Pilot Missing After F-16 Crash, Saturday Update: An F-16 assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB, Ariz., crashed Friday about noon some 50 miles northwest of Wickenburg in the Buckskin Mountains, reports the Arizona Republic. According to an initial USAF statement, the pilot, whose name is being withheld, was on an air-to-air training mission. Saturday: In a subsequent statement, USAF said the F-16 wreckage had been spotted about 10:30 p.m. Friday night in a remote area and rugged terrain. A helicopter took a search and rescue party in to the site. SAR actions continued through the night and into Saturday, but there was no word on the pilot.
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…