US Air Force to get QF-16 drones

[dexy]

09.03.2010.

US Air Force to get QF-16 drones

Boeing is to develop an F-16 drone.

Gary Parsons - 9-Mar-2010

The last operational F-16A ‘Fighting Falcon’ in the US Air Force retired on June 15, 2007. This aircraft and many others are stored at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan AFB. US Air Force image/Master Sgt. David Neve
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March 9: The US Air Force has awarded Boeing almost $70 million for the initial engineering, manufacturing and development of QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Targets to replace its current fleet of QF-4 Phantoms. Up to 126 QF-16 drones will be required from 2014.

Retired F-16s will be converted into unmanned drones for use as aerial targets to evaluate US fighters and weapons tactics. Boeing says that QF-16 design and development will take place in St. Louis and flight testing and production completed at the Boeing facility in Cecil Field, Florida, near Jacksonville.

The US Air Force has about 72 QF-4 drones left from 174 converted.


Source: key.aero

[dexy]

First F-16 destroyed in QF-16 tests

An ex-USAF F-16A has been intentionally blown apart.

Gary Parsons - 27-Aug-2010

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August 27: F-16A 78-0097 was intentionally blown apart on the range at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida as part of the QF-16 test programme on August 19.

Overseen by the 780th Test Squadron, the test was necessary to demonstrate that the flight termination system (FTS) to be used in the QF-16 will be sufficient to immediately terminate a flight and also to determine a range safety debris footprint.

The QF-16 will be operated by the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida with the first aircraft scheduled to be delivered in 2014.


Source: key.aero