Nearly 100 airmen gathered at Robins AFB, Ga., from communications units across the Air Force are set to conclude on Friday Air Force Special Operations Command’s annual Joint Lightning training exercise. Robin’s 5th Combat Communications Group hosted the two-week event, which gives communications specialists practice in setting up operations and effectively communicating with other units, both inside and outside the Air Force, in a realistic, dynamic combat environment. “It’s important because it gives us an opportunity to rehearse so that, when we do it for real, we are all on the same page,” said SrA. Eguzki Zellner, a participant from Hurlburt Field, Fla. Also taking part were Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command personnel as well as some Marines. (Robins report by Wayne Crenshaw)
The Air Force is leaning toward a less-sophisticated autonomous aircraft in the second increment of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, the services chief futurist said. He also suggested that the next increment of CCA may be air-launched, a la the "Rapid Dragon" experiments conducted by the service in recent years.