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Aircraft:
General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon
- Reg: MM7251 photos
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Serial #:
M22-16/61-482
- Airline: Italy - Air Force
- Photo Date: Aug 26, 2021
- Uploaded: Sep 01, 2022
- Vigna di Valle - LIRB, Italy
Notes:
Preserved at Italian Air Force museum of Vigna di Valle. The Peace Caesar program was born from the need of the Italian Air Force to equip itself with a fighter aircraft for the air defense of the national territory while awaiting the entry into service of the new Eurofighter 2000 Typhoon. The program started on March 15, 2001 with the signing between Italy and the United States of the Foreign Military Sale, a contract that provided for the supply of 45,000 flight hours from 2003 to 2010 using 34 F-16 Fighting Falcon units. which would remain the property of the United States and returned upon termination of employment. The contract also provided for the training of pilots and technicians in the U.S.A. and full logistical support. Of the 34 specimens, 30 were taken in the ADF (Advanced Day Fighter) version and four in the OCU (Operational Conversion Unit) two-seater version. The 37th Wing of Trapani-Birgi and the 5th Wing of Cervia were selected to accommodate the F-16s. The first three aircraft arrived in Trapani-Birgi on June 28, 2003, the first F-16s destined for Cervia arrived on January 1, 2004. In 2009, the Peace Caesar program was extended until the first half of 2012 and the total flight hours it was extended to 47,800 without any additional burden on the defense administration. During the nine years of service carried out, the F-16s were used for the defense of the national airspace facilitating the phase-in of the Eurofigther, which came online in 2004. Together with the Typhoon, it took part in the most important events that took place in Italy in the recent years: Operation Jupiter, carried out on the occasion of the inauguration of the pontificate of Benedict XVI in April 2005; the 2006 Winter Olympics and the joint military operation Giotto 2009, which guaranteed the safety device in favor of the G8 summit held in L'Aquila. In 2011, the F-16s participated in operations Odyssey Dawn and Unified Protector and were used for patrol and air defense missions as part of the no-fly zone established over Libyan skies. The specimen on display (MM7251) served at the 5th Wing of Cervia, also as a special color of the 23rd Group, until the closure of the same in 2010 and then assigned to the 37th Wing of Trapani Birgi.
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Notes
Preserved at Italian Air Force museum of Vigna di Valle. The Peace Caesar program was born from the need of the Italian Air Force to equip itself with a fighter aircraft for the air defense of the national territory while awaiting the entry into service of the new Eurofighter 2000 Typhoon. The program started on March 15, 2001 with the signing between Italy and the United States of the Foreign Military Sale, a contract that provided for the supply of 45,000 flight hours from 2003 to 2010 using 34 F-16 Fighting Falcon units. which would remain the property of the United States and returned upon termination of employment. The contract also provided for the training of pilots and technicians in the U.S.A. and full logistical support. Of the 34 specimens, 30 were taken in the ADF (Advanced Day Fighter) version and four in the OCU (Operational Conversion Unit) two-seater version. The 37th Wing of Trapani-Birgi and the 5th Wing of Cervia were selected to accommodate the F-16s. The first three aircraft arrived in Trapani-Birgi on June 28, 2003, the first F-16s destined for Cervia arrived on January 1, 2004. In 2009, the Peace Caesar program was extended until the first half of 2012 and the total flight hours it was extended to 47,800 without any additional burden on the defense administration. During the nine years of service carried out, the F-16s were used for the defense of the national airspace facilitating the phase-in of the Eurofigther, which came online in 2004. Together with the Typhoon, it took part in the most important events that took place in Italy in the recent years: Operation Jupiter, carried out on the occasion of the inauguration of the pontificate of Benedict XVI in April 2005; the 2006 Winter Olympics and the joint military operation Giotto 2009, which guaranteed the safety device in favor of the G8 summit held in L'Aquila. In 2011, the F-16s participated in operations Odyssey Dawn and Unified Protector and were used for patrol and air defense missions as part of the no-fly zone established over Libyan skies. The specimen on display (MM7251) served at the 5th Wing of Cervia, also as a special color of the 23rd Group, until the closure of the same in 2010 and then assigned to the 37th Wing of Trapani Birgi.Camera
Nikon D500 | Tokina AT-X 11-20mm f/2.8 PRO DX Show Exif data-
Aircraft
- Reg: MM7251 photos
-
Aircraft:
General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon
- Airline: Italy - Air Force
-
Serial #:
M22-16/61-482
-
Photo Location
-
Vigna di Valle - LIRB
- Italy
