 135/145 jets, Dassault 20/900 , and the Airbus A321 . The Sea King SAR helicopters were phased out in March 2019 after more than 40 years of service and replaced by NH90s (4 NFH + 4 TTH). The Alouette III helicopters flown for

975-623: The Baltic states . Between October 2014 and July 2015 six Lockheed Martin F-16AM Fighting Falcons were deployed under Operation Desert Falcon to Muwaffaq Salti Air Base as part of military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant . On 11 October 2018, one Belgian F-16 was completely destroyed and a second damaged, in a fire at Florennes Air Base , reportedly caused by

1040-671: The Kamina military base in the Belgian Congo . Seemingly about 60 Harvards were at the base. At the beginning of the 1990s, the end of the Cold War caused the Belgian government to restructure the Belgian Armed Forces in order to cope with the changed threats. The Belgian Air Force was hit hard and saw its strength more than halved with the disbanding of the 3rd Tactical Wing in Bierset (1994);

1105-819: The Kosovo crisis. The last Belgian F-16 detachment left Italy in August 2001. On 29 March 2004, four F-16s from Kleine Brogel were transferred under NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission to the Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania for three months, where they were employed in monitoring the Lithuanian , Latvian , and Estonian skies. In 2005, the Helicopter Wing (WHeli – HeliW) deployed four A-109 (including one Medevac) in Tuzla , Bosnia. In July, four F-16s deployed to Afghanistan to support

1170-498: The MQ-9B SkyGuardian . General characteristics Performance Related lists Low rate initial production Low rate initial production (LRIP) is a term commonly used in military weapons projects and programs to designate the phase of initial, small-quantity production . The term is also applied in fields other than weapons production, most commonly in non-weapon military equipment programs. With LRIP,

1235-856: The NATO International Security Assistance Force . From June to October 2005, the 80th UAV Squadron deployed its B-Hunter in Tuzla. In 2006, Belgian Hunter unmanned air vehicles deployed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of the EU EUFOR peacekeeping mission. At the same time, the Helicopter Wing (WHeli – HeliW) deployed three A-109 (including 1 Medevac) in Mostar, Bosnia, in Operation Blue Bee. On 1 December 2006

1300-529: The Rapid Reaction Forces . In February 2008, Defense Minister Pieter De Crem announced that due to increasing problems and poor serviceability, the two A310s were to be replaced as soon as possible by two aircraft in the same class. An Airbus A330 was dry-leased to take their place till March 2014 where it was replaced by an Airbus A321 . On 1 September 2010, the Wing Heli in Bierset was disbanded and

1365-506: The Republic of Macedonia in support of NATO operations in Kosovo where one was shot down by a Yugoslav Mil Mi-8 Side 7.62mm Machine Gun. During the 78 days of the NATO led campaign, at least 7 Hunter UAV were lost. During the 7 month operation, the Hunter was flown for over 4,000 hours. Significant operational success in Kosovo led to resumption of production and technical improvements. Hunter

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1430-526: The 2nd and 10th Tactical Wings, operating from the Italian bases of Villafranca and Amendola , were assigned to missions insuring the control of a No-Fly Zone over Yugoslavia, and providing the air support necessary for UN and NATO troops. Between 24 March and 10 June 1999, twelve Belgian F-16s carried out 679 combat sorties – the first time since the second World War that Belgian aircraft took part in active war operations in enemy territory – against Serbia during

1495-642: The Advanced Jet Training was done on French Alpha Jets at Tours. As from 2013 both Advanced Jet Training as well as Initial Operational Training are completed in Cazaux in France. Within the framework of its commitments within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO , Belgium has assigned its 72 F-16s to NATO purposes. Two squadrons with a total of 16 aircraft have been designated for use by

1560-566: The Americans was the best in all our seven valuation criteria". The total purchasing price for the aircraft and its support until 2030 totaled €4 billion, €600 million cheaper than the initially budgeted €4.6 billion. First deliveries are scheduled to take place in 2023. In 2018 the Belgian Government approved the negotiations to acquire two General Atomics MQ-9B SkyGuardian MALE drones which are planned to be operational from 2023, replacing

1625-562: The Army kept both systems in operation because the Hunter had significantly larger payload, range, and time-on-station capabilities than the Shadow. In 1995, A Company, 15th Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation) out of Fort Hood , TX was the first Army field unit equipped with the Hunter. A Company conducted multiple successful training rotations to the National Training Center . Then in March 1999, they were deployed to

1690-694: The Belgian Air Component deployed again under Baltic Air Policing mission four F-16 MLU aircraft to Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania, to defend the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. From August 2008, four F-16s were deployed to Kandahar in Afghanistan in support of the Dutch land forces. In March 2011, Belgium deployed six F-16 fighters to Araxos in Greece, in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn , to support

1755-748: The Belgian Navy in a utility-role were phased out in 2021. In 2004, as part of the unified structure, the Army Aviation units of the Wing Heli were transferred to the COMOPSAIR. These contain the Agusta A109 attack helicopter, and the Alouette II training and recce helicopter. In 2005, the Belgian Alpha Jets moved to Cazaux in France to continue the Initial Operational Training , while

1820-478: The Belgian Navy with currently lacking ASW Sensors & Weapons, the replacement of the remaining 10 Augusta A109Bi helicopters by new 15 Light Utility Helicopter (Airbus EC-145) and the acquisition of 4 heavy transport helicopters (CH47F) to replace the 4 TTH90's whereby closer cooperation with the Netherlands Air Force is considered. On 4 March 2015, the Belgian and Dutch ministers of defence, along with

1885-767: The Belgian section of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve . This small force was active within the British Royal Air Force , and its squadrons were equipped with the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Typhoon . On 15 October 1946, the Belgian military aviation was turned into an autonomous force, independent of the Belgian Army. From September 1953 to 1960, the Advanced Pilots' School ( Ecole de Pilotage Avancé ) operated Harvards from

1950-698: The Dutch Army Fanfare Band and four Belgian crew members crashed at Eindhoven after a bird strike while executing a go-around, resulting in the loss of power to two engines. 34 passengers were killed, and only 7 survived. The accident is known in the Netherlands as the Herculesramp . From October 1996, the Belgian Air Force cooperated with the Dutch Royal Air Force in the "Deployable Air Task Force" in patrolling former Yugoslavian airspace. F-16s of

2015-528: The First World War on 4 August 1914, the military aviation branch, now called the Aviation Militaire Belge ( Belgische militaire luchtvaart ), consisted of four squadrons, each consisting of four 80-horsepower Farman aircraft, although Escadrilles III and IV were still forming. A truck was assigned to each squadron, along with a fifth truck serving as a mobile workshop. Each squadron had

IAI RQ-5 Hunter - Misplaced Pages Continue

2080-622: The French in both single and double-seat versions of the Nieuport 10 . The Belgians would continue to upgrade their aircraft throughout the war, though through their dependence on French manufacturers they became the stepchildren of the Allied effort from 1916 onwards. The introduction dates of various types, compared to the date of their acquisition by the Belgians, tells the tale. The Belgians got Nieuport 16s at

2145-486: The Hunter is being transferred to government-owned, contractor-operated units supporting operations overseas. In 1998, the Belgian Air Component purchased three B-Hunter UAV-systems, each consisting of six aircraft and two ground control stations. Operational from 2004 in the 80 UAV Squadron, 13 aircraft were in service in 2020. The last Hunter was withdrawn from Belgian service on 28 August 2020, to be replaced by

2210-529: The Hunter under a trial program for border patrol duties. During this program, the Hunter flew 329 flight hours, resulting in 556 detections. A version armed with the Northrop Grumman GBU-44/B Viper Strike weapon system is known as the MQ-5A/B. As of October 2012, the U.S. Army had 20 MQ-5B Hunters in service. Retirement of the Hunter was expected to be completed in 2013, but Northrop

2275-409: The Hunter was its relay mode that allowed one aircraft to control another at extended ranges or over terrain obstacles. By the end of Operation New Dawn in 2011, Hunters had flown more than 110,000 hours, its battlefield success clearly showing the value of UASs in combat operations as a direct result. While Army operators transitioned to the larger and more capable General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle ,

2340-579: The LRIP as a production test phase in which they develop the assembly line models that would eventually be used in mass production. Therefore, the LRIP is commonly the first step in transitioning from highly customized, hand-built prototypes to the final mass-produced end product. In practice, either the production capability or the weapons system itself can be unready during the LRIP phase. This can mean that systems produced during LRIP are built significantly differently both in terms of technique and cost owing to

2405-826: The Multi National Tanker Transport squadron based at Eindhoven Airport, to be able to deploy the new fighter aircraft in a more independent fashion. The Sea King helicopters were retired in March 2019 after 43 years of service. The Alpha Jet was also retired in December 2019 and sold to Top Aces in July 2020. Future pilot training is to be conducted in the US at the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT) program based at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas. In addition,

2470-416: The NATO operations over Libya. The aircraft were already at the base as part of a joint exercise and were transferred to NATO command. Up to June 2011, the aircraft had flown over 1,000 hours over Libya and attacked various military installations and targets. On 12 September 2011 a Wikileaks document showed a diplomatic cable from the American ambassador and the Minister of Defence Pieter De Crem that Belgium

2535-492: The Ponnier M1 was not good enough for production, and the ten or so manufactured ended up with clipped wings as powered "Penguin" rollers for training rookie pilots. One of its flying ace pilots, Willy Coppens , became the top ranking balloon buster of World War I, as well as one of the war's top aces. Four other pilots from the tiny force also became aces with it: Andre de Meulemeester , Edmond Thieffry , Jan Olieslagers , and Fernand Jacquet . The fledgling air force

2600-450: The accidental firing of a cannon. On 25 October 2018, Belgium officially selected the offer for 34 F-35As to replace the current fleet of around 54 F-16s. In the accompanying news conference, government officials stated that the decision to select the F-35 over the Eurofighter Typhoon came down to the price, and later stated that "The offer from the Americans was the best in all our seven valuation criteria". The total purchasing price for

2665-422: The aircraft and its support until 2030 totaled €4 billion, €600 million cheaper than the initially budgeted €4.6 billion. First deliveries are scheduled to take place in 2023. On 19 September 2019, a Belgian Air Force F-16 crashed in France. In 2022 the STAR program (Strategic Defense Review) was announced by the Belgian Ministry of Defense which plans for the upgrade of the existing 4 NFH90 helicopters used by

IAI RQ-5 Hunter - Misplaced Pages Continue

2730-403: The aircraft to an as yet unspecified Abu Dhabi -based operator. In January 1991, 18 Mirage 5 aircraft of the 3rd Tactical Wing were deployed to Turkey's Diyarbakır air base. During this operation, Belgian aircraft carried out several flights along the Iraqi border. After this operation the obsolete Mirage 5s were phased out. On 15 July 1996, a C-130 with serial CH-06 carrying 37 members of

2795-509: The ambassador of Luxembourg to the Netherlands, signed an agreement on joint air policing. Starting mid-2017, the Belgian Air Component and the Royal Netherlands Air Force will take turns keeping two F-16s on quick reaction alert (QRA) defending the airspace of all three Benelux countries. The agreement could allow the Belgian minister of defence to order a Dutch aircraft to use lethal force over Belgian airspace, and vice versa. Luxembourg , while currently covered by Belgian QRA, does not allow

2860-439: The artillery lieutenants were Baudouin Montens d'Oosterwyck, who earned Brevet No. 19 on 30 September, and Alfred Sarteel, granted No. 23 on 10 November. The third lieutenant, Georges Nelis, was the new force's first aviation candidate, gaining Brevet No. 28 on 21 December. An aircraft was personally purchased for him. In spring of 1911, the new air force established its military aviation school with five pilots, two mechanics, and

2925-434: The civil aviation sector, Baron Pierre de Caters earned the first civil pilot's brevet that same year. De Caters would promptly establish an aviation school. At approximately the same time, the War Ministry followed the French military's example and had pilots earn a civil pilot's brevet before their military one. In 1910, three Belgian lieutenants earned their pilot's brevets at the school, paying their own fees. Two of

2990-404: The disbanding of the 1st Fighter Wing in Beauvechain ; the 9th Training Wing in Sint-Truiden Air Base ; and the Elementary Flying School in Goetsenhoven (1996). In 2002, the Belgian government decided to emulate Canada and impose a "single structure" on its armed forces in which the independent Belgian Air Force ceased to exist. The Belgian Air Component ( COMOPSAIR being the HQ ) consists of

3055-417: The end of 1916. The Nieuport 17 came into service with the French as early as June 1916, but the Belgians received so few that in June 1917 they were still operating all their earlier Nieuports. They then contracted for newer Nieuport 23s , which were basically up-engined Nieuport 17s. Spad VIIs had entered French service on 2 September 1916; the Belgians first received them almost an entire year later, with

3120-434: The first one on board on 22 August 1917. In September 1917, Belgium had the Hanriot HD.1 supplied to it the year after it was introduced. Spad XIIIs also came on line that month, but would not show up in Belgian inventory until the next year. Sopwith Camels first went into service in May 1917 and the AMB received its first one on 29 November 1917. The AMB did make one attempt to design and build its own aircraft. However

3185-426: The first to attack an enemy observation balloon when they dropped three small bombs on a gasbag over Houthulst , however they either did not hit, or failed to explode. On 18 January 1916, the decision was made to form a dedicated fighter squadron. On 22 February 1916, Escadrille I became the 1ère Escadrille de Chasse . It consisted of newly supplied Nieuport 10s and one obsolete Farman two-seater. In August,

3250-425: The ground. They were disciplined for their efforts. Nelis then accompanied Capitaine Commandant Émile Mathieu to England during November 1913 to demonstrate aerial use of the Lewis machine gun at Hendon and Aldershot ; as a result, the British adopted the Lewis, although the Belgians did not. Belgium entered World War I with aircraft tasked solely for reconnaissance missions. By the time of Belgium's entry into

3315-402: The immaturity of the production line or changes in the weapons system's design, necessitating a large degree of hand assembly and trial and error typically associated with the prototyping stage. Furthermore, the cost of each LRIP system can be much greater than the final mass production unit cost, since the LRIP cost can include both the R&D and setup cost for production, although the goal

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3380-435: The limits of military training areas. Two unarmed MQ-5B Hunters were used solely for training drone operators. From 1996 to January 2014, the MQ-5B Hunter unmanned aerial system flew over 100,000 hours with the U.S. Army. On 14 March 2014, an RQ-5 was reported downed by a Crimean self-defense unit over Russian occupied Ukrainian territory, although Russia did not substantiate the claim and the Pentagon denies it operated such

3445-428: The new fighter units; as of 1 May, 22 remained with reconnaissance units to fly escort missions. The King insisted that Jacquet be given the command of the Group. The newly organized fighter wing contained the two fighter escadrilles; however, 1ère Escadrille de Chasse became 9ème Escadrille de Chasse , and 5ème Escadrille de Chasse became 10ème Escadrille de Chasse . The 11ème Escadrille de Chasse

3510-454: The new squadron would upgrade to Nieuport 11s , and Escadrille V was turned into the 5ème Escadrille de Chasse . The new unit was the first to mount an offensive formation for the new air force; on 15 February 1917, they flew an offensive patrol of seven. By this time, the AMB had grown to 44 aircraft, including 21 fighters. At this point, individual aircraft bore personal markings affixed by their pilots, but no unit designations. In

3575-404: The prospective first buyer and operator (i.e., a country's defense authorities and the relevant military units) can thoroughly test the weapons system over some protracted amount of time in order to gain a reasonable degree of confidence as to whether the system actually performs to the agreed-upon requirements before contracts for mass production are signed. At the same time, manufacturers can use

3640-433: The start of World War II, the Army Air Force had three active Air Force Regiments. Aircraft which were used by those regiments were the Renard R-31 and R-32 , the Fiat CR.42 Falco , the Hawker Hurricane , the Gloster Gladiator , the Fairey Fox , and the Fairey Battle . These were massacred by the much superior German Luftwaffe in the German invasion of May 1940. Before the outbreak of the war Belgium also sought to equip

3705-425: The summer of 1917, the AMB was allotted an active role in Allied aviation operations at the beginning of the Third Battle of Ypres . In March 1918, the AMB matured into a Groupe de Chasse . At this time, the role of the Escadrilles de Chasse was finally focused on their operation strictly as fighter units. There was a sorting out of pilots into fighter or reconnaissance roles. Not all fighter pilots went into

3770-440: The three Alouette III helicopters flown for the Belgian Navy were phased out in 2021 after 50 years of operational service. On 25 October 2018, Belgium officially selected the offer for 34 F-35As to replace the current fleet of around 53 F-16s. In the accompanied news conference, government officials stated that the decision to select the F-35 over the Eurofighter Typhoon came down to the price, and later stated that "The offer from

3835-408: The use of lethal force over its territory. The organization of the aircomponent as of 2018.The airforce has about 6,500 total active personnel divided in 10 operational units and an headquarters. In the near future, an air-artillery unit with long range surface to air missiles is to be established. NOTE: Belgium is participating in the NATO MRTT unit with the use of an Airbus A330 MRTT Belgium

3900-423: Was awarded a support contract for the Hunter in January 2013, extending its missions into 2014. On 7 October 2013, the U.S. Army opened a UAS facility at Vilseck Army Airfield in Germany. A letter of agreement between the U.S. and Germany allows the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command to use two ‘air bridges’ in the east of the country to train operators, marking the first time a U.S. UAV will fly beyond

3965-426: Was entrusted with flying both King Albert and Queen Elisabeth over the battle front at times. During the interwar period , the Belgian Army Air Force flew the Breguet 19 . Some efforts were made to acquire aircraft from local production, such as those by Stampe et Vertongen and Renard . They also evaluated native designs like the ACAZ C.2 and LACAB GR.8 , none of which entered mass production however. At

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4030-400: Was founded in 1909 and is one of the world's oldest air services. The commander is Major General Thierry Dupont, appointed on 17 September 2020. Luchtcomponent was founded in 1909 as a branch of the Belgian Army , carrying the name Compagnie des Ouvriers et Aérostiers . King Albert 's interest in the military use of aircraft was the main impetus for its formation. Coincidentally, in

4095-416: Was founded on 28 May to join them. By the start of the Allies final offensive in September 1918, the AMB was incorporated in the Allied aviation effort, and could send 40-plus aircraft into the air at one time. In its short span of service, the Groupe fought over 700 aerial combats and was credited with 71 confirmed and 50 probable victories. In June 1916 the nascent air force had received newer aircraft from

4160-455: Was the Belgian aviators' first victory claim. In April, Lieutenant Fernand Jacquet mounted a machine gun on his pusher aircraft and sought out the enemy. On the 17th, he and his observer (Lieutenant Henri Vindevoghel) scored Belgium's first confirmed aerial victory, sending an Albatros reconnaissance aircraft down in flames over Roeselare . Apparently at about the same time, Adjutant José Orta and Sous Lieutenant Louis de Burlet were

4225-432: Was used in Iraq and other military operations since then. The system was also armed with the Viper Strike munitions. The Army's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training Battalion at Fort Huachuca , AZ trained soldiers and civilians in the operation and maintenance of the Hunter UAV. In 2004, the United States Department of Homeland Security , Bureau of Customs and Border Protection , Office of Air and Marine utilized

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