UAE F-16 Training Mission Concludes

The United Arab Emirates air force has concluded its F-16 training with the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Fighter Wing in Tucson after roughly a decade and more than 100 of its pilots trained. It will now train its F-16 pilots and maintainers at home with its own cadre of instructors. “It’s been an outstanding relationship between the UAE air force, the US Air Force, the Guard, the 162nd Fighter Wing, and also Lockheed Martin and General Electric,” said Lt. Col. Dan Grimwood, the wing’s UAE program manager. Five of the UAE’s F-16 Block 60 aircraft left Tucson for good last week. The remaining eight Block 60s are scheduled to depart by December. With the end of the UAE training mission, the 162nd FW is gearing up to train Dutch F-16 pilots starting in December. (Tucson report by Maj. Gabe Johnson)