The Air Force has declared the newest Global Positioning System satellite to be fully operational, according to a Dec. 19 statement from prime contractor Lockheed Martin. Air Force Space Command operators shepherded launch of the GPS IIR-16M satellite from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., last month. It is part of Lockheed’s eight-satellite Block IIR-M series. On-orbit, it joined two other Block IIR-M satellites and 12 original IIR satellites, according to Lockheed.
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.