The system, which will use physical gestures from pilots to manipulate controls in the cockpit, will be required to function in less-than-ideal circumstances, such as when the pilot is wearing gloves or turbulence causes the aircraft to vibrate.

“These new non-contact, gesture-based control interactions will enhance pilot situational awareness, mission effectiveness, and overall aircraft performance,” said Enrique Lizaso Olmos, cofounder and CEO of Multiverse Computing.

Multiverse Computing develops AI systems for finance, energy, manufacturing, logistics, space, healthcare, and defense. The company’s project, “Quantum Gesture Recognition for Aerospace Control,” beat out competitors to win a contract from the Enhanced Pilot Interfaces & Interactions for fighter Cockpit (EPIIC) program.

Unveiled last year, EPIIC is a coalition of more than 20 organizations from 12 European countries backed by more than $80 million from the European Commission through its European Defense Fund. Led by Thales, the initiative includes other aviation giants like Leonardo and Dassault Aviation, as well as university researchers.

The goal of EPIIC is to bolster European militaries with fighter cockpit technology that melds humans with machines, such as virtual assistants, helmet-mounted and large area displays, “eyes-out” systems. It also covers gesture-based hardware and software, the portion of the initiative Airbus is leading.

The aviation titan’s collaboration with Multiverse Computing began this month and will last about one year. The AI specialist will lean on quantum computing to develop algorithms that can recognize pilot gestures. The objective is to eliminate the need for buttons, switches, and other conventional controls.

According to Multiverse Computing, the system could even incorporate virtual or augmented reality technology. Imagine, for example, a headset that projects digital buttons for the pilot to “press” by pointing a finger.

To ensure the AI-based system doesn’t get its gestures mixed up, the partners will put it through simulated testing at Airbus Defense and Space facilities.

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Graduates of T-38 training usually go on to fighters or bombers, but the acute shortage means that there aren’t enough pilots available for the other duty tracks.

According to a memo, the Air Force reported that the service is short by 1,848 pilots, with “1,142 of those being fighter pilots.”

Still, the memo identified a “significant but necessary policy change” opening up other career paths for T-38 graduates.

“While we would prefer to send every qualified T-38 graduate to a fighter [formal training unit], circumstances dictate that we utilize available capacity to maximize pilot production,” the memo said. “In the near term, in addition to traditional fighter/bomber assignments, T-38 graduates will be matched to additional T-6 First Assignment Instructor Pilot assignments and opted for non-fighter/bomber aircraft.”

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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Victory’s Arsenal Theatre

It’s not Sun ’n Fun without historic military warbirds on display. The aircraft played significant roles in multiple conflicts, such as World War II and the Korean War. You’ll see a variety of transports, bombers, trainers, and pursuit aircraft, later known as fighters.

Beginning April 10, Victory’s Arsenal Theatre will present an aircraft each morning in front of the grandstands on the Sun ’n Fun warbird ramp. The pilot or owner of the aircraft will share  its story. The master of ceremonies will be Ron Kaplan, former executive director of the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

• READ MORE: A Fond Memory: Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo 2023

Take a Warbird Ride

The Commemorative Air Force will once again be offering rides in select warbirds, such as the RC-45J Expediter, T-6 Texan, known as “the pilot maker,” and P-51 Mustang. These once-in-a-lifetime flights are available for a price (it varies) and will certainly be the highlight of any aviation enthusiast’s day.

Catch a Daily Airshow

It wouldn’t be Sun ’n Fun without a daily airshow. Weather permitting, delight to the exploits of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, aerobatic pilots Michael Goulian and Patty Wagstaff, the Titan Aerobatic team, the Howard DGA-6 Mister Mulligan, and the Patriot Parachute Team. Check the daily schedule here for updates, and keep your eyes on the skies.

• READ MORE: Sun ’n Fun 2024: Soar into the Skies with Unforgettable Airshow Spectacles

Hands-On Workshops

If you have ever thought of building your own aircraft or restoring one, check out the hands-on workshops. There will be demonstrations of a variety of skills, including composite construction, electrical installation and noise troubleshooting, fabric covering and metal shaping, woodworking, and welding.

• READ MORE: Trace Adkins, Sara Evans to Kick Off 50th Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo

Bring Your Kids

For children, there is the Junior ACEs program, which is a weeklong open house showcasing the year-round STEM programs available for those between the ages of 7 and 17. Explore different careers in aviation, fly a simulator, or learn about space. This year there are three locations for Junior ACEs: the Skylab Innovation Center, Buehler Restoration and Skills Center, and Junior ACEs tent located in the Future ’n Flight Plaza.

As if that’s not enough, don’t forget to wander through the exhibit hangars. If you can fly it, navigate with it, train with it, or use it to enhance your aviation experience in any way, shape, or form it, you’ll likely find it there.

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The ferry cell of aircraft left Lockheed Martin’s facility in Greenville, South Carolina, on Wednesday, and are among the 19-21 jets produced at the facility that the company anticipates delivering this year.

The 4.5 generation fighters are equipped with APG-83 AESA radar, advanced avionics, and  modernized cockpit. The aircraft also feature advancements, such as conformal fuel tanks, offering extended flight range, and automatic ground collision avoidance system.

• READ MORE: Bulgarian F-16 Block 70 Production Nears Completion

“With the introduction of the F-16 Block 70, we are witnessing a significant leap in fighter capabilities,”  said OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of the Integrated Fighter Group at Lockheed Martin. “The integration of this proven platform will allow the Royal Bahraini Air Force to safeguard its skies effectively and partner with allies worldwide.” 

• READ MORE: Royal Norwegian Air Force Receives Upgraded Super Hercules

Lockheed Martin has produced five F-16 Block 70 aircraft, dubbed the Fighting Falcon, for the Royal Bahraini Air Force, with 11 more in various stages of testing and production. The initial aircraft are at Edwards Air Force Base, California, where they are undergoing flight testing, Lockheed Martin said. 

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“Sweden is leading the exercise within its territorial boundaries,” the Swedish Armed Forces said in a statement. “This exercise has been planned for a long time and is a bilateral effort between Sweden and the USA. After passing through Swedish airspace, the aircraft will join the NATO exercise Nordic Response, which is part of NATO’s Steadfast Defender series.”

The joint formation flyover, which took place between 12:40 p.m. and 1 p.m. Central European Time, was scheduled in the wake of news that Sweden was on the cusp of becoming the alliance’s newest member, according to the U.S. Air Forces in Europe & Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). The bombers and fighters flew over Avicii Arena, Sweden’s Parliament House, Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ESSA), and Uppsala Air Base (ESCM).

WATCH: Today a B-1B Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress alongside two Swedish Gripens soared over Stockholm Sweden! #NATO
@US_EUCOM @usembsweden @AFGlobalStrike @US_STRATCOM @NATO_AIRCOM pic.twitter.com/PehB190AIW

— USAFE-AFAFRICA (@HQUSAFEAFAF) March 6, 2024

• READ MORE: U.S. Air Force B-1s Train with Swedish Fighters

“The strong and enduring bond between the United States and Sweden, rooted in mutual interests and shared values, is poised to reach new heights,” General James Hecker, commander of USAFE-AFAFRICA and NATO Allied Air Command, said in a statement. “As Sweden prepares to join the NATO alliance as its 32nd member, we eagerly anticipate deepening our collaboration with our Swedish allies. Initiatives like this joint flyover are just the beginning, as we work together to advance international stability and security.” 

According to reports, that bond will deepen imminently.

“Monday is the time,” when at lunchtime Sweden’s flag will be raised at NATO Headquarters in Brussels as a celebratory marker for its inclusion, Swedish TV4 Nyheterna said Wednesday.

• READ MORE: Italy to Train Sweden’s Fighter Pilots

Sweden’s formal NATO membership, however, could perhaps come online as soon as Thursday, according to Politico. “The exact time of entry depends on Hungary’s pace of registering its confirmation of Sweden’s bid in Washington,” Politico reported.

Sweden’s military capability has garnered a warm welcome from NATO, which said the country’s joining comes at a “crucial time” amid heightened regional tensions.

The Stockholm flyover represents the latest joint demonstration between the U.S. and Sweden. Last week, U.S. B-1 Lancers conducted surface attack, air interdiction, and close air support scenario training with Swedish JAS 39 Gripens.

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The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that around 4:37 a.m. EST, an EF1 tornado first developed in Montgomery County, south of the air base near Dayton. In neighboring Greene County, where Wright-Patterson AFB is located, high winds ripped sheet metal off the hangar used by the museum for restoration.

“Some planes that were in the process of being restored also took damage due to flying debris,” the NWS said. “This damage was notable enough to warrant EF1 strength winds around 100 mph. A few of the dwellings on the eastern side of the base took damage to the roofs as shingles were ripped off.”

• READ MORE: Museum Spotlight: National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

Damage from the early morning storm was isolated, according to an Air Force official.

“Our initial focus right now is on safety and damage assessment,” Colonel Travis Pond, 88th Air Base Wing and installation commander, said in a statement. “I can’t speak highly enough about our security forces, fire department, and civil engineer airmen for their quick response and hard work to assess damage and determine a path forward for restoring operations as quickly as possible.”

According to Jaima Fogg, a spokesperson for the 88th Air Base Wing, the museum’s public area was not damaged, Air & Space Forces magazine reported.

• READ MORE: New Museum Exhibit Honors Air Force Enlisted Service Members

The damaged facility—known as Restoration Hangar 4—is one of three historic buildings in the air base’s Area B, the Dayton Daily News reported. The buildings were constructed at the onset of WWII, museum director David Tillotson told the newspaper.

“These are where the B-29s were modified for the atomic mission, so they have some historic value,” Tillotson said.

According to Tillotson, the hangar is used for storage of artifacts, including six aircraft and a missile system that were awaiting restoration. Some artifacts sustained minor damage, he told the newspaper.

Watch: Video Showing Damage and Cleanup at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base 

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The training mission comes as Sweden is on the cusp of joining NATO.

“Sweden is leaving 200 years of neutrality and military nonalignment behind,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Friday in a Reuters report. “We are joining NATO in order to defend what we are and everything we believe in even better. We are defending our freedom, our democracy, and our values, together with others.”

• READ MORE: NATO Conducts ‘Find, Fix, Track, Target’ Exercise Over Poland

On Monday, the B-1s assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing, Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, deployed from Luleå-Kallax Air Base, Sweden, to conduct surface attack, air interdiction, and close air support scenario training with Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighters.

The joint training exercise, called “Vanguard Adler,” was conducted as part of Bomber Task Force (BTF) 24-2 and designed to integrate the Swedish fighters and U.S. bombers with joint terminal attack controllers operating in the Baltic and Arctic regions, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa said.

• READ MORE: Italy to Train Sweden’s Fighter Pilots

“This timely opportunity for our crews to exercise our collective defense capabilities with our Swedish partners, soon to be NATO Allies, in the Arctic region is incredible,” said Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Jamison, 37th Bomb Squadron director of operations and BTF 24-2 lead. “It demonstrates our ironclad commitment to our partners and allies, demonstrates our expansive reach, and sends a strong deterrent message to potential adversaries.”  

• READ MORE: Latvia to Spearhead Drone Coalition to Bolster Ukraine 

Sweden’s military capability has garnered a warm welcome from NATO, which says the country joining as the alliance’s 32nd member comes at a “crucial time” amid heightened regional tensions.

“Looking forward to welcoming JAS-39 Gripen as NATO fighter jets,” NATO Air Command said on X, formerly Twitter.

Looking forward to welcoming JAS-39 Gripen as #NATO fighter jets pic.twitter.com/QD4QFP5ZAx

— NATO Air Command (@NATO_AIRCOM) February 26, 2024

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The news comes as a timeline begins to emerge for when Ukraine might also receive the first fighter jets sought by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since Russia’s invasion in 2022.

In October, a small number of Ukrainian fighter pilots began training in F-16 fundamentals with the 162nd Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard (ANG) at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson. Called the “face of the USAF to the world,” the ANG wing has trained pilots from 25 countries to fly the F-16.

• READ MORE: NATO Conducts ‘Find, Fix, Track, Target’ Exercise Over Poland

At least a dozen Ukrainian pilots are  training in Arizona, CNN reported. The first four pilots are expected to finish by May, followed by a second group of four pilots who began training in January. The third group of four pilots is in English-language training, and all are expected to complete training by August, ANG spokesperson Captain Erin Hannigan told CNN.

“The training is going great,” Air National Guard Director Lieutenant General Michael Loh told Air & Space Forces magazine last week. “They’re flying F-16s solo every day.”

Last month, a Pentagon spokesperson confirmed the training remained on schedule and  was expected to range from five to eight months, depending on individual pilots’ skill level.

Ukrainian F-16 pilots coming on line this summer can expect to have fighter jets to fly when they return home, a Lithuanian official told Foreign Policy magazine last week. “I think that in June we will see them in Ukraine,” Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas told the magazine, citing a timeline that he said was confirmed during the Munich Security Conference. 

• READ MORE: Latvia to Spearhead Drone Coalition to Bolster Ukraine 

During a recent television appearance, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said he could not confirm the June timeline, the Kyiv Independent online newspaper reported.

“I can only confirm that the action plan is indeed being carried out,” Ihnat said. “Our partners are ready to hand over the planes to Ukraine.”

Ihnat said the aircraft were needed “as soon as possible” and that the country had a goal of operating them from Ukrainian runways. Shoring up infrastructure in order to protect the aircraft also remains a concern.

“Ideally, we would hide everything underground, as Iran does,” the Kyiv Independent reported. “[Or] build reinforced concrete storage facilities that would withstand ballistic missiles.”

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The purchase approvals, announced late Friday, set the stage for a significant expansion of NATO air power and came hours after Turkey ratified its approval of Sweden joining the alliance.

“Sweden’s entry into NATO will make the whole alliance stronger,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday. “I look forward to Hungary’s ratification as soon as the parliament reconvenes.”

• READ MORE: NATO Launches Exercise with 90,000 Troops, Largest in Decades

The approval for the possible foreign military sale of 40 new F-16 aircraft and upgrades of 79 existing F-16s granted to Turkey comes as the country’s existing fleet approaches the end of its service life, the State Department said. The approval included 32 F-16 C Block 70 aircraft and eight F-16 D Block 70 aircraft, along with 40 installed F110-GE-129D engines and eight spares.

“These new and refurbished aircraft will provide Turkey with a fleet of modernized multirole combat aircraft to enable it to provide for the defense of its airspace, contribute to NATO missions to preserve regional security and defend NATO allies, and maintain interoperability with U.S. and NATO forces,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement Friday. “Turkey has F-16 aircraft in its inventory and will have no difficulty absorbing these aircraft and services into its armed forces.” 

U.S. officials also cleared the path Friday for the possible sale to Greece of up to 40 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Conventional Takeoff and Landing aircraft. That approval also included 40 installed Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines, along with two spares.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security of the United States by improving the air capabilities and interoperability of a NATO ally that is a force for political and economic stability in Europe,” DSCA said in a statement.

• READ MORE: Slovak Air Force Takes Delivery of First 2 F-16 Block 70 Jets

Defense officials in Athens, Greece, said they expect deliveries to begin in 2027-28, Reuters reported.

Congress was notified of the approval determinations for both Turkey and Greece on January 26, DSCA said.

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The large-scale exercise—dubbed “Red Flag 24-1″—will focus on overcoming pacing challenges with allies in the Indo-Pacific theater, the Air Force said. The realistic combat training exercise has nearly 2,000 participants, about 100 aircraft, and personnel from 30 U.S. and allied units, including the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). 

• READ MORE: Royal Australian Air Force Refuels USAF Aircraft in Trials

During the event, Red Flag participants will undergo a range of combat environment scenarios, including defensive counter air, offensive counter air suppression of enemy air defenses, as well as offensive counter air-to-air interdiction, the service said.

“Training prioritizes first timer’s combat missions, mission commander upgrades, integration, and flag unique experiences that contribute most to readiness and partnering,” said Colonel Eric Winterbottom, commander of the 414th Combat Training Squadron based at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

• READ MORE: Royal Air Force Tests Expeditionary Fueling System in Arctic Circle

The Royal Air Force’s presence in the exercise includes eight Typhoon fighters, a Voyager air-to-air refueling aircraft, a rivet joint aircrew, and air operation controllers.

RAAF said it has deployed about 150 of its personnel, along with six F-35A Lightning II fighters, marking the first time the country’s fighter jets have participated in the exercises.

• READ MORE: Downed WWII Lancaster Bomber Raised from Sea Floor

“Generations of RAAF aviators have come to this exercise since 1980, and it continues to evolve and reflect the threats and challenges faced on modern operations,” said RAAF Wing Commander Adrian Kiely, commanding officer of 3 Squadron Wing. “Exercise ‘Red Flag Nellis’ will test every facet of our F-35A capability, allow us to integrate with our American and British allies, and practice how we project force on combat operations.”

One of the world’s toughest air combat training environments, Exercise Red Flag Nellis 24-1, has now begun.#AusAirForce aviators have joined counterparts from @usairforce and @RoyalAirForce to hone their war-fighting skills.#RFNAFB #OurPartners @NellisAFB pic.twitter.com/T6dXe72LEk

— Royal Australian Air Force (@AusAirForce) January 16, 2024

Red Flag exercises began at Nellis AFB in 1975, deploying lessons learned from Vietnam in order to expose military pilots to combat missions and increase their effectiveness and confidence. Exercises typically include a variety of attack, fighter, bomber, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and aerial refueling aircraft.

Red Flag 24-1 is set to conclude February 2.

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