U.S. Air Force aircraft from across the active duty, Reserve and Air National Guard park on the flight line during William Tell at the Air Dominance Center located at the Savannah Air National Guard Base in Savannah, Georgia, Sept. 14, 2023. U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Morgan R. Whitehouse
Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
The Air Force’s revived William Tell Air-to-Air Weapons Meet wrapped up last week, the first edition of the prestigious fighter competition in nearly 20 years—and a select group of Airmen walked away with some trophies.
Fourteen different teams and individuals won awards at the meet’s closing ceremonies on Sept. 15 at the Air Dominance Center in Savannah, Ga. Air Combat Command identified the wings of the winners but declined to publicly identify individuals, citing operational security.
The team awards included categories for the three types of aircraft competing—F-15, F-22, and F-35—as well as one—the Major Richard I. Bong Fighter Interceptor Trophy—for individual teams that demonstrated the best fighter integration across multiple platforms and systems:
Major Richard I. Bong Fighter Interceptor Trophy: 3rd Wing (F-22s), 366th Fighter Wing (F-15Es), 388th and 419th Fighter Wings (F-35s)
Lieutenant Colonel James H. Harvey III Top F-15 Wing Award: 104th Fighter Wing, Barnes Air National Guard Base, Mass.
Captain Eddie Rickenbacker Top F-22 Wing Award: 1st Fighter Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
Brigadier General Robin Olds Top F-35 Wing Award: 158th Fighter Wing, Burlington Air National Guard Base, Vt.
Colonel Jesse C. Williams Top Intel Tradecraft Wing Award: 1st Fighter Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
Big I Task Force Top C2 Wing: 552nd Air Control Wing, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.
Chief Master Sergeant Argol “Pete” Lisse Maintenance Team Award: 1st Fighter Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
Overall Weapons Load Competition: 104th Fighter Wing, Barnes Air National Guard Base, Mass.
The individual awards recognized the top crew chiefs and pilots from each aircraft type:
Top F-15 Crew Chief: 366th Fighter Wing, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho
Top F-22 Crew Chief: 1st Fighter Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.
Top F-35 Crew Chief: 158th Fighter Wing, Burlington Air National Guard Base, Vt.
F-15 Superior Performer: 104th Fighter Wing, Barnes Air National Guard Base, Mass.
F-22 Superior Performer: 3rd Wing, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
F-35 Superior Performer: 158th Fighter Wing, Burlington Air National Guard Base, Vt.
Overall, the 1st Fighter Wing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., emerged as the big winner from the competition, capturing four trophies.
The 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base, Mass., also took home three wins, including the overall weapons load competition, a head-to-head contest against crews with other types of aircraft. That competition took place in front of a large crowd including distinguished visitors on Sept. 14.
Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
As the U.S. war with Iran intensifies, the Pentagon is rushing more warplanes to the region, deploying Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-35 Lightning II fighters to the Middle East, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
For former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, building Airmen’s trust in Collaborative Combat Aircraft is a crucial step in the fast-moving development and deployment of the semi-autonomous drones.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach said July 16 that the airpower contribution of allied nations is vital for deterring adversaries and endorsed deeper interoperability between the U.S. and its partners.
An Air Force F-16 pilot was presented with one of the service’s highest aerial achievement awards for a mission in which he dodged multiple surface-to-air missiles during last year’s Operation Rough Rider against Houthi militants in Yemen.
The Air Force has started upgrading some of its KC-46 refuelers with new beyond-line-of-sight connectivity to help them have greater battlefield awareness, the latest step in a long-term plan to equip tanker and airlift fleets with tools that have long been reserved for fighter and bomber fleets.
One of the Air Force’s developmental Collaborative Combat Aircraft fired a live missile in a recent test, marking a critical step forward in the development of the service’s fleet of semi-autonomous drone fighters.
The Pentagon announced framework agreements for new multiyear deals with three companies to mass-produce more affordable, less exquisite air-to-ground missiles for the Air Force, part of a larger strategy to bring cheaper firepower to a future fight.
The Air Force plans to buy up to 11,200 copies of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile and its anti-ship variant over the next five to seven years, a dramatic increase in production for the critical long-range cruise missiles
Northrop Grumman is deep into testing two upgrades for the F-16 as the Air Force looks to keep the fourth-generation fighter ready for the future fight, company officials told reporters this week.
✓
Thank You!
Check your inbox to verify your email address and finish setting up your AFA account.
★
Welcome Back!
An account with this email already exists. Please log in to continue.
Subscribe to the Air & Space Forces Daily Report
The latest news from Air & Space Forces Magazine, as well as news from other leading publications, delivered right to your inbox every morning!
We’re sorry, there has been an error. Please review your input or try again later.
