An investigation into the crash of a Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) KF-16 fighter on Nov. 20 revealed that the cause of the accident was a missing nut on the fuel pump drive shaft, which was responsible for fixing the drive shaft in place.
Lockheed Martin has made significant progress in the development of its Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM). The company conducted a successful flight test of the JAGM Medium Range (JAGM-MR) on Nov. 16 at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California. The missile flew for 16 kilometers, twice the range of the JAGM.
U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Charles Smith, pilot, Marine Corps Aviation Detachment Patuxent River and Capt. Gregory Moore, operational test director, Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 (VMX-1), pilot an AH-1Z Viper during a joint air-to-ground missile (JAGM) operational test at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, Dec. 6, 2021. VMX-1 fired and evaluated the JAGM to determine its suitability and effectiveness to support expeditionary advanced base operations, such as conducting strike and Close Air Support Missions. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Gabrielle Sanders)
Students from the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) held their graduation capstone event Nov. 18-20, 2022, at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada and five pilots from the 194th Fighter Squadron, 144th Fighter Wing, California Air National Guard were invited to play as opponents.
Derek Solen, a senior researcher at the U.S. Air Force’s China Aerospace Studies Institute, wrote this opinion piece on two recent articles by the Chinese military about the U.S. Air Force’s use of heavy planes, like bombers and cargo planes, for different missions than they were originally designed for. The first Chinese article questioned whether these efforts were useful or even possible. However, another article soon followed that argued that these efforts actually pose a threat.
Once the Palletized Munition Deployment System was stabilized under the parachutes, the production long range cruise missile STV and mass simulants were released sequentially, timed for safe separation between munitions. The photo shows a successful separation of a STV from the sabot following the weapon release, followed by the deployment of the STV’s control surfaces (wings and tail). (Courtesy photo)