RDAF F-16AM
#E-599 from Esk 727 is starting it's trainingmission from Kleine Brogel on July 17th, 2007.
Esk 727 was the first Danish squadron to receive the F-16 fighter. From mid 1980 the squadron started to receive the aircraft from the Belgian SABCA factory, where the Danish aircraft of the first batch were being produced. It was declared fully operational on August 26th, 1981. The first task of the squadron was to train all future F-16 pilots of the Skrydstrup based units. Secondly it trained for a traditional ground attack role replacing the vintage F-100 Super Sabre in this role.
When both Esk 727 and 730 were transitioned on the F-16, the squadron disposed of its training task to Esk 723, where it stayed permanently until the disbandment of that squadron in 2001, when the task returned to the 727th.
RDAF F-16AM
#E-184 from Esk 727 is seen taking off from Florennes AB on November 4th, 2004.
One of the features of the Danish F-16s was a 450W search light on the port side of the aircraft. This was the same light as was installed on the Norwegian F-16s and also later on the F-16ADF and Portuguese vipers to identify aircraft during nightly intercepts. This search light was installed during the initial production of the airframes.
Although being the first squadron to receive the F-16, it was the last Danish F-16 unit to convert to the MLU version in 2003. Enhancements in the use of modern air-to-air missiles like the AMRAAM missile and the use of new air-to-ground weapons as the AGM-65 missile enlarged to operational envelope of the F-16 drastically.
