Inside the Tridente submarine

The October issue of Fuerzas Militares del Mundo brings a report onboard of the Tridente, the newly-received U-209PN submarine of Portuguese Navy.
This report includes interviews to some members of the 33-men crew as well as exclusive inside photos showing, for example, the torpedo room, kitchen or crew accomodations. Besides this, it provides details on the equipments and weapon systems of the new class of submarines which has replaced the former French-built Daphné submarines.

MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTED IN: Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Chile, Peru and USA.

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Tridente: The new Portuguese submarine

On the September 8th, the new Tridente submarine from the Portuguese Navy was publicly presented during a ceremony which took place in the naval base of Alfeite, near Lisbon. The modern conventional submarine from the U-209PN model shares, in the reality, many common characteristics with the more recent U-214 project. The two new submarines ordered by Portugal in 2004 replace the French-built Albacora class, based on the Daphné model. The deliver of the second submarine, named Arpão, is scheduled for 2011.

A detailed report focusing the ceremony and this new class of submarines will be soon published by the Spanish magazine Fuerzas Militares del Mundo. Meanwhile, the Portuguese magazine Revista de Marinha has published a short report here.

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Coimbra Air Show 2009

As it has been hapenning every year (you can also check the reports for the 2007 and 2008 editions), the Bissaya Barreto airfield in the city of Coimbra has received a new edition of the Coimbra Air Show.
The airshow took place between 11th and 12th of July including the performances of the Smoke Wings civilian acrobatic team which flies two soviet-build Yakovlev Yak-52 and the military acrobatic team Asas de Portugal from the Portuguese Air Force equipped with two Alpha-Jet A. Civilian aircrafts as well as a rare operational Dornier Do-27 of the Air Force museum also participated in the airshow.

The impressive demonstration of the Asas de Portugal, here flying their two Alpha-Jet A in a close formation and at high speed.

One of the two soviet-build Yakovlev Yak-52 from the Smoke Wings civilian acrobatic team. The portuguese pilots pushed their aicrafts to the limits and impressed the public.

Close view of the impressive the soviet-build Yakovlev Yak-52. Originally, this aircraft was developed as a trainer. A classic aircraft in an air show whith a recent tradition.

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Dassault-Dornier Alpha-Jet

The French Air Force was present in the 2005 edition of the Portugal Air Show, the main portuguese air show. The french participation consisted in two demonstrations with the Dassault-Dornier Alpha-Jet: one by the well known Patrouille de France and the other one by Capitaine Laurent "Tom" Thomeret from L'Ecole de L'Avation de Chasse, Touraine. Thomeret's Alpha-Jet made a great flying display and was also present in the statical exhibition.

Currently, the Alpha-Jet is operated by Belgium, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, France, Morocco, Nigeria, Portugal, Qatar and Thailand. Portugal has begun the operation of this aircraft in 1993. The 50 aircrafts, received from Luftwaffe, were operated by 301 Squadron Jaguares (close air support) and 103 Squadron Caracóis (instruction), both based in Beja. After the transition of the Jaguares to the F-16 MLU (they now operate from Monte Real), the Caracóis assumed the close air support as a secondary mission and recieved the remaining operational fleet - with 15-20 aircrafts. They're also responsable for the acrobatic air team Asas de Portugal.

This series of photos is part of a report which I made for the magazine Fuerzas Militares del Mundo.

Capitaine Thomeret's Alpha-Jet after its demonstration.

A general view of the Alpha-Jet just a few minutes after is arrival at Évora. A second aircraft was in reserve. The force was supported by a C-160 Transal, based at Beja.

The french Alpha-Jet after its flying display - you can see, in the background, the city of Évora.

A close look at the markings of the aircraft.

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Coimbra Air Show 2007

Here are some photographs that I have taken during the weekend on the airshow. The airshow had some flaws, like the impossibility of using the oposite side of the runway during the afternoon - because of that, everyone, including the press, had to take the photgraphs against the sunlight with every disadvantage this situation implies. In any case, it is good to see an airshow in the city where I live since I usually have to make long trips in order to see one.

A soviet-build Yakovlev Yak-52 - which is a primary trainer - made a great exhibition on the saturday afternoon. The portuguese pilot pushed the aicraft to its limits and impressed the public.

The two Alpha-Jet from the Asas de Portugal. The two pilots were also present in the aerodrome for an autograph session.

A C-212 Aviocar made flights with children during the sunday. In the next year the Portuguese Air Force will receive the first C-295Ms which will substitute this aircraft.

A classical and impressive Boeing-Stearman N62TS from the Aerofénix museum.

A Allouette III with the paint scheme of the Rotores de Portugal. But, contrary to what was announced, they did not make an exhibition during the airshow.

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Coimbra Airshow 2007

According to the Air Force, the programme of the Coimbra Air Show will include a significant presence of the military branch:

A Força Aérea Portuguesa irá marcar presença nem Coimbra, durante o fim-de-semana de 14 e 15JUL07, no âmbito das celebrações do do 31ª Aniversário do do Aero Clube de Coimbra. A presença da Força Aérea inicia-se no Sábado dia 14JUL07, pelas 09H30, no Aerodromo Municipal Bissaya Barreto, com a aterragem de um DO-27 do Museu do Ar, a fim de participar na exposição estática de aeronaves. Aquando da abertura do evento, pelas 10H00 de 14JUL07, os
visitantes poderão contactar com uma exposição do Museu do Ar, sob a temática "1917 - 2007, 90 anos a formar pilotos militares em Portugal". Nesta exposição, para além de vários artigos do valioso espólio do Museu do Ar, encontra-se também exposto um avião biplano "TIGER MOUTH", dos anos 20 do século passado. O Centro de Recrutamento da Força Aérea estará presente no aeródromo, para explicar a todos os interessados as várias qualificações de
elevado nível técnico e saídas profissionais, oferecidas pela Força Aérea. Da parte da tarde, a internacionalmente famosa patrulha ASAS DE PORTUGAL, irá executar um treino acrobático sobre os céus de Coimbra.

Pelas 22H00, na Praça da Canção, a Banda da Força Aérea irá actuar (entrada livre) com um reportório digno da reputação que a caracteriza, tanto em Portugal como no estrangeiro. No Domingo dia 15JUL07, pelas 09H00, no Aeródromo Bissaya Barreto, serão recebidas inscrições para baptismos de voo de crianças, em aeronave C212 AVIOCAR (de Sintra). Já da parte da tarde, o visitante do certame poderá assistir entre outros eventos, a uma demonstração de salvamento por guincho com um helicóptero ALOUETTE III (de Beja), e uma espectacular exibição acrobática dos ASAS DE PORTUGAL. Entretanto, os pilotos dos ASAS DE PORTUGAL vão estar disponíveis para sessões de autógrafos nos Sábado 14JUL e Domingo 15JUL de manhã, no Aeródromo Bissaya Barreto, bem como no Sábado 14JUL à noite na Praça da Canção.

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Airshow at Coimbra

Next week, an airshow will take place at Coimbra. Both the Asas de Portugal and the Rotores de Portugal, the two acrobatic teams of the portuguese Air Force, will be present in this event.

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Spotter's day at Beja

Last friday, on 29th June, the Portuguese Air Force organized, for the first time, a spotter's day. This gave to the portuguese community of plane spotters the rare opportunity of take some photographs inside of a military base - in this case, Beja's air base, located in the south of the country. Actually, it was the first time that this occured, since the spotter's day organized in 2002 was part of the Nato Tiger Meet military exercise - which also took place in Beja.

The Portuguese Air Force must be congratulated for the excellent reception gaven to the spotters: during all the day, we were moved from one area to the another in order to assure the best conditions for photograph the aircraft (angles, sun light, etc.); we were able to visit the front line of every squadron and assist to the preparation of some missions with Alpha-Jet and Epsilon aircrafts; finally, along with the Alouette III helicopters and Alpha-Jet and Epsilon aircrafts assigned to the 552, 101 and 103 Sqd. based in Beja, the air base recieved the rare visit of a C-130 transport aircraft, a P-3P maritime patrol aircraft and two F-16 A/B OCU fighters. In addition, the acrobatic teams Asas de Portugal (Alpha-Jet) e Rotores de Portugal (Alouette III) made their train for the exhibition of saturday.

For instance, this was the begining of a new relationship between the Air Force and the portuguese plane spotters. As an aviaton enthusiast, I must give my acknowledge for the great day that I had at Beja - it was one of the best visits that I ever made to an air base, including those that I made as a reporter.

A F-16B OCU (15118) from 201 Squadron "Falcões", based at Monte Real, arrives to Beja after a flight with the winner of a television contest. A monoplace (F-16 A, 15112, with low-viz marks) also took part of this special mission.

The impressive demonstration of the Asas de Portugal, here flying their two Alpha-Jet A in a close formation and at high speed.

A Alpha-Jet A aircraft arrives from a train mission. The Alpha-Jet fleet is now assigned to 103 Squadron "Caracóis", whose instructors are also pilots of the acrobatic team Asas de Portugal. The other operator, the 301 Squadron "Jaguares", is currently based in Monte Real where operates the modern F-16 MLU.

A Epsilon from 101 Squadron "Roncos" with a Alpha-Jet in the background. Currently, they are the backbone of the trainning fleet of the Portuguese Air Force.

The arrival of another Alpha-Jet A, painted with the old wrap around scheme.

The portuguese spotters captured every angle possible of this Alpha-Jet from the Asas de Portugal. Although it was the first time that a spotter's day occured in Portugal, the number of photographers and enthusiasts was very significant, inclunding some well-known portuguese spotters such as Luís Rosa, Jorge Ruivo, Álvaro Gonçalves, Luís Gonçalves, Pedro Becken, Floriano Morgado along with others.

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Asas de Portugal

The Asas de Portugal, one of the two acrobatic teams of the portuguese Air Force, is equipped with the Alpha-Jet. Last weekend, at June 9th, they made a demonstration in Setúbal, as part of the official commemorations of Portugal's national day.

This season, they have several demonstrations in international airshows:

22th June: Midnight Sun Airshow, Finland
22th Jully: Sanicole International Airshow, Belgium
1th September: Bex International Airshow, Swiss

For the portuguese readers, we will be abble to see their impressive demonstration in the following occasions:

30th June: Dia da Força Aérea, Beja
15th and 16th Jully: Festival Aéreo, Coimbra
14th and 15th September: Portugal Air Show, Évora

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