Airmen from the 728th Air Control Squadron at Eglin AFB, Fla., are controlling aircraft over Iraq, operating the center known as Kingpin at Balad AB, Iraq. It’s not the unit’s first time. Last year, the Eglin crew “surveyed, identified, and controlled more than 166,000 aircraft” from May to September, reports journalist Maj. Damien Pickart. Enlisted surveillance and weapons directors and air weapons officers control the action from within mobile operation modules, packed with computers and communications equipment.
AFSOC Grounds CV-22 Osprey Fleet Over Safety Issue
Aug. 17, 2022
Air Force Special Operations Command grounded its CV-22 Osprey fleet Aug. 16 as part of a safety stand down, with no timeline set for the aircraft to begin flying again, the command confirmed to Air Force Magazine. The stand down, ordered by AFSOC commander Lt. Gen. James C. “Jim” Slife,…