Twas the night before Christmas, when all through Manassas,
Not a seeker was pinging, no rattling CASs.
The software was committed to the repository with care,
In hopes that more test flights soon would be there.
The coders were nestled all snug in their chairs,
While visions of flight-tests danced through their cares;
When out on the ramp there arose such a clatter,
They sprang from their computers to see what was the matter.
The moon on the tarmac of new-fallen snow
Gave a sheen to the RAACMs all lined in a row,
When what to their wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature jet and a sleigh drawing near.
With a seasoned old pilot, so steady and brash,
They knew in a moment it must be Saint “Flash.”
More rapid than Vipers his wingmen they came,
And he whistled and radioed, and called them by name:
“Now Alan! now John! now Cael and Lonigan!
On Bee! Hey Allen, Let’s do a flight test all over again!
To the end of the runway, aligned in the night,
Now taxi away, taxi away, ready for flight!”
So up from the tarmac his Skyhawk they flew,
With a sleigh full of guidance, and test data too.
And then, in a twinkling, they heard on the net
The chatter of crews doing pre-mission checks.
As they turned to the screens and were spinning around,
Down the hallway Santa came in with a bound.
He was dressed in CoAspire gear, head to his feet,
With 2026 on his chest and boots on the concrete.
A bundle of tech drawings he had in his hand,
All labeled and WOSA and perfectly planned.
His sure little grin and his confident tone
Said, “The Air Force is counting; we’re not on our own.”
The glow of the monitors lit up the room,
As test range and launch time approached in the gloom.
He spoke not of doubt, but went straight to the task,
“Safety first, standards met—that’s all that I ask.”
He sprang to the console, his team by his side,
With testers and techs and QA as their guide.
The countdown was started, the world seeming still,
As they watched every sensor respond to their will.
“Three… two… one…” and the engine did roar,
The missile departed and climbed ever more.
Avionics were humming, the link steady tight,
As guidance and seeker both locked on just right.
It flew as they’d modeled, precise and secure,
Each line of code flawless, its purpose made sure.
They cheered, but with quiet, professional pride,
For they knew what it meant to those who relied.
For somewhere out there, through the calm and the storm,
Are our Airmen and Ukrainians who need systems that perform,
And CoAspire’s labor, this late Christmas Eve,
Brought them tools to protect their families and Kiev.
So they logged every packet, each trace and each chart,
They signed off the test with a hand and a heart.
Then turning to coffee and Danish at last,
They toasted the future and honored the past.
And they heard Santa say, as he powered down the flight,
“Mission-ready, team CoAspire—and to all, a safe night.”
