The power of integration has never been more evident than through the refinement of the air-to-ground interface, says Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. New communications technologies that give individual airmen, soldiers, marines, and Navy SEALS the ability to interact with aircrews operating overhead has been a game changer in the special operations world in recent years, stated Schwartz during an address to special operators and members of industry Wednesday in Washington, D.C. “We can hit whatever we aim at. The question is whether it’s the correct target,” he said. He added, “The ability [with those on the ground] to interact with those above is the major development, which has made it less risky for our folks to undertake these challenging [special operations] missions.”
An Air Force F-16 pilot designed a collapsible ladder that weighs just six pounds and folds into the unused cockpit map case.