Wisconsin 
Air National Guard F-16s of the 115th Fighter Wing in Madison took on Marine Corps F-18s for a fortnight of dissimilar air combat training in the skies above NAS Key West, Fla. Key West “provides an excellent opportunity for flying against the F-16 Fighting Falcon in some of the best airspace the country has to offer,” said Marine Capt. Michael Huck, an F-18 pilot with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314. In fact, the training airspace around Key West is about four times larger than the designated airspace back in Wisconsin and allows for supersonic maneuver, according to Madison officials. Supported by three KC-135s of the state’s 128th Air Refueling Wing, the Madison F-16s accumulated a total of 175 flying hours and 120 sorties from Jan. 7 to Jan. 21. “The F-16 is a very capable aircraft,” noted Huck. “We look to use our tactics and find gaps in those strengths . . . and have a good engagement.” (Madison report by TSgt. Jon LaDue)
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III chaired a China-focused military briefing Oct. 27, part of a biweekly series of briefings with senior military commanders about China’s growing threat in the wake of an orbital hypersonic weapon test that elicited public worries from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. “What we…