A squadron at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma completed its first live mission using the AN/TYQ-23A information system, the U.S. Air Force announced.

Airmen of the 752nd Operations Support Squadron used the ground-based weapons system to connect with needed databases across the Air Force to monitor the aerial refueling of an F-16 fighter plane.

Called the AN/TYQ-23A Tactical Air Operations Module, it provides considerably more situational awareness of battlespace and allows the crew members to coordinate actions more easily.

The system is the primary link in the Ground Theater Air Control System, an automated and computer-based information system providing automated information functions including aircraft surveillance, flight follow, control, and communication functions within the GTACS.

The system allows personnel at Tinker and three other bases in the United States to provide command and control of live and simulated aircraft.

Four years in planning, 752nd OSS personnel prepared for the new system with 10 weeks of training. The first mission occurred in December, with the Air Force announcing its successful use on Sunday.

"The fact that we are now able to run missions shows how we, the Control and Reporting Center community, continue to adapt and overcome to achieve mission success," Brian Zbydniewski, 752nd OSS CRC systems integration technical advisor, said in a statement. "We took an old and outdated building and turned it into a state-of-the-art control facility where we can control missions using radios, radars and data links from all over the United States."

L3 Technologies to upgrade Greek F-16s in $28M contract
Washington (UPI) Jan 6, 2019 –

L3 Technologies will upgrade the F-16 fighter plane training system of Greek Air Force F-16 in a $28 million contract announced by the U.S. Defense Department.

The Texas-based company will improve Aircrew Training Devices for conversion of Hellenic Air Force F-16s to the new F-16V configuration. The new variant includes add-ons which include electronically scanned array radar, a new mission computer and electronic warfare suite, automated ground collision avoidance system, and various cockpit improvements.

The package can be retrofitted to most F-16s.

The aircraft, in service since 1978 and known as the Fighting Falcon, has been built by General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin. Over 4,600 F-16s, in use by 25 countries, have been built. The "V" suffix indicates the "Viper" package of improvements. The Hellenic Air Force has 154 F-16s in three variants, with the upgrades planned for 84 of the planes.

Work will be performed at L3's Arlington, Texas, facility, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2027, the Defense Department said Friday in a statement. The award completely involves Foreign Military Sales to Greece.

The statement by the Pentagon comes two weeks after Greek Ministry of Defense announced that seven-year maintenance contracts with French companies Dassault Aviation, Safran Military Engines and Thales were signed to similarly upgrade the Mirage 2000-5 combat aircraft by the Hellenic Air Force. Those contracts were valued at $290.8 million.