The US Air Force 388th and 419th Fighter Wings recently completed two exercises with F-35 jets over three weeks as part of their annual Weapons System Evaluation Program (WSEP).
Evaluators from the WSEP team assessed weapons crews, maintainers, and pilots to ensure they build, load, and employ the weapons properly on the jet. The team also evaluated a variety of air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles to include laser-guided smart bombs, GPS-guided joint direct attack munitions, and medium-range and heat-seeking missiles.
Joining the American F-35s for the exercise were F-15s from Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, and F-16s from Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., and Nellis AFB, Nev.
“We’re taking a close look at processes and procedures ‘from cradle to grave’ for each munition and testing the skills of weapons crews and pilots during scenarios that replicate wartime,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Williams of the WSEP team.
“We want to ensure the weapons are operating as advertised and that everyone who touches them are doing it by the book.”
