Flares! Flares! Flares! The BAF F-16 solo display during the Rome International Air Show

On Jun. 2, the Belgian Air Component F-16 solo demo team performed a pyrotechnic air display during the rehearsals of the Rome International Air Show 2012.

The F-16 MLU released several flares, aerial infrared countermeasures made of a composition based on hot-burning metal used to counter heat seeking air-to-air or surface-to-air missiles: flares generate temperatures equal to or hotter than engine exhaust attracting the missile’s seeker head.

About David Cenciotti
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.