The South Dakota Air National Guard’s 114th Fighter Wing received the first of 22 Block 40 F-16s that will replace its Block 30 models Tuesday, when wing commander Col. Russ Walz flew the aircraft in to Joe Foss Field in Sioux Falls from Hill AFB, Utah. The 114th FW’s 175th Fighter Squadron, which has flown the older Block 30 Vipers since 1991, expects to receive the remainder of the newer F-16s by September. Walz said of the switchover, “This aircraft conversion will ensure that the 175th Fighter Squadron remains ready and relevant for many years to come.” (Arrival announcement from the South Dakota National Guard’s Facebook page, find original announcement under Notes tab; also see 114th FW’s March 31 report by Lt. Col. Reid Christopherson)
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.