F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters from Holloman Air Force Base and F-35A Lightning II aircraft from Luke Air Force Base have begun a week-long cycle of joint training exercises aimed at strengthening interoperability between fourth- and fifth-generation platforms of the U.S. Air Force (USAF).
The maneuvers are designed to improve the U.S. Air Force’s ability to plan and execute complex combat operations in forward-deployed scenarios. To that end, airmen from multiple specialties are taking part, working in a coordinated manner on the planning, generation, and execution of missions that replicate real operational demands.
The training focuses on integrating aircraft with different technological capabilities. While the F-35A brings advanced sensors and data-fusion capabilities that allow threats to be detected, tracked, and shared in real time, the F-16s contribute their flexibility and versatility as multirole platforms. The combination of both systems seeks to optimize information sharing and tactical coordination in contested environments.
“This type of joint training is critical,” said Colonel John Ethridge, commander of the 49th Wing at Holloman Air Force Base. “It ensures that our airmen can operate together seamlessly, regardless of the aircraft or home base, and adapt quickly to mission requirements anywhere in the world.”
From the 56th Fighter Wing command, Brigadier General David Berkland highlighted the importance of early integration of this kind: “Mastering fighter integration now, during the training phase, prepares our pilots for greater lethality when they deploy.”
The success of air operations also depends on coordinated work on the ground. Maintenance personnel from both bases operate jointly to keep the aircraft mission-ready, carrying out inspections, repairs, and sortie-generation tasks under demanding timelines. At the same time, weapons teams configure the aircraft with the necessary munitions to ensure each sortie is executed at full capability.
Pilots from both platforms underscored the value of joint training, noting that these missions build trust, communication, and mutual understanding of the role each aircraft plays in a combat scenario. The experience is also highly relevant for command and control teams responsible for coordinating airspace, logistics, and operational timelines among multiple units.
By training as an integrated force, airmen reinforce skills directly applicable to real-world operations, where rapid deployment, integration with other units, and sustained combat power in complex environments are essential.
“This is how we maintain readiness,” Berkland concluded. “We build ready teams through realistic, integrated, disciplined training, prepared to act wherever airpower is required.”
*Images sourced from DVIDS /
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