Touch down! Wisconsin Air National Guard F-16C of the 176th Fighter Squadron burns some rubber on the concrete of Volk Field during Exercise Northern Lightning 2017.

Five black beauties on the flight line of Volk Field during Exercise Northern Lightning 2017.

Exercise Northern Lightning 2017. The double nuts, or the Commander Air Group (CAG) aircraft of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 209 "Star Warriors" flies with full "colourful" markings. The AF-500 (00 representing the double nuts) has Vader painted in letters on the fuselage and an image of it on the tails (both from the squadrons mascotte Darth Vader)

Burner take-off of Lightning II of 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron during Exercise Northern Lightning 2017. It was the first time that this 5th gen aircraft participated in this exercise. The 422nd is normally based at Eglin AFB (Fl).

EA-18G Growler of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 209 "Star Warriors". The US Naval Reserve squadron, based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (WA), wears the mascot of Darth Vader. Exercise Northern Lightning 2017.

The South Dakota ANG is the proud owner of 175th FS Bulldogs. The F-16CM/DMs are painted in the Radar Absorbing Have Glass colours. Five aircraft arrived at Volk Field during Exercise Northern Lightning 2017 for just a lunch break during their air-superiority mission over nearby Wisconsin ranges. This Viper is armed with AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missiles on wingtip weapon stations 1 and 9, and underneath the wings (stations 2 and 8), the newest Sidewinder version, the AIM-9X is placed. Underneath the centre fuselage (station 8), an ALQ-184 Electronic Counter Measures pod is attached.

The Lightning II, I still name it a cameleon... it does not matter from what angle you take a picture of the stealthy aircraft, its grey color, the (sun) glance, the additional Radar Absorbing Material (RAM) lines (that look like duct tape over fuselage panels), the canopy and so on... this all look always different.

Old and beautiful, a Talon of the USAF during its take-off from Volk Field. Five T-38As of Langley AFB (VA) participated in exercise Northern Lightning 2017 and acted as Red-Air.

Very low transition of a Langley Raptor during exercise Northern Lightning 2017.