A weapon systems video still photograph shows
the airstrike that occurred on September 25, 2007.

On September 25, a US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon dropped precision munitions near Al Nussayyib, Iraq, killing three terrorists. Abu Nasr al-Tunisi and two other al-Qaida Iraq operatives were killed when two laser-guided 500-lb joint direct attack munition guided bomb unit-12 bombs fell on the terrorist safe house they were meeting in.

“Airpower is crucial to setting the conditions for stability in Iraq,” said Lieutenant General Gary L. North, commander of the Combined Air Forces component. “Airpower overhead provides capability to the fight with precision targeting, which was used on (September 25, 2007) to ensure these individuals could no longer target innocent Iraqi citizens.”

Coalition Air Forces provide close air support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, theater airlift, air-to-air refueling and aeromedical evacuation, all of which are crucial for the joint force commanders, joint and combined forces, and the forces of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force operations.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon, first produced in 1976, was designed as a lightweight fighter but has evolved into a successful multirole aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven its worth in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack in various missions. The USAF plans to retain it until 2025.