$A F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, banks right displaying ordnance to be released during a Weapons System Evaluation Program mission, Jan 14. The 34 FS participated in the first-ever combined WSEP Jan. 12-15. This WSEP combined the live air-to-air missile firing of Combat Archer and the air-to-ground bomb drops of Combat Hammer into one continuous mission. This major undertaking brought together the WSEP evaluators from the 83rd Fighter Weapons Squadron, located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron at Eglin. This new combined mission began with the aircraft load and launch from Tyndall. Then the pilot performed a live missile firing over the Gulf of Mexico. After the missile launch, the pilot connected with a KC-135 Stratotanker from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., for refueling. Then, the pilot flew over the Eglin range to perform a live bomb drop. (U.S. Air Force photo\Tech Sgt. Jason Wilkerson.)$

An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, banks right displaying ordnance to be released during a Weapons System Evaluation Program mission, Jan 14. The 34 FS participated in the first-ever combined WSEP Jan. 12-15. This WSEP combined the live air-to-air missile firing of Combat Archer and the air-to-ground bomb drops of Combat Hammer into one continuous mission. This major undertaking brought together the WSEP evaluators from the 83rd Fighter Weapons Squadron, located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron at Eglin. This new combined mission began with the aircraft load and launch from Tyndall. Then the pilot performed a live missile firing over the Gulf of Mexico. After the missile launch, the pilot connected with a KC-135 Stratotanker from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., for refueling. Then, the pilot flew over the Eglin range to perform a live bomb drop. (U.S. Air Force photo\Tech Sgt. Jason Wilkerson.)

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$A F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, fires a missile at a airborne drone over the Gulf of Mexico Jan 14, during the Combat Archer portion of a mission. The 34 FS participated in the first-ever combined Weapons System Evaluation Program. This WSEP combined the live air-to-air missile firing of Combat Archer and the air-to-ground bomb drops of Combat Hammer into one continuous mission. This major undertaking brought together the WSEP evaluators from the 83rd Fighter Weapons Squadron, located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron at Eglin. This new combined mission began with the aircraft load and launch from Tyndall. Then the pilot performed a live missile firing over the Gulf of Mexico. After the missile launch, the pilot connected with a KC-135 Stratotanker from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., for refueling. Then, the pilot flew over the Eglin range to perform a live bomb drop. (U.S. Air Force photo\Tech Sgt. Jason Wilkerson.)$

An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, fires a AIM-120 at a airborne drone over the Gulf of Mexico Jan 14, during the Combat Archer portion of a mission. The 34 FS participated in the first-ever combined Weapons System Evaluation Program. This WSEP combined the live air-to-air missile firing of Combat Archer and the air-to-ground bomb drops of Combat Hammer into one continuous mission. This major undertaking brought together the WSEP evaluators from the 83rd Fighter Weapons Squadron, located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron at Eglin. This new combined mission began with the aircraft load and launch from Tyndall. Then the pilot performed a live missile firing over the Gulf of Mexico. After the missile launch, the pilot connected with a KC-135 Stratotanker from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., for refueling. Then, the pilot flew over the Eglin range to perform a live bomb drop. (U.S. Air Force photo\Tech Sgt. Jason Wilkerson.)

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$A F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, connects with a KC-135 Stratotanker from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., for a quick gas-n-go during a Weapons System Evaluation Program mission, Jan 14. The 34 FS participated in the first-ever combined WSEP Jan. 12-15. This WSEP combined the live air-to-air missile firing of Combat Archer and the air-to-ground bomb drops of Combat Hammer into one continuous mission. This major undertaking brought together the WSEP evaluators from the 83rd Fighter Weapons Squadron, located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron at Eglin. This new combined mission began with the aircraft load and launch from Tyndall. Then the pilot performed a live missile firing over the Gulf of Mexico. After the missile launch, the pilot connected with a KC-135 Stratotanker from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., for refueling. Then, the pilot flew over the Eglin range to perform a live bomb drop. (U.S. Air Force photo\Tech Sgt. Jason Wilkerson.)$

An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, connects with a KC-135 Stratotanker from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., for a quick gas-n-go during a Weapons System Evaluation Program mission, Jan 14. The 34 FS participated in the first-ever combined WSEP Jan. 12-15. This WSEP combined the live air-to-air missile firing of Combat Archer and the air-to-ground bomb drops of Combat Hammer into one continuous mission. This major undertaking brought together the WSEP evaluators from the 83rd Fighter Weapons Squadron, located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron at Eglin. This new combined mission began with the aircraft load and launch from Tyndall. Then the pilot performed a live missile firing over the Gulf of Mexico. After the missile launch, the pilot connected with a KC-135 Stratotanker from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., for refueling. Then, the pilot flew over the Eglin range to perform a live bomb drop. (U.S. Air Force photo\Tech Sgt. Jason Wilkerson.)

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$A F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, drops a bomb during the Combat Hammer portion of a mission, Jan 14 over the Eglin Air Force Base range in Florida. The 34 FS participated in the first-ever combined Weapons System Evaluation Program. This WSEP combined the live air-to-air missile firing of Combat Archer and the air-to-ground bomb drops of Combat Hammer into one continuous mission. This major undertaking brought together the WSEP evaluators from the 83rd Fighter Weapons Squadron, located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron at Eglin. This new combined mission began with the aircraft load and launch from Tyndall. Then the pilot performed a live missile firing over the Gulf of Mexico. After the missile launch, the pilot connected with a KC-135 Stratotanker from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., for refueling. Then, the pilot flew over the Eglin range to perform a live bomb drop. (U.S. Air Force photo\Tech Sgt. Jason Wilkerson.)$

An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, drops a GBU-38 during the Combat Hammer portion of a mission, Jan 14 over the Eglin Air Force Base range in Florida. The 34 FS participated in the first-ever combined Weapons System Evaluation Program. This WSEP combined the live air-to-air missile firing of Combat Archer and the air-to-ground bomb drops of Combat Hammer into one continuous mission. This major undertaking brought together the WSEP evaluators from the 83rd Fighter Weapons Squadron, located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron at Eglin. This new combined mission began with the aircraft load and launch from Tyndall. Then the pilot performed a live missile firing over the Gulf of Mexico. After the missile launch, the pilot connected with a KC-135 Stratotanker from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., for refueling. Then, the pilot flew over the Eglin range to perform a live bomb drop. (U.S. Air Force photo\Tech Sgt. Jason Wilkerson.)

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53d Wing combines Combat Archer, Hammer into extended mission

Published Jan. 23, 2009