L-3 Communications announced Sept. 13 that it had delivered the final Project Liberty MC-12W to the Air Force, completing the Liberty Project Aircraft contract issued as an urgent operational requirement. The actual delivery took place Aug. 31 when the aircraft was flown from the L-3 Mission Integration facility in Greenville, Tex., to the Air National Guard training facility at Key Field, Miss. USAF acquired the first of 37 MC-12 intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance aircraft in March 2009. The aircraft have been deployed to Southwest Asia since June 2009, first in Iraq and then in Afghanistan. “The Air Force and L-3 completed an amazing feat,” said Mark Von Schwarz, president of L-3 Mission Integration. His division delivered all 37 ISR-equipped aircraft in less than 24 months, with each one on or before contract due date, stated the company release.
Air Force F-16 pilots are testing out new sensors that could help maximize their performance and avoid deadly accidents while flying fast fighter jets under heavy G-forces and stressful conditions.