Some USAF F-16 pilots participating in Viper Lance ‘06 in Romania have gotten to fly the backseat of Romanian Air Force MiG-21s and returned the favor to their Romanian counterparts. Viper pilot 1st Lt. Coleman McDonald says the MiG-21 Lancer has some avionics similar to the F-16 but has different performance and handling characteristics. Romanian MiG-21 pilot 1st Lt. Lates Catalin believes the USAF F-16 pilots are “very well trained” and calls the F-16 “a superior aircraft.”
In a show force over the Pacific, the U.S. conducted separate bilateral exercises with South Korea and Japan in response to North Korea’s May 24 ballistic missile test. The North’s test reportedly included an intercontinental ballistic missile, launched while President Joe Biden flew home from the region. Also on May…