Members of the California Air National Guard’s 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Federal Air Field near San Jose, successfully demonstrated a prototype network-enabled situation awareness system for personnel recovery for the first time at US Joint Forces Command’s Bold Quest exercise. The wing sent 23 airmen and an MC-130P rescue aircraft to the coalition-centric exercise, which took place Oct. 27 to Nov. 5 at MCAS Cherry Point, N.C. They flew eight missions with the MC-130P acting as the airborne mission commander during the simulated recovery missions. The aircraft carried a data link capability evaluated in April that allows for the integration of air and ground forces during recovery operations. So-called “digitally aided personnel recovery” goes beyond the constraints of voice-only communications that rapidly become saturated during intense rescue operations due to the volume of information being passed, according to wing officials. (Moffett report by Capt. Alyson Teeter)
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…