Early Fielding At Shaw

Early Fielding
For New Joint Standoff Weapon At Shaw


by Jim Mathews


04/19/00 09:29:38 AM U.S. EDT

Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters at Shaw AFB, S.C., will be the first in the U.S. Air Force to field the new gliding, satellite-guided Joint Standoff Weapon, and pilots and maintainers at Shaw began training with the system April 5.

"We are getting this technology five or six months earlier than we planned," says Maj. David Hlatky, weapons officer of the 20 th Fighter Wing. "Test squadrons across the United States have picked up the workload to finish testing in about a months time."

USAF officials want Shaw to be ready to fight with JSOW by June 1, but Hlatky says Shaw pilots expect to have the capability by May 15. Base pilots started mission training April 5 with the Air Force’s JSOW program office. Pilots received some employment lessons April 13 from Navy Lt. Cmdr. Mike Murphy, an F-18 pilot with JSOW combat and test experience.

After combat mission planning system training this week, a group of 12 to 14 pilots is slated to travel to Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas, for simulator practice in flying with the weapon.


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