This is one of the coolest images I’ve seen in years: cockpit view as Marines F-18 fires live missile

The following image is going viral on social networks.

The reason is obvious: is an absolutely stunning photograph, just released by the U.S. Marine Corps, showing Capt. Christopher Prout with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing as he shoots an AIM-7 Sparrow missile from an F/A-18C Hornet near Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, on May 16, 2013.

VMFA-232 moved to Tyndall for a deployment for training (DFT) used to prepare the squadron for future combat and contingency operations.

F-18 shooting

Image credit: U.S. Marine Corps

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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.