The pilot of an F-16 from the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa AB, Japan, declared an in-flight emergency and was forced to divert to the nearby Aomori civilian regional airport due to an engine oil leak, reported Stars and Stripes. The pilot followed standard emergency procedures during the April 15 incident and safely landed the fighter after jettisoning its external fuel tanks over the Sea of Japan, according to the report. A second F-16 flying as the other’s wingman also landed at Aomori, states the report. Air Force officials are currently investigating the incident. Less than two weeks ago, an F-16 from Kunsan AB, South Korea, made an emergency landing at a civil airport in South Korea after a serious engine failure.
After eight months leading the Space Development Agency on an acting basis, Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo was named SDA’s permanent leader and given a second hat as the Space Force’s portfolio acquisition executive for missile warning and tracking programs, the service announced May 19.