OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea – Nine Airmen from Osan Air Base, Kunsan AB and Misawa AB participated in an F-16 Intelligence Formal Training Unit course at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Jan 9-31.

Launched in 1997, the F-16 Intelligence Formal Training Unit course teaches intelligence students on threats from adversary aircraft and F-16 systems and capabilities.

“Originally, the F-16 IFTU was designed to train intelligence personnel assigned to F-16 units, preparing them for their roles within fighter squadrons,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Robert Rabbia, 54th Operations Support Squadron IFTU lead instructor. “Over time, the IFTU became known as the initial qualification training for any intel person entering any F-16 unit, not just those directly working with F-16s.”

Formerly held at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, the course is currently transitioning to Holloman AFB in New Mexico, a move that will expand the F-16 training mission. During the transition, a mobile training team, or MTT, was formed to keep up with the training demands of the force.

“As this mobile training team is the first of its kind for the F-16 IFTU, being able to make the entire mission moveable and transportable, while still accomplishing the main task of training intelligence personnel that will be working with F-16s is monumental,” stated Rabbia.

With the IFTU program in the middle of the relocation process, courses were initially cancelled. However, U.S. Air Force Maj. Kyle Nupson, 51st Operations Support Squadron senior intelligence officer, strongly advocated for an MTT as a way to sustain training for his team.

“Having the course here at Osan puts students at an active Pacific Air Forces F-16 base and allows our future pacific-theater-based students to study and learn in the environment where they will be stationed,” said Nupson. “If we wouldn’t have hosted the course, it would have been cancelled completely and delayed some of PACAF’s F-16 Wing intel manning by three months.”