Photos of 2nd Singapore Air Force F-16D with anniversary tail art

Remember this story from mid-November about the Republic of Singapore Air Force F-16D based in Luke Air Force Base, Arizona being painted with colourful tail art commemorating 20 years of RSAF training at Luke? Well it turns out there is a second F-16D (S/N 96-5035) that got a special paintjob marking the occasion, and it's just as striking too!

Luke AFB has also released this image showing the tails of both commemorative aircraft side-by-side. Both aircraft were painted with unique tail flash designs by the 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron.

USAF Photo via Luke AFB's Facebook page. Click on the thumbnail to view the high-res version.

The 425th Fighter Squadron, also known as the Black Widows, was reactivated at Luke AFB in late 1992 and started training Republic of Singapore Air Force pilots on the F-16 soon after, initially using leased USAF F-16A/Bs before switching over to leased F-16C/Ds and finally transitioning over to the RSAF's own Block 52 F-16C/Ds when deliveries of the latter began in 1998.

The squadron is a mixed USAF-RSAF training squadron, and is one of several RSAF training detachments in the United States. The RSAF maintains several training detachments based overseas due to a lack of training areas at home, as well as monsoonal weather patterns over Singapore which frequently restricts training. Singapore operates 60 F-16C/Ds spread among 3 Singapore-based squadrons and the 425th FS at Luke AFB.

And this is an image of both aircraft sitting tail-to-tail, on the 425th Fighter Squadron's Facebook page.

via the 425 Fighter Squadron's Facebook page. Click on the thumbnail to view the high-res version.