The Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing in Burlington has just flown one of its Block 25 F-16s past 7,000 flying hours, the first F-16C to accumulate so many hours, reports the Burlington Free Press. ANG Lt. Col. Thomas Jackman flew tail No. 83-001165 on its milestone flight on March 24. Improvements over the years to the Air Force’s F-16 fleet have extended the fighter’s service life beyond the original 4,000 hours.
As the threat of Iranian-made drones grew, the Air Force rushed last year to equip F-15E Strike Eagles in the Middle East with a cheap, cost-effective way of defeating them. The service fielded the new capability in roughly a week.
