WRITER PROFILE
Robert Wilsey is a retired Colonel in the British Royal Marines with 31 years service. He has seen operational service in command of a rifle troop, a company and a battalion. A qualified helicopter flying instructor, he commanded 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron RM in Northern Iraq in 1991. After a tour with UNOMIG in Georgia, his final service appointment was as ACOS Amphibious Warfare at STRIKFORSOUTH, Naples. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and now works for CMC Electronics, an Esterline company. In his spare time he writes regularly on military history and early military rifles.
Articles by this writer
New frontline fighters have revolutionized basic & advanced military flying training. With flight time so expensive, the call goes out for a new generation of Trainers.
Upgrading (to glass cockpits) the old analogue Hawk Mk50/60 series aircraft – over 220 of which have been sold to eight other countries worldwide.
Until a few years ago, major air forces worldwide trained their jet pilots on basic and advanced training aircraft equipped with analogue cockpits. As a result, a widening technology gap has developed between Advanced Jet Training (AJT) aircraft of the 1970's (such as BAE Hawk TMk1, Aero L39 Albatross and Dassault Alphajet) and modern front-line combat aircraft.
