The 391st Fighter Squadron at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, will be making an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan with new satellite-based communications systems that will enable its F-15E Strike Eagles to have direct contact with ground forces, unhampered by line-of-sight restrictions. The new capability will let the Strike Eagle force provide an even greater level of close air support. “With the satellite capability, we can pick targets in between things we don’t want to take out, which also reduces collateral damage,” said CMSgt. Joseph Livingston, superintendent of the 391st Aircraft Maintenance Unit. The 391st FS pilots are learning to use the new system, but it’s the maintainers of the 391st AMU that have the greater “learning curve … because they have to know how to fix it if it breaks,” explained the Chief. (Mountain Home report by A1C Samantha Crane)
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.
