Members of the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem AB, Germany, held the ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the re-opening of the base’s ground-controlled approach facility that now features a new air traffic control radar system, according to a base release. The facility closed in June for installation of the state-of-the-art Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System that supplanted the base’s 1980s-vintage radar, states the July 2 release. The ribbon-cutting took place on July 1. “The STARS system has a much higher capacity than the old system,” said MSgt. Ralph Miller of Spang’s 52nd Operations Support Squadron. For one, it is entirely digital, unlike its analog predecessor, giving controllers an enhanced sight picture and allowing them to provide greater detail to aircrews landing and taking off, states the release. “For our air traffic controllers, there is a major difference in quality of service they can provide to the customer,” said MSgt. Nathan Iseminger, chief controller. (Spangdahlem report by SSgt. Nathanael Callon)
Details Murky as ARRW Falls Short in Second Test
March 24, 2023
The second all-up flight of the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon on March 13 fell short of a fully successful test, but the Air Force isn’t saying what went wrong with the Lockheed Martin-built hypersonic missile. The defense giant's Missiles and Fire Control division recently said the ARRW is "ready…