Alert 5

U.S. Air Force to replace Misawa F-16s with F-35As

Posted on December 2, 2024December 2, 2024 by alert5

The U.S. Air Force will begin replacing Misawa Air Base’s 36 Lockheed Martin F-16s with 48 F-35As in the spring of 2026, according to the Japanese Ministry of Defense. The service plans to start phasing out the F-16s in the summer of 2025. The move comes as part of the Pentagon’s plan to modernise US airpower in the Indo-Pacific.

Four U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons, four Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, four JASDF F-2s, one JASDF E-2D Hawkeye, one U.S. Navy C-12 Huron, and one U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon perform a wing capabilities demonstration in support of Keen Sword 25 at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Nov. 1, 2024. The U.S.-Japan alliance is built on shared interests, values and a commitment to freedom and human rights; the alliance is strong and focused on enhancing a security architecture of regional partnerships. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kohei Sugisawa)

Thales integrates AI into Talios pod

Posted on November 29, 2024 by alert5

The French Air Force is set to receive a major upgrade to their Rafale combat aircraft in 2026 with the introduction of an AI-equipped Talios targeting pod. The new pod, developed by Thales, will mark the first time a French combat aircraft will carry a system that makes “intensive use” of deep learning technology.

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Outgoing Finnish Air Force chief confident in F-35 program’s success

Posted on November 29, 2024November 29, 2024 by alert5

Maj. Gen. Juha-Pekka Keränen, outgoing Commander of the Finnish Air Force, recently offered insights into Finland’s progress toward transitioning to the F-35A. The first aircraft are due to arrive in Finland in late 2026, with full operational capability (FOC) scheduled for the end of 2030. Keränen is confident that the ambitious transition timeline, which sees the Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet phased out completely by 2028, will be met. He was quoted as saying, “I see no major obstacles ahead of us – on a large scale we’re doing well and I’m pleased with the progress of the program.”

Photo: Finnish Air Force
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Elbit’s WACHUD to replace outdated displays in USAF F-16 Block 40/42 jets

Posted on November 29, 2024 by alert5

Elbit Systems of America has scored a major win with the U.S. Air Force, securing an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract with a ceiling of $89 million for replacing outdated Head-Up Displays (HUDs) in the service’s F-16 Block 40/42 fleet. The contract, announced on Nov. 21, calls for the installation of Elbit’s Wide-Angle Conventional Head-Up Display (WACHUD) in place of the existing Diffractive Optic HUDs currently in use. The first delivery order, worth over $57.5 million, was placed in September 2024, with work scheduled to be carried out at Elbit America’s Talladega, Alabama facility and systems expected to be delivered by September 2027.

A 138th Fighter Wing F-16 Fighting Falcon from Tulsa Air National Guard Base, Oklahoma, flies next to a KC-135R Stratotanker April 25, 2019. The Stratotanker, from the 507th Air Refueling Wing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, refueled four 138th Fighter Wing F-16 Fighting Falcons during flight operations over Kansas. (Courtesy photo by Mike Killian)

3d Marine Littoral Regiment takes charge of NMESIS

Posted on November 28, 2024November 28, 2024 by alert5

The 3d Marine Littoral Regiment (3d MLR) has formally accepted the Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS). A ceremony was held on Nov. 26 at Marine Corps Base Hawaii to mark the occasion. NMESIS is a truck-mounted, ground-based anti-ship missile launcher. It provides the Marines with a significant boost in their ability to control access to coastal areas and deny the use of the seas to adversaries, a concept known as “sea denial”.