Air Combat Command held a joint aircrew flight equipment evaluation event at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., recently, testing current and future flight equipment for aircrews of every aircraft in USAF’s inventory, according to an Oct. 20 release. Representatives came from JB Langley-Eustis, Va.; Ellsworth AFB, S.D.; Beale AFB, Calif.; Tinker AFB, Okla.; Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.; Nellis AFB, Nev.; and Hill AFB, Utah. Among the items tested at the Oct. 7-14 event was the joint service aircrew mask, which was evaluated for tactical aircraft as well as the F-35 for its ability to keep aircrew safe from airborne contamination. Other equipment for the F-15E Strike Eagle and F-22 Raptor was put to the test to see if improvements could be made for better integration. Each aircrew’s chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) defense flight suits were sprayed with fluorescent particles during testing, simulating exposure to biological and chemical agents. After spraying, the test participants went through an aircrew contamination area to manage contaminated equipment and to simulate disinfecting and neutralizing potential hazards. Results from testing were compiled and sent to the joint program office for CBRN defense at Edgewood, Md.
Advancements in commercial space technology could make President Donald Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense network far more likely to succeed than the failed “Star Wars” strategic umbrella initiative of the 1980s, U.S. Space Command’s top general said May 22....