EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - An F-16 was blown apart last week to test an aerial-target flight termination system. The test, done by the 780th Test Squadron and overseen by the QF-16 special program office, was to demonstrate not only the flight termination system design, but to assess the debris footprint. The QF-16 is a supersonic reusable full-scale aerial target drone that will provide a 4th generation full-scale aerial target for air-to-air and surface-to-air weapons system evaluation conducted by the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. Currently the WEG uses QF-4s. Each drone contains a FTS needed to satisfy range safety requirements for use in unmanned missions. The first production QF-16 is scheduled to be delivered in 2014. (Source: Eglin Air Force Base, 08/25/10)
NEWS: A digest of aerospace, defense and technology news from the Gulf Coast I-10 region
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
F-16 tests flight termination system
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - An F-16 was blown apart last week to test an aerial-target flight termination system. The test, done by the 780th Test Squadron and overseen by the QF-16 special program office, was to demonstrate not only the flight termination system design, but to assess the debris footprint. The QF-16 is a supersonic reusable full-scale aerial target drone that will provide a 4th generation full-scale aerial target for air-to-air and surface-to-air weapons system evaluation conducted by the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. Currently the WEG uses QF-4s. Each drone contains a FTS needed to satisfy range safety requirements for use in unmanned missions. The first production QF-16 is scheduled to be delivered in 2014. (Source: Eglin Air Force Base, 08/25/10)
