The 522nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Andersen AFB, Guam, just helped defend the island’s airspace and intercept a simulated threat with their F-16 Vipers. MSgt. Art Webb reports that Operation Jungle Shield provided a quick-reaction exercise, testing the ability of the deployed Viper pilots, crew chiefs, and ground controller interceptors to handle alert scramble operations. Capt. Wyckliffe Furcron, 522nd EFS project officer for the exercise, said the exercise “helped to keep personnel in a ready mindset.” Working with the F-16s were two KC-135 tankers of the 173rd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, used to simulate the threats.
The Air Force wants to pump more than $12 billion over the next five years into its new affordable long-range missiles program and recently asked industry to push the flights of some of those munitions beyond 1,200 miles.