According to a report by the Deseret News, USAF maintainers deployed to Afghanistan from Hill AFB, Utah, were able to sustain an F-16 through not just 30 missions without a mechanical failure but through 40 so-called “code 1” sorties. The airmen deployed from the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill reached an initial 30-mission record on March 23, followed by the 40-mission milestone through March 30, when, according to the Deseret News, aircraft #2119 landed with two discrepancies. The maintenance crew identified and fixed one problem—a bad fuel flow proportioner—over the next 24 hours, but the second problem was still a work in progress. Col. David Hathaway, 388th FW vice commander, told the newspaper, “The fact that we had one of our F-16s fly 40 code 1 sorties in the combat environment is a true testament to the teamwork and excellence of our maintainers and operators.”
As the Air Force readied for its June 21-22 strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the service was also putting its Agile Combat Employment strategy into action, dispersing combat aircraft and Airmen from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in preparation for a possible Iranian retaliatory attack. Some defense experts say…
