The new paint scheme of Top Aces’ F-16 mimics that of the Russian Su-57 “Felon” fighter jet.
On Aug. 4, 2025, one of Top Aces’ former Israeli Air Force F-16A Netz aircraft was spotted flying for the first time with an eye-catching new adversary paint scheme. The livery is clearly inspired by the Russian Su-57 and has been dubbed the “Felon paint job.”
The aircraft flew from Mesa Gateway Airport, where Top Aces performs maintenance on its F-16s, to Luke AFB, Arizona, as ACES 51. It then carried out a local mission from Luke over Arizona under the callsign ACES 1. The mission could be tracked online on flight tracking websites Flightradar24.com and ADSBExchange.com.
One or two photos of the jet being wheeled out of the paint barn at Mesa had surfaced online, but its return to Luke AFB offered a better look at the new color scheme, thanks to the shots taken by William Ellison.
The F-16, tail number N871TA and bort number “284” Red, features a low-visibility, splinter-style grey camouflage pattern similar to that used by Russia’s fifth-generation stealth fighter. The two-tone scheme includes angular transitions across the airframe, mimicking the faceted radar-evading design philosophy of the T-50/Su-57.
The jet also carries Soviet-style red stars on the tail and wings and, on the tail fin, a Cyrillic script that reads “Опыт Важен” (translating to “Experience Matters”), a subtle nod to Top Aces’ core mission of providing highly experienced pilots and realistic threat emulation for U.S. and allied forces.
Interestingly, the aircraft also retains the kill marking it earned in September 1981, when Netz #284 shot down a Syrian MiG-23.
The F-16A Netz (Hawk) is one of the aircraft which were retired from the Israeli Air Force at the end of 2016 and delivered in the US in 2021. While aircraft N871TA had retained a paint scheme similar to the one worn while still in service with the Israeli Air Force, Top Aces had already begun repainting its F-16s with more Aggressor-style liveries. Last year, we reported on one of their jets sporting a “Flanker Blue” color scheme, inspired by the one used by some F-16s of the U.S. Air Force’s 64th Aggressor Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. It’s safe to believe Top Aces will adopt additional paint schemes beyond the Flanker Blue and Felon to its F-16 fleet.
In 2021, Top Aces Corp. received its first batch of four F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Israeli Air Force, out of a total order of 29 aircraft. These jets, were delivered to the U.S. company with unspecified configurations and subsequently upgraded to a standard that is known as F-16 AAF (Advanced Aggressor Fighter).
The enhancements included the proprietary Advanced Aggressor Mission System (AAMS), which allows the F-16s to accurately replicate near-peer adversary fighters, enhancing training realism for U.S. pilots. This system, combined with AESA radars, Scorpion Helmet Mounted Displays, datalinks, and electronic countermeasures, provides a comprehensive suite of simulated advanced threats, although the aircraft operate in a clean configuration with simulated weapons only. Interestingly, the Top Aces’ F-16s have been equipped with IRST pods since 2024.
Such upgrades make them credible surrogates for advanced threat aircraft, such as the Su-35 or Su-57.
