"Just a nice Picture...!"

WP coded 35th Fighter Squadron "Pantons" F-16CM Fighting Falcon, with serial number 89-2058, sees itself in the mirror.

From 13 June through 23 June 2023, the 35th Fighter Squadron "Pantons", part of the 8th Fighter Wing "Wolf Pack", trained with Tentara Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU, Indonesian Air Force) SkU 16 F-16C/Ds at Roesmin Nurjadin Air Force Base near Pekanbaru (Indonesia).

For the 10th time the exercise, named "Cope West 23", was held in Indonesia. The "Pantons", normally based at Kunsan Air Base (Republic of Korea) trained with Indonesian Air Force Fighting Falcons highlighting 74 years of US-Indonesian diplomatic relations.

Cope West had three objectives. The first was to enhance interoperability between the US and the Indonesian Air Force. The second was the exchange of techniques related to Air-to-Air fighter employment. And the third was to promote stability through relationship building in the region.

Established in Japan after World War II in 1948, the 8th Fighter Wing flew combat missions throughout the Korean War. Redesignated the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing in 1958, it remained in Japan until 1964. After a year in California, it moved to Southeast Asia, where its F-4 Phantom II crews earned the nicknames "MiG killers" and "bridge busters". In 1974 the wing relocated to Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, where it was redesignated the 8th Fighter Wing in 1992.

Credit photo: USAF