Four Air National Guard F-16 units squared off against contract A-4K Skyhawk aggressors and realistic surface-to-air threats during the large-force employment exercise Northern Lightning at Volk Field, Wis., earlier this month. “The training and quality of operational test we received from flying against the A-4 aircraft was top-notch,” Arizona 162nd Fighter Wing pilot Lt. Col. Richard Wigle said in a Draken International release. “To accomplish this same operational testing with Air Force organic assets would have cost five ?times as much … This is a model that needs to be considered on a larger scale across the Air Force,” Wigle added. “Our airspace supports being able to fly interdiction missions against robust surface and air-to-air threats, get to a bombing range where they can employ ordnance, then … fight their way home,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Hansen, Volk operations director, in a release. “The units will all gain combat training to a level commensurate with a Red Flag exercise, at a very significant cost savings,” he said. F-16s and some 700 pilots, maintainers, and support personnel from the Wisconsin, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Arizona ANG, as well as five Draken A-4Ks, tankers, and Active Duty reconnaissance support took part in the exercise June 8-19, according to a release.
B-21 Raider First Flight Now Postponed to 2023
May 20, 2022
The Air Force says the B-21 Raider won't make its first flight until 2023; about a six-month delay from the last official estimates. No reason was given for the delay. While other programs have recently chalked up schedule slips to supply chain and labor shortages, the Air Force has said…