The Air Force will begin fielding the automatic ground collision avoidance system for its F-16 fleet this fall, the service recently announced. Operational testing for the new system concluded this past summer at Eglin AFB, Fla. The database tool uses digital terrain data and positioning information to determine if an F-16 is about to crash into the ground, or an impending controlled flight into terrain. If the system determines a collision is imminent, it will automatically roll the aircraft up and pull up to avoid ground impact. The upgrade, which began development back in 2007 between the Air Force, the Defense Department, and NASA, is a significant upgrade for the F-16s safety systems. USAF estimates 75 percent of F-16 fatalities are caused by CFIT, as well as 26 percent of aircraft losses. “This capability is a game-changer. It is a culmination of the hard work and dedication of a diverse industry and government team. I am proud of their exemplary and persistent efforts as we approach the fielding of this potentially lifesaving capability to our warfighters,” said Lt. Col. Marc Dauteuil, Headquarters Air Combat Command, F-16 program element monitor.
The Royal International Air Tattoo, one of the world’s biggest annual air shows, will permanently move from its longtime home of RAF Fairford, a longtime base for the U.S. Air Force, to a different military installation in the United Kingdom, its organizers announced Nov. 4.