F-16 jets from Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter will increase night flying through Thursday, according to the U.S. Air Force.

According to a news release the flights will provide Shaw pilots with an opportunity to train with night vision equipment and practice tactics that are critical to survivability in combat.

Shaw is home to the 20th Fighter Wing, the Air Force’s largest combat F-16 wing. Shaw also serves as home to Headquarters Ninth Air Force and U.S. Air Forces Central, whose primary mission is to provide air and space power for U.S. Central Command. In addition, Third Army, the U.S. Army’s planning and logistical arm for the Middle East and Southwest Asia, is moving to Shaw this year.

-- Jeff Wilkinson