Weasel Simulates SWA:
Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina just played host to Dynamic Weasel 06-2 in which some 70 fighter, attack, helicopter, and command and control aircraft flew missions intended to replicate combat operations in Southwest Asia. Adding to the realism were Tactical Air Control Party airmen from the Air Force and Marine Corps and ground convoys. According to Maj. Marc Himelhoch, with the 20th Operations Support Squadron at Shaw, a key objective of this Weasel was to give F-16CJ pilots an opportunity to explore use of recent avionics upgrades.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.