Midair gas station
A 4th Fighter Wing F-15E Strike Eagle connects with a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 134th Air Reserve Wing for a refuel while 46th Test Wing F-16s stand by during a Combat Hammer mission Feb. 3. Combat Hammer is an Air-to-Ground Weapons System Evaluation Program controlled by the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron. The F-15s from Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., participated in the week-long evaluation dropping GPS and laser-guided weapons. The WSEP was the first evaluation of Small Diameter Bombs at Eglin and first evaluation of Laser Joint Direct Attack Munitions in a Combat Hammer. The WSEP program, run by the 53d Weapons Evaluation Group, is used to evaluate the effectiveness and suitability of combat air force weapon systems. The evaluations are accomplished during tactical deliveries of fighter, bomber and unmanned aerial system precision guided munitions, on realistic targets with air-to-air and surface-to-air defenses. For many of the aircrew participating in WSEP, it is the first time employing live weapons. This provides a level of combat experience many units face during combat. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Scott Alford.)