The Sri Lankan Air Force has finished re-serialling its aircraft. Following the end of the conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in May 2009, the Air Force opted for a new serial system, adopting a specific role designation. Seen here are Harbin Y-12-II SCL-3203 (SCL standing for Sri Lanka Cargo Light), Antonov An-32B SCM-3303 (Sri Lanka Cargo Medium, c/n 3509, ex CR864) and Lockheed C-130K Hercules SCH-3402 (Sri Lanka Cargo Heavy, c/n 4240, ex CR881) at their home base of Ratmalana in early February 2011.

Kamov Ka-32A11BC LZ-KHB is seen on February 27, 2011 at Bansko mountain resort, where it provided EMS coverage during the AUDI FIS Men's Alpine Skiing World Cup Bansko.

Четыре двигателя установлены на B-1B в индивидуальных гондолах попарно справа и слева от продольной оси самолета. В хвостовой части фюзеляжа смонтированы устройства отстрела ложных целей и аппаратура БКО. Створки отсеков вооружения открыты.
Airmen check over a technical order while working on a B-1B Lancer at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota.

A computer-generated image of a Boeing KC-46A NextGen tanker refuelling a B-2 Spirit bomber.

The IASF's latest Boeing 707 Reem (295) is seen arriving at Nevatim on February 17, 2011.

No.5 Squadron finally took the F-16 Block 52+s on strength during the type's officially induction into the Pakistan Air Force on March 10, 2011.

Lockheed Martin F-16D Block 52 Fighting Falcon 08-8020 destined for the Royal Moroccan Air Force is seen deploying its braking chute at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas, at the conclusion of a test flight on March 9, 2011. Morocco has ordered 18 F-16C and six F-16D Block 52s, the first of which was flown on October 11. The fleet will enter service in 2011 at Ben Guerir.

Mirage F1 502 (seen here) arrived at Malta International Airport on February 21, 2011 along with 508. Both aircraft have been impounded, while the pilots have requested asylum in Malta.

One of two Libyan Air Force Mirage F1EDs whose pilots defected to Malta on February 21, 2011, allegedly after being ordered to attack civilian demonstrators: the aircraft's load of two SNEB rocket pods lends plenty of credence to the pilots' account.

AB212ICOs of 21° Gruppo, part of 9° Stormo based at Grazzanise AB are due to be replaced by CSAR-capable AW101s starting in 2014.

In early February 2011 heavy monsoons in Sri Lanka resulted in severe flooding in the northern part of the country, forcing almost 250,000 people to leave their homes. The Sri Lankan Air Force assisted in the aftermath, rescuing people from desolate areas, and flying in medical personnel and equipment. Two Bell 212s from 7 Helicopter Squadron based at Hingarukgoda were deployed to Anuradhapura to assist in the relief operations, as the Mil Mi-17s based there have few flying hours left. Bell 212 SUH-4102 is seen returning to Anuradhapura after supporting the effort on February 8. A single Mil Mi-35P (SAH-4404) from the 9 Attack Helicopter Squadron was also deployed and used to transport medical personnel.

Lockheed P-3C Orion BuNo 158206 has been painted in a retro scheme commemorating the EP-3B 'Bat Rack' electronic reconnaissance aircraft. The maritime patrol aircraft is assigned to Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 1 (VQ-1) 'World Watchers' based at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington, as its bounce trainer. The scheme was applied by the Fleet Readiness Center Southeast at NAS Jacksonville, Florida, as part of the 2011 Centennial of Naval Aviation celebrations. Two EP-3Bs were produced in 1967 to gather signals intelligence, entering service with VQ-1 in 1969 and operated from Da Nang AB in Vietnam.

The second upgraded Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion CUP+ (Capability Upgrade Program Plus) for the Forca Aerea Portuguese (FAP, Portuguese Air Force) arrived at Beja Air Base (BA11) on February 21, 2011 from Greenville. South Carolina. The aircraft, (14810, ex-Royal Netherlands Navy 307, BuNo 163175), will undergo the final stages of the acceptance programme at Beja, before becoming fully operational with the FAP by the end of March. The aircraft will enter service with Esquadra 601 'Lobos' as a replacement for the units P-3Ps. The first 'new' Orion (14809, ex 306, BuNo 161374) was redelivered in August 2010 from Lockheed Martin's facility in Greenville.

The US Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) 'Night Stalkers' received its first two Sikorsky MH-60M Black Hawks on February 2, 2011. The helicopters were delivered to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the day before (seen here), from the Special Operations Forces Supply Activity facility in Richmond in the same state. The 160th SOAR(A) will receive 70 MH-60Ms over the next four to five years to replace the existing fleet of MH-60Ks and MH-60Ls. Two different versions will be supplied, one configured as a troop transport and the other in a Defensive Armed Penetrator (DAP) configuration.

Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawks FAB 8907 and 8908 were recently delivered to the Forca Aerea Brasiliera (FAB, Brazilian Air Force). The helicopters departed Elmira, New York, on February 13, 2011 and arrived at Base Aerea Boa Vista in Roraima for inspection and acceptance by the FAB on February 23. They will enter service as the first examples with the 5° Esquadrao, 8° Grupo de Aviacao 'Esquadrao Pantera' (5th Squadron, 8th Air Group 'Panther Squadron') to replace the Bell UH-1Hs operated by the unit at Base Aerea de Santa Maria.

Virgin A340-600 G-VYOU exits the main taxiway at London-Heathrow.

Seen at Glasgow International Airport on March 2, 2011 was Embraer ERJ-190-100 ECJ Lineage 1000 A6-AJI (c/n 190.00261, ex PT- TLB). The aircraft was flying to Canada from the Middle East when it called in at the Scottish airfield for a fuel stop. Al Jaber Aviation currently operates two of the type and has a third on order.

Kuwaiti Air Force L-100-30 Hercules KAF325 is seen departing Malta International Airport on February 27, 2011. Many nations sent aircraft to repatriate their nationals escaping the violence in Libya.

For one week in early March 2011, Frankfurt-Hahn Airport saw two Algerian Air Force Lockheed C-130H Hercules flights a day. C-130H-30 7T-WHB (c/n 5224, ex 7T-VHB) of 2e Escadre de Transport Tactique et Logistique (2nd Tactical Transport and Logistics Wing) based at Boufarik was noted on approach on March 7. The flights were arranged to pick up goods from Germany.

The latest Typhoon for Saudi Arabia flew on February 24, 2011 in primer, with its build numbers painted underneath the cockpit.

Typhoon IPA6 (ZJ938) is seen carrying a Paveway IV under the inner starboard pylon during recent drop tests of the weapon over the Aberporth Range. The fin markings feature the Gold Lion of England with the Crown and Red Rose of Lancashire on a blue shield.

New build Let L410-UVP-E20 F-OIXG (c/n 2734) was recently delivered to Air Guyane Express based at Cayenne-Rochambeau Airport. The aircraft departed the Czech Republic on February 26, 2011 and was expected to arrive in French Guyana six days later, with stopovers in Seville, Lanzarote, Cape Verde and Fortaleza. It is configured with 19 seats and will join two other L410s operated by the airline.

Three of the Indian Navy's recently received Sikorsky UH-3H Sea Kings were noted on the deck of the amphibious landing ship INS Jalashwa in Malta's Grand Harbour on March 13, 2011. The helicopters are from a batch of six ex-US Navy Sea Kings acquired in 2007 along with the Jalashwa, formerly the USS Trenton. Along with the destroyer INS Mysore, the warship evacuated a number of Indian nationals from Libya to Malta for onward repatriation by air.

Chinook ZA679 one of three deployed to Malta.

CV-22 Osprey 06-0031 crashed near Qalat, Afghanistan, on April 9, 2010 killing four and injuring the remaining 16 people onboard.

The final one of three Ilyushin Il-78MP Midas tankers ordered by the Pakistan Air Force (R11-003, c/n 0063466998, ex UR-76675) was delivered to the newly established No.10 Multirole Tanker Transport Squadron at Chaklala AB in early February 2011. It is seen here at its new home a few days later, shortly after a downpour. The aircraft completed its maiden flight following conversion as a tanker on December 11, 2010. The first aircraft (R9-001, c/n 0073478346, ex UR-76742) was delivered in April 2010, and the second, R10-002, c/n 0073476277, ex UR-76676) in December last year.

Antonov An-30 '86 red’ is seen departing from Voronezh-Baltimor, its home base. The aircraft is assigned to Airbase 7000, its unit previously having been the 5th Otdelnaya Dalnaya Razvedyvatelnaya Aviatsionnaya Otryad (Independent Long-Range Reconnaissance Aviation Detachment). Although acquired as survey aircraft, many An-30s still in service with the Voyenno-Vozdushnyye Sily (Russian Air Force) are used as transports.

Noted at Dusseldorf International Airport on February 17, 2011 was Airbus A320-231 EY-621 (msn 386, ex N386BV) of Kyrgyz Airways. The airliner was being used for a special humanitarian charter flight for SOS Kinderdorf (Friedensdorf Oberhausen), transporting 90 children from Afghanistan and other countries to Germany for medical attention. The airliner joined the carrier on October 8, 2010.

Aviatsionnyy Polk (Guards Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment), which was based at Shatalovo AB in the Smolensk Oblast before arriving at Voronezh-Baltimor.

Su-24MR '44 white' carries a large reconnaissance pod under the fuselage centre station.

Anonymous looking Bombardier DHC-8-315 N570AW (c/n 570) was noted transiting Glasgow International Airport in Scotland on February 25, 2011. It is operated by the US Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Office of Aviation and arrived from CFB Goose Bay in Canada, with a refuelling stop at Narsarsuaq in Greenland. Its eventual destination is unknown, but is likely to be in Afghanistan or Iraq. The aircraft previously flew with Air Nostrum as PH-DMV before returning to Bombardier in October 2010 (and transiting Glasgow on the 21st of that month) prior to joining the Office of Aviation.

Taimyr Airlines (NordStar Airlines) took delivery of the first of four ATR 42-500s at Toulouse, southern France, on March 14, 2011. The Russian regional carrier based at Krasnoyarsk ordered the turboprops and took out options for three more in 2010 to replace Antonov An-24s. They will be configured for 46 passengers and used on services to destinations including Novosibirsk, Irkutsk and Ekaterinburg, as well as on new routes within the Krasnoyarsk region, to complement the airline's existing Boeing 737 Next Generation fleet. The aircraft are powered by Pratt & Whitney PW127Ms and have been equipped to facilitate operations in the extreme cold of Siberia and the Russian far north.

Six Jetstream T2s of No.750 Naval Air Squadron conducted a formation farewell flight on March 11, 2011. The aircraft involved were XX481/CU560, XX476/CU561, XX478/ CU564, ZA111/CU565, XX486/CU567 and XX487/CU568.

The first of four Dassault Falcon 7Xs due to be delivered to the Nigerian Air Force, 5N-FGU, is seen at Paris-Le Bourget on March 10, 2011. The aircraft arrived at the airport five days earlier for outfitting by Falcon Jet before delivery to the Nigerian President's flight.

The number of HH-3Fs remaining in service with the Italian Air Force is declining. Ten AW139 SAR helicopters should be delivered from March to December 2012, and should replace the HH-3F Pelicans currently used as search and rescue aircraft.

Airbus A330-203 EC-336 (msn 1183, ex F-WWKN) is seen in late February 2011 stored at Madrid-Barajas Airport in Spain. The aircraft is destined to be the fourth KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force (as A39-005). Although the majority of the A330 MRTTs will be equipped with their mission systems at Getafe, Iberia and EADS also have a facility at Madrid-Barajas Airport where similar work is undertaken. EC-336 was due to be inducted into that facility in March, after EC-338 (msn 980, ex F-WWYR), the first for the Royal Saudi Air Force, is rolled out from the facility.

The Beech 200GTs of No.45 (R) Squadron, the RAF's Multi-Engine Flying Training Squadron based at RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire, are being re-painted with a new cheat-line and the titles 'Royal Air Force' above the cabin windows. Three aircraft, ZK458/'D', ZK459/'X' and ZK460/'U‘ (seen here) had all received their latest colours by the time this photo was taken over the Humber Estuary on March 14, 2011. The unit's OC, Wg Cdr 'Tex' Avery is flying the aircraft.

3 марта 2011г. в Комсомольске-на-Амуре состоялся первый полет второго опытного экземпляра ПАК ФА (перспективного авиационного комплекса фронтовой авиации). Самолет пилотировал заслуженный летчик-испытатель Российской Федерации Сергей Богдан. Машина провела в воздухе 44 минуты и совершила посадку на заводском аэродроме. В ходе полета была проведена проверка устойчивости самолета, оценка работы систем силовой установки. Сегодня по программе ПАК ФА полностью завершен комплекс предварительных наземных и летных работ, в которых задействованы три опытных образца (два летных и один для статиспытаний). Первый вылет ПАК ФА состоялся 29 января 2010 г. в Комсомольске-на-Амуре. На сегодня на этом самолете совершено 36 полетов.
The second Sukhoi T-50 (T-50-2) is seen lifting off for it maiden flight at Komsomolsk-on-Amur on March 3, 2011. It displays subtle differences from T-50-1.

The second Sukhoi T-50 (T-50-2) is seen landing after it maiden flight at Komsomolsk-on-Amur on March 3, 2011.

As part of activities to mark the withdrawal of the Tornado F3 from RAF service, ZE791 has recently been painted in special markings to commemorate the type's 25 years of service. It is seen here during a mission from RAF Leuchars, Fife, in early March 2011. No. 111(F) Squadron's disbandment parade will take place on March 22, and the fighter will be completely withdrawn from RAF service by March 31. Soon after this flight the aircraft had the squadron crests of the units the flew the fighter added along its front fuselage.

RAF Hercules C4 ZH868 lining up for take-off on February 27, 2011 almost certainly en route to Libya - the day when, according to the BBC, an RAF Hercules took a couple of hits from small-arms fire in the cockpit and a round bounced off the pilot's helmet.

Airbus A319-112 D-AHIL (c/n 3589), seen at Dusseldorf International Airport on March 8, 2011, was the first of the type to enter service with German airline Germania, on February 17. The aircraft was originally delivered to Hamburg International, on July 17, 2008, but this airline ceased operations on October 19, 2010. Another former Hamburg International A319-112, D-AHIM (c/n 3818), joined the Germania fleet on March 3. Germania will take delivery of two further new-build A319-112s, D-ASTA (c/n 4663, test registration D-AVYF) and D-ASTB (c/n 4691, D-AVYO) this spring.

As a well-known brand, Virgin is second to none.

Bell CH-146 Griffon 146449 of No.409 Squadron Canadian Forces is seen at Henderson Executive Airport, Nevada, on March 6, 2011. The helicopter was one of eight making their way back singularly to CFB Edmonton, Alberta, after undergoing training at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. Canada's Griffon pilots conducted pre-deployment training at Yuma prior to being posted to Afghanistan, although with the withdrawal of Canadian troops in theatre later in 2011 this is likely to be the last time the helicopters train there.

F-35A 07-0744 (AF-6) is seen making its maiden flight at Fort Worth, Texas, on February 25, 2011. The aircraft was the first one of the two LRIP Lot I F-35As for the USAF.

The prototype Eurocopter EC145T2 D-HADJ (c/n 9002) has been flying from Donauwoth since at least August 2010.

On March 8, 2011, International Women's Day, ATR delivered ATR 72-202 PR-AZV (c/n 352, ex PP-PTK) La Ville Rose to Azul Linhas Aereas at the manufacturer's facility at Toulouse in southern France. The turboprop regional airliner was finished in a special pink colour scheme to raise awareness of the fight against breast cancer. It was previously operated by TRIP Linhas Aereas before being stored at Toulouse.

Boeing's KC-46A NewGen tanker features an improved version of the KC-10's refuelling boom, advanced blended winglets and a hose and drogue multi point refuelling system.