The F-16 Fighting Falcons of the 80th Fighter Squadron at Kunsan AB, South Korea, have started getting the upgrades known as Falcon STAR (structural augmentation roadmap) to extend their service lives. According to a Kunsan news release, changing mission dynamics have led to more wear than anticipated, in fact Vipers are aging about four times as fast as originally predicted. Among the changes is an increased weapons load, from an original 22,500 pounds to today’s 39,000 pounds. Officials expect the first two Kunsan F-16s to complete Falcon STAR upgrades by February and the base’s entire fleet by 2008.
A new think tank analysis finds a hypothetical blended-wing body tanker could offer twice as much refueling performance as the KC-46A Pegasus and recommends the Air Force buy scores of them, as the service prepares to evaluate a BWB demonstrator next year and must juggle its future tanker plans with…