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.
F-16 Tests ‘Rusty Dagger’ Extended-Range Missile
April 20, 2026
The Air Force recently tested the Rusty Dagger, a low-cost cruise missile, with the F-16, one of several industry offerings in the Pentagon's larger effort to field affordable weapons. The Air Force release states that the Team Eglin Test Enterprise conducted Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM) testing at Eglin Air…