Painting the first of many mission markings following the initial live sortie.

The rat motif which appeared on all Canadian Forces CF-18 Hornets flying from Aviano.

Hornet pilot checking a GBU-12 early in the conflict.

Just visible by the intake of this CF-18 at Aviano is a NITE Hawk laser designator pod, a vital item of equipment for the Kosovo operation.

The CAF has 60 operational Hornets, such as ’787 shown, plus 23 assigned to an OTU, four at test establishments, and 35 available for rotation. Up to 100 CF-18s are to undergo the ten-year Incremental Modernisation Project, but cuts in funding may reduce this figure.

CAF bomb tallies were applied under the leading edge root extension and the stencils on ’781 show that at least ten missions were flown, two dropping basic Mk 82 bombs, six GBU-12s and two expending the larger GBU-10s.

Some 27 symbols have been sprayed on aircraft ’723