Snakes are often stereotyped for their deadly bite and the family of particularly venomous snakes called the Viper (Viperidea) are known for their ability to either kill or immobilise their prey. They can also attack without injecting any poison and can live for up to 30 years. Given this image it is not surprising that it also lends its name to one of the world's most popular contemporary fighter jets; the Lockheed Martin F-16. Whilst it is formally known as the Fighting Falcon many pilots and ground crew nickname it the Viper The name is well deserved; head on it does look like a snake, and it certainly packs a powerful 'bite'. Almost forty years after the F-16 took to the skies the modern-day variants of the Fighting Falcon were used by the Israeli Defence Force over the Gaza Strip in November 2012 as they attacked rockets that were being fired into Israel. In the latter part of 2012 Turkish Air Force F-16's were also in action over Northern Iraq attacking Kurdish separatist elements using the area as a sanctuary to attack across the border into Turkey Greek F-l 6s also routinely engage in virtual dogfights with Turkish F-16s over the Aegean Sea, sometimes with dramatic consequences.
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