QF-4 aerial target program concludes
One of the 82nd Aerial Target Squadron’s QF-4s sits on the drone runway prior to takeoff May 12 at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. This unmanned QF-4 was used as a full-scale target and shot down by a pilot from the 177th Fighter Wing, a New Jersey Air National Guard unit, who were participating in Combat Archer. Combat Archer is the air-to-air component of the 53rd Wing’s weapons system evaluation program. The 82nd ATRS operates QF-4, QF-16 and BQM-167 targets to provide manned and unmanned aerial targets support for programs across the Department of Defense. The QF-4 mission for the 82nd ATRS at Tyndall came to an end in May, with the squadron transitioning to QF-16s for all future full-scale target operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Sara Vidoni)