F-16 pilots on a mission dubbed 'Midnight Hammer' flew their non-stealth jets deep into Iranian airspace to protect bombers. They successfully completed their mission but returned critically low on fuel.

Romanian F-16 pilots, guided by a NATO radar aircraft, conducted a simulated mission to intercept a drone that entered Polish airspace, including border surveillance and in-air refueling.

Bulgaria's Ministry of Defense announced that six F-16 Block70 pilots have completed over 100 flight hours, with plans to double the number of certified pilots to twelve by the end of the year.

Octavian Palferenț, one of Romania's youngest F-16 pilots and a public face of the Romanian Air Force, tragically died while attempting to rescue a dog from drowning.

Future F-16 fighter pilots for Ukraine are learning to operate without GPS, as Russian jamming efforts increasingly complicate air combat operations.