Airmen at Misawa AB, Japan, tripled their normal sortie rate during a two-day surge exercise earlier this week. The 35th Fighter Wing rapidly launched its F-16s in a simulated combat environment April 4 and 5, according to a release. Each squadron’s mission rate increased from 20 to 70 sorties a day as the personnel worked 12-hour shifts and launched aircraft from 8 a.m. to midnight. In March, the 35th Fighter Wing practiced a rapid deployment to nearby Kadena Air Base as part of exercise Beverly Sunrise 16-03.
The Air Force has awarded a $29.7 million contract to engine startup Beehive Industries to complete work on a new disposable jet engine meant to power drones and munitions. The contract is just the latest step in the service’s effort to massively scale up production of cheap new missiles and…