Category: Air Force

USAF F-16s stationed in South Korea are receiving major upgrades to their radar and avionics systems as part of the Post Block Integration Team project. The project is aimed at improving the lethality and survivability of the F-16s to meet the needs of current and future operations. The APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) with active electronically scanned array and the Center Display Unit (CDU) are the main components of the upgrade that will give pilots a clearer picture of the threat environment, ultimately increasing both the survivability and accuracy of the weapon system.

U.S. Air Force photo by Captain Kaylin P. Hankerson
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According to the U.S. Air Force’s justification documents for its 2024 budget request, the B-52Hs will be re-designated as B-52Js once they receive their new Rolls Royce F130 engines. This decision puts to rest a longstanding debate on the appropriate designation for the B-52 as it undergoes significant upgrades, including a new radar, communications and navigation equipment, and weapons, aimed at keeping it credible and capable through the 2050s.

Airman 1st Class Gerald R. Willis, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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E-3 Sentry, #75-0560, is the first of the 31 AWACS that will be retired by Tinker Air Force Base. The base hosts veterans who worked on the plane to pay a final visit before it is flown off next week.

The U.S. Air Force has retired its last MC-130H Combat Talon II, #89-0280, after delivering the aircraft to the “Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Apr. 3.

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On March 29, 2023, history was made as the 71st Fighter Squadron of the 1st Fighter Wing welcomed its first two F-22s, # AF040 and AF042, to their new home on Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia. Flown by Lt. Col. Andrew Gray, the 71st FS commander, and Lt. Col. Matthew Evers, the 71st FS director of operations, these aircraft mark the beginning of a new era in combat training missions as Langley takes on the F-22 Formal Training Unit (FTU) mission. The primary mission of the 71st FS will be to train pilots on how to employ the F-22, making them the most lethal F-22 pilots in the Air Force.

Photo: Senior Master Sgt. Amy Robinson
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