WORLD NEWS F-35C moves to Patuxent River USAF launches search for new fighter UK signs defense treaty with France Zhuhai show first photos F-117 back in the air?

PLUS! Special reports on the Falcon Air Meet, RAF Typhoon testing at Nellis, UN operations in eastern Congo and the F-16's new refueling probe

FRONT LINE Our hard-hitting regular column by Robert F. Dorr.

TESTING TIMES Delays and cost overruns are the main headline-grabbing topics that have accompanied many F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program reports over the last 18 months.Combat Aircraft Editor Jamie Hunter visits the F-35 flight test program at Edwards AFB, California, to discover the excellent progress being made here.

WHY SCRAP SENTINEL? The UK Strategic Defence and Security Review heralded plans to retire the Royal Air Force's Sentinel R1 Airborne Stand-Off Radar (ASTOR) platforms. Martin Streetly evaluates why the UK is retiring these almost brand-new aircraft.

SAMURAI SCHOOL The Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Fighter Training Group serves as the operational conversion unit for prospective front-line F-15J Eagle pilots. Katsuhiko TOKUNAGA/DACT flies with the squadron as it marks its 10th anniversary.

WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING An indispensable Combat Aircraft briefing on the USAF's special missions C-130s. Tom Kaminski details the numerous variants of Hercules have been utilized by the USAF for many years for duties that are decidedly removed from the transport role.

KANDAHAR - AIR POWER FOR HELMAND PART 2 DUTCH AIR TASK FORCE AFGHANISTAN Since October 2002, aircraft and helicopters of the Royal Netherlands AF have maintained a near-continuous presence in Afghanistan. Now, eight years on, the Dutch are in the process of redeploying their forces back home as Stephan de Bruijn reports from Kandahar.

ITALY'S FLEET AIR ARM Luigino Caliaro interviews Rear Admiral Paolo Treu, commander of the Italian Fleet Air Arm (Forze Aeree della Marina Militare), to discuss the current situation and the future of the air component of the Italian fleet.

'HAWGSMOKE' 2010 The USAF's biennial A-10 Thunderbolt II gunnery/bombing competition 'Hawgsmoke' was held from October 13-16 at Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho. Carey Mavor got amongst the action as the contest was in full swing.

KAZAKHSTAN'S POTENT FORCE Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan was left in possession of a considerable quantity of warplanes and helicopters. Grigoriy Bedenko discovers how the aviation component of Kazakhstan's armed forces remains a potent force in Central Asia.

TORNADO SQUADRON Combat Aircraft gains a unique insight on operations at the sharp end of the Royal Air Force, spending a day at the office with RAF Tornado GR4 squadron commander Wg Cdr Ian Gale with exclusive photos by Jamie Hunter/Aviacom.

CREWROOM Our regular interactive feature with product reviews and competitions.

EAGLES OVER KADUNA Nigeria has undertaken extensive efforts to overcome the legacy of military rule and the associated political isolation. Holger Mller reports on how the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has made significant progress in recent times.

SWEPT-WING DUELS OVER THE YALU Almost as soon as the Korean War broke out in late June 1950, the communists began building up large numbers of MiG-15s at bases in Manchuria. Cue the F-86 Sabre. Warren E. Thompson recounts the ensuing combat over the Korean peninsula.

TRUMAN IN THE 'NAG' GIOVANNI COLLA embarks USS Harry S. Truman in the North Arabian Gulf (NAG) as the carrier supports ongoing combat operations in Afghanistan.