Braking action
An F-16 Fighting Falcon waits to be disconnected from an emergency arresting barrier system cable after passing a certification test of the system March 16 at Balad Air Base, Iraq. The cable system, which is used to bring fighter aircraft to a smooth halt during emergency landings, stretched out about 400 feet before the aircraft came to a complete stop. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Julianne Showalter)