The centrepiece of the entire US effort early during Operation Allied Force was the Aviano-based 31st Fighter Wing. While massively expanded during the campaign into expeditionary status, this originally included only 510th and 555th Fighter Squadrons, each equipped with 18 F-16CG DG Block 40s. Standard weapons configuration for most of the campaign consisted of AN/AAQ-13 and AN/AAQ-14 LANTIRN pods installed either side of the intake, ALQ-131 ECM-pods under the centreline, up to four GBU-12 LGBs, and a pair each of AIM-120s and AIM-9Ms. Shown here is the F-16CG Block 40D jet serial number 88-550, which had served with the 70th FS (Moddy AFB) until 1993, and then with the 526th FS (Ramstein AB) before being assigned to the 555th FS in March 1994. A year later, it was assigned to the CO ‘Triple Nickel’ Squadron, Lieutenant Colonel David Goldfein and went into the war marked accordingly. It was shot down by V.601s of the 3rd Battalion, 250th Missile Brigade RV i PVO, on 2 May 1999, still wearing this livery. (Artwork by Tom Cooper)