Page 1 - Edwards AFB Desert Wings 4-15-16

Serving the community of Edwards Air Force Base, California

Volume 63, Number 40 www.edwards.af.mil – www.facebook.com/edwardsairforcebase April 15, 2016

Edwards families get improved quality of life

by Kenji Thuloweit taking care of our Airmen and
Editor ensures they can concentrate on
their jobs and contribute to the
Green Day once said “Welcome air power of the United States and
to Paradise.” the free world.”

That’s pretty much what base Radomski, along with base
leadership and Corvias Military residents and Corvias Military
Living said during a ribbon-cut- Living representatives, cut the
ting ceremony April 13, which ceremonial ribbon in front of a
RI¿FLDOO\RSHQHGXSWKHQHZ0R- large crowd of family members,
jave Sky Community Center. Airmen and base workers. Fol-
lowing the ceremony it was time
The 4.5-acre center built by to go inside and see the amenities.
Corvias Military Living features
both indoor and outdoor ameni- Inside, the club house is nicely
ties including an Olympic-size GHFRUDWHGZLWKSRUWUDLWVRIÀLJKW
swimming pool dedicated for ca- test history on the walls and
sual swimming. The deepest point themed furniture.
LV¿YHIHHW7KHRXWGRRUDUHDDOVR
has plenty of lounge chairs for The center has a workout room
sunbathing, showers and bath- with exercise equipment and ma-
rooms. chines along with a basketball
half court. The workout room
“This community center is also includes a children’s area.
contributing to our mission,”
said Col. David Radomski, 412th The Mojave Sky Community
Test Wing vice commander. “It’s
See CENTER, Page 8

Air Force photograph by Kenji Thuloweit

Col. David Radomski (center), 412th Test Wing vice commander, joins
base residents and Corvias Military Living representatives in cutting the
FHUHPRQLDOULEERQRI¿FLDOO\RSHQLQJXSWKH0RMDYH6N\&RPPXQLW\&HQWHU
April 13.

:KDWLVWKHYDOXHRIGHYHORSPHQWDOWHVW"

by Ryan Parsons FRYHUHGE\WKHZDU¿JKWHULQFRPEDW
775th Test Squadron The B-52 Joint Direct Attack Munition

Imagine the frustration of having a Internal Weapons Bay Upgrade program
brand new rotary launcher, capable of recently completed developmental test
carrying 16,000 pounds of smart bombs, at Edwards AFB where it successfully
and you discover that the dropped bombs demonstrated employment of JDAM mu-
potentially would not arm or explode on nitions from the new Conventional Rotary
impact? Launcher.

Imagine if the avionics computer, which Prior to this added capability, hardware
is required to operate the weapons system, and software limitations restricted the B-
shuts down just prior to a bomb run? 52s carriage of MIL-STD-1760 weap-
ons to external pylons only. The internal
These are just a few of the critical is- ZHDSRQVED\ZDVFRQ¿JXUHGHLWKHUZLWK
sues discovered by the 419th Flight Test racks, which allowed release of non-MIL-
Squadron while testing the B-52 weapons STD-1760 gravity bombs, or with a Com-
bay upgrade program. Many issues could mon Strategic Rotary Launcher, which
have been missed or discovered too late
for the program to survive; or worse, dis- See TESTING, Page 5

7HDP PHPEHUV IURP WKH WK )OLJKW 7HVW 6TXDGURQ WKH *OREDO 3RZHU %RPEHU $LU)RUFHSKRWRJUDSKE\%REEL=DSND
&RPELQHG 7HVW )RUFH DQG %RHLQJ LQVWDOOHG D &RQYHQWLRQDO 5RWDU\ /DXQFKHU RQ DQ
(GZDUGV%+LQ'HFHPEHU7KHXSJUDGHPRGL¿HVWKHLQWHUQDOZHDSRQVED\
RIWKH%+ERPEHUE\LQWHJUDWLQJD&5/WKDWKDVWKHFDSDELOLW\RIFDUU\LQJ0LOLWDU\
6WDQGDUG³VPDUWZHDSRQV

The current contract for the Desert Wings has come to an end. Therefore this
LVWKH¿QDOHGLWLRQ8QWLODQHZFRQWUDFWLVVHFXUHGQHZVDQGLQIRUPDWLRQ
DERXW(GZDUGV$LU)RUFH%DVHPD\EHREWDLQHGRQOLQHDWHLWKHU
ZZZHGZDUGVDIPLORUZZZ)DFHERRNFRP(GZDUGV$LU)RUFH%DVH