# F-16
Latest news and articles about F-16
Total: 4 articles found
F-16s Scrambled Over Northern California as NORAD Tracks Two High-Altitude Balloons — No Threat Found
NORAD tracked two high-altitude objects over northern California on February 15 and dispatched two F-16s to intercept them. The objects were assessed to be meteorological balloons and posed no threat to military or civil aviation.
U.S. Fighters Scramble Over California for Unknown Objects Later Identified as Weather Balloons
U.S. F-16s scrambled twice on 15 February to investigate high-altitude objects over northern California and Nevada; NORAD later determined the contacts were meteorological balloons and not a threat. The response underscores persistent post-2023 sensitivity to unidentified aerial objects and the operational burden of distinguishing benign payloads from hostile surveillance.
Close Calls Over the Strait: How PLA J-16 Tactics Signal a Shift from Deterrence to Control
A leaked Taiwanese note, published in the Financial Times, describes three close encounters in which PLA J-16s used flares, tailing maneuvers and radar masking to intimidate and control F-16s during last year’s drills. Analysts say these incidents reflect a tactical shift by Beijing from symbolic demonstrations to coercive control that raises the risk of miscalculation and complicates deterrence for Taiwan and its partners.
U.S. Gears Misawa Base to Host 48 F-35A Stealth Fighters, Signalling a Pacific Posture Shift
The Pentagon is preparing Misawa Air Base in Japan to host 48 F-35A stealth fighters to replace 36 F-16s, part of a 2024 modernization plan. The upgrade strengthens U.S.-Japan deterrence, requires significant base infrastructure and will reverberate across regional strategic dynamics.