Active Fighter Unit Takes up Noble Eagle 
Duty: Because members of the Louisiana Air National Guard’s 159th Fighter Wing, based at New Orleans airport, have been dealing with the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in their personal lives and to their Guard facilities, USAF tapped the active duty 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla., to begin flying Operation Noble Eagle missions normally handled by the ANG unit. The 33rd’s 60th Fighter Squadron will be covering Noble Eagle for “an undetermined amount of time,” said USAF officials.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.