Airmen who have flown, operated, and maintained the E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft over the last 30 years gathered at Tinker AFB, Okla., this weekend, along with a host of distinguished officials, to celebrate the milestone. Air Combat Command boss, Gen. Ronald Keys recalled that AWACS initially would just “point the fighters in the right direction; now it can do so much more.” He called it a “gateway” to process information, ultimately sent to the larger force. A release from the 552nd Air Control Wing highlights the events, including a memorial ceremony honoring the airmen who died on the sole E-3 crash in the AWACS 30-year history.
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.
