First US F-16 Victory Using AIM-120

YouTube / Joe Hodges

Not The Last

It was a remarkable day in aviation history. That day marked the first time an F-16 and an AIM-120 got their first aerial victory.

An Iraqi MiG-25 Foxbat violated a no-fly zone on December 27, 1992. Captain Gary North and his team of F-16s went to the scene after an urgent call was made of a Foxbat violating a no-fly zone. North and his wingman hurriedly refueled and took off.

“Someone was going to die within the next two minutes, and it wasn’t going to be me or my wingman”

He requested clearance to fire when he identified the Foxbat. When he heard those sweet words,

“CLEARED TO KILL – BANDIT, BANDIT”,

he knew it was over. As North locked the MiG-25, he fired the AMRAAM. It was a precise kill, totally destroying the Foxbat.

I saw three separate detonations, the nose and left wing broke instantly, and the tail section continued into the main body of the jet, and finally one huge fireball.”