In these new photos released by CENTCOM, a small silhouette of a high-speed anti-radiation missile can be seen drawn beneath the cockpit, indicating that the jet may have been responsible for destroying an Iranian air defense base.
A small but clear indication would almost certainly indicate a direct hit on an Iranian air defense radar site or surface-to-air missile unit. The AGM-88 High-Velocity Anti-Radar Missile (HARM) allows aircraft to aim and fire directly at hostile radar emitters.
Computers on board the aircraft can classify emissions based on known radar operating frequencies and characteristics – important data collected by platforms such as the RC-135U Combat Sent.
Awesome photo of the American AGM-39 HARM launch from the Su-27S1M from 88 BrTA.
HARM works like this: Manual guidance of radar emissions from air defense radars or, in newer variants, INS/GPS guidance for approach by coordinates and home-on-jam mode.
1/ pic.twitter.com/xCvOggKDzx— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝕯𝔢𝔞𝔡 𝕯𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔠𝔱Δ 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇺🇲🇬🇷 (@TheDeadDistrict) November 3, 2025
Photo shows F-16C Fighting Falcon 00-0226 transporting air-to-air munitions over an undisclosed location in the Middle East. An AIM-120 AMRAAM is mounted at each wingtip station, and the next station is equipped with an AIM-9X Sidewinder. Aside from the external fuel tank, the remaining loadout under the starboard wing is obscured by the LITENING targeting pod.
On the other side of the LITENING pod is a particularly HARM Targeting System (HTS), meaning that the obscured pylons may have carried HARMs. An empty ejector rack is visible on the port wing, indicating that either the jet was returning from a live sortie and extended air to ground weapons in the photo, or the weapons were simply not removed when the aircraft was spawned for another sortie.
A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet is flying over the Middle East. U.S. forces throughout the region remain mission-ready. pic.twitter.com/Fh6Q2z6nBG
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 9, 2026
Because the images were released through social media channels, there is no built-in metadata to know exactly when the images were taken, specifically whether they were before the US-Iran ceasefire. Despite the ceasefire, which the United States insists is still in effect, U.S. aircraft began airstrikes in May. On the 7th, “Iranian military facilities responsible for attacks on U.S. forces” were targeted.
Other released images show a mixed loadout being used, with HARMs equipped with guided bombs. Using this type of loadout would have become more common in the later stages of Operation Epic Fury after most dedicated SEAD (Suppression Enemy Air Defense) missions had already been flown.
A USAF F-16CM from the 480th Fighter Squadron “Warhawks” departs Jordan for a Wild Weasel SAM hunting mission over Iran. pic.twitter.com/wXdvN9Kly6
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) March 8, 2026
Sending the jet into combat with a single HARM allows it to SEAD when areas of resistance to air defense capabilities are found, but at the same time frees up the aircraft as a more generalized asset for other types of anti-ground attacks.
79th Fighter Squadron
We’re not 100% sure which unit the jet was operating with at the time, but with such a huge number of fighter jets currently deployed in the Middle East, there’s a lot of room for pooling the aircraft between units. The aircraft bears the markings of the 79th Fighter Wing, based at the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina.
The 79th FS is a specialized unit of SEAD that assumed the role after receiving its first F-16 in 1994. Dating back to 1918, this unit is one of the most historic units in the U.S. Air Force, with a history of operating aircraft such as the P-38 Lightning, P-51 Mustang, F-100 Super Sabre, and F-111 Aardvark.
Let’s take a look at the archives. What about the F-111?
67-0120/UH F-111E 20th TFW, 79th TFS, RAF Upper Heyford. It is displayed as “Captain”. 20 TFW commander’s aircraft. It is now preserved at the American Air Museum in Duxford. Taken at RAF Finningley in September 1993. pic.twitter.com/3MzSWiZvnb
— Stuart Freer (@stuartfreer1) August 26, 2019
Together with the Aardvark, based at RAF Upper Heyford, the unit took part in a significant 1985 exercise code-named Operation Ghost Rider. This mock attack sortie against a cross-Atlantic target in Canada was actually a dry rehearsal for Operation El Dorado Canyon, which would see F-111s flown from RAF Lakenheath towards Libya the following year.
In 1961, the 79th Division took the lead in forming what is now known as the NATO Tiger Association. This squadron group of NATO air forces was formed to promote community and camaraderie among NATO aircrew. The running theme for each unit is the use of a tiger or tiger stripes as part of its identity. The 79 FS’s tiger stripes can be seen in its fin markings. Every year the Association gathers for a ‘Tiger Meet’ which consists of training and networking.
🐅✈️ The NATO Tiger Meet isn’t just about stripes.
Since 1961, Allied air forces have trained together, building cohesion, trust, and interoperability.👉Tradition + training = stronger sky. pic.twitter.com/8Gd99DvyXR
— NATO Air Command (@NATO_AIRCOM) October 1, 2025
79 Squadron jets are no strangers to deployments in the Middle East, regularly flying back and forth to the region every few years.
