Aerial Combat Training

Images capture pilots and aircrew in aircraft cockpits during training missions, highlighting various aerial views and the excitement of military flight operations.

View from the backseat in a F-16D aircraft of the U.S. Air Force.

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Eric Harris, 1st Combat Camera Squadron, documents 4th Fighter Wing operations during a Turkey Shoot training mission near Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., April 16, 2012. The wing generated nearly 70 aircraft to destroy more than 1,000 targets on bombing ranges across the state to commemorate the 4th Fighter Wing's victory over the Luftwaffe on April 16, 1945.

DM-ST-89-00701. Subject Operation/Series: AGILE SWORD Base: Pensacola State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

011117-F-7910D-018. Subject Operation/Series: NOBLE EAGLE State: District Of Columbia (DC) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: Air Combat Command

A view from the cockpit of an Attack Squadron 176 (VA-176) KA-6D Intruder aircraft in flight above the aircraft carrier USS FORRESTAL (CV 59). Country: Atlantic Ocean (AOC)

DN-SC-87-11310. Base: USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63)

View from the backseat in a F-16D aircraft of the U.S. Air Force.

Two U.S. Air Force EF-111 Ravens deployed to Aviano Air Base, Italy, from the 429th Electronic Combat Squadron, Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, on a mission. The EF-111 Raven is designed to provide electronic countermeasures support for tactical air forces and will detect, sort, identify and nullify different enemy radar. The Raven is deployed in Aviano Air Base, Italy, from the 429th Electronic Combat Squadron, Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico and is in support of the operation to enforce the no fly zone over Bosnia. Exact Date Shot Unknown. Subject Operation/Series: DENY FLIGHT Country: Adriatic Sea

Coast Guard Structures - Air Stations - New Orleans - 26-HK-95-169. AIRSTA NOLA--close-up of pilot in cockpit during flight. Hurricane Katrina

A self-portrait of a photographer in the back seat of a 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron F-15 Eagle aircraft during Exercise Team Spirit '86. The aircraft is equipped with an AIM-9 missile. Subject Operation/Series: TEAM SPIRIT '86 Country: South Korea

CPT Curtis Fetty of the Wisconsin Air National Guard turns his OA-37 Dragonfly aircraft to the left and prepares to fire his 2.75mm rockets at ground targets. Base: Madison State: Wisconsin (WI) Country: United States Of America (USA)

MAJ Richard C. Prien, pilot, 71st Air Rescue Squadron, flies an HH-3E Jolly Green Giant helicopter, one of two squadron HH-3Es being relocated in preparation for the 71st ARS deactivation on June 1ST, 1991. The 210th Air Rescue Squadron, Air National Guard, will take over the 71st ARS Alaskan rescue missions. Country: Unknown

View over the shoulders of two kites on the instrument panel in the cockpit of an MBB BO-105 CB hell copy. MBB = Messerschmitt-Bölkow-blohm.

Pilots, Captain Matt T. Stephens (Left, Hometown: Hazlet, New Jersey) and 1ST Lieutenant Ken A. Shugart (Right, Hometown: Desota Texas) from the 96th Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, in the cockpit preflight their KC-135 aircraft prior to a refueling mission over Jordan in support of the Air Power Expeditionary Force. An ancillary mission of the Force is to assist US Air Force and other multinational forces operating in Saudi Arabia and other nearby countries patrol the no-fly zone over southern Iraq. Subject Operation/Series: AIR POWER EXPEDITIONARY FORCE Country: Jordan (JOR)

Maj. Joshua Higgins, a 122nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron pilot, prepares to start an F-15C Eagle at Leeuwarden Air Base, Netherlands, March 28, 2017. The 122nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, comprised of Louisiana and Florida Air National Guard members, is in Europe as part of a Theater Security Package. For two weeks, fighter aircraft from different countries will carry out various training missions focused on international cooperation, international leadership and precision.

Cockpit View of Pilot of an F-16

DF-ST-85-13491. Subject Operation/Series: COPE NORTH 85-1 Country: Japan (JPN)

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Brandon Williams, a Pocaotella, Idaho native, CH-53E Super Stallion Crew Chief, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 366, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, sits behind a M2A1 .50-caliber machine gun on Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Aug. 31, 2022. HMH-366 aviation maintenance Marines conduct routine preventative maintenance on CH-53E Super Stallion to ensure a constant state of readiness. MCAS New River provides aviation support, force protection, infrastructure, and community services to promote the readiness, sustainment and quality of life for II Marine Expeditionary Force and other military forces, tenant commands, personnel and their families.

U.S. Air Force HC-130J Combat King II loadmasters assigned to the 26th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron airdrop a rescue bundle from a low altitude during an agile combat employment exercise within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Dec 2, 2022. The ACE exercise sharpened the aircrews skills, enabling them to drop rescue bundles critical to the survival of isolated personnel in austere, hostile environments during personnel recovery and combat search and rescue operations.

010811-F-7910D-011. Base: Buckley Air Force Base State: Colorado (CO) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: Air Combat Command

020501-F-7203T-010. Subject Operation/Series: NORTHERN EDGE 2002 Country: United States Of America (USA)

Italian Air Force EF2000 during an in-flight refuelling with a French C-135FR tanker.

Capt. Christopher Prout with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing shoots an AIM-7 Sparrow missile from an F/A-18C Hornet airplane while participating in a deployment for training (DFT) near Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., May 16, 2013. The DFT prepared the squadron for future combat and contingency operations.

Air crew members conduct a preflight check on a Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 140 (VAQ-140) EA-6B Prowler aircraft on the flight deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN-69). Country: Unknown

A Fighter Squadron 32 (VF-32) F-14A Tomcat aircraft takes on fuel from an Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft. VF-32 is deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (CV-67), which is in the Red Sea to support Operation Desert Shield. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT SHIELD Country: Red Sea

070207-F-9629D-010. Base: Shaw Air Force Base State: South Carolina (SC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

DF-ST-86-03914. Subject Operation/Series: WILLIAM TELL '84 Country: Unknown

U.S. Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Nicole Deem, the deputy executive officer of Air Station Detroit, prepares for flight operation, at the Cleveland National Air Show, September 2, 2022. Deem set up the controls for operating a MH-65 Dolphin at the air show.

DF-ST-88-01551. Base: USS Constellation (CV 64)

011113-F-2171A-004. Base: Randolph Air Force Base State: Texas (TX) Country: United States Of America (USA)

The KC-135R Stratotanker pilot from the 155th Air Refueling Wing, Nebraska Air National Guard, checks his emergency oxygen mask during pre-flight checks before deploying in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. ENDURING FREEDOM is in support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), fighting terrorism abroad. Subject Operation/Series: ENDURING FREEDOM Base: Lincoln Municipal Airport State: Nebraska (NE) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: AMC/ANG

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Gogue, a Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) team leader, peers outside during a flight to an investigation location near Xekong Province, Lao People's Democratic Republic, May 10, 2022. A DPAA investigation team searched for and surveyed several locations across the country, gathering key data in the process. Information from the JFA will be used to determine and prioritize future recovery missions. This was the agency's first investigation mission in the country in lieu of new COVID-19 guidelines. The last investigation took place in 2019. DPAAs mission is to achieve the fullest possible accounting for missing and unaccounted-for U.S. personnel to their families and our nation.

From the back seat of a T-33 Shooting Star aircraft, an airman watches another T-33 off his aircraft's right wing. The aircraft are assigned to the 95th Fighter Interceptor Training Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, the last active T-33 squadro. Base: Tyndall Air Force Base State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

120428-N-NL401-260 ARABIAN SEA (April 28, 2012) Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) connect a cargo pendant on an SH-60B Sea Hawk helicopter during a vertical replenishment. James E. Williams is assigned to Combined Task Force 151, a multi-national, mission-based task force working under Combined Maritime Forces, to conduct counter-piracy operations in the Southern Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Somali Basin, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean.

9th Military Airlift Squadron pilots, flying a C-5A Galaxy aircraft, approach a lowered refueling boom during exercise PROUD PHANTOM. Subject Operation/Series: PROUD PHANTOM Base: Cairo West Country: Egypt (EGY)

Dan Kornacki and Canadian Captain Craig Finney fly a C-130E Hercules aircraft of the 435th Squadron based at Canadian Forces Base, Edmonton, Alberta. Kornacki is participating in a program in which US military personnel assigned to Canada exchange areas of expertise with their Canadian counterparts. Country: Canada (CAN)

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jason Williams, a C-17 Globemaster III pilot assigned to the 317th Airlift Squadron, prepares to take fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker during an aerial refueling mission near Joint Base Charleston, SC, May 24th, 2022. Aircrew members routinely perform low-level procedures, aerial refueling, and touch and go maneuvers in South Carolina to sharpen their proficiency and mission readiness.

DA-ST-87-12845. Subject Operation/Series: TEAM SPIRIT '87 Base: Osan Air Base Country: Republic Of Korea (KOR)

Inside the cockpit of a WC-130H Hercules aircraft, flight engineer TSGT Robert Bruhl adjusts the throttle as the aircraft's pilot, CPT carl Blatz, checks over some navigation data cards. The Hercules and its crew from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squad. Country: Gulf Of Mexico

041220-F-2034C-015. Base: Baghdad Country: Iraq (IRQ)

A Pilot assigned to the Oklahoma Air National Guards 138th Fighter Wing maneuvers and F-16 while receiving fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker May 19, 2022. (Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Daniel Ter Haar)

The radar intercept officer aboard a Fighter Squadron 2 (VF-2) F-14A Tomcat aircraft checks the sky behind him as the aircraft banks into a turn during a flight off of the aircraft carrier USS RANGER (CV 61). Country: Indian Ocean (IOC)

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Austin Shivers, a boom operator for the 117th Air Refueling Wing, prepares to refuel F-16 Falcons from the Air National Guard's 187th Fighter Wing, Montgomery, Alabama and F-15 Eagles from the Air National Guard's 159th Fighter Wing, New Orleans, Louisiana, on July 22, 2022. The flight crew wore helmets during the refueling to simulate a need for oxygen situation. (U.S Air National Guard Photos by Senior Airman Nicholas Faddis.)

Lance Cpl. Joseph Vincent, a crew chief with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 773 Detachment A, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, from Lake Charles, Louisiana, eyes his target before conducting fire shooting drills in a UH-1Y Venom during exercise Gunslinger 22 at Smoky Hill Range, Kansas on June 20, 2022. Exercise Gunslinger 22 is a joint exercise with the Kansas Air National Guard and U.S. Marine Corps designed to increase aircraft control and training for potential real world contingencies.

Bölkow BO-105C helicopter. Exercise together with the Royal Netherlands Army.

A Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot prepares for takeoff during exercise Point Blank 22-4 at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, Aug. 24, 2022. Point Blank is an exercise designed to help maintain readiness of allied forces and ensure the collective defense of the European region.

990229-F-9796L-006. Base: Macdill Air Force Base State: Florida (FL) Country: United States Of America (USA)

CPT Roger Elliot, 67th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, preflights his HH-53 Super Jolly helicopter prior to a pararescue training mission. Country: United Kingdom (UK)

The U.S. Army Parachute Team, the Golden Knights” and a member of the U.S. Air Force Academy Wings of Blue” await to jump from a C-147A at the Joint Base Andrews 2022 Air and Space Expo at JBA, Md., Sept. 17, 2022. The Joint Base Andrews 2022 Air & Space Expo was utilized by JBA to connect with, and say "thank you" to the community, the state and the National Capital Region.

Chief Master Sgt. Ronnie Woods, 18th Wing command chief, prepares for a training exercise in an F-15D Eagle assigned to the 44th Fighter Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, March 21, 2023. Woods has been the 18th Wing command chief for two years, serving as the voice of the enlisted force and ensuring Airmen have what they need to deliver decisive airpower to sustain a free and open Indo-Pacific .

The helmet of Lt. Col. Justin Elliott, U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron Thunderbirds” commander, rests on top of the No. 1 Jet at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sept. 12, 2022. Prior to his position as commander of the 130-person squadron, Elliot served as the commander of the 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., and has logged more than 2,000 flight hours with 255 hours of combat pilot experience in 30 aircraft.

010915-F-5920L-010. Base: New York State: New York (NY) Country: United States Of America (USA) Scene Major Command Shown: AMC

DF-ST-85-09233. Subject Operation/Series: AHUAS TARA II (BIG PINE) Country: Honduras (HND)

030717-F-6701P-021. Base: Lungi Country: Sierra Leone (SLE) Scene Major Command Shown: USAFE

Right side view of a Marine AH-1 Sea Cobra helicopter (front section), on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS GUAM (LPH 9) during operations off the coast of Beirut, Lebanon. Base: USS Guam (LPH 9) Country: Mediterranean Sea (MED)

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Thoamas Shiiba, an MV-22 Osprey pilot assigned to the Aviation Combat Element, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, prepares his aircraft for landing during a bilateral exercise in Bardufoss, Norway, April 17, 2022. The 22nd MEU, embarked aboard the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group, is participating in a bilateral training event with the Kingdom of Norways Armed Forces to strengthen U.S. and Norway interoperability, ensuring collective capabilities and steadfast partnerships among NATO allies and partners.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Charles Sanders, from Franklin, Tennessee, an MV-22B Osprey Crew Chief, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365, Marine Aircraft Group 26, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, looks out the back of an MV-22B Osprey after conducting live hoist drills during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-23 near San Clemente Island, California, Oct. 28, 2022. WTI is a seven-week training event hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One, providing standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine aviation training and readiness, and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics.

Helmet and oxygen mask of a military pilot Helmet and oxygen mask of a military pilot. Copyright: xZoonar.com/AlexanderxStrelax 10775099

A left side view of the canopy of an F-14 Tomcat aircraft aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN-69). Country: Unknown

010621-F-2829R-002. Subject Operation/Series: DESERT RESCUE IX Base: Naval Air Station, Fallon State: Nevada (NV) Country: United States Of America (USA)

Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DART) - Marine Safety Office St. Louis - 26-HK-120-80. Hurricane Katrina

An F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft pilot from the 555th Fighter Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy, prepares to launch from Sidi Slimane Air Base, Morocco. 160 people deployed to Morocco in support of Exercise AFRICAN EAGLE. African Eagle is a biannual exercise designed to practice dissimilar air to air training with the Royal Moroccan Air Force. An F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft pilot from the 555th Fighter Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy, prepares to launch from Sidi Slimane Air Base, Morocco. 160 people deployed to Morocco in support of Exercise AFRICAN EAGLE. African Eagle is a biannual exercise designed to practice dissimilar air to air training with the Royal Moroccan Air Force.

U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 315th Airlift Squadron sit on the ramp of a C-17 Globemaster III at Joint Base Charleston, SC., May 12, 2022. The 4th Combat Camera Squadron provides strategic imagery capabilities for the Department of Defense.

A close-up view of LT. Gerald B. Parsons in the back seat of a Fighter Squadron 41 (VF-41) F-14A Tomcat aircraft as he flies a mission during Operation Provide Comfort.. Subject Operation/Series: PROVIDE COMFORT Country: Iraq(IRQ)

Germany, 1961-1962As the Russians tightened their grip on West Berlin, and events appeared to be escalating toward a nuclear showdown in the world, President John F. Kennedy dramatized America's determination by mobilizing 65,460 officers and men of the Army and Air National Guard. Less than 30 days after the mobilization, citizen-airmen of the Air National Guard flew 216 fighter and reconnaissance jet aircraft swiftly and smoothly across the Atlantic in the largest mass deployment of jets in the nation's history. The prompt reaction represented the greatest display of National Guard readiness ever. In a modern version of the "Watch on the Rhine," the Air Guardsmen continued patrolling the skies over Europe until their demobilization a year later. Protecting the NATO nations from surprise attack, the Guardsmen wrote into the record a clear-cut example of the deterrent power of our 20th Century Minute Men, the combat-ready forces of the Air National Guard.

Lance Cpl. Alex Thoele, a CH-53E Super Stallion crew chief with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466 Wolf Pack’ and a Gaylord, Minn., native, watches the skies above San Diego, Nov. 7. Crew members keep their eyes on the skies throughout the flight to ensure other aircraft stay safe distances away from their own.

DF-ST-88-05628. Base: King Salmon State: Alaska (AK) Country: United States Of America (USA)

A close-up view of an F-15 Eagle aircraft backseater over a range, with an F-5 Tiger II aircraft seen outside. The F-5 Tiger II aircraft is assigned to the 57th Fighter Weapons Wing and is loaded with one AIM-9J Sidewinder missile on each wing tip. Base: Nellis Air Force Base State: Nevada (NV) Country: United States Of America (USA)

HH-60 Pave Hawk US Air Force

A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress, assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing, Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, approaches a KC-10 Extender assigned to the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for air refueling support, during a Bomber Task Force mission, over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Sept. 4, 2022. BTF missions demonstrate the U.S.s commitment to regional security and stability by showing how the U.S. will decisively respond to threats against U.S., coalition and partner forces.

120711-N-VO377-104 ARABIAN SEA (July 11, 2012) A plane captain, assigned to the Lancers of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 131, wipes down the canopy of an EA-6B Prowler on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Lincoln is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts.

DF-ST-89-04707. Subject Operation/Series: AMALGAM WARRIOR 88 Base: Elmendorf Air Force Base State: Alaska (AK) Country: United States Of America (USA)

NavCom Station. Lockheed P-3C (Update II) Orion (1981-2005)

View of a pallet of cargo being airdropped from a C-141B Starlifter aircraft, seen from the inside of the aircraft. Base: Charleston Air Force Base State: South Carolina (SC) Country: United States Of America (USA)

U.S. Air Force Capt. Stephen Kent, and Maj. Roderick Mills, C-17 Globemaster III pilots assigned to the 16th Airlift Squadron, fly an aerial refueling proficiency mission near Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, June 30, 2022. The aircrew members also performed touch-and-go, assault landings, and combat offload maneuvers in South Carolina to sharpen their mission readiness.

220910-N-N3764-2004Caribbean Sea - (Sept. 10, 2022) Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 1st Class Benjamin Chellew assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 28, Detachment 8, overlooks an MH-60s Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to HSC-28, Detachment 6, during a photo exercise in the Caribbean Sea, Sept. 10, 2022. Wichita and Billings are deployed to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations to support Joint Interagency Task Force South’s mission, which includes counter-illicit drug trafficking missions in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

Pilot waiving from the cockpit of a Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter plane, Madras Airshow, Oregon.

A U.S. Air Force pilot assigned to the 79th Fighter Squadron waits to taxi before deploying at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., July 19, 2022. The 79th FS and 79th Fighter Generation Squadron deployed to project combat air power and help stabilize the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

Helmet and oxygen mask of a military pilot. Helmet and oxygen mask of a military pilot.

Student performing a virtual mission at T-346's simulator at Lecce-Galatina Air Base, Italy.

Capt. Erica Stooksbury, 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, C-17 Globemaster III pilot, talks with her co-pilot 1st Lt. Mark Benischek, during a humanitarian airdrop mission over Iraq, Aug. 9, 2014. The humanitarian aid includes bottled water and food which was delivered to displaced citizens in the vicinity of Sinjar, Iraq.

U.S. Army Sgt. Jon Baldwin, Crew Chief of the HH-60M Blackhawk, hoists a simulated casualty as part of Survive, Evade, Resist, Escape (SERE) recovery training during this years Joint Pacific Readiness Center excercise at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska March 29, 2023. JPMRC-AK 23-02, executed in Alaska with its world-class training facilities and its harsh Arctic environment, builds Soldiers and leaders into a cohesive team of skilled, tough, alert, and adaptive warriors capable of fighting and winning anywhere.

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