More USAF units have joined the search for the special tactics airman who fell out of a C-130 into the waters off the coast of Florida on Nov. 5. Reserve rescue airmen, two HH-60G Pave Hawks, and one HC-130 Combat King from the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick AFB, Fla., joined in on the search. The airman, who is assigned to the 24th Special Operations Wing, fell into the Gulf of Mexico about four miles south of Hurlburt Field, Fla., during a planned static line jump. Read the full story by Brian Everstine.

The Air Force next month will roll out two initial batches of technology intended to help the F-22 and F-35 “talk,” and to provide a fuller picture of US combat assets in a particular area. Starting in December, the service plans to demonstrate a new way of getting its two most advanced fighter jets to communicate using the first iteration of a secure, encrypted data link. Officials hope to introduce upgrades every four months, according to Preston Dunlap, the Air Force’s chief architect for the Advanced Battle Management System. At the same time, the Air Force plans to debut an early version of “Omnia One,” an app that intends to show a common operating picture of combat assets across air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace. Read the full story by Rachel S. Cohen.

Air Force officials overseeing the F-16 Fighting Falcon program say they’ve seen no data that indicates emerging safety issues with the fighter jet, though more than a dozen have crashed since 2014. “Mishap findings and recommendations are constantly reviewed and analyzed by the F-16 SPO, as well as the aeronautics division of the original equipment manufacturer, Lockheed Martin,” the program office told Air Force Magazine. The service said it plans to start installing a collision-avoidance system on older aircraft starting in spring 2020. Read the full story by Rachel S. Cohen.

The bulk of US forces and equipment has withdrawn from the major landing zone USAF forces had built in northeastern Syria, but the movement of forces throughout the region continues. “Our deliberate withdrawal from the Kobani Landing Zone continues,” said Navy Rear Adm. William Byrne Jr., the vice director of the Joint Staff, during a Nov. 7 Pentagon briefing. “It’s going safely, it’s going successfully and it is meeting the requirement of the commanders on [the] ground.” USAF personnel established the landing zone early in the fight against the Islamic State group to resupply forces for the siege of Raqqa. Read the full story by Brian Everstine.