A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon returns from a bombing mission over the New Mexico desert as part of Exercise Roving Sands '97 on April 21, 1997. More than 20,000 service members from all branches of the armed forces of the U.S., Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands are participating in Exercise Roving Sands 97. The exercise is designed to refine their skills in operations using an integrated air defense network of ground, missile and radar early warning systems combined with tactical fighter and bomber aircraft operating in a simulated high-threat environment. The Fighting Falcon is operating out of the 524th Fighter Squadron, Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.