Ten Minnesota Air National Guard F-16s (including a "Viper" with a new paint scheme) enroute to Kandahar, Afghanistan.

August 12, 2012 Military Aviation

David Cenciotti

On Aug. 12, ten Minnesota Air National Guard F-16CJs belonging to the 148th FW “Bulldogs” from Duluth International Airport arrived in Morón, Spain.

The two flights, respectively using the radio callsigns “Cube 21-26” and “Cube 31-36”, are enroute to Kandahar, in Afghanistan.

Among all the aircraft involved in the deployment (91-0336, 91-0388, 91-0341, 96-0082, 96-0081, 91-0391, 91-0405, 91-0406, 91-0408, 91-0409) “Cube 31”, the example serialled 91-0391, sported a brand new dark grey paint scheme (with seemingly shades of gold).

Image credit: Antonio Muñiz Zaragüeta

Photo: F-16 and F-15 pilots using sunshades attached to the canopy to keep the cockpit cooler during long range flights (theaviationist.com)

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.