An F-16 fighter assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano AB, Italy, crashed Sept. 18 while on a routine high-altitude training mission. The pilot, Maj. Timothy Palmer, ejected and was undergoing medical evaluation but appeared in good condition. The aircraft crashed in a remote area northwest of the base. An accident investigation is underway.
A combined Navy and Air Force program is seeking to build a smaller version of a ubiquitous air-to-air missile that could give advanced aircraft, such as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, greater magazine depth in a high-end fight.