The US Air Force’s 23rd Wing received two new AT-6E Wolverine aircraft at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, on January 12.
81st Fighter Squadron pilots, who are on loan to the 23rd Wing, will be flying the AT-6 aircraft alongside partner nation personnel.
Air Combat Command invited the partner nations to come to the United States to further mature and co-develop tactics, techniques, and procedures to counter violent extremist organizations.
What is more, the new aircraft will be used to demonstrate the capabilities of the Airborne Extensible Relay Over-Horizon Network (AERONet), an exportable and affordable data link.
AERONet digitally links friendly forces, providing them with their own location, the location of other friendly forces and real-time enemy movement updates. According to the US Air Force, it is a version of systems already used by law enforcement to patrol borders and track and combat smugglers. First responders use similar systems while fighting wildfires in the mountain states.
The system was conceived by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein, refined by Air Force Research Lab and is being brought to market by the Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence and Networks Program, or C3I&N, executive office at Hanscom AFB.
The collaboration, set to conclude in May 2022, will demonstrate AERONet’s ability to enhance communication between partner nations and US forces.
The service said the goal of the demonstration would be to create shared knowledge of a common platform that partner nation allies can employ. Another goal would be to build capacity and capability of US partner nations, enhancing the ability to work together.
