His adventure began in New York in 1925 and has let him experience a plethora of activities from flying in the skies far above the earth in numerous types of aircraft to earning a college degree to having a successful 37-year career as an optometrist.

Dr. Lubin’s flying experience began in the Army Air Corps as an 18-year-old trainee. He was flying a B-24 Liberator by age 20. His service from 1943 to 1946 includes training stops in Texas, Kansas, and Arizona at Williams Field, and a short tour at Luke Air Force Base.

“I was on a flying-practice mission at Williams Field in a B-24, and we were practicing bombing runs on an overcast day using radar, which was new at the time,” Dr. Lubin said. “The day World War II ended, I was flying. It was a remarkable day and a memorable experience for a 20-year-old.”
Upon leaving the Army Air Corps, Dr. Lubin used his GI Bill benefits and enrolled at the University of Miami, Fla., graduating with a degree in Liberal Arts in 1950 with some premedical units mixed in, which helped him later when he started optometry school.

He kept his ties in the military by joining the Air Force Reserve.

But first, he heeded his country’s call to duty during the Korean War, which would leave him with an unforgettable experience.

“I was recalled to duty in 1951 flying cargo from Japan to Korea in a C-46,” he said. “On one of the flights, I had the opportunity to fly former heavyweight champion Joe Louis around Japan. He was so large that the parachute wouldn’t fit. It was a thrill to fly someone that famous.”

After the Korean War, Dr. Lubin enrolled in the Southern College of Optometry and graduated in 1955. While in school he married Sybil, to whom he has been married for 59 years. They have three children and five grandchildren. Their son lives in Sitka, Alaska, and they have a daughter who lives in California and a daughter who resides in Phoenix.

He also went back into the Reserve, attached to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., retiring in 1963 with 20 years of service and more than 5,000 hours in the air. During his flying career, he flew the B-24, P-51, B-25, C-46, C-119 and the F-84.

Dr. Lubin had a successful optometry practice in McLean and Leesburg, Va. He retired in 1987.

However, Dr. Lubin and Sybil weren’t about to sit around and watch television. There were places to see and people to visit.

“We left Virginia in 1994 and moved to Florida,” Mrs. Lubin said. “Before we moved to Florida, we took three cross-country trips by car, taking different routes each trip. We took the northern, middle and southern route, which gave us the opportunity to see most of the country and visit family and friends.”

What’s more, Dr. Lubin didn’t let his interest in aviation die when he left the military.

“I had a 1936 Monocoupe Airplane and a 1947 Swift Airplane, which I enjoyed flying,” he said. “Danielle Steel’s book, Wings, featured my Monocoupe Airplane on the cover.”

The Lubins made their way to the Phoenix area in September 2010 and said they love it here.

All in all, Dr. Lubin said that his life has been a great ride.

“I’ve had two great careers, a wonderful wife, children and grandchildren,” he said. “I had the opportunity to live my dreams.”

By STEPHEN DELGADO, Thunderbolt Staff Writer Luke Air Force Base

No related posts.

Raytheon’s new contract with the U.S. Air Force to upgrade the U.S. Global Positioning System may be worth twice as much as originally thought due to demand for military and commercial use.

The contract is currently valued at $886 million and includes a much-needed update for the U.S. air traffic control system by request of the FAA. The contract states that Raytheon will supervise a team of contractors to make expansions and improvements in accuracy to the GPS system nationwide.

Although the market for GPS accessories and equipment stands at $20 billion today, it is expected to hit $300 billion by 2020, according to Dow Jones. Raytheon’s contract could include work through 2016, with further FAA updates done after that date.

1. The U.S. Air Force has selected Raytheon to develop a new element of GPS
2. 2011 budget will seek nearly $11 billion for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
3. Sypris Electronics awarded new F-35 contract

AURORA, Colo. | The U.S. Air Force has selected Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) for an initial contract of $886 million to develop a new element of the Global Positioning System to improve the accuracy of information from GPS satellites.

The contract represents the first two development blocks of the advanced control segment (OCX), which will have a significant impact on GPS capabilities. The OCX will include anti-jam capabilities and improved security, accuracy and reliability and will be based on a modern service-oriented architecture to integrate government and industry open-system standards.

“We are excited to partner with the Air Force to provide the best-value GPS control system for the future,” said Lynn Dugle, president of Raytheon’s Intelligence and Information Systems business. “Raytheon’s broad experience in delivering satellite-to-ground command-and-control systems will ensure that our nation’s military and civil GPS users worldwide are provided new capabilities.”

The OCX will dramatically affect GPS command, control and mission capabilities and make it easier for the operations team to run the current GPS block II and all future GPS satellites.

“Raytheon is proud to deliver innovative technologies to help the Air Force meet its mission of protecting GPS operational services,” said Bob Canty, GPS vice president and program manager for Raytheon. “The advanced control segment is a critical program for our nation’s combat forces, coalition partners, as well as domestic and international civil users. By selecting Raytheon, the Air Force recognizes our experience and commitment to take GPS to the next level.”

The GPS, a satellite-based radio navigation system for the military and the public, comprises three major segments: the user segment, the space segment and the control segment, which includes a master control station and ground antennas.

“The OCX concept was created to separate the control and space segments,” Canty said. “Technologies were evolving so rapidly and were so critical to execution that specialized skills were needed. The GPS wing saw the same need for specialized expertise on GPS OCX.”

Raytheon brings more than four decades of experience in command-and-control systems for satellites to the OCX program. Teammates include The Boeing Company, ITT, Braxton Technologies, Infinity Systems Engineering and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The contract was awarded by the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base.

1. Raytheon’s new GPS contract with the U.S. Air Force may be over $1.77 Billion
2. GKN Aerospace Selected for Further Composite and Metallic Work on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
3. Luke AFB Pilot Selected to Fly F-35 Lightning II at Eglin AFB

Tuesday night’s meeting in El Mirage and last night’s meeting in Surprise each attracted big crowds of approximately 300 people. Luke supporters donning military hats, t-shirts, pins and stickers could be found everywhere at the meetings, which are being conducted by the Air Force to solicit input from citizens in preparation of the F-35 environmental study at the Glendale base.

Based on reports from other communities, such as New Mexico, Utah and Idaho, which are also under consideration to receive the Air Force’s joint strike fighter program, the Luke meetings are drawing record crowds.

“At last night’s meeting in Surprise, there was a line of people waiting to get inside the meeting room,” said Fighter Country Partnership’s Steve Yamamori, whose organization is working with 12 West Valley cities and Maricopa County to bring the F-35 to Luke. West Valley residents and others are showing up in force at these meetings to express their support for the Air Force to bring the F-35 to Luke. This strong support by local citizens is definitely going to send a clear message to decisions makers back in Washington, D.C. that Arizona strongly supports the F-35.”

Based on the criteria the Air Force will use to evaluate sites for the F-35 mission, Luke is well positioned to receive the F-35 and continue to serve as the Air Force’s “school house” for America’s fighter pilots and maintainers.
Local leaders know, however, that until a decision is made, nothing can be taken for granted, and they urge continued strong support from Arizonans statewide.

Luke has been training fighter pilots since 1941, and Arizona features the ideal climate, land, airspace and training rangers – including the Barry M. Goldwater Range in southern Arizona – that cannot be replicated anywhere in the country.

For more information on the public-scoping meetings, which run through Friday, or to register your support for the F-35 at Luke, visit www.LukeForward.com.

CONTACT: Steve Yamamori, Fighter Country Partnership, 623-882-2191

1. El Mirage Residents Support F-35, Future missions at Luke Air Force Base
2. Support Building for Statewide F-35 Luke Forward Campaign
3. City of Surprise Supports the F-35 and the Sound of Freedom from Luke Air Force Base

The jet, known as BF-3, took off near Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth plant at 9:51 a.m. CST and arrived at NAS Patuxent River three hours and 10 minutes later. BF-3 joins two other F-35Bs at the Navy test site, and will be used mainly to evaluate vehicle systems and expand the aircraft’s aerodynamic and structural-loads envelope. The airplane will also focus on weapons testing, and will carry and release most of the weapons the F-35B will use in combat. Two more F-35Bs will join the test operation in the near future. The latter airplanes will be the primary test assets for the F-35′s integrated mission systems.

Piloted by Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) F-35 Test Pilot Jeff Knowles, the third F-35B Lightning II short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) stealth fighter landed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., today.

“Today, the third of our five STOVL test jets joined the F-35 fleet at the Test Center as our flight test program initiates the expansion of the F-35′s flight-sciences envelope,” said Tom Burbage, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and general manager of F-35 Program Integration. “Our focus remains on fielding the F-35′s tremendous capabilities to our warfighters, recapitalizing our nation’s aging fighter fleet, and meeting our commitments to the F-35 partner nations.”

In addition to flight testing, the F-35 Program is using the Autonomic Logistic Information System (ALIS) for maintenance actions, spares tracking and technical data support. ALIS is part of the F-35′s innovative sustainment architecture monitored by the F-35 Autonomic Logistics Global Sustainment (ALGS) Operations Center in Fort Worth. The early deployment of the F-35 net-enabled logistics system to be used by all nine partner countries helps ensure the F-35′s smooth transition to operational status, and is a key enabler for lower life cycle costs.

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully fused sensor information, network-enabled operations, advanced sustainment, and lower operational and support costs. Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 with its principal industrial partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. Two separate, interchangeable F-35 engines are under development: the Pratt & Whitney F135 and the GE Rolls-Royce Fighter Engine Team F136.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2009 sales of $45.2 billion.

For additional information, visit our website:

http://www.lockheedmartin.com

SOURCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

1. F-35B Lightning II (STOVL) stealth fighter today became the fifth F-35 to begin flight operations
2. F-35 STOVL expected to make first vertical landing soon
3. JEC Innovation Awards in the production of the F-35 stealth fighter

For Sergeant First Class Jason Jacot, the work he does to restore power to Haiti has a permanence unlike that in Iraq. (David L. Ryan/ Globe Staff)

That sense of making a concrete difference also was evident in the face of Captain Marques Bruce, 29, a two-tour Iraq veteran from the 82d Airborne Division who recently flew to Port-au-Prince from Fort Bragg, N.C.

Brian MacQuarrie can be reached at b_macquarrie@globe.com.

1. Operation Unified Response: Airmen from Hawaii provide relief for Haiti
2. Haiti recovery and relief effort supported by Global Hawk Surveillance and Reconnaissance
3. Missouri Guard sending two airmen to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

An aerial view of the damaged National Cathedral in Haiti from a U.S. Air Force Global Hawk unmanned aircraft Aerial images are providing U.S. military planners valuable situational awareness as they coordinate U.S. military support to the Haiti relief effort. Courtesy of U.S. Southern Command and Air Force.
An aerial view of the damaged Presidential Palace in Haiti from a U.S. Air Force Global Hawk unmanned aircraft Aerial images are providing U.S. military planners valuable situational awareness as they coordinate U.S. military support to the Haiti relief effort. Courtesy of U.S. Southern Command and Air Force

February 16, 2010 - The Global Hawk team collaborated with other agencies to assist in all aspects of recovery and relief.  Officials and analysts from U.S. Southern Command in Miami, the 548th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Group from Beale Air Force Base, the 480th ISR Wing from Langley Air Force Base, and the Naval Air Systems Command Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Demonstration program from Patuxent River helped provide critically needed imagery and information.

“Thanks to Global Hawk’s highly advanced sensors, which are capable of taking hundreds of images in a single mission, we’ve provided disaster assessments for various agencies to make real-time decisions,” said Gen. Bob Otto, commander of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing, Beale Air Force Base, Calif. “The ability to fly 24-hour duration sorties meant the Global Hawk could support hundreds of ad-hoc requests while staying well clear of the relief workers and neighboring airports. Truly, Global Hawk’s capabilities have proven invaluable to the worldwide humanitarian efforts in Haiti.”

U.S. Air Force Block 10 Global Hawk was diverted by the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron at Beale Air Force Base from its trip en-route to support usual wartime operations in Afghanistan to assist in relief efforts after Haiti’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake on Jan. 12.  A Global Hawk took off from its main operating base at Beale Air Force Base, flew to Haiti, and provided 12 hours of coverage over the disaster area before landing at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md. Subsequent missions were launched from Maryland to provide 14 to 16 hours of persistent watch over Haiti before landing back at Patuxent River.

“Not only has Global Hawk helped determine the extent of damages and usability of Haiti’s infrastructure, it has also helped to find and recommend roadways and airfields accessible for delivering emergency supplies and rescuing injured and trapped people,” said George Guerra, Northrop Grumman vice president of high-altitude, long-endurance systems.  “We are committed to supporting the ongoing relief efforts in Haiti for as long as necessary to help rebuild the lives of those affected.”

Capable of flying at altitudes up to 60,000 feet for more than 32 hours at a time at speeds approaching 340 knots, Global Hawk is equipped with an integrated sensor suite, which includes synthetic aperture radar, electro-optical and infrared sensors. Global Hawk has supported previous humanitarian relief efforts, including the southern and northern California wildfires in 2007 and 2008, respectively, as well as Hurricane Ike in 2008.

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

1. Operation Unified Response: Airmen from Hawaii provide relief for Haiti
2. Haiti Relief and the transition from a combat to humanitarian mindset
3. Missouri Guard sending two airmen to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

U.S. Air Force Photo/Senior Airman Dana Hill Soliders from Fort Lee sit aboard a C-17 Globemaster III on Feb. 8 at Langley Air Force Base, Va. Through a joint effort by soldiers and airmen from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, servicemembers and cargo are being transported to Haiti as part of Operation Unified Response.

U.S. Air Force Photo/Senior Airman Dana Hill Cargo is loaded onto a C-17 Globemaster III on Feb. 8 at Langley Air Force Base, Va. Through a joint effort by soldiers from Fort Eustis, Va., Fort Lee and airmen from Langley AFB, people and cargo are being transported to Haiti as part of Operation Unified Response.

-By Airman 1st Class Jason J. Brown

JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. – Airmen and soldiers assigned here and at Fort Lee loaded nearly 70 tons of gear and supplies and more than 70 soldiers aboard two C-17 Globemaster III transports Feb. 8 and 9 in support of Operation Unified Response in Haiti.

The 633rd Logistics Readiness Squadron team worked alongside airmen from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., and soldiers from Joint Base Langley-Eustis and Forty Lee to load the gear and people aboard C-17s from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

Air transporters from the 633rd LRS have worked around the clock since Jan. 14, ensuring the aircraft are properly loaded, said Air Force Master Sgt. Anthony McCray, the squadron’s air terminal operations superintendent. The team performed joint inspections with deploying units and validated all aircraft load plans for proper weight distribution and sequencing.

Soldiers loaded vehicles, palletized cargo and gear as troops from Fort Lee’s 530th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion boarded en route to provide security, fuel systems and water purification management in Haiti.

“The Air Force trains soldiers through an affiliation program how to load aircraft properly,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. Aaron Harris, a 21st Airlift Squadron loadmaster. “They knew exactly what to do and really helped expedite the process.”

Airmen use planes that are most readily available to carry cargo and people from support bases to Haiti and back. As a result, crews from around the country man aircraft from different bases, all while visiting installations that serve as hubs.

“We need to be able to respond as quickly as possible, so when the alert comes in, we take whatever plane is available,” said Air Force Airman 1st Class Alex Bartels, a loadmaster from Travis who accompanied the Hickam-based C-17. “It saves time and money and helps us be as efficient as possible.”

The Haiti relief operation has kept the 633rd’s airmen very busy.

“Last year, we moved approximately 1,500 tons of cargo,” said Air Force 2nd Lt. Larry Ingersoll, the 633rd LRS officer in charge of air terminal operations. After the Jan. 12 earthquake, the squadron’s airmen moved 746 tons of relief supplies in only 25 days, just 7 percent of the year.

Since the beginning of the operation, 633rd LRS Airmen have loaded 24 aircraft with cargo and more than 200 people bound for Haiti.

Air Force Airman 1st Class Jason J. Brown serves in the 633rd Air Base Wing public affairs office.

1. Haiti Relief and the transition from a combat to humanitarian mindset
2. Haiti recovery and relief effort supported by Global Hawk Surveillance and Reconnaissance
3. Missouri Guard sending two airmen to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

The Sukhoi T-50, a 5th generation fighter jet incorporates an advanced electronic dashboard making it very high tech. Test pilot Sergei Bogdan took the jet through a series of tests during the trial run. The Russians hope to become leaders in the military aircraft industry.

The Sukhoi T-50 was completely designed and manufactured by Russian scientists. The stealth jet is reported to have twin jet engines, capable of flying at anytime of the day, can simultaneously attack multiple targets on land, sea and air, and can be flown during any weather condition. The jet is supposedly equipped with advance technology that will cloak it from being detected by radar equipment.

Skeptics from all around the world do not buy into all the hype and believe this one jet is a prototype. The Russians do not have the advanced equipment needed or the technology to manufacture the engines or gadgets they are implying are on the jet. Russian Prime Minister Putin claims the jet will be part of the Russian Air Force by 2013 and will begin mass production in 2015.

Guesstimates on Performance
There is scant data on the PAK FA, but educated estimates can be made from carefully analyzing pictures and videos. Following are some basic guesstimates on the present prototype aircraft by this author:
Length 19.5m Height 5m Wingspan 14m Empty Weight 18.5t Wing area: 75 m2
Performance

Much of the performance analysis is unreliable as the actual power-plant is unknown. However, it should be in the range of a max speed of 2.5 Mach, service ceiling of 20,000 m and rate of climb greater than 350 m/second.
Armament
Guns: 1x30mm Hardpoints: unknown, speculated to be 8 hardpoints.
Radar
The aircraft is known to have five radar modules with known primary radar to be an AESA. Innovative wing leading edge radar of lower frequency (perhaps L band) would be able to locate stealth aircraft like the F-22, a capability that the F-22 does not have.

General Analysis
Basic Aerodynamics

The wings on the PAK FA are large and well-swept, optimized for supersonic flight and for high(er) altitudes. In comparison to the F-22, given even remotely comparable engines, the PAK FA should be able to fly faster, for longer and supercruise more effectively (with lower fuel consumption and greater speed).
The all-wing shape of the PAK FA follows the same principles that was so successful with the Su-27 FLANKER and the MiG-29 FULCRUM and not only provides lift, but also provides ample space (along with the large wings) for massive fuel and/or weapons bays. Reducing drag, increasing range and payload and creating lift and stands in good light compared to the F-22s design.
Air Intakes
CARET inlets of the air intakes are useful for “wave riding”, generating increased lift for the airframe. This allows lower RCS and increased airflow. With the long length of its horizontal wedged edge (of the inlet) additionally helps lift.
Large, moveable Leading Edge Root Extensions (LERX) over the inlets are highly innovative and perhaps plays a role in making the PAK FA super-maneuverable. It is not a flap-like structure but perhaps more like an aileron and behaves in someways perhaps like a canard.
This is an interesting innovation and also provides a solution for the PAK FA in managing air-flow over the wing and onto the slanted stabilizers, solving problems of a twin-tailed delta configuration.
Angled Twin Stabilizers

The twin all-moving stabilizers are innovative in that they can be smaller and have the same effect as a larger conventional stabilizer. Given that the PAK FA also has 3D Thrust Vector Controls (TVC), this makes the PAKFA a fundamentally more stealthy design given that large stabilizers contribute to RCS significantly.  Other advantages include reduced weight, stability in hard maneuvering and the ability to go supersonic in a turn.

Large Tires

The large low(er) pressure tires, a bane for space on an airframe implies that the Russians are still staying real, for in any future conflict with a comparable power, airbases could easily be destroyed and operating from semi-prepared strips would provide the Russians (and any other operator) with a key advantage over American designs, whose runways have to be carefully combed for the smallest intrusion.
Technology and Basic Industrial Manufacturing

The PAK FA is built using new methods that the Soviet Union did not have – electro-chemical milling rather than traditional welding methods. While this has been in use since the late 1950s in the West, this method has only now found its way to Russia. This would allow far better finish which has major implications to stealth and minor implications to reducing drag. Along with RAM coatings and the extensive use of composites, this spells a major industrial leap for Russian industry.
Sensor Fusion

Electronics and avionics have traditionally been an area that Russia lagged behind in. However, the PAK FA makes ground here as well. Other than having five radars, informed sources understand that it has a high degree of sensor fusion, combining sensor fusion, Electronic Warfare (EW), data linking and the general Man-Machine Interface (MMI) are said to now be in the league of the US fighters. How far this gets confirmed is yet to be seen but this author believes that given the Russian IT sector’s pivotal role globally, this is a leap they have long made and are but only now implementing in their aviation industry.
RCS Reduction
The PAK FA is the first non-American stealth VLO fighter. The F-22′s frontal Radar Cross Section (RCS) is compared to a metal marble, the F-35′s to a golf ball and it is this author’s speculative contention that the PAK FA’s could perhaps be compared to a baseball. The Russians are not looking to make the aerodynamic tradeoffs to stealth that the US has made, for a variety of reasons including the effectiveness and costs of such stealth. Given that stealth in the real world would be far less effective than the advertised “metal marble” because the enemy may not always come exactly head on, nor use the radar’s that the F-22s were tested with. Nor would any future competent enemy only have one radar on (but rather a plethora of ground and airborne radars at various frequencies). Further, wear and tear in a real world operational scenario are likely to reduce stealth.
The PAK FA thus would save weight and enjoy superior aerodynamics while trading off some stealth. It’s S-duct may not fully hide its fan blades from every possible angle but rather perhaps allow a maximum of 5% of it to be exposed from very specific angles. These may still be RAM quoted and netted.
The PAK FA abandons stealth from the rear quarter altogether. Detractors would scoff at such a tradeoff but, considering the aerodynamics and high altitude and high speed effectiveness of PAK FA, the aircraft may not need stealth in the hind quarters, as it could always out run any enemy. Case in point, the F-35 which also remains exposed from the rear quarters would have no such capability. For air combat after a merge however, this would still be an issue for the PAK FA, but RCS reduction then becomes of little relevance, given that IR missiles and IRSTs would then be more effective in any case.
The Russians seem to have carefully watched the US fighter programs, taking the best elements without buying Lockheed Martin propaganda and stealth as the final panacea to fighter combat.
Comparison
The PAK FA compares most favorably to the F-22, surpassing it on a number of parameters while sacrificing certain parameters to the F-22. The relationship is not dissimilar to that between the early FLANKER and the F-15. Primarily, the F-22 is stealthier while the PAK FA is likely to exceed the F-22 in the critical arena of a high-high combat profile. The PAK FA also has a bigger weapons bay and greater fuel capacity. In terms of operational capability and cost, the PAK FA wins hands down to the high cost and complicated maintenance of the F-22, while the PAK FA is said to be an improvement over the maintainability of the Su-27. It could cost a third of an F-22 by its greater simplicity and managed tradeoffs as well as greater production run (being procured by both Russia and India if not any other country).
Until the US produces the next generation of aircraft, this spells the end of their monopoly in 5^th generation aircraft and is likely to usher in other players such as China and perhaps give enough hope to Europe to produce its own fighter rather than sink to the humiliation to their sovereignty that the F-35 provides.
The Euro-canards now appear out-dated and out-classed, a situation unlikely to sit well with Western Europe. Given the attitude of the US towards her allies vis-a-vis the F-35, Europe now finds itself between a rock and a hard place. It is the contention of this author that Europe will get together and build a fifth generation fighter, for the spirit of Europe has not been one to see its technological edge corrode or to be demeaned by external powers.

UPDATE:

New images of the cockpit and nose have become available, as well as a video here

1. Sukhoi PAK-FA T-50 cockpit and nose footage
2. 5th generation fighter planes (F-35 & F-22) video
3. Amazing F-35 Lightning II Fifth-Generation Fighter Cockpit

Shaw F-16 fighter jets from the 20th Fighter Wing will be busy during Super Bowl XLIV protecting the skies around Sun Life Stadium in Miami on game day.

Air Force fighters will be airborne Sunday while enforcing the Federal Aviation Administration’s temporary flight restriction zone during Sunday’s big game.

The Defense Department said in a release that the NFL championship game at Sun Life Stadium will be protected by fighters dispatched from the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s Continental United States Region.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Garry Dean, commander of the NORAD region, said the jets will help enforce the temporary flight restriction zone in the greater Miami area that will be imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration.

“As America’s air defenders, we have a total team mindset,” Dean said. “Special events like this world-renowned sporting event take precise coordination with all mission partners, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, FAA and local law enforcement.”

Air Force Col. Randy Spears, commander of the 601st Air and Space Operations Center, said his center will be monitoring all activity during the football game.

“The men and women of this AOC monitor the skies 24/7 … for the contiguous United States, and Sunday’s special event is another part of our mission set,” Spears said.

1. Luke Air Force Base anti-encroachment pact protects base for F-35 mission
2. Fiesta Bowl Parade 2010
3. Jim Cavanaugh – The future of Luke Air Force Base