Boeing last fall connected the F-22 Mission Training Center at Langley AFB, Va., to USAF’s Distributed Mission Operations Network, according to a Feb. 4 release, making it possible for Langley F-22 pilots to train in the virtual world with pilots of other platforms at other locations. The Langley facility is the first of four F-22 training centers Boeing is to link to the DMON over the next three years. Mark McGraw, Boeing VP of training systems and services, said that the Langley F-22 MTC “was the first trainer in the industry to achieve first-pass success on its initial DMON testing.” The F-22 MTC also employed Agile Software Development for the first time, permitting faster assessment of component functionality. The other three F-22 MTCs are to be installed at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, Hickam AFB, Hawaii, and Holloman AFB, N.M.
The U.K. and the U.S. will continue to enjoy access to the ports, airfield, and workshops at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for at least another century, under a deal inked between the U.K. and Mauritius May 22.