More 
than 100 members of the California Air National Guard’s 144th Fighter Wing in Fresno, along with eight of the unit’s F-16s, last month participated in a two-week Combat Archer air-to-air weapons system evaluation at Tyndall AFB Fla. The exercise tested the wing’s operations with the F-16’s air-to-air weapons. The airmen and machines performed well, said wing officials in a release. “We scored 100 percent in live fire tests as well as performing quality and timely maintenance,” said Maj. Robert Gellner, 144th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander. During the evaluation, pilots from the wing’s 194th Fighter Squadron shot eight AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles, six AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, and more than 6,000 rounds from a 20 mm multi-barrel cannon, according to the release. “The 144th FW clearly demonstrated our readiness and capability to provide combat power to the combatant commander on demand,” said Col. Clay Garrison, 144th FW vice commander. The evaluation took place from Oct. 5 to Oct. 20. (Tyndall report by TSgt. Charles Vaughn)
A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes in the Middle East are flying with fresh modifications as the Air Force looks to make the plane more versatile amid America’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and a tenuous ceasefire in the U.S. air war against Iran.