The Air Force will be spending some of its $34 billion in planned overhead savings on buying an extra 16 simulators for its fleet of F-35A strike fighters, said Secretary Michael Donley. He said the service expects to conduct fully 50 percent of F-35 pilot training in simulators. Among the benefits, this shift away from real-world flying will help generate savings in fuel costs and, presumably, sustainment, he said during his Air Force Association-sponsored presentation Wednesday in Arlington, Va.
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.