The US Air Force and Peruvian Air Force have just completed their first joint combat search and rescue exercise—finding and rescuing Peruvian and US pilots “stranded” in the middle of a deserted region of northern Peru. A Puerto Rican Air National Guard C-130 transported Peruvian special forces members who jumped to the rescue. Air Force journalist SSgt. Lee Hoover reports that the SAR event was “a major part” of Falcon and Condor Exercise 2007.
The Air Force’s propulsion directorate wants to rapidly develop and field new propulsion technologies in the coming years, and plans to use a new, $16 billion contract vehicle to do so, according to a March 13 notice.