Alert 5

EPAWSS completes IOT&E

Posted on April 4, 2024 by alert5

BAE Systems’ Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) has successfully completed Initial Operational Test & Evaluation (IOT&E) with the U.S. Air Force, marking a significant leap forward in electronic warfare (EW) capabilities for the F-15 fighter jet platform. The successful completion of IOT&E paves the way for full-scale production and deployment of EPAWSS.

An F-15EX Eagle II from the 40th Flight Test Squadron, 96th Test Wing out of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, flies in formation during an aerial refueling operation above the skies of Northern California, May 14. The Eagle II participated in the Northern Edge 21 exercise in Alaska earlier in May. (Air Force photo by Ethan Wagner)

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USMC will designate its Wild Weasel UAV as MQ-58B

Posted on April 3, 2024April 3, 2024 by alert5

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced the successful completion of the first phase of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Penetrating Affordable Autonomous Collaborative Killer – Portfolio (PAACK-P) program. The accomplishment comes after a live flight test at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, where the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) effectively collaborated with F-35 aircraft and demonstrated its electronic attack (EA) capabilities.

A U.S. Marine Corps XQ-58A Valkyrie, highly autonomous, low-cost tactical unmanned air vehicle, conducts its second test flight with two U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft assigned to 33rd Fighter Wing, 96th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Feb. 23, 2023. The XQ-58A Valkyrie test flight and the data collected inform future requirements for the Marine Corps in a rapidly evolving security environment, while successfully fueling joint innovation and experimentation opportunities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. John McRell)

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NAWCAD’s JSE welcomes F-22 simulators

Posted on April 3, 2024April 3, 2024 by alert5

The U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) is significantly expanding its Joint Simulation Environment (JSE) training capabilities to encompass a wider range of Navy and Air Force fighter aircraft. Originally designed to provide hyper-realistic training for F-35 Lightning II pilots, the JSE will now integrate cockpits for the F-22 Raptor and other crucial platforms. In this highly realistic digital range, aviators experience the consequences of their mistakes, including mission failure, loss of systems, and even loss of life. The JSE enables pilots to learn those hard lessons, immediately adjust, fly again, and continue the learning process to become a highly capable tactical aviator.

The end of an era: U.S. Marine Corps marks graduation of last Harrier pilots

Posted on April 2, 2024April 2, 2024 by alert5

The U.S. Marine Corps is nearing the end of an era as the AV-8B Harrier II transitions out of the Fleet Marine Force. Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 14’s AV-8B Harrier II Fleet Replacement Detachment (FRD) at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina, recently saw the graduation of the final two pilots to receive the 7509 Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) qualification, a designation reserved specifically for pilots qualified to fly the AV-8B Harrier II.

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Joshua Corbett, a native of New Jersey and a student naval aviator with the AV-8B Fleet Replacement Detachment (FRD), poses for a photo prior to a flight at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, March 27, 2024. Corbett is one of the two final Marines to receive the 7509 military occupational specialty, AV-8B Harrier II jet pilot, as the Marine Corps transitions from the AV-8B II Harrier jet legacy tactical aircraft to the F-35 Lightning II jet. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Daisha Ramirez)

U.S. Air Force flexes global reach with B-1B deployment to Spain

Posted on April 2, 2024 by alert5

The U.S. Air Force has deployed four B-1B Lancer strategic bombers from the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron (EBS) to Morón Air Base, Spain, in support of Bomber Task Force (BTF) 24-2. This deployment marks the first time B-1Bs have participated in a BTF mission at Morón AB, a strategic location for U.S. forces in Europe.