The Indiana Air National Guard’s 122nd Fighter Wing flew its last F-16 sortie Sept. 11, according to a Journal Gazette report. The wing, which has flown Vipers for the past 19 years, learned in early 2009 that it would transition to the A-10 Warthog, which Indiana elected officials believe will keep the unit viable for a longer time. The 22nd FW’s F-16s are destined for the boneyard at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. According to the Journal Gazette, the conversion to the A-10 will take about three years, with the first of the Hogs flying out of the wing’s Fort Wayne facility later this year.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
