A group of 250 airmen and 14 F-16 Viper aircraft from the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem AB, Germany, are in Romania for a three-week multilateral exercise that will give airmen the chance to practice low flying skills, reports Stars and Stripes. The event marks a double treat for the Spang Viper pilots. It’s the first time USAF F-16 pilots have trained in Romania, and the Spang airmen will get to fly well below their customary 1,000-foot bottom out. In Romania, they can fly down to 500 feet during exercise Viper Lance 2006, where they will meet up with the Romanian Air Force’s MiG-21s.
The Defense Innovation Board adopted a series of new recommendations and praised the Air Force for its big bets on emerging technology in recent years that seem primed to help new entrants to the defense market bridge the so-called valley of death between initial investment and actual production contracts.