The 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla., planned to deactivate its 60th Fighter Squadron after the unit’s final sortie on Dec. 4. Some 20 remaining airmen and 12 F-15s of the 60th FS will go to the other 33rd FW squadron, the 58th FS, as the wing continues its drawdown and transformation into the Joint Strike Fighter Integrated Training Center. “While we are sad to see one of our nation’s top air superiority squadrons close their doors, it is a necessary move as the wing prepares for the future,” said Col. Todd Harmer, 33rd FW commander. (Eglin release)
RTX’s Raytheon unit was able to “significantly” extend the range of the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile using mostly software changes in experimental tests last year, expanding the reach and lethality of the standard U.S. dogfighting weapon, company officials said Sept. 15.