The 1970s-era Maverick air-to-ground missile has been in-demand in Southwest Asia to support Air Force close air support operations. So much so, that service officials recently asked whether Maverick-maker Raytheon could restart the line. Company officials at AFA’s Air & Space Conference this week said that the Tucson, Ariz. production line could be up and running again “in a matter of months.” John Nelson, the company’s missile systems spokesman, said senior Air Force leadership is going over the final arrangements and an official agreement is expected very soon. The plan is to keep most of the missile’s components as is, but update the infrared seeker on the warhead with newer technology, Nelson said.
A pair of B-1B Lancers flew alongside American F-16s and South Korean F-35s over the Korean Peninsula on March 19, the same day North Korea reportedly launched another missile test off its coast. The latest combined air training event between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea (ROK) was part of…