The District of Columbia Air National Guard dedicated an F-16 static display outside the Joint Forces Headquarters at the D.C. National Guard Armory. The early-block F-16A arrived from storage at Davis Monthan AFB, Ariz., in 2012, and was repainted in the colors of the D.C. Air Guard’s 113th Wing earlier this year, prior to the Dec. 7 dedication ceremony, according to a posting at the wing’s Facebook page. The jet was “flown by numerous 113th pilots during its time in service, both as an operational and training aircraft,” states the posting. The jet was the eighth F-16A to roll off the production line and previously served with the Arizona ANG’s 162nd Fighter Wing before retiring in 1993, according to the plaque that stands before the display. It joins an Army National Guard UH-1D helicopter on static display, representing the joint-force air missions that provide air sovereignty alert and helicopter support to the National Capital Region. The D.C. Air Guard’s 121st Fighter Squadron transitioned from the F-4D to the F-16A model in 1990 before upgrading to the current F-16C model in 1994.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.