Officials at Arnold AFB, Tenn., in late June dedicated an F-16 on static display at the base to Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Harpe, the highest ranking active duty officer ever to die in an F-16. Harpe was killed on Dec. 5, 1988, when his F-16 crashed in Madrid, Spain, during a routine training mission. At the time, he was commander of 16th Air Force, a component of US Air Forces in Europe. “America needs heroes” like Harpe, said Col. Eugene Mittuch, vice commander of the Arnold Engineering Development Center, at the dedication ceremony. The F-16, he continued, “will stand as a testament to his memory and to all those who have given their lives building the greatest Air Force the world has ever known.” (Arnold report by Joel Fortner)
As with previous stealth aircraft unveilings, the Air Force’s imagery of the F-47 Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter has been doctored to keep adversaries guessing about its true shaping and design philosophy.