u/bob_the_impala

Image source: Cristofoli_Spotting on Facebook

>Giornata relax in quel di Aviano 18/8/26🇮🇹🇺🇸☀️

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General Dynamics F-16C Block 40 Fighting Falcon, USAF serial number 87-0350:

>0350 (MSN 1C-1) Active in 2008 with 555th Fighter Squadron/31st Fighter Wing at Aviano AB, Italy.

Source: Joe Baugher's serial number lists

F-16.net Airframe Details has more detailed service history, including deployments to Allied Force (1999), Iraqi Freedom (2005), and Enduring Freedom (2015).

AirHistory.net has a nice selection of photos of 87-0350 over the years, as do most of the other aircraft photo / spotting websites.

This photo at Planespotters.net shows the other side of the tail, with "Operation Bolo."

Operation Bolo

Image source: Swiss F-35A on track: First components will be manufactured in Italy

From the armasuisse Federal Office for Defence Procurement announcement:

>In the Leonardo plant in Cameri in the Italian province of Novara, important components for the first Swiss F-35A are currently being manufactured. The fuselage section with the serial number MJ-4 assembled here, as well as the wing, will later become part of the Swiss aircraft with the military registration J-6004.

>With the manufacture of these components, the new combat aircraft fleet is gradually taking shape. After manufacture is completed in Cameri, the fuselage section with the attached wings will be transported to the USA. The structural element will be assembled with the other components of the aircraft in the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth, in the US state of Texas.

>The first eight F-35A destined for Switzerland are to be deployed from mid-2027 at the Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, to train Swiss pilots as well as the ground crew. The combat aircraft manufactured in the USA will then be gradually transferred to Switzerland.

>The first F-35A aircraft from Cameri will be transferred to Switzerland as early as mid-2028. The J-6004 is expected to arrive in Switzerland at the end of 2029.

>The F-35A will be introduced on the military airfields Payerne, Meiringen and Emmen over the next few years. Deployment in Payerne is scheduled from mid-2028, in Meiringen from 2030 and in Emmen from 2032.

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Related news story from Air Data News: First components for Switzerland’s F-35As take shape in Italy

Screencaps from a video posted by Lockheed Martin on Facebook.

>From final assembly to final finishes. 🇩🇪✈️

>Germany’s first F-35 is moving through the next chapter of its build, bringing the aircraft another step closer to the Luftwaffe and a new generation of German air power.

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Related news story: Germany’s 1st Most Advanced Fighter Jet in the World Enters Final Production Stage

Image source: TF23 Photo on Flickr

Image source: Putra Ricky Facebook post to 4Aviation flightline

Sukhoi Su-30MK2, c/n 79820385614, TNI AU serial number TS-3002. Source: Scramble database

Image source: Japan Air Self-Defense Force_ENG on Facebook

>JASDF E-2D conducted a joint flight with PhilAirForce in the airspace near the Philippines while returning from exercises in Australia. JASDF continues to deepen defense cooperation and exchanges through strong partnership with PAF and remains committed to FOIP. 🇵🇭🤝🇯🇵

First photo: Cristofoli_Spotting on Facebook

>Verona qualche anno fa.🇮🇹

Second photo: Airplane-Pictures.net

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Panavia Tornado IDS, c/n 386/IS045/5055, AMI serial number MM7046. Gate guard at Ghedi (BS), with special black 'Ghedi 100' color scheme. Source - Scramble database

Image source: Peter Steinemann post to 4Aviation flightline on Facebook

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McDonnell Douglas F-4E-37-MC Phantom II, USAF serial number 68-0365:

>0365 (MSN 3435) 1976: USAF 31st TFW. 1979: USAF 36th TFS (51st CW). California ANG 196th TFS. Named "The Fiend" with 36th TFS;51st TFW at Osan AB, South Korea in 1988. USAF 63rd TFS (51st TFW) To South Korean AF as 80-365 in 1989

Source: Joe Baugher's serial number lists

Image source: Exercise Pitch Black 26

>Exercise Pitch Black 26 (PB26) is the Royal Australian Air Force’s biennial capstone, international air combat exercise with participating nations from a range of regional and allied partners. Held between 20 July and 07 August 2026, PB26 will take place primarily in Northern Australia, with participants flying from RAAF Bases Darwin, Tindal and Amberley. PB26 is the premier air power exercise in the region that strengthens global partnerships and sharpens the readiness of partner nations through integrated training and deeper cultural ties.

Photos from this official announcement: X-62 VISTA sets precedents with Mission Systems Upgrades, aligns human researchers with AI development for the warfighter

> EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Amidst planned upgrades, the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School’s Research Division simultaneously executed two accelerated test programs, HAVE HEAT and HAVE HOLIDAYS, utilizing the X-62 VISTA here throughout April 2026.

>Driven by the Test Resource Management Center’s X-62 Mission Systems Upgrades (MSU), these latest milestones reflect continued emphasis on the safe acceleration of artificial intelligence and autonomy capabilities for the warfighter.

>HAVE HEAT: Autonomous AI sensor-to-vehicle control

>Leveraging Lockheed Martin’s Infrared Search and Track Legion Pod during the HAVE HEAT program], the X-62 VISTA platform demonstrated the ability of AI agents to ingest live infrared sensor data, directing the X-62 to autonomously intercept an airborne target in real time.

>“HAVE HEAT represents a meaningful expansion of avionics capability towards integrated, AI-driven control of multiple sensors and air vehicles for mission autonomy. This bridges a capability gap and positions us to test advanced autonomy faster,” says Lt. Col. Joshua Strafaccia, dean of faculty for research, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School.

>HAVE HOLIDAYS: Integrating framework required for advanced technology evaluation

>In parallel, HAVE HOLIDAYS saw simultaneous integration and evaluation of a wide suite of modular technologies into the X-62’s Enterprise Open Mission System Architecture computer. This included the integration of a non-prime, third-party autonomous agent onto the X-62, testing of enhanced safety rules to prevent autonomous vehicles from violating user-established operational limits, and further chip integration for advanced sensor exploitation.

>This system-of-systems test served as critical technical risk mitigation on the design and development of logistics and integration frameworks required to maximize flight opportunities post-MSU, paving the way for broader government, academic, and industry partnerships.

>Preparing for X-62 VISTA’s future

>All ground testing across the blended team of military, government and contractor engineers was completed within three months, with HAVE HEAT and HAVE HOLIDAYS executed in parallel under compressed timelines.

>The swift execution of both test campaigns proves X-62’s suitability for rapid experimentation at the speed of relevance, while collectively highlighting the school’s ability to support a high technology evaluation tempo.

>The next phase of the MSU will allow the integration of the RTX PhantomStrike radar, an expanded sensor and computing capacity, and the addition of modern network data communications. The completion of the MSU effort will position X-62 as a foundational enabler for the Air Force’s highest-priority programs, while continuing its legacy as a national asset.

>“X-62 is continued proof that an agile, dedicated team can rapidly advance Department of War initiatives through intentional collaboration. Accomplishing these significant milestones is a direct reflection of the adaptability and warfighter focus personified by all members of the school,” says Col. Maryann Karlen, commandant, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School.  

>Under the Air Force Test Center, maintaining an established testbed such as the X-62 VISTA through the Air Force Test Pilot School provides consistency for continued national investment in human-machine teaming without sacrificing safety or human contributions to the AI models developed.

>This unique ownership allows researchers to utilize a common operating environment for rapidly developing, testing, and refining unique capabilities of significant importance while simultaneously ensuring future test leaders are ready to execute across their domains.

>The Air Force Test Pilot School and Test Resource Management Center will next convene key stakeholders at Edwards Air Force Base during the inaugural X-62 Research Symposium on Aug. 11-13. Interested parties should reach out directly to the school’s Research Division.

U.S. Air Force photos by Lindsey Iniguez

Lockheed Martin announcement: Skunk Works® Advances Sensor-Powered AI Fighter Intercept

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Related news articles:

• Air Data News Lockheed demonstrates AI-controlled fighter intercepts using live sensor data

• Air & Space Forces Magazine AI-Driven X-62 Intercepts Crewed Jets in Test

• FlightGlobal (may be paywalled) US Air Force demonstrates AI-led intercept of airborne targets with X-62

• The Aviationist X-62 VISTA Conducts AI-Controlled Intercepts with IRST Pod

• The War Zone X-62A Toting Infrared Search And Track Pod Used Its AI ‘Brain’ To Autonomously Intercept An ‘Enemy’ T-38