Hawaii Air National Guardsmen in seven F-15s fired AIM-7 Sparrow missiles at drones while flying over the Pacific Missile Range Facility off the coast of Kauai, as part of the 2006 Rim of the Pacific exercise. The airmen said that normally they must travel to Tyndall AFB, Fla., to get live-fire practice, but even there the missiles contain telemetry equipment rather than explosives. The opportunity was a win-win. “We had the option to either destroy or shoot 14 missiles,” explained Maj. John Traettino, a pilot with ANG’s 199th Fighter Squadron, and added, “It’s actually less expensive to shoot the missiles.” RIMPAC 2006 features airmen and sailors from seven Pacific Rim nations and the United Kingdom.
The United States Air Force is flying less than historic norms and funding for acquisition and readiness is on a path to further hollow out this too small and old force to that is incapable of sustaining an enduring combat air campaign.
