Forum: General F-16 forum

Duluth's 148th Fighter Wing 'mission-capable' in newest F-16s

At Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, the 148th Fighter Wing and other Blue forces fought Red forces in mock battles testing various missions.
By: Steve Kuchera, Duluth News Tribune

After nearly two years of training in new fighters and shortly after an intensive three-week-long combat training exercise, Duluth’s 148th Fighter Wing has declared itself fully mission-capable.

“The Bulldogs of the 148th have successfully accomplished all training requirements in order to become fully mission capable in the newest F-16s in the Air Force inventory,” Wing Commander Col. Frank Stokes said Wednesday. “After a demanding and successful Red Flag training deployment, I am confident the airmen of the 148th Fighter Wing can perform their new mission as needed for our Nation’s defense.”

Two years ago, the Air National Guard announced that the 148th would receive Block 50 F-16s — planes newer and more advanced than those the wing had. The decision extended the potential life of one of Duluth’s largest employers, with about 450 full-time and 550 part-time members.

Since the announcement, the wing’s personnel have learned the new planes and new, more difficult missions.

After receiving the first of the new fighters in April 2010, the wing’s pilots began learning how to fly SEAD and DEAD missions — military acronyms pronounced “seed” and “deed” — standing for Suppression of Enemy Air Defense and Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses. The new missions required the 148th pilots to switch from a mind-set of dropping bombs to support ground forces to destroying or jamming air defenses to allow other planes to perform that task safely.

The wing’s previous missions were to protect U.S. air space 24 hours a day and support its ground forces. The wing currently retains those missions, though the Defense Department is considering ending the wing’s around-the-clock alert status, which would cost 71 jobs.

Learning their new missions required pilots to undergo an intensive month-long academic course in Arizona, followed by practice missions in flight simulators and in the air in South Carolina, and during three separate training deployments to Air Force bases in Florida and Nevada.

Earlier this month, 150 members of the wing traveled to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada to take part in a three-week-long Red Flag combat training exercise. At Nellis, the 148th and other Blue forces fought Red forces in mock battles testing various missions.

Two years ago, the 148th was flying the oldest F-16 fighters in U.S. military service — Block 25 aircraft that were built in the early 1980s.

With the planes slated for eventual retirement, supporters of the base worked for years to get newer planes assigned here. Their work paid off with the transfer of Block 50 F-16s from Germany to the wing. At that time Stokes said receiving the new planes made the difference between the base closing and “being here until 2020 to 2025 and beyond.”

Worth about $30 million each, the Block 50s are as much as 13 years newer than the Block 25s, with upgraded electrical systems, greater computer capacity and a more powerful engine.

source: http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/ ... /homepage/

Did VT Air Guard take over alert from Duluth at Langley in 2006? If they did,VT absorbed a couple Duluth folks into VT. ANG alert at Langley is now finished with the latest cuts this year.

Either you are a pilot, or you are not Wink
What block Viper you fly makes no difference - it is all down to training for the new mount, hence the 2 year transition period.
If you were to be confined to a certain block of fighter only, the AF of the world would have a serious problem Smile

Dying for some pic's of the newer Vipers in this unit

That doesn't answer my question at all. I'm asking from an Army stand point. AH-64A pilots had to go back to Fort Rucker, AL and be attached to a training unit in order to get qualified on the AH-64D Apache. Maintainers, like myself had to go back to the school house for 3 1/2 months to get qualified on the D model Apache and associated GSE/TE. Now transitioning from AH-64D Block I to Block II was all "in house" training with no TDY to a training unit or school house.

Now take a bunch of pilots/techs who have flown/maintained Block 25s for years. Did they have to go TDY to a training unit or was all the training done at unit level? Did a training unit send a team out to the unit gaining the new aircraft to get them qualified on the newer equipment?

Block 50 F-16s primary mission is SEAD. Shaw, Misawa, Spangdelham, McEntire, and now MNANG fly that mission. Earlier Block F-16 pilots transitioned to the Block 50s through Luke AFB and then SEAD upgrade training at Shaw or McEntire. There is also a mindset change where as you go from being the striker to supporting the strikers. In the last decade Block 50s have been tasked with CAS/BAI and those Block 50 squadrons have had to dedicate training to that mission some months prior to deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Hope this answers it just a little.....

Sounds like there is a HUGE difference between Block 25 and Block 50 aircraft for the pilots. I imagine the same for the technicians.

The beauty of man is his ability to learn, hence this is not magic
Units that have flown a certain type or make of airplane have transitioned to newer types and models since before WW2, and each transition offcourse require training on the new type. Still, it is not impossible nor will it be. I figure the step from A-7D to F-16 was quite profound too?
Each time a Unit transition to a new type, the "standard" transition period apppear to be roughly 2 years, in wich all staff must learn what they need (fighter jets mind you!).