ANG Unit Makes Training “Real”: The Texas Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Wing, which serves as an F-16 flying training unit for Air Education and Training Command, recently uprooted its students, instructor pilots, and ground support from Lackland AFB, Tex., transferring them to Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., where the training included the use of Joint Direct Attack Munition “smart” bombs. According to wing officials, using the 2,000-pound JDAMs provided a more realistic environment, since the fighter accelerates more slowly with the bomb load. The 149th FW has improved its nine-month Viper course every year since it became an FTU. For example, in 2001, it was the first unit to incorporate night vision goggles in the basic F-16 curriculum, and in 2003 it added the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night targeting pods, saving money and months of follow-on training.
Golden Dome Details Begin to Emerge
Dec. 7, 2025
The Golden Dome air and missile defense shield to protect the United States will have some “operational capability” in 2028, the program’s leader said Dec. 6 at the Reagan National Defense Forum.
