It must be an especially sad day to send off your first F-16 to be upgraded for longer life, knowing that someone else will reap the benefits. Airmen of Air Force Reserve Command’s 944th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB, Ariz., last week sent off the first of their 17 Vipers to get upgraded under the Falcon STAR (Structural Augmentation Roadmap) program. It won’t be coming back and the other 16 will follow. BRAC 2005 ordered the wing’s F-16s to be dispersed to other Air Force units.
China thinks it will be able to invade Taiwan by 2027 and has developed a technology edge in many key areas—but it is artificial intelligence that may be the decisive factor should conflict erupt, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said.