Page 1 - Edwards AFB Desert Wings 8-28-15

Volume 63, Number 9 Serving the community of Edwards Air Force Base, California August 28, 2015

www.edwards.af.mil – www.facebook.com/edwardsairforcebase

A-4 Skyhawks support F-35 operational testing

by Rebecca Amber
Staff writer

A-4 Skyhawks have taken to the skies over Edwards

to support of operational testing of the F-35A for the

Royal Netherlands Air Force.

They are part of a tactics development and evalua-

tion exercise initiated by the 323nd Test and Evalua-

tion Squadron and supported by the Joint Strike Fighter

Operational Test Team from Aug. 17-28.
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test events that they want to test for themselves, for their

own service and their own country requirements,” said

Rich Radvanyi, JOTT Planning Cell chief.
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posed of the 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron, the Ma-

rines’ VMX-22 squadron, the United Kingdom squadron

17(R), the Dutch 323nd Test and Evaluation Squadron

and Navy squadron VX-9.

In support of the exercise, the Royal Netherlands Air

Force also brought in six F-16s from the 162nd Fighter

Wing, Arizona Air National Guard to serve as either

allied or adversary aircraft, along with a KDC-10

Air Refueling tanker from the Royal Netherlands Air

Force 334th Transport Squadron at Eindhoven Airport,

Netherlands. The JOTT contracted Draken International
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adversary aircraft with a variety of types of mission sets.

For instance, if the test plan required the F-35 pilot
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present the same tactics that a Russian fighter pilot

would present.

“A lot of the Draken pilots are former military or

some are even current guard or reserve pilots. A lot of Courtesy photograph by Frank Crebas
them had been adversary air pilots before, so they rep-
Pictured from top down is an F-35 Lightning II, an F-16 Fighting Falcon and an A-4 Skyhawk. In support of an operational test
licate the tactics of different adversary countries,” said
Radvanyi. exercise for their F-35s, the Royal Netherlands Air Force contingent at Edwards brought in six A-4s from Draken International, six

Draken International pilot Jeff Scott, who retired as a F-16s from the 162nd Fighter Wing, Arizona Air National Guard and a KDC-10 Air Refueling tanker from the RNLAF 334th Transport

See SKYHAWK, Page 3 Squadron at Eindhoven Airport, Netherlands. The Joint Strike Fighter Operational Test Team contracted Draken International to
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by Kenji Thuloweit ¿UVWÀLJKWDQGFRQWLQXHVWRVHUYH
Editor the U.S. military with its unique
high-flying and reconnaissance
In 1955, Disneyland opened capabilities.
its doors for the first time, Elvis
PDGHKLV¿UVW79DSSHDUDQFH5RVD The U-2’s mission is to pro-
Parks was arrested for refusing to vide high-altitude/near space, all-
give up her bus seat to a white pas- weather surveillance and recon-
senger, and the Vietnam War began naissance, day or night, in direct
with fighting between the South support of U.S. and allied forces.
and North Vietnam Armies. With its cameras, sensors and ra-
dar, it delivers critical imagery
*HQHUDO0RWRUVEHFDPHWKH¿UVW and signals intelligence to deci-
American corporation to make a sion makers throughout all phases
ELOOLRQGROODUVSUR¿WLQRQH\HDU of conflict, including peacetime
actor James Dean was killed in indications and warnings, low-
a car accident and “Gunsmoke” LQWHQVLW\FRQÀLFWDQGODUJHVFDOH
made its television debut. hostilities.

And 60 years ago this month, See DRAGON LADY, Page 8
the U-2 Dragon Lady made its

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Calif., Jan. 22, 2014. The low-altitude handling characteristics of the aircraft

and bicycle-type landing gear require precise control during landing. The
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