The first production Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds equipped with conformal fuel tanks (CFT) have flown. The Greek air force is the launch customer for both CFTs and the Advanced Block 52 version of the fighter, with an order for 60 aircraft under the Peace Xenia III programme. The two external upper fuselage-mounted tanks together carry 1,705 litres (450USgal) or 1,390kg (3,060lb) of fuel.
Source: Flight International
The 737 fuselage made by Spirit AeroSystems was delivered to Boeing’s factory in Renton, Washington on 22 January, where it will be assembled into the first prototype of the US Air Force’s E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control jet.
The Pentagon says fixed-wing transports will be used to repatriate some 5,000 undocumented migrants detained by US customs officials, while additional rotary-wing assets and crews will be deployed to the US-Mexico border to support monitoring efforts.
Germany’s DLR aerospace research centre has completed the first flight of an Airbus A320 adapted to conduct airborne testing of an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for Eurofighter operator nations Germany and Spain.
