Photo: USAF/Senior Airman Joseph Barron
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is one of the most widespread fighter aircraft in the skies over the world. Made by General Dynamics (which is now part of the Lockheed Martin fleet), the airplane has been made in large numbers since 1978, with over 4,600 of them now in operation.
As with many other aircraft, the F-16 is not exclusive to the U.S. Air Force, as it is shared with several allied countries (close to 30 of them) from all continents. The Royal Moroccan Air Force is one of the 30.
The North African nation also holds joint training exercises together with Tunisia, Senegal, and some NATO countries. The largest military exercise it attended was "African Lion," which took place back in June with 7,000 troops taking to the desert.
The main photo of this piece was taken during the said exercise and published last week by USAF. It shows a Royal Moroccan Air Force F-16 in desert camo overalls in very close proximity to a USAF KC-135 Stratotanker, getting its much-needed fuel to continue its run.
The F-16, nicknamed Viper by USAF pilots who dreamed of themselves as protagonists in the Battlestar Galactica sci-fi series, can fly at speeds as high as Mach 2 (1,535 mph/2,470 kph) for as much as 2,620 miles (4,217 km) when using drop tanks.
It can carry a wide range of weapons, from missiles to bombs, and is fitted with a Vulcan 6-barrel rotary cannon for high-intensity and close range engagement.
Some of the planes of this kind are presently getting ready for a major upgrade when it comes to electronic warfare. L3Harris's Viper Shield, meant to better detect and counter threats, will be fitted on F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft configurations, namely the airplanes deployed by allied countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.
The North African nation also holds joint training exercises together with Tunisia, Senegal, and some NATO countries. The largest military exercise it attended was "African Lion," which took place back in June with 7,000 troops taking to the desert.
The main photo of this piece was taken during the said exercise and published last week by USAF. It shows a Royal Moroccan Air Force F-16 in desert camo overalls in very close proximity to a USAF KC-135 Stratotanker, getting its much-needed fuel to continue its run.
The F-16, nicknamed Viper by USAF pilots who dreamed of themselves as protagonists in the Battlestar Galactica sci-fi series, can fly at speeds as high as Mach 2 (1,535 mph/2,470 kph) for as much as 2,620 miles (4,217 km) when using drop tanks.
It can carry a wide range of weapons, from missiles to bombs, and is fitted with a Vulcan 6-barrel rotary cannon for high-intensity and close range engagement.
Some of the planes of this kind are presently getting ready for a major upgrade when it comes to electronic warfare. L3Harris's Viper Shield, meant to better detect and counter threats, will be fitted on F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft configurations, namely the airplanes deployed by allied countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.
Google News