Aircrews and F-16s at Misawa AB, Japan, recently tested their ability to rapidly deploy and set up operations through a training deployment to nearby Kadena Air Base. Maintenance airmen and pilots with the 35th Fighter Wing on March 23 rapidly checked out and launched their aircraft in a simulated contingency operation as part of exercise Beverly Sunrise 16-03, according to a Misawa release. The operational readiness exercise included all squadrons at Misawa, with airmen going through the entire deployment process and packing cargo needed to deploy, according to Misawa.
The Air Force overall reduced its size by 120 aircraft in fiscal year 2021, but kept about the same number of fighter, bomber and attack aircraft, according to data supplied by the service. The F-35 fleet saw the biggest increase while the B-1B bomber fleet saw the largest decline.