# F-15s,F-16s and Mirages over the Desert ( photo gallery)



## CharlesBronson (Nov 1, 2009)

I just can resist to post some good photos of Salitre II, combined USA/Chile/Brasil/Argentina/France exercise over the northern chilean desert, this evolved between 15th to 25 th october. 

The US contribution:



> 10/18/2009 - DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- More than 190 Air Forces Southern Airmen will represent the United States during Exercise SALITRE II, a Chilean Air Force-led coalition exercise Oct. 17 to Nov. 2 in Antofagasta and Iquique, Chile.
> 
> SALITRE is a coalition air exercise, including search and rescue, aerial refueling and Combined Air Operations Center training opportunities focused on interoperability, according to Col. Bryan Bearden, the 12th AF (AFSOUTH) director of operations and exercise director for U.S. Air Force participation in SALITRE. In addition to Chile and the United States, France, Argentina, and Brazil will also participate.
> "SALITRE is an opportunity for Airmen to practice working with their counterparts from across Latin America," Colonel Bearden said. "We're training together so we can respond to a crisis or integrate into United Nations peacekeeping operations as a unified team in the future."
> ...



*Bagde of the exercise in A-4ar.*


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## CharlesBronson (Nov 1, 2009)

The brazilian Embraer/Aeritalia AMX, US F-15s, Argentine A-4s.


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## CharlesBronson (Nov 1, 2009)

Great Fly by with aircraft of the 5 nations.


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## CharlesBronson (Nov 1, 2009)

Chilean F-16 b50, uncomfortably impressively looking aircraft.


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## wheelsup_cavu (Nov 2, 2009)

Cool pics CB. 


Wheels


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## vikingBerserker (Nov 2, 2009)

I agree, nice!


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## CharlesBronson (Nov 3, 2009)

Thank guys, a lil more. The argentine old warrior, USAF C-130 and the others.


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## CharlesBronson (Nov 3, 2009)

KC-135, Tacan equipments and others:


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Nov 3, 2009)

Great shots CB! Thank you for sharing!


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## Matt308 (Nov 3, 2009)

I'm sorry, but there is not a single ugly bird in your pics, CB. Wonderful all around. Love the A-4, AMX and Mirage. Just beautiful!!!


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## JP Vieira (Nov 4, 2009)

Great Photos: Thanks for sharing


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## CharlesBronson (Nov 4, 2009)

Thank you guys. Matt: to my deepest regret I should say that the only ugly "birds" I saw in the news was some female argentine ground personnel checking the APG-66 wiring in ours A-4Ar....really disturbing 

Back to the good:


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## Gnomey (Nov 4, 2009)

Good stuff!


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## CharlesBronson (Nov 4, 2009)

Thanks Gnomey.

By the way...since we have some electronic experts here: could anybody tell me what is the purpose of that reddish thing on the tail of the chilly F-16s ?


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## mudpuppy (Nov 4, 2009)

Great photos and thanks for sharing these CB! 
I'll take a guess at the reddish thing on the F-16 tail and say that its an emergency drag chute. maybe?

Derek


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## tomo pauk (Nov 5, 2009)

My guess is that 'redish' thing is some sort of an laser-based missile detector, mainly to alert the pilot about non-radiating types (MANPADS mostly). Great photos 

In my born-town Split, Croatia, we have a street named after Antofagasta, Chile. Many people of Croat origin live in Chile Argentina btw.


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## CharlesBronson (Nov 5, 2009)

Well probably that is more accurate Tomo, like mudpuppy( quite a nick isnt ? ) say that was the location of the parachute in some aircraft, but that look like a avionics device.



> In my born-town Split, Croatia, we have a street named after Antofagasta, Chile. Many people of Croat origin live in Chile Argentina btw.



Certainly, we have a good old friend of the family wich is croat ( Balog) , his wife too ( Papag) , he is in the milk business ( cow milk that is  ) several hectars of land and cows, very good zone to hunt in Cordoba.


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