News Search

  • AF Year in Photos

    This year's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This annual feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

  • 173rd FW Instructor Pilot selected as newest Thunderbird demo pilot

    The United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, known as the “Thunderbirds”, recently announced the latest addition to their team for the 2024-2025 season, Maj. Tyler Clark, a 173rd Fighter Wing instructor pilot and chief of scheduling, is the first Air National Guard fighter pilot selected

  • RSAF, USAF conduct combined operations in KSA

    In the desert skies above Taif’s King Fahad Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Airmen from the 378th Air Expeditionary Wing integrated with Royal Saudi Air Forces to execute a combined training exercise. Conducting combined air-to-air training, the exercise allowed both nations to further cultivate

  • PSAB’s 378th EMXS hosts integrated hot pit training

    Airmen from the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, recently traveled to Prince Sultan Air Base to take part in an integrated hot-pit training with Airmen from the 378th EMXS. Designed to expand the scope and lethality of the Air Force’s wartime capabilities, 379th

  • AF Week in Photos

    This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

  • MacDill to integrate training with Shaw AFB

    Aircrews with the 91st Air Refueling Squadron, maintainers with the 6th Maintenance Group and Airmen with the 6th Operations Support Squadron along with four KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, are scheduled to travel to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, at the end of November to conduct an integrated

  • 'Ghost-painted' F-16 takes to the sky

    An F-16 Fighting Falcon with a "ghost" paint scheme departs Hill Air Force Base, Utah, for Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., June 3, 2020. The 576th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron painted the jet at the request of the 64th Aggressor Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, that participates in training

  • Heritage Flight honors last D-Day celebration

    The U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight team conducted a flyover in honor of the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the last celebration at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, June 6, 2019.The four-ship formation included U.S. Air Force Maj. Paul “Loco” Lopez, F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team

  • ‘Toro’ grabs Viper Demo by horns

    Gen. Mike Holmes, commander of Air Combat Command, certified Maj. Garret “Toro” Schmitz as a demonstration team pilot following an aerial performance, May 16. Schmitz is tasked with commanding the F-16 Viper Demonstration Team through their 2019 and 2020 seasons as they perform at approximately 40

  • Hill F-35A units assist in F-16 fighter training

    Brand new F-16 pilots received a unique training experience here with the help of the active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings and the F-35A Lightning II.For the last two weeks, F-16 basic course students and instructor pilots from the 311th Fighter Squadron at Holloman Air Force Base, New

  • From raceway to runway

    Airmen assigned to the 20th Fighter Wing and ACC F-16 Viper Demo Team hosted Conor Daly, Air Force Honda race car driver, and Townsend Bell, sports commentator and professional race car driver, April 15-16. During the USAF Recruiting coordinated visit, Daly and Bell had the opportunity to interact

  • F-16 VDT completes heritage training

    Members of the Air Combat Command F-16 Viper Demonstration Team attended the 2019 Heritage Flight Training Course at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Feb. 26 to March 4.

  • Red Flag adjusts for today’s challenges

    The 414th Combat Training Squadron (CTS), which oversees Red Flag, is making changes to the exercise for improved efficiency at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Red Flag is a realistic multi-domain training exercise that maximizes the combat readiness and survivability of participants by providing a

  • Air Force realigns Holloman AFB under AETC

    The 49th Wing at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, and all co-located units, will realign from Air Combat Command to Air Education and Training Command effective Oct. 1.

  • One team, one fight: part I

    When thinking about the F-16CM Fighting Falcon and its mission, many people only think about the pilot and their jet, but there are many more working pieces to the puzzle ensuring the mission is accomplished. In order to step into an aircraft and be cleared fit to fight, pilots must get a physical

  • Hammer dropped at Hill

    Evaluation exercise Combat Hammer concluded May 10 at Hill AFB and the Utah Test and Training Range. Both are part of the Air Force's Weapons System Evaluation Program, or WSEP.

  • Thunderbirds aircraft mishap

    A U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds pilot was killed when his F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed over the Nevada Test and Training Range April 4, 2018, at approximately 10:30 a.m. during a routine aerial demonstration training flight. The identity of the pilot is being withheld for 24-hours pending next of kin

  • Wild Weasels train for next fight

    As Air Force pilots navigate hostile skies at break-neck speeds overseas, they must rely on their past experiences and home station training to fight opposing forces and survive.

  • Shooters launch first Rapid Ready Weasel exercise

    On a cold autumn morning, F-16CM Fighting Falcon maintainers scramble to put on gas masks and look over their wingmen for potential leaks in mission oriented protective posture gear, which could compromise the clothing’s ability to deter the effects of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear

  • F-16C Accident investigation Released

    Improper assembly of the main engine control caused a F-16C to be destroyed upon impacting the ground southwest of Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, April 5, 2017, according to an Accident Investigation Board report released today.The pilot safely ejected and did not sustain any injuries. The aircraft,

  • Hill AFB bids farewell to 'Viper'

    Hill AFB officially ended an era Friday at a Viper Out ceremony celebrating 38-years of the F-16 at the base. Current and former military members, pilots, maintainers, civic leaders and friends packed Hangar 37 to bid farewell to the plane dubbed the Viper, because of its appearance at take-off. The

  • Hill AFB, UTTR evaluation exercises close

    Evaluation exercises Combat Hammer and Combat Archer ended August 18 at Hill AFB and the Utah Test and Training Range. Both are part of the Weapons System Evaluation Program, or WSEP.

  • Final Hill AFB F-16 goes through phase

    As the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings transition from the F-16 Fighting Falcon to the F-35A Lightning II, milestones occur frequently. Another milestone is currently underway; the 388th Maintenance Squadron is performing its final phase inspection on a Hill AFB F-16.

  • Wolf Pack conducts wing verification

    Nine F-16 pilots and two intelligence officers rounded out a week’s worth of academics, studying, mission planning and simulations by presenting their knowledge and planned mission to members of the Wolf Pack June 30, 2017, at Kunsan Air Base to earn their respective verification status.

  • 54th Fighter Group pilot named Fighter Instructor Pilot of the Year

    One of Holloman’s Airmen, Maj. John R. Widmer, 314th Fighter Squadron flight commander and an F-16 instructor pilot, was named the Air Force’s Fighter Instructor Pilot of the Year. The award is designed to recognize fighter pilots and weapon systems officers’ commitment, performance, leadership and

  • USAF Weapons School F-16 hits 35 years old

    The United States Air Force Weapons School F-16 Fighting Falcon division hosted a reunion for past and present members to celebrate its 35th Anniversary June 15, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

  • CrossTell air defense exercise hones air-intercept skills

    Aircrews and associated support personnel from across the military air-defense enterprise are here today for a three-day Aerospace Control Alert CrossTell live-fly training exercise.Representatives from Air National Guard fighter wings, Civil Air Patrol and U.S. Coast Guard rotary-wing air intercept

  • NATO partners conduct close air support exercise

    Today’s fight against terrorism doesn’t rest on the shoulders of one country. It’s a team fight, meaning countries must be interoperable to effectively defeat the evil in this world.To better support that team, members of the German air force’s Air Ground Operations Squadron partnered with the 19th

  • Combat Shield inspection certifies Saber readiness

    The 480th Aircraft Maintenance Unit’s Avionics Shop here underwent a Combat Shield evaluation March 20–24. A Combat Shield evaluation team from the 16th Electronic Warfare Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, conducted the annual inspection to gauge the effectiveness of the threat-detection

  • Hill F-16 squadron celebrating 40 years of combat airpower, part 1

    Forty years ago, the United States Air Force announced that the 388th Fighter Wing would be the first unit to transition to the F-16 Fighting Falcon, now more commonly known as the Viper. Thirty-eight years ago, the first operational F-16A took to the skies here and the Viper has been slipping the

  • F-16CM THUNDERBIRD ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION RELEASED

    A throttle trigger malfunction and inadvertent throttle rotation resulted in an F-16CM being destroyed upon impacting the ground south of Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, June 2, 2016, according to an Accident Investigation Board report released today. The Thunderbird pilot ejected and sustained

  • Point of Recovery: Ground Collision Avoidance System saving pilots lives

    Frantic calls of “Two recover, Two recover, Two recover,” echoed across the airwaves.Maj. Luke O’Sullivan, F-16 Fighting Falcon instructor pilot, watched helplessly from his cockpit as his student’s jet descended from an altitude of over 3 miles to under 4,400 feet in a matter of seconds.While

  • NEWS RELEASE: F-16 MIDAIR COLLISION ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION RELEASED

    An F-16CM and a Cessna 150M collided on July 7, 2015 near Moncks Corner, S.C., due to both pilots’ inability to see and avoid the other aircraft, and direction given by the air traffic controller, according to an Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board report released today.

  • Thunderbirds perform last show of 2016

    The Thunderbirds’ performance at Aviation Nation marked their final show of the 2016 season. Since 1953, the Thunderbirds have performed for millions of people across the United States, spreading the word about the Air Force and its precision, skill and decisive combat power.

  • Tigers take roar downrange

    The 79th Fighter Squadron deployed members to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel during the month of October.

  • Keeping ahead of Hurricane Matthew

    The whole country watched with bated breath as the threat of Hurricane Matthew loomed ever closer. U.S. military bases all along the East Coast, including Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, weighed their options to evacuate ahead of Hurricanw Matthew.

  • 416th FLTS testers meet with Auto GCAS survivor

    Test pilots and engineers from the 416th Flight Test Squadron had the chance to meet face-to-face with one of the squadron’s success stories Aug. 25. The group met with an allied nation pilot trainee who returned home alive after he experienced a g-force-induced loss of consciousness and his F-16’s

  • Aggressor’s paint scheme gets makeover

    Since 1972, the 64th Aggressor Squadron has prepared combat air forces by providing realistic threat replication and training. On Aug. 5, the 64th AGRS unveiled the new “splinter” paint scheme for the F-16 Aggressors at Nellis Air Force Base during the 57th Adversary Tactics Group change of command.

  • Triple Nickle participates in Green Flag 16-8

    Green Flag-West, a realistic air-land integration combat training exercise involving the air forces of the United States and its allies, is primarily conducted in conjunction with U.S. Army Combat Training Center exercises at Ft. Irwin, Calif.

  • USAF Thunderbird Crash

    A U.S. Air Force Thunderbird F-16 aircraft crashed here shortly after conducting a flyover in support of the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation commencement ceremony June 2, 2016.