Air International 2016-11
F.Visser - Viper Strikes /Military/
Armed with one GBU-49 and a rack of four GBU-39/B SDBs, this F-16 heads for the skies of Iraq.
A 500lb GBU-12 loaded under the left wing of an F-16.
Final preparations on two GBU-12 laser-guided bombs by an ammunition crew member. During the 21-month tour ATFME dropped weapons 1,800 times during 2,100 missions.
F-16AM J-624 takes off for a close air support mission loaded with an AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile, a single GBU-38 JDAM under the right wing and at least one GBU-12 laser-guided bomb under the left wing.
An F-16 pilot awaits a radio call to taxi toward the last check area where ammunition pins are removed and final checks are carried out before take-off.
Two F-16s taxi from the last check point each carrying a different weapon payload; the aircraft nearest the camera is loaded with two 500lb GBU-12 laser-guided bombs and the aircraft in the rear is carrying a single GBU-49.
Because the F-16s could not operate from the existing shelters on site, ATFME personnel built six half-open shelters.
A F-16 pilot conducts a pre-flight inspection of the four-place pneumatic rack loaded with four GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb glide weapons.
Two ATFME F-16AMs taxi to the runway for a CAS mission over Iraq.