Page 8 - Edwards AFB Desert Wings 1-29-16

8 Desert Wings January 29, 2016
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Latest HCC tour all about electronic warfare

by Rebecca Amber with no EW capabilities, one with by providing a virtual open-air Air Force photograph by John Perry
Staff writer a prototype EW system and one UDQJHSULRUWRUHDOÀLJKWWHVW
with EW capabilities. Edwards AFB Honorary Commanders and their guests stand in the
The Edwards AFB Honorary According to Zima, as they %HQH¿HOG$QHFKRLF)DFLOLW\VXUURXQGHGE\WKHUDGLDWLRQDEVRUEHQWPDWHULDOV
Commanders tour Jan. 22 was all The fourth flight received an went through the tour they were that keep unwanted radio frequencies out and keep radio frequencies
about the 412th Electronic Warfare F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. required to take no other action generated from within the BAF from leaking out.
Group. than keep the scenario they were
Their mission for the duration of assigned in mind.
In the last tour of the 412th Mis- the tour was to “penetrate enemy
sion Support Group, the HCCs airspace and knockout a terrorist After both groups had a chance
were taken through a mock deploy- command center.” to see both facilities they rejoined
ment to “Deployedistan.” This tour for a simulated mission debrief
continued in the theme simulating “We created a map that laid out where they received the results of
that they had arrived in Deploye- all of the threats in the vicinity of their mission.
distan and received their assign- the enemy command center - sur-
ments as pilots. face-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft 7KH¿UVWÀLJKWZDVIRXQGLQHI-
vehicles, etc. - then sent them on fective in combat because of its
They started the day with a their way to continue the tour of lack of electronic warfare capabili-
mock mission briefing. The tour our compound,” said 2nd Lt. Der- WLHV7KHVHFRQGÀLJKWGLGEHWWHU
attendees were split up into four ek Zima, 412th EWG executive but ultimately had to abort the mis-
flights, each led by a volunteer RI¿FHU sion due to an unexpected system
ÀLJKWFRPPDQGHU7KHÀLJKWFRP- error because the system had not
While half of them toured the been tested. The third group per-
Benefield Anechoic Facility, the formed well because it had jam-
ming capabilities, but was not able
to completely destroy the enemy fare matters, testing matters and EULH¿QJIRFXVHGRQHOHFWURQLFZDU-
headquarters. stealth matters.” fare and stealth technology.

7KHIRXUWKÀLJKWDVVLJQHGWKH The next stop on their tour took “We wanted to give them some
F-35, was able to successfully take them to the Joint Strike Fighter top-level perspective on how im-
out the target. Combined Test Force where they SRUWDQW(:LVWRWKHZDU¿JKWHUXV-
listened to an F-35 plane-side ing a realistic scenario,” said Zima.
Mock data was used to show
KRZHDFKÀLJKWSHUIRUPHGGXULQJ The Honorary Commanders Pro-
the mission. It was designed to gram pairs community leaders with
drive home that “electronic war- Air Force commanders at Edwards
AFB to foster a better working re-
Air Force photograph by John Perry lationship between Edwards and
the neighboring communities. The
9ROXQWHHUÀLJKWFRPPDQGHUV¶VXLWXSIRUDVLPXODWHGPLVVLRQGXULQJWKH honorary commanders are invited
+RQRUDU\&RPPDQGHU¶VWRXU-DQ$IWHUZDUGVWKH\WRRNDWRXURIWKH on base several times throughout
412th Electronic Warfare Group facilities. the year to experience some of
what the base has to offer. In turn,
HCCs may invite their commander
to experience what the local com-
munity has to offer.

manders left the room briefly to other half toured the Integra- Air Force photograph by John Perry The Honorary Commanders tour
GUHVVXSLQÀLJKWVXLWVDQGDYLDWRU tion Facility for Flight Avionics Jan. 22 was all about the 412th
sunglasses before re-entering the Systems Test (IFAST). In the IF- Electronic Warfare Group with tours
EULH¿QJWR“Top Gun” music. AST, they got a chance to fly in RI WKH %HQH¿HOG$QHFKRLF )DFLOLW\
their simulators. In the BAF they and Integration Facility for Flight
(DFKRIWKHIRXUÀLJKWVZDVDV- learned how it’s used for modeling $YLRQLFV6\VWHPV7HVW
VLJQHGDQDLUFUDIW7KH¿UVWWKUHH and simulation of various aircraft
ÀLJKWVZHUHSDLUHGZLWK)VRQH

See what the new vision center has to offer

Members of the Exchange staff and Vista Optical pose for a photo before
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Edwards AFB Exchange Mall area. There was also a drawing for a 32-
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Hours of operation:

Tuesday-Friday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunday-Monday: closed

For more information, call 661-258-7273.

Air Force photograph by Kenji Thuloweit