From The Archives: F-16A In Close Air Support

The cover of Aviation Week & Space Technology’s June 18, 1990, - 35 Years Ago in Aviation Week - issue featured 174th Tactical Fighter Wing F-16As flying to verify the aircraft's performance when equipped with a General Electric GPU-5 30- mm. gun pod. 

The aircraft with the gun pod and 500-lb. bombs (rear) flew with a clean aircraft (foreground) carrying only inert AIM 9L Sidewinder missiles. 

The 174th TFW's 138th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Syracuse, N. Y., is dedicated to close air support, and was the only F-16 unit in the Air Force using the GPU-S. 

General Dynamics photo by Gary Tolbert.

Read the F-16A flight report on page 36 - Syracuse Wing Finds F-16A Effective In Close Air Support 

June 18 1990 | Aviation Week

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