The Air Force is finally releasing their new PT uniform, but they are still struggling to design a long sleeve shirt and a sweatshirt:

After a two-year delay, the Air Force anticipates the new gender-specific uniform for physical training to be available on a limited basis in November. The PT uniform — short-sleeve shirt, running shorts, all-purpose shorts and warm-up suit — was originally scheduled for release in 2022, Air Force spokeswoman Ciara Travis told Stars and Stripes by email Thursday.

The uniform is now expected in November at select Army and Air Force Exchange Service locations in the continental United States, she said. When the Air Force announced the new uniform back in 2021, it planned on a four-year transition before it became mandatory wear.

Travis did not say when the new workout clothing would be available at bases overseas. Some optional items, including a long-sleeve shirt and sweatshirt, are in development and will be available later, she said. “That process took longer than expected,” she said.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but why is it a multi-year effort to design a long sleeve shirt and sweatshirt? How much money is going into this?

Just another example of Korea’s expanding cultural influence even within the Catholic religion:

A mosaic depicting the Virgin Mary dressed in the traditional Korean outfit of “hanbok” was unveiled in the Vatican Gardens on Friday, marking the first time a Korean artwork has been installed in the historic site.

The “Korean Virgin Mary of Peace” mosaic, measuring 100 by 150 centimeters, was installed as part of a collection of Virgin Mary mosaics from around the world on the “Bastione Maestro,” a wall that serves as the border of Vatican City. 

The mosaic, which shows the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus dressed in hanbok, is intended to symbolize a hope for peace and an end to war, according to artists Shim Soon-hwa and Yun Hae-young, who created the piece.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Now we know what caused a USFK F-16 to crash this past December:

The crash of an Air Force fighter jet off South Korea’s western coast last year was due to the loss of instrumentation and poor weather, according to a 7th Air Force news release Friday. The F-16C Fighting Falcon was over the Yellow Sea on Dec. 11 when it crashed “due to loss of primary flight and navigation instruments during adverse weather conditions,” the release states. The fighter belonged to the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, 115 miles south of Seoul.

The pilot survived the crash although the aircraft was a total loss, according to 7th Air Force. The Accident Investigation Board found that the F-16’s loss of flight and navigation instruments was prompted by the failure of an embedded GPS inertial navigation system. That system’s failure, along with the unidentified pilot’s reliance on other indicators that showed inaccurate readings, led to “spatial disorientation,” according to the release.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

I kind of assumed the K9 would have had its own domestically produced engine considering Korea’s manufacturing prowess; regardless soon it will have a Korean made engine:

South Korea has produced the first homegrown engine for the country’s K9 self-propelled howitzer after a yearslong development project, the state arms procurement agency said Friday.

The move comes after the country began the 32.16 billion-won (US$24.5 million) project in 2021, involving STX Engine Co., Hanwha Aerospace Co. and others, as part of efforts to reduce reliance on foreign defense parts, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The K9, produced by Hanwha Aerospace, has been powered by a German MTU engine, built by STX Engine under a license.

DAPA said the homegrown engine will be more cost efficient and have improved performance. It is also expected to help efforts to export the K9 as it would not need to undergo extra approval procedures required for components of foreign origin.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

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