The 14th Flyi
ng Training Wing at Columbus AFB, Miss., last month sent its first T-6A Texan II specialized undergraduate pilot training sortie off. The wing only received its first Texan II in mid-October. Columbus is in the process of trading its T-37 Tweets for the new trainers.
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.