Matthew Nelson
Boeing has converted a retired F-16A/C aircraft into an unmanned configuration for weapons training use as part of a public-private partnership agreement with the U.S. Air Force's 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group.
The team completed the initial full-scale QF-16 aerial target at a Boeing modification facility in Arizona and flew the full-scale drone to Tyndall AF Base last month, the company said Friday.
The vehicle is designed to perform autonomous tasks or controlled maneuvers via ground terminals.
Boeing kicked off its F-16 conversion efforts five years ago and has delivered approximately 40 percent of the 120-plus aircraft the company was contracted to modify.
The 309th AMARG and the company plan to establish a second QF-16 modification line in Florida.
