Air Forces Southern officials are hoping that the upcoming FIDAE air show in Santiago, Chile, and subsequent military exercises with the Chilean Air Force will strengthen the bilateral relationship. Roughly 20 aircraft and 200 personnel are traveling to the South American nation, the Arizona Daily Star reported March 26. The air show starts this weekend, with US platforms such as the C-17, F-15, KC-135, and MQ-1 on display. After it, Air Force F-15 and F-16 fighters and B-1 bombers will practice dogfighting against Chilean F-16s, and combat search and rescue crews will train alongside the Chileans, said Lt. Col Dan Pence, who oversees the training for 12th Air Force at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. Several tankers will also train down there, he said. And, USAF airmen will tour Chile’s air force academy and visit children’s hospitals, AFSOUTH said.
The Air Force awarded a $13.08 billion contract to the Sierra Nevada Corporation on April 26 for its Survivable Airborne Operations Center aircraft, the successor to the service’s E-4B “Doomsday” plane. Like the E-4B, officially called the National Airborne Operations Center, the SAOC will be meant to withstand a nuclear attack and keep…