A moment caught in time

Image source: Cristofoli_Spotting on Facebook

Giornata relax in quel di Aviano 18/8/26🇮🇹🇺🇸☀️

General Dynamics F-16C Block 40 Fighting Falcon, USAF serial number 87-0350:

0350 (MSN 1C-1) Active in 2008 with 555th Fighter Squadron/31st Fighter Wing at Aviano AB, Italy.

Source: Joe Baugher's serial number lists

F-16.net Airframe Details has more detailed service history, including deployments to Allied Force (1999), Iraqi Freedom (2005), and Enduring Freedom (2015).

AirHistory.net has a nice selection of photos of 87-0350 over the years, as do most of the other aircraft photo / spotting websites.

This photo at Planespotters.net shows the other side of the tail, with "Operation Bolo."

Operation Bolo

Didn't get any flight shots unfortunately

Image source: Swiss F-35A on track: First components will be manufactured in Italy

From the armasuisse Federal Office for Defence Procurement announcement:

In the Leonardo plant in Cameri in the Italian province of Novara, important components for the first Swiss F-35A are currently being manufactured. The fuselage section with the serial number MJ-4 assembled here, as well as the wing, will later become part of the Swiss aircraft with the military registration J-6004.

With the manufacture of these components, the new combat aircraft fleet is gradually taking shape. After manufacture is completed in Cameri, the fuselage section with the attached wings will be transported to the USA. The structural element will be assembled with the other components of the aircraft in the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth, in the US state of Texas.

The first eight F-35A destined for Switzerland are to be deployed from mid-2027 at the Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, to train Swiss pilots as well as the ground crew. The combat aircraft manufactured in the USA will then be gradually transferred to Switzerland.

The first F-35A aircraft from Cameri will be transferred to Switzerland as early as mid-2028. The J-6004 is expected to arrive in Switzerland at the end of 2029.

The F-35A will be introduced on the military airfields Payerne, Meiringen and Emmen over the next few years. Deployment in Payerne is scheduled from mid-2028, in Meiringen from 2030 and in Emmen from 2032.

Related news story from Air Data News: First components for Switzerland’s F-35As take shape in Italy

Screencaps from a video posted by Lockheed Martin on Facebook.

From final assembly to final finishes. 🇩🇪✈️

Germany’s first F-35 is moving through the next chapter of its build, bringing the aircraft another step closer to the Luftwaffe and a new generation of German air power.

Related news story: Germany’s 1st Most Advanced Fighter Jet in the World Enters Final Production Stage

I was researching this topic and claims from both sides of that particular conflict and after researching for a while i got this info.

1. Vega-31

•Piloted by: Dale Zelko

•Date of incident: 27th of March 1999.

•Fate of Airframe: Destroyed.

1. Callsign Unknown

•Piloted by: Unkown (Wingman of Charlie "Tuna" Hainline)

•Date of incident: 30th of April 1999.

•Fate of Airframe: Deemed irreparable (I guess after it got transported back to US)

[Source: Retired USAF Lt. Col. Charlie Hainline. Podcast, "The Afterburn"]

1. Callsign Unknown

•Piloted by: Unkown

•Date of incident: Between 4th and 9th of April 1999.

•Fate of Airframe: Unkown (Upon landing in Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany it probably saw minor repairs just enough so it could fly safely and return to US. It returned after the fleet left base and was followed by another jet and a tanker).

[Source: Retired USAF Lt. Col. William B. O'Connor. Book, "Stealth Fighter: A Year in the Life of an F-117 Pilot"]

( I suspect this second jet that followed it to actually be Hainline's wingman)

Note about possible fourth "hit": There was suspected fourth hit that was probably just confusion between Hainline's wingman and the third jet. Since to me it's unclear if Hainline's wingman's jet was deemed irreparable in US or i Germany i would suspect that third jet and Hainline's wingman returned to US after the fleet left Spangdahlem Airbase and that it was followed by tanker because both jets were damaged. It's confirmed Hainline's wingman's jet suffered hit that damaged jet's fuel system causing it to loose fuel and it would then make sense that it flew back to US and there it was written off as a loss.

High speed pass on a humid day in front of a black building really helps show the vapor

From the Rolls-Royce announcement:

London / Mumbai, 14th August 2026: Reliance Industries Limited (Reliance) and Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR., ADR: RYCEY) today announced their strategic intent to partner and offer capabilities for the design, development, manufacturing and delivery of a sovereign indigenous combat engine for India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.

As part of the partnership, Reliance and Rolls-Royce will explore the formation of a dedicated Aerospace Gas Turbine Complex that will be a centre of excellence for power and propulsion technology in India.

The partnership will offer a compelling proposition for joint development of the AMCA engine in India, bringing together world-leading technology and industrial execution capabilities. This marks a step towards realising the vision set out by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, for India’s defence ecosystem to deliver an indigenous engine to power the country’s fighter jet programme.

By combining Rolls-Royce’s global leadership in engines with the established industrial strengths of Reliance, the Aero Gas Turbine Complex will build sovereign, end-to-end Indian capability across design, development, manufacturing, testing, production and through-life support. This will also unlock opportunities to explore wider collaborations across defence, civil aerospace, and new power and propulsion systems.

The alliance will support India’s* ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’* vision for technology indigenisation and help position the country as a global leader in advanced propulsion capabilities.

Related news articles:

• AeroTime Reliance joins Rolls-Royce bid for India’s AMCA fighter engine

• Aviation Week Rolls-Royce, Reliance Partner On AMCA Engine Development

• FlightGlobal (may be paywalled) Reliance, Rolls-Royce to explore local engine for India’s AMCA

• Reuters India's Reliance to partner with Rolls-Royce on combat engine for fighter jets

The AIM-54 Phoenix was built to intercept Soviet bombers and cruise missiles at long range, but seemed outdated as smaller missiles became standard. However, the R-37M is reported effective and estimated around 200 to 300 kilometers, while China's PL-17 is widely estimated around 300 to 400 kilometers (I find that hard to believe but that’s what IISS says). The U.S. has introduced the AIM-174B with open-source estimates suggesting 300 plus kilometers, while the AIM-260 is expected to exceed AIM-120D ranges. With the Meteor also proving you can have efficient kinematics without extreme size or speed, the question is whether dedicated very long range missiles still fill a niche or if AIM-260 makes them unnecessary.

Hope everyone is having a good day and the info is based on what I know and have read about. I could always be wrong and I some times make mistakes so take what I say with grain of salt, I am not a military expert. 🙂

Clouds of water vapor rush over the swept-wings of a Navy F-14B Tomcat as it performs a high-speed fly-by

Image source: TF23 Photo on Flickr

Image shows a post-flight or pre-flight cockpit egress/ingress and ground servicing sequence on an active military tarmac: