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F-22 now has a ladder that can be stowed inside the cockpit

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Operation Hoodoo Sea, a military exercise conducted by five Air National Guard wings and supported by two Air Force Reserve wings, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other government agencies, is currently being held in the coastal southeast of the United States.

A prototype portable camoflage, concealment and deception hangar is staged on the ramp as part of operation Hoodoo Sea on May 2, 2023, at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida. The excercise, led by the Virginia ANG, seeks to test and validate minimum force elements using multi-capable Airmen, executing functions across job specialties and across multiple platforms. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Bryan Myhr)

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MQ-9 has landed on a highway for the first time

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In a historic exercise, the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) conducted two successful highway landings in Wyoming during Exercise Agile Chariot. The MC-130J Commando II, an MQ-9 Reaper, two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, and two MH-6 Little Birds all landed on Highways 287 and 789 on Apr. 30 and May 2, 2023, respectively.

An MQ-9 Reaper lands on Highway 287 during Exercise Agile Chariot, April 30, 2023, honing capabilities linked to Agile Combat Employment. Instead of relying on large, fixed bases and infrastructure, ACE uses smaller, more dispersed locations and teams to rapidly move and support aircraft, pilots, and other personnel to wherever they are needed. There are millions of miles of public roads in the United States, including federal, state, and local roads – with Agile Combat Employment, including Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) and Integrated Combat Turnarounds (ICT), it can become millions of miles of public runways, when necessary. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Carly Kavish)

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Biden administration clears the sale of six AH-1Z and UH-1Y helicopters to Czech Republic

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The U.S. State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Czech Republic for the refurbishment and modernization of six AH-1Z and two UH-1Y Excess Defense Article (EDA) helicopters. The sale, which is valued at up to $650 million, also includes related equipment and services.


Photo: Czech Ministry of Defense

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General Atomics awarded contract for Taiwan MQ-9B procurement

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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, a company based in Poway, California, has secured a contract to supply Taiwan with four MQ-9B SkyGuardian unmanned air vehicles. The contract, which is valued at $217.6 million, also includes two Certifiable Ground Control Stations, spares, and support equipment. The work is expected to be completed by May 5, 2025, and will be performed in Poway.

210421-N-FC670-086 PACIFIC OCEAN (April 21, 2021) An MQ-9 Sea Guardian unmanned maritime surveillance aircraft system flies over the Pacific Ocean during U.S. Pacific Fleet’s Unmanned Systems Integrated Battle Problem (UxS IBP) 21, April 21. UxS IBP 21 integrates manned and unmanned capabilities into challenging operational scenarios to generate warfighting advantages. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Shannon Renfroe)

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