493rd FS Grim Reapers F-15C Allied Force MiG Killer

Description

This F-15C Eagle participated in the opening night bombing missions of Operation Allied Force, the air campaign to remove the Slobodan Milosevic military forces from Kosovo because of the many human rights violations against the Kosovar Albanians. Lt Col Cesar “Rico” Rodriguez was flying this airplane the night of 24 March 1999 when he shot down a Yugoslav MiG-29 Fulcrum with an AIM-120 AMRAAM radar-guided missile. Rico and his wingman “Wild Bill” Denim saw the Fulcrum light up the night sky when the missile impacted due to the clouds and white snow. Bombing Package F-15E Strike Eagles could see the explosion 100 miles away!