Public Affairs, Volume 63, Number 61
Serving the community of Edwards Air Force Base California www.edwards.af.mil - www.facebook.com/EdwardsAirForceBase
Sept. 30, 2016
Marines, Edwards testers boost F-35 combat capability
By Headquarters Marine Corps and Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Public Affairs
Three F-35B Joint Strike Fighter aircraft accompanied by 75 Marines and 21 JSF operational test team members from Edwards deployed to Eglin AFB, Florida where they successfully completed five live-fire events using AIM-120 air-to-air missiles against modified F-16 aerial targets Aug. 9 - Sept. 1. The Marines belong to the Marine Operational Test & Evaluation Squadron 1 F-35B Detachment at Edwards. The deployment was in support of Block 2B/3i Air-to-Air and Air-to-Surface weapons testing, culminating in five livefire events of instrumented AIM-120 advanced medium-range missiles against QF-16s, which are converted F-16s used as aerial targets. The missions fulfilled test requirements directed by both Air Force and Navy test and evaluation leadership. These employment scenarios differed from those conducted in developmental test in that they were specifically designed around operational employment scenarios with the aim of further validating and developing tactics, techniques and procedures for all three variants of the F-35. “Due to the commonality of the F-35 mission systems and weapons, everything we learned during this detachment directly translates to combat capabilities for the Marine Corps, our sister services and partner countries,” Lt. Col. Richard Rusnok, VMX-1 F-35B Detachment officer-in-charge, said of the test missile shoot.
(Courtesy photo)
The detachment completed multiple engineering runs in preparation for the expenditure of five AIM-120 missiles and one Guided Bomb Unit-12 LASER guided bomb. The operational test team developed complex air-to-air and air-toground scenarios, and the F-35 weapon system performed as expected to deliver weapons on target. On day one of live-fire testing, the team was able to shoot two missiles on two separate test set-ups within 12 minutes – an exceptional level of efficiency in a test environment the Marines said. Another test See F-35, page 3
Team Edwards runs to remember fallen heroes since 9/11
By Christopher Ball 412th Test Wing Public Affairs
More than 40 military members and veterans, the majority from Edwards Air Force Base, made a 159-mile run across Southern California Sept. 23 - 25. Called the Run for the Fallen, the relay-style journey was completed to honor the 756 California servicemembers who have made the ultimate sacrifice since Sept. 11, 2001.
Runners from Edwards plant flags at Huntington Beach, California during Run for the Fallen Sept. 23-25. (Courtesy photo)
Senior Master Sgt. Paul Valenzuela, 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron, organized the run for Southern California. It was done in conjunction with Gold Star Mothers Day, Sept. 25, and on the same weekend as the Run to Remember in Northern California. Valenzuela said said he first got involved in the Northern California event at Travis Air Force Base. “I ran it the first year, and I loved it,” he said. “So I got more involved each year.” Eventually, Valenzuela transferred from Travis to Edwards and he brought the concept with him. Runners took their marks in Aqua Dulce, California just after noon Sept. 23. Teams carried the U.S. and California flags throughout the journey, passing the flags to the next team in six-mile increments, and stopping every mile to place four small flags and cards commemorating each of the fallen California servicemembers. Each card has a photo of a fallen servicemember and personal information including name, rank, branch of service, hometown, and the location where he or she fell. The event also included a stop at the Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial in Irvine, California. The runners placed 632 flags along the route. The remaining 124 memorials were placed in the Field of Flags at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California, where the run ended Sept. 25. See Run, page 2