F-16 Fighting Falcon

A pair of F-16 Fighting Falcons launch flares during a mission Aug. 18. The aircraft are assigned to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Balad Air Base, Iraq, from the New Mexico Air National Guard. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Scott Reed)

F-16 Fighting Falcon

A pair of F-16 Fighting Falcons launch flares during a mission Aug. 18. The aircraft are assigned to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Balad Air Base, Iraq, from the New Mexico Air National Guard. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Scott Reed)

F-16C Fighting Falcon

An F-16C Fighting Falcon from the 428th Fighter Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., takes off for a training mission during exercise cooperative cope thunder here July 19. Cope thunder is the largest multilateral air combat training exercise in the Pacific and simulates the wartime conditions pilots would face in combat. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Hannen)

F-16 Fighting Falcon

An F-16 Fighting Falcon flies through the sky during a combat mission July 23 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Lee O. Tucker)

F-16 Fighting Falcon

An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 18th Fighter Squadron waits to taxi to its parking spot during an operational readiness inspection here April 28. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joshua Strang)

F-16C Fighting Falcon

Capt. Nai Koh fires an AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking missile from an F-16C Fighting Falcon, at an MQM-107E Streaker sub-scale aerial target drone April 20 during a Combat Archer mission. Captain Koh is an F-16 pilot with the Republic of Singapore air force and is assigned to the 428th Fighter Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Michael Ammons)

F-16 Fighting Falcon

Two F-16 Fighting Falcons begin to roll into position for a rapid descent during an Operation Noble Eagle training patrol March 16. The F-16s are assigned to the California Air National Guard's 144th Fighter Wing in Fresno. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Lance Cheung)

F-16 Fighting Falcon

An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 555th Fighter Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy, banks away from a KC-135 Stratotanker on April 21 following an aerial refueling. The F-16 received the 1 billionth pound of fuel distributed from Combined Forces Air Component Command refuelers since Jan. 30, 2003. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon II)

F-16 Fighting Falcon

A pilot from the 416th Flight Test Squadron successfully fires the newest variant of the AIM-9 Sidewinder for the first time from an F-16 Fighting Falcon on April 9. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tom Reynolds)

F-16C Fighting Falcon

Capt. Steve Boatright, an F-16C Fighting Falcon pilot, fires an AIM-9M Sidewinder heat-seeking missile at an aerial target drone over the Gulf of Mexico. Captain Boatright is assigned to the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The squadron recently deployed to Tyndall AFB, Fla., to fly air-to-air weapons testing missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Michael Ammons)

F-16 Fighting Falcon

An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 77th Fighter Squadron here returns to base after completing a mission during exercise Sea Lion 04-02 on Oct. 30. Sea Lion 04-02 is an operational readiness exercise being conducted here. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Paul Holcomb)

F-16 Fighting Falcon

A F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 174th Fighter Wing, Syracuse, New York, soars over Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Suzanne M. Jenkins)

F-16A Fighting Falcon

Two Air-Defense Fighter F-16A Fighting Falcons from the North Dakota Air National Guard’s 178th Fighter Squadron fly in formation Nov. 17, 2001 during a combat air patrol mission over Washington in support of Operation Noble Eagle. North American Aerospace Defense Command had more than 100 ANG and Air Force Reserve fighters from 26 locations providing homeland defense, with 100 additional fighters backing them up. Additionally, more than 20 ANG and AFRES tankers are airborne every day to keep fighters refueled. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Greg L. Davis)

F-16 Fighting Falcon

Italian defense officials accepted the first of 34 modified and refurbished F-16 Fighting Falcon A and B models from Ogden Air Logistics Center experts here May 16. (U.S. Air Force photo by Todd Cromar)

F-16 Fighting Falcon

An F-16 Fighting Falcon dropped two joint direct attack munitions on the bombing range here during training July 2. The munitions were dropped by Lt. Col. Eric Schnitzer from the 80th Fighter Squadron at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Alex Lloyd)

F-16 Fighting Falcon

Spangdahlem F-16s fly observation formation off the wing of a KC-10. KC-10 Extenders from the 305th/514th Air Mobility Wing, McGuire AFB, N.J., are deployed to Burgas Airport and nearby Camp Sarafovo, Bulgaria, to support tanker operations. Members from various Air Force units world-wide are currently deployed with the 409th AEG in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Dave Ahlschwede)

F-16CJ Fighting Falcon

The last two F-16CJs deployed from Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. prepare for their final launch April 12. Shaw personnel and aircraft are returning home after supporting Operation Northern Watch for the last several years. Operation Northern Watch flew its last operational mission March 17 after 12 successful years of enforcing the no-fly-zone over northern Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Dennis J. Henry Jr.)

F-16 Fighting Falcon

An F-16 Fighting Falcon flies a mission in the skies near Iraq on March 22. The F-16s are from the 35th Fighter Wing "Wild Weasels," Misawa Air Base, Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Cherie A. Thurlby)

F-16 Fighting Falcon

An F-16 flying in support of Operation Northern Watch. (U.S. Air Force photo)

F-16 Fighting Falcon

An F-16 from the 13th Fighter Squadron, Misawa Air Base, Japan banks over Nellis AFB's expansive range. The aircraft is a participant of Red Flag 01-03. (U.S. Air Force photo)

F-16CJ Fighting Falcon

An F-16CJ of the 77th Fighter Squadron banks right while flying a training mission. The aircraft is assigned to the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Greg L. Davis)

F-16C Fighting Falcon

F-16Cs from the 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, fly the skies over central Europe. Spangdahlem AB consists of two F-16 squadrons, the 22nd and 23rd Fighter Squadrons. It's also home to the 81st Fighter Squadron, which flies the A-10 Thunderbolt II. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Blake R. Borsic)

F-16 Fighting Falcon

An F-16 Fighting Falcon touches down April 8, 2011, at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Christopher Boitz)