Iowa Guard tests new technology

A Fort Dodge Guard unit is testing a cutting edge concept in military tactics. The 133rd Test Squadron is the only test site for new-fangled radar that tracks military aircraft. Iowa National Guard Adjutant General Ron Dardis says they’re testing “leading edge technology” for the U.S. Air Force. The battle control center in Fort Dodge now can provide air traffic control for any location in the world. Dardis says recently a “battle manager” from the 133rd controlled the air space over Baghdad and sent “real-time radar images” to a command center in Massachusetts. That same staffer was able to monitor air space in Afghanistan and Puerto Rico at the same time. Dardis says it allows “command and control capability” from remote locations, which means the military won’t have to deploy as many soldiers and commanders to the battlefield.