For three weeks, the 80th Fighter Squadron’s “Juvats,” from Kunsan AB, South Korea, have been engaging the Royal Singapore Air Force in fighter maneuvers and engagements, as part of this year’s Operation Commando Sling. The exercise culminated with each of the Kunsan F-16 fighters taking on two RSAF F-16s, F-5s, and A-4s at one time—simulating large force air-to-air missions. USAF officials say that deployed ground crews from the 80th Aircraft Maintenance Unit haven’t missed a sortie yet, as the exercise goes into its final week. Capt. John Forino, 80th FS assistant detachment commander, praised the maintainers’ effort, telling 8th Fighter Wing journalist SrA. Stephen Collier, “The heat is an adjustment and certainly a change, but they’re doing great and we appreciate the hard work.”
RTX’s Raytheon unit was able to “significantly” extend the range of the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile using mostly software changes in experimental tests last year, expanding the reach and lethality of the standard U.S. dogfighting weapon, company officials said Sept. 15.
