USAF Patch Test F 16 g 6510 Test Wing ETE European Test Evaluation

USAF Patch 6510 Test Wing F 16 JTF European Test and Evaluation 1979 RNLAF RNoAF RDAF BAF Air Bases Multinational Embroidered on twill merrowed edge 103mm four and one sixteenth inches diameter.

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The governments of Belgium Denmark the Netherlands Norway and the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding MOU on 10 June 1975 for the procurement and production of the F 16 fighter aircraft. The programme established the Operational Subcommittee in November 1976 which integrated Multinational involvement in all operational aspects of the development testing deployment modifications training and tactics relating to the F I6.

The first F 16 Full Scale Development FSD aircraft undertook the first stage Development Test and Evaluation DT&E at the Air Force Test and Evaluation Center AFTEC Edwards AFB by the F 16 Joint Test Force JTF with one qualified pilot from each of the four European Participating Air Forces EPAF participating in the early testing.

The F 16 Follow on Operational Test and Evaluation FOT&E Phase One was conducted at Edwards AFB from 12 October 1977 to 24 January 1979.

The next stage was the European Test & Evaluation ET&E with USAF and EPAF pilots deployed to operating locations at Air Bases in Norway Denmark Germany and England from 9 February to 25 May 1979 to test the F 16 in a variety of different European terrains weather conditions and aircraft shelters against other EPAF target or aggressor fighter aircraft. This element turned out to be most significant part of the early testing generating solutions to problems including radar equipment affected by terrain as well as showing participating countries the great benefits from the multinational nature of the project.

The next testing elements the FOT&E Phase Two and the Tactics Development and Evaluation were combined to be undertaken by the Multinational Operational Test and Evaluation MOT&E activated in January 1979 at Hill AFB assigned to 57 Fighter Weapons Wing at Nellis AFB and was initially known as 57 FWW Detachment 16. MOT&E was equipped with two US and four European Participating Air Forces EPAF F 16 aircraft and was manned by pilots and support personnel from all five Air Forces. The MOT&E testing was divided into a US phase based at Hill AFB between January 1979 and June 1980 and a European phase with operations from Rygge AFB Norway Skrydstrup AFB Denmark Leeuvarden AFB Netherlands and Kleine Brogel AFB Belgium from June 1980 to December 1980.

This patch dates from 1979.