picture 190204

493rd EFS had maintained a sizeable detachment at Aviano AB in northern Italy on an on-off basis since 1992 but by the time of Operation Allied Force its F-15Cs were deployed at Cervia AB, further south. The squadron provided top cover for all the strike packages during the first night of Operation Allied Force, and for up to two CAP-stations over Bosnia and Herzegovina. This F-15C MSIP-II – serial 86-0169 – was flown by Lieutenant Colonel Cesar ‘Rico’ Rodriguez when he shot down a single MiG-29 during the opening night of the war. Notable is its – as of 1999 still unusual – weapons configuration consisting of six AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles (in addition to two AIM-9M Sidewinders, installed on the inboard side of the underwing pylons), and a kill marking applied in the form of a ‘Serbian flag’ but with the colours in the wrong order (blue, red and white, instead of red, blue and white for Serbia, or blue, white and red for Yugoslavia). The inset shows the crest of the 493rd Fighter Squadron. (Artwork by Tom Cooper)