News Archive

April 2010


29 April 2010 178 FW deploys for Exercise Load Diffuser 2010
Approximately 100 members of the 178th Fighter Wing from Springfield, Ohio deployed in support of the Load Diffuser Exercise 2010, April 22 - 27 to Kecskemet, Hungary....
29 April 2010 P&W awarded $65 Million contract for F100 engine maintenance
The U.S. Air Force awarded Pratt & Whitney a $65 million contract to provide maintenance for F100 engines powering F-16 fighter aircraft from various international F100 customers, including Egypt, Jordan, Taiwan and Thailand....
29 April 2010 Joint F-35 513th EWS stands up
The squadron serving as the sole Department of Defence provider of electronic warfare support for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter activated April 23 in a ceremony at Eglin AFB. ...
29 April 2010 F-16 demonstrates future of net-enabled warfare
F-16 demonstrated enhanced networked-enabled capabilities during the U.S. Air Force's Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2010 (JEFX 10), April 13-23, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada....
28 April 2010 New F-16s arrive at the 148th Fighter Wing
The first wave of F-16C Block 50 Fighting Falcon aircraft arrived at the 148th Fighter Wing, Tuesday, April 27....
26 April 2010 Spangdahlem F-16 drawdown to begin
Six F-16 Fighting Falcons will depart Spangdahlem Air Base April 27, the first step for the 52nd Fighter Wing in the Combat Air Forces Restructuring plan. ...
26 April 2010 Thunderbirds fly Super Bowl champions
Super Bowl XLIV champions Drew Brees and Jabari Greer of the National Football League's New Orleans Saints experienced "air dominance" in a different fashion April 23, going for a ride in a U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds red, white and blue F-16 Fighting Falcon. ...
23 April 2010 Italian officials visit F-35 training wing
Representatives from the Italian air force and navy visited the 33rd Fighter Wing recently in an effort to check the progress of the first F-35 integrated training center and learn more about this new coalition venture. ...
21 April 2010 New F-35 will test weapons
The seventh Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II flight test aircraft took to the skies for the first time today, with the overall objective of validating the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant’s weapons suite....
20 April 2010 Wolf Pack Airmen take on Red Flag-Alaska
Approximately 185 Airmen with the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, deployed to Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, to participate in a realistic, 10-day air combat training exercise known as Red Flag-Alaska....
20 April 2010 Arizona's air defense unit named best in US
In the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, the 162nd Fighter Wing, an Arizona Air National Guard F-16 training unit, took to the skies to protect the Southwest as part of Operation Noble Eagle - this month the unit was named the best air sovereignty alert force in the country....
19 April 2010 F-16 pilot's dreams crushed for Danish trainees
Twelve young Danes, who were due to be sent to the US to train as F-16 pilots, have had their dreams taken away following a political decision. The ruling follows an agreement in parliament to reduce the number of operational F-16 fighter pilots from 48 to 30....
19 April 2010 F-16s sustain ash damage from Iceland eruption
NATO officials will not fully confirm a report that several F-16s were damaged by the volcanic ash released from Iceland's, Mount Eyjafjallajökull eruption on April 14, which has caused widespread disruption to air travel across most of Europe. ...
16 April 2010 FAA boss rides with Thunderbirds
The Federal Aviation Administration administrator was given the opportunity to see other side of the safety coin when he flew with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, April 15. ...
16 April 2010 113 FW receives newer, more capable F-16s
The first two F-16s in a 21-jet exchange flew into the 113th FW, marking the start of a complete transition of the Capital Guardians fighter assets. ...
15 April 2010 44th Fighter Group becomes part of Team Holloman
The Air Force Reserve Command's 44th Fighter Group officially stood up at Holloman April 9, 2010, with an activation ceremony and passing of the historic group's guidon....
13 April 2010 AF-1 in final finishes, ready for flight
AF-1, the first optimized Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II conventional takeoff and landing test plane, rolls out of the F-35 Final Finishes Facility sporting a new hand-painted fin flash on its vertical stabilizers. ...
10 April 2010 F-35C Carrier Variant undergoes drop testing (video)
On March 27, CG-1, an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter ground test airframe, was dropped 95 inches at 20 feet per second, with an 8.8-degree pitch, 2-degree roll, and 133-knot wheel speed, simulating a carrier-deck landing....
10 April 2010 Ohio F-16s in near miss with commercial jet
Two F-16s from the 112th FS flew higher than they were allowed over Southern Ohio and came close to a commercial flight, triggering a cockpit alarm in the commuter plane, authorities said Friday....
08 April 2010 Red Tail Angels fly into Holloman history
On April 9, 2010, military history will once again be made in New Mexico as one of the most revered fighter squadrons of World War II makes Holloman its new home. ...
08 April 2010 Smoking on a plane might get you two F-16s on your tail
A Qatari diplomat trying to sneak a smoke in an airplane bathroom sparked a bomb scare Wednesday night on a flight from Washington to Denver, with F-16 fighter jets scrambled by NORAD....
08 April 2010 Spangdahlem to lose jets, gain squadron
The 480th Fighter Squadron will soon be flying again in the skies over Europe....
07 April 2010 First mission systems F-35 flies
The first mission systems-equipped Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter flew for the first time today, ushering in what will be the most powerful and comprehensive sensor package ever to fly in a fighter....
05 April 2010 AFETS supertechs alleviate F-16 dilemmas
"For Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon technical support, Press 1."...