QF - 16 arrived for the test, 53rd mission advances WEG

 "Work before today and the test work that is to come will allow the Air Force to transition from a 3rd generation, performance of air-war targets of Viet Nam to the 4th generation threat replication and beyond," said Lieutenant-Colonel Lance Wilkins, Commander of the 82nd aerial targets Squadron.

The QF-16 is a reusable supersonic large-scale aerial target drone changed from an F - 16 Fighting Falcon. At this time, the 53 WEG uses QF - 4s, made from the 60 F - 4 Phantoms, to conduct their missions of aerial targets on a large scale. Objectives enable the Air Force and allied countries to have a realistic idea of what they face on the battlefield.

"In the imminent future, the QF-16 will be air - air testing and evaluation of a notch," said Colonel Wilkins. "It will make our U.S. and allied, crews of aircraft and more reliable and more deadly weapons. It will serve a new generation of warriors. »

Boeing service and Support will carry out test the QF-16, according to a Boeing press release.

QF-16s will be approximately six months of tests to validate their abilities and ensure compatibility with the system of control of the Drone from the Gulf Beach, explained the officials group. Then the aircraft will deploy to Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. for about four months more than integrated tests. When all test steps are complete, the unit permanently returned to the 53 WEG to complete a transition period in order to achieve initial operating capability in Tyndall.

The first production QF-16 is scheduled to be delivered in 2014.

The Air Force is about 5th generation fighters such as the F - 22 Raptor and the F - 35 Joint Strike Fighter for the next field of battle, the Group acts as a safety net for our weapons capability is fully evaluated and understood prior to use in combat, said Col. James Vogel, 53rd Commander WEG.

"It is a great day," said Colonel Vogel. "We are 100% behind the road to the IOC for the QF-16."

The colonel said that the day is possible with the work of many organizations such as team Tyndall and entrepreneurs.

The aircraft was identified as a QF - 16 c

 

Located at Tyndall (53 WEG) 53rd weapons evaluation group will take possession of the airborne target full QF-16s (TASF) scale and will be used for testing development and compatibility with the Gulf Beach Drone control system. It is anticipated that this process will take up to six months.

The drones are able to fly unmanned missions, but officials say training is necessary before they use ultimately drones during pilot training.

"At one point in four or five months from now, will fly us some unmanned missions that we will shoot with aerial targets so we are very excited about it," said retired Colonel Michael MacWilliam which struck the QF - 16 Tyndall Monday.

The intent is to QF - 16 replace it older QF-4 fleet, which have been the mainstay in this current role. The F - 16 drone is an upgrade or more manageable and easier to control than the ex-Viet Nam era warhorse.

The air force is not the only customers who intend to train and use the QF-16. The Navy, Marine Corp, army want to test with the new drones, to assess their own weapon systems.