A half dozen Texas Air National Guard F-16Cs flew to Chile for international exercise Salitre alongside air forces from four South American countries at Cerro Moreno AB, Chile. “This exercise provides an opportunity to strengthen our military-to-military relationships with regional partners,” said exercise co-director Col. Mike Torrealday in a release. The Texas ANG is paired with the Chilean air force under the Guard’s State Partnership Program and 149th Fighter Wing F-16s participated in a mini-exchange as part of the country’s largest air show earlier this year. International aircraft flying in the exercise include Argentine A-4 Skyhawks, Brazilian F-5E Tiger IIs and C-130s, Chilean F-16s, and Uruguayan A-37 Dragonflies, according to the exercise homepage. Approximately 80 pilots, maintainers, and support personnel from the 149th Fighter Wing at JBSA-Lackland, Texas, supported by a single Ohio ANG KC-135 deployed for the exercise Oct. 4-18, according to the release. (See also The Guard Partnerships from the October issue of Air Force Magazine.)
ACC Unveils New Way to Measure Readiness
May 9, 2025
Air Combat Command is changing how it measures and tracks readiness for its fleet of aircraft, with a top general saying the focus is on “simplicity” and better articulating what its wings need.