For the first time in 14 years, the US Air Force’s (USAF's) 31st Fighter Wing had the opportunity to conduct F-16C Fighting Falcon air-to-air live-fire training employment within the US Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa (USAFE) area of responsibility, between July 9-16.
Five F-16s and 36 US airmen assigned to the 510th Fighter Squadron (FS) ‘Buzzards’ and 555th FS ‘Triple Nickel’ at Aviano Air Base, Italy, conducted live fire air-to-air missile launches with UK-based F-15E Strike Eagles from the 492nd FS ‘Mad Hatters’ and 494th FS ‘Black Panthers’ assigned to the 48th FW at RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk. The training was in co-ordination with the Aberporth Range Complex in northwestern Wales.
Capt Johannes Weinberg, an F-16 pilot from the 555th FS, said: “This programme allocates missiles to various squadrons in USAFE. The 31st FW team fired a total of four AIM-9LM Sidewinders.” While at the range, the F-16s fired at flares towed by a Mirach 100 drone. “The flare provided the heat signature that the infrared missile tracked and guided on,” said Weinberg.
