Squadron Fighter Pilots: The Unstoppable Force of Innovation for 5th Generation Enabled Concepts of Operations

03/07/2016
2016-02-28 By Edward Timperlake The skillfulness and success of fighter pilots in aerial combat is an extensively researched yet modestly understood and fundamentally complex concept. Innumerable physical and psychological factors along with chance opportunities affect a pilots facility for success in air combat. Perhaps the best narrative of the intangibles…

Design for Maintainability and Sustainability and 21st Century Air Systems: The Case of the CH-53K

03/06/2016
2016-03-03 By Robbin Laird A key argument for buying newer platforms compared to older ones is the savings built into a new platform over the operational and logistics costs of the older platform. In the commercial airplane business, both Boeing and Airbus design and build their newest platforms with significant…

EA-6B Prowlers in “Final Four” Flight: The Marines Look to a New Approach to Electronic Warfare

03/06/2016
03/06/2016: Four EA-6B Prowlers assigned to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing's Prowler Squadrons (VMAQT-1, VMAQ-2, 3, and 4) conduct a “Final Four” division flight near Cherry Point, N.C., March. 1, 2016. The 4 Prowlers flew together one last time before the official retirement of Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Training Squadron 1…

Edwards AFB Looks Back at F-35 ITF Testing in 2015

03/05/2016
2016-03-05 The F-35 Integrated Test Force is based at Pax River and Edwards AFB and is a completely integrated test effort. In our interview with Andrew Mack, ITF chief test engineer, at Pax River, he discussed how integrated the two teams were in practice> We talk and work together every…

First Arrestment of an F-35C with External Weapons Load

03/05/2016
2016-03-05  Lt. Cmdr. Daniel “Tonto” Kitts, an F-35 Lightning II test pilot assigned to the Salty Dogs of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, landed in the history books Feb. 10, 2016, when he performed the first arrestment of an F-35C with external weapons. Flight 282 of aircraft CF-03…

Working 4th/5th Generation Integration: F-35s from Edwards Come to Mountain Home AFB

03/05/2016
2016-03-05  According to an article published by Airman 1st Class Jessica Evans and published on February 22, 2016, Edwards has sent F-35s to the Mountain Home AFB to work integration with legacy aircraft. MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho - Six F-35As arrived at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, Feb. 8,…