F-16 Fighting Falcon | |
---|---|
A USAF F-16C flying over desert in Iraq in 2008 | |
Role | Multirole fighter , air superiority fighter |
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | General Dynamics Lockheed Martin |
First flight | 20 January 1974; 46 years ago (unplanned) 2 February 1974; 46 years ago (official) |
Introduction | 17 August 1978; 41 years ago |
Status | In service |
Primary users | United States Air Force 25 other users (see operators page ) |
Produced | 1973–2017, 2019–present[1] |
Number built | 4,604 (June 2018)[2] [3] |
Unit cost | F-16A/B: US$ 14.6 million (1998)[4] F-16C/D: US$18.8 million (1998)[4] |
Variants | General Dynamics F-16 VISTA |
Developed into | Vought Model 1600 General Dynamics F-16XL Mitsubishi F-2 |
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter , it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,600 aircraft have been built since production was approved in 1976.[5] Although no longer being purchased by the U.S. Air Force, improved versions are being built for export customers.[6] In 1993, General Dynamics sold its aircraft manufacturing business to the Lockheed Corporation ,[7] which in turn became part of Lockheed Martin after a 1995 merger with Martin Marietta .[8]
The Fighting Falcon's key features include a frameless bubble canopy for better visibility, side-mounted control stick to ease control while maneuvering, an ejection seat reclined 30 degrees from vertical to reduce the effect of g-forces on the pilot , and the first use of a relaxed static stability /fly-by-wire flight control system which helps to make it an agile aircraft. The F-16 has an internal M61 Vulcan cannon and 11 locations for mounting weapons and other mission equipment. The F-16's official name is "Fighting Falcon", but "Viper" is commonly used by its pilots and crews, due to a perceived resemblance to a viper snake as well as the Colonial Viper starfighter on Battlestar Galactica which aired at the time the F-16 entered service.[9] [10]
In addition to active duty in the U.S. Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command , and Air National Guard units, the aircraft is also used by the USAF aerial demonstration team, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds , and as an adversary/aggressor aircraft by the United States Navy . The F-16 has also been procured to serve in the air forces of 25 other nations.[11] As of 2015, it is the world's most numerous fixed-wing aircraft in military service.
The U.S. Air Force initially ordered 15 "Full-Scale Development" (FSD) aircraft (11 single-seat and four two-seat models) for its flight test program, but was reduced to eight (six F-16A single-seaters and two F-16B two-seaters).[37] The YF-16 design was altered for the production F-16. The fuselage was lengthened by 10.6 in (0.269 m), a larger nose radome was fitted for the AN/APG-66 radar, wing area was increased from 280 sq ft (26 m2) to 300 sq ft (28 m2), the tailfin height was decreased, the ventral fins were enlarged, two more stores stations were added, and a single door replaced the original nosewheel double doors. The F-16's weight was increased by 25% over the YF-16 by these modifications.[38] [39]
The FSD F-16s were manufactured by General Dynamics in Fort Worth, Texas at United States Air Force Plant 4 in late 1975; the first F-16A rolled out on 20 October 1976 and first flew on 8 December. The initial two-seat model achieved its first flight on 8 August 1977. The initial production-standard F-16A flew for the first time on 7 August 1978 and its delivery was accepted by the USAF on 6 January 1979. The F-16 was given its formal nickname of "Fighting Falcon" on 21 July 1980, entering USAF operational service with the 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron , 388th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hill AFB in Utah on 1 October 1980.[40]
On 7 June 1975, the four European partners, now known as the European Participation Group , signed up for 348 aircraft at the Paris Air Show . This was split among the European Participation Air Forces (EPAF) as 116 for Belgium, 58 for Denmark, 102 for the Netherlands, and 72 for Norway. Two European production lines, one in the Netherlands at Fokker 's Schiphol-Oost facility and the other at SABCA's Gosselies plant in Belgium, would produce 184 and 164 units respectively. Norway's Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk and Denmark's Terma A/S also manufactured parts and subassemblies for EPAF aircraft. European co-production was officially launched on 1 July 1977 at the Fokker factory. Beginning in November 1977, Fokker-produced components were sent to Fort Worth for fuselage assembly, then shipped back to Europe for final assembly of EPAF aircraft at the Belgian plant on 15 February 1978; deliveries to the Belgian Air Force began in January 1979. The first Royal Netherlands Air Force aircraft was delivered in June 1979. In 1980, the first aircraft were delivered to the Royal Norwegian Air Force by SABCA and to the Royal Danish Air Force by Fokker.[41] [42]
During the late 1980s and 1990s, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) produced 232 Block 30/40/50 F-16s on a production line in Ankara under license for the Turkish Air Force . TAI also produced 46 Block 40s for Egypt in the mid-1990s and 30 Block 50 from 2010. Korean Aerospace Industries opened a production line for the KF-16 program, producing 140 Block 52s from the mid-1990s to mid-2000s (decade). If India had selected the F-16IN for its Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft procurement, a sixth F-16 production line would have been built in India.[43] In May 2013, Lockheed Martin stated there were currently enough orders to keep producing the F-16 until 2017.[44]
One change made during production was augmented pitch control to avoid deep stall conditions at high angles of attack. The stall issue had been raised during development, but had originally been discounted. Model tests of the YF-16 conducted by the Langley Research Center revealed a potential problem, but no other laboratory was able to duplicate it. YF-16 flight tests were not sufficient to expose the issue; later flight testing on the FSD aircraft demonstrated there was a real concern. In response, the area of the horizontal stabilizer were increased by 25% on the Block 15 aircraft in 1981 and later retrofitted to earlier aircraft. In addition, a manual override switch to disable the horizontal stabilizer flight limiter was prominently placed on the control console, allowing the pilot to regain control of the horizontal stabilizers (which the flight limiters otherwise lock in place) and recover. Besides reducing the risk of deep stalls, the larger horizontal tail also improved stability and permitted faster takeoff rotation.[45] [46]
In the 1980s, the Multinational Staged Improvement Program (MSIP) was conducted to evolve the F-16's capabilities, mitigate risks during technology development, and ensure the aircraft's worth. The program upgraded the F-16 in three stages. The MSIP process permitted the quick introduction of new capabilities, at lower costs and with reduced risks compared to traditional independent upgrade programs.[47] In 2012, the USAF had allocated $2.8 billion to upgrade 350 F-16s while waiting for the F-35 to enter service.[48] One key upgrade has been an auto-GCAS (Ground collision avoidance system ) to reduce instances of controlled flight into terrain .[49] Onboard power and cooling capacities limit the scope of upgrades, which often involve the addition of more power-hungry avionics.[50]
Lockheed won many contracts to upgrade foreign operators' F-16s. BAE Systems also offers various F-16 upgrades, receiving orders from South Korea, Oman, Turkey, and the US Air National Guard;[51] [52] [53] BAE lost the South Korean contract due to a price breach in November 2014.[54] In 2012, the USAF assigned the total upgrade contract to Lockheed Martin.[55] Upgrades include Raytheon's Center Display Unit, which replaces several analog flight instruments with a single digital display.[56]
In 2013, sequestration budget cuts cast doubt on the USAF's ability to complete the Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES), a part of secondary programs such as Taiwan's F-16 upgrade.[57] ACC 's General Mike Hostage stated that if he only had money for SLEP (service life extension program) or CAPES, he would fund SLEP to keep the aircraft flying.[58] Lockheed Martin responded to talk of CAPES cancellation with a fixed-price upgrade package for foreign users.[59] CAPES was not included in the Pentagon's 2015 budget request.[60] The USAF said that the upgrade package will still be offered to the Republic of China Air Force , and Lockheed said that some common elements with the F-35 will keep the radar's unit costs down.[61] In 2014, the USAF issued a RFI to SLEP 300 F-16 C/Ds.[62]
To make more room for assembly of its newer F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft, Lockheed Martin moved the F-16 production from Fort Worth, Texas to its plant in Greenville, South Carolina .[1] Lockheed delivered the last F-16 from Fort Worth to the Iraqi Air Force on 14 November 2017, ending forty years of F-16 production there. The company is hoping to finish the Greenville move and restart production in 2019, though engineering and modernization work will remain in Fort Worth.[63] A gap in orders made it possible to stop production during the move; after completing orders for the last Iraqi purchase,[64] the company was negotiating an F-16 sale to Bahrain that would be produced in Greenville. This contract was signed in June 2018.[3]
The F-16 is a single-engine, highly maneuverable, supersonic, multi-role tactical fighter aircraft. It is much smaller and lighter than its predecessors, but uses advanced aerodynamics and avionics, including the first use of a relaxed static stability /fly-by-wire (RSS/FBW) flight control system, to achieve enhanced maneuver performance. Highly agile, the F-16 was the first fighter aircraft purpose-built to pull 9-g maneuvers and can reach a maximum speed of over Mach 2. Innovations include a frameless bubble canopy for better visibility, a side-mounted control stick, and a reclined seat to reduce g-force effects on the pilot. It is armed with an internal M61 Vulcan cannon in the left wing root and has multiple locations for mounting various missiles, bombs and pods. It has a thrust-to-weight ratio greater than one, providing power to climb and vertical acceleration.[4]
The F-16 was designed to be relatively inexpensive to build and simpler to maintain than earlier-generation fighters. The airframe is built with about 80% aviation-grade aluminum alloys , 8% steel, 3% composites, and 1.5% titanium . The leading-edge flaps, stabilators , and ventral fins make use of bonded aluminum honeycomb structures and graphite epoxy lamination coatings . The number of lubrication points, fuel line connections, and replaceable modules is significantly lower than preceding fighters; 80% of the access panels can be accessed without stands.[43] The air intake was placed so it was rearward of the nose but forward enough to minimize air flow losses and reduce aerodynamic drag .[65]
Although the LWF program called for a structural life of 4,000 flight hours, capable of achieving 7.33 g with 80% internal fuel; GD's engineers decided to design the F-16's airframe life for 8,000 hours and for 9-g maneuvers on full internal fuel. This proved advantageous when the aircraft's mission changed from solely air-to-air combat to multi-role operations. Changes in operational use and additional systems have increased weight, necessitating multiple structural strengthening programs.[66]
The F-16 has a cropped-delta wing incorporating wing-fuselage blending and forebody vortex -control strakes ; a fixed-geometry, underslung air intake (with splitter plate [67] ) to the single turbofan jet engine; a conventional tri-plane empennage arrangement with all-moving horizontal "stabilator " tailplanes; a pair of ventral fins beneath the fuselage aft of the wing's trailing edge; and a tricycle landing gear configuration with the aft-retracting, steerable nose gear deploying a short distance behind the inlet lip. There is a boom-style aerial refueling receptacle located behind the single-piece "bubble" canopy of the cockpit. Split-flap speedbrakes are located at the aft end of the wing-body fairing, and a tailhook is mounted underneath the fuselage. A fairing beneath the rudder often houses ECM equipment or a drag chute . Later F-16 models feature a long dorsal fairing along the fuselage's "spine", housing additional equipment or fuel.[43] [68]
Aerodynamic studies in the 1960s demonstrated that the "vortex lift " phenomenon could be harnessed by highly swept wing configurations to reach higher angles of attack , using leading edge vortex flow off a slender lifting surface. As the F-16 was being optimized for high combat agility, GD's designers chose a slender cropped-delta wing with a leading edge sweep of 40° and a straight trailing edge. To improve maneuverability, a variable-camber wing with a NACA 64A-204 airfoil was selected; the camber is adjusted by leading-edge and trailing edge flaperons linked to a digital flight control system (FCS) regulating the flight envelope .[43] [66] The F-16 has a moderate wing loading, reduced by fuselage lift.[69] The vortex lift effect is increased by leading edge extensions, known as strakes. Strakes act as additional short-span, triangular wings running from the wing root (the juncture with the fuselage) to a point further forward on the fuselage. Blended into the fuselage and along the wing root, the strake generates a high-speed vortex that remains attached to the top of the wing as the angle of attack increases, generating additional lift and allowing greater angles of attack without stalling. Strakes allow a smaller, lower-aspect-ratio wing, which increases roll rates and directional stability while decreasing weight. Deeper wingroots also increase structural strength and internal fuel volume.[66]
F-16s have participated in numerous conflicts, most of them in the Middle East.
The F-16 is being used by the active duty USAF, Air Force Reserve , and Air National Guard units, the USAF aerial demonstration team, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds , and as an adversary-aggressor aircraft by the United States Navy at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center .
The U.S. Air Force, including the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard, flew the F-16 in combat during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and in the Balkans later in the 1990s. F-16s also patrolled the no-fly zones in Iraq during Operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch and served during the wars in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom ) and Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom ) from 2001 and 2003 respectively. In 2011, Air Force F-16s took part in the intervention in Libya .[98]
The F-16 had been scheduled to remain in service with the U.S. Air Force until 2025.[99] Its replacement was planned to be the F-35A variant of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II , which is expected to gradually begin replacing several multi-role aircraft among the program's member nations. However, due to delays in the F-35 program, all USAF F-16s will receive service life extension upgrades.[100]
The F-16's first air-to-air combat success was achieved by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) over the Bekaa Valley on 28 April 1981, against a Syrian Mi-8 helicopter, which was downed with cannon fire.[102] On 7 June 1981, eight Israeli F-16s, escorted by six F-15s, executed Operation Opera , their first employment in a significant air-to-ground operation. This raid severely damaged Osirak , an Iraqi nuclear reactor under construction near Baghdad , to prevent the regime of Saddam Hussein from using the reactor for the creation of nuclear weapons .[103]
The following year, during the 1982 Lebanon War Israeli F-16s engaged Syrian aircraft in one of the largest air battles involving jet aircraft, which began on 9 June and continued for two more days. Israeli Air Force F-16s were credited with 44 air-to-air kills during the conflict.[102] [104]
In January 2000, Israel completed a purchase of 102 new F-16I aircraft in a deal totaling $4.5 billion.[105] F-16s were also used in their ground-attack role for strikes against targets in Lebanon. IAF F-16s participated in the 2006 Lebanon War and the 2008–09 Gaza War .[106] During and after the 2006 Lebanon war, IAF F-16s shot down Iranian -made UAVs launched by Hezbollah , using Rafael Python 5 air-to-air missiles .[107] [108] [109]
On 10 February 2018, an Israeli Air Force F-16I was shot down in northern Israel when it was hit by a relatively old model S-200 (NATO name SA-5 Gammon) surface-to-air missile of the Syrian Air Defense Force.[110] The pilot and navigator ejected safely in Israeli territory. The F-16I was part of a bombing mission against Syrian and Iranian targets around Damascus after an Iranian drone entered Israeli air space and was shot down.[111] An Israel Air Force investigation determined on 27 February 2018 that the loss was due to pilot error since the IAF determined the air crew did not adequately defend themselves.[112]
During the Soviet–Afghan War , between May 1986 and January 1989, Pakistan Air Force F-16s shot down at least eight intruders from Afghanistan . The first three of these (two Afghan Su-22s and one An-26 ) were shot down by two pilots. Pakistani pilots also downed five other intruders (two Su-22s, two MiG-23s , and one Su-25 ).[113] Most of these kills were by AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, but at least one, an Su-22, was destroyed by cannon fire. Flight Lieutenant Khalid Mahmoud is credited with three of these kills. One F-16 was lost in these battles during an encounter between two F-16s and four Soviet Air Force MiG-23s on 29 April 1987; the pilot ejected safely. The downed F-16 was likely hit accidentally by a Sidewinder fired by the other F-16.[114] [115]
On 7 June 2002, a Pakistan Air Force F-16B Block 15 (S. No. 82-605), flown by Sqn. Leader Zulfiqar, shot down an Indian Air Force unmanned aerial vehicle , an Israeli-made Searcher II , using an AIM-9L Sidewinder missile, during a night interception near Lahore , thus achieving the world's first air-to-air kill of a drone at night.[115]
The Pakistan Air Force has used its F-16s in various foreign and internal military exercises, such as the "Indus Vipers" exercise in 2008 conducted jointly with Turkey.[116]
Between May 2009 and November 2011, the PAF F-16 fleet flew more than 5,500 sorties[needs update ] in support of the Pakistan Army 's operations against the Taliban insurgency in the FATA region of North-West Pakistan . More than 80% of the dropped munitions were laser-guided bombs .[117] [118]
On 27 February 2019, two Pakistan Air Force F-16s, one F-16AM Block 15 MLU (S. No. 92731), flown by Wg. Cdr. Nauman Ali Khan, Officer Commanding (OC) No. 29 'Aggressor' Squadron, and one F-16BM Block 15 MLU (S. No. 92606), flown by Sqn. Ldr. Hassan Mehmood Siddiqui, both aircraft from No. 11 'Arrows' Squadron, reportedly shot down one Indian Air Force MiG-21 Bison (from No. 51 Squadron, flown by Wg. Cdr. Abhinandan Varthaman, the Squadron's OC) over Kashmir using AIM-120C AMRAAM missiles.[119] [120] [121] Pakistan also stated that one IAF Su-30MKI was shot down, but failed to provide credible proof.[122] [123] The only confirmed loss from the engagement was the MiG-21.[124] [125] [126] [127] [128]
The Turkish Air Force acquired its first F-16s in 1987. Turkish F-16s participated in the Bosnia Herzegovina and Kosovo since 1993 in support of United Nations resolutions.[129]
On 18 June 1992, a Greek Mirage F-1 crashed during a dogfight with a Turkish F-16.[130] [131] [132] On 8 February 1995, a Turkish F-16 crashed into the Aegean after being intercepted by Greek Mirage F1 fighters.[133] [134]
On 8 October 1996, 7 months after the escalation over Imia a Greek Mirage 2000 reportedly fired an R.550 Magic II missile and shot down a Turkish F-16D[135] [136] over the Aegean Sea . The Turkish pilot died, while the co-pilot ejected and was rescued by Greek forces.[132] [137] [138] In August 2012, after the downing of a RF-4E on the Syrian Coast, Turkish Defence Minister İsmet Yılmaz confirmed that the Turkish F-16D was shot down by a Greek Mirage 2000 with an R.550 Magic II in 1996 after violating Greek airspace near Chios island.[139] Greece denies that the F-16 was shot down.[140] [141] Both Mirage 2000 pilots reported that the F-16 caught fire and they saw one parachute .[142]
On 23 May 2006, two Greek F-16s intercepted a Turkish RF-4 reconnaissance aircraft and two F-16 escorts off the coast of the Greek island of Karpathos , within the Athens FIR. A mock dogfight ensued between the two sides, resulting in a midair collision[143] between a Turkish F-16 and a Greek F-16. The Turkish pilot ejected safely, but the Greek pilot died due to damage caused by the collision.[144] [145] Five days before the incident, a Turkish F-16 pilot was doing dangerous maneuvers, while being intercepted by Greek F-16 fighters, attempting to hit a Greek fighter.[146]
Turkey used its F-16s extensively in its conflict with separatist Kurds in southeastern parts of Turkey and Iraq. Turkey launched its first cross-border raid on 16 December 2007, a prelude to the 2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq , involving 50 fighters before Operation Sun . This was the first time Turkey had mounted a night-bombing operation on a massive scale, and also the largest operation conducted by Turkish Air Force.[147]
During the Syrian Civil War, Turkish F-16s were tasked with airspace protection on the Syrian border. After the RF-4 downing in June 2012 Turkey changed its rules of engagements against Syrian aircraft, resulting in scrambles and downings of Syrian combat aircraft.[148] On 16 September 2013, a Turkish Air Force F-16 shot down a Syrian Arab Air Force Mil Mi-17 helicopter in Latakia province near the Turkish border.[149] On 23 March 2014, a Turkish Air Force F-16 shot down a Syrian Arab Air Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 when it allegedly entered Turkish air space during a ground attack mission against Al Qaeda-linked insurgents.[150] On 16 May 2015, Two Turkish Air Force F-16s shot down a Syrian Mohajer 4 UAV firing two AIM-9 missiles after it trespassed into Turkish airspace for 5 minutes.[151] [152] A Turkish Air Force F-16 shot down a Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-24 on the Turkey-Syria border on 24 November 2015.[153]
On 16 February 2015, Egyptian F-16s struck jihadi weapons caches and training camps in Libya in retaliation for the murder of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christian construction workers by masked militants affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS). The air strikes killed 64 ISIS fighters, including three leaders in Derna and Sirte on the coast.[154]
The Royal Netherlands Air Force , Belgian Air Force , Royal Danish Air Force , Royal Norwegian Air Force , and Venezuela Air Force have flown the F-16 on combat missions.[155] [156]
A Yugoslavian MiG-29 was shot down by a Dutch F-16AM during the Kosovo War in 1999.[157] Belgian and Danish F-16s also participated in joint operations over Kosovo during the war.[157] Dutch, Belgian, Danish, and Norwegian F-16s were deployed during the 2011 intervention in Libya and in Afghanistan.[158] In Libya, Norwegian F-16s dropped almost 550 bombs and flew 596 missions,[159] some 17% of the total strike missions[160] including the bombing of Muammar Gaddafi's headquarters.[161]
The Royal Moroccan Air Force and the Royal Bahraini Air Force , each lost a single F-16C, both shot down by Houthis anti aircraft fire during the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen , respectively on 11 May 2015 and on 30 December 2015.[162]
In late March 2018, Croatia announced its intention to purchase 12 used Israeli F-16C/D "Barak"/"Brakeet" jets, pending U.S. approval.[163] Acquiring these F-16s would allow Croatia to retire its aging MiG-21s .[164]
On 11 July 2018, Slovakia's government approved the purchase of 14 F-16s Block 70/72 to replace its aging fleet of Soviet-made MiG-29s .[165] A contract was signed on 12 December 2018 in Bratislava.[166]
See also: General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon operational history and General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon operatorsF-16 models are denoted by increasing block numbers to denote upgrades. The blocks cover both single- and two-seat versions. A variety of software, hardware, systems, weapons compatibility, and structural enhancements have been instituted over the years to gradually upgrade production models and retrofit delivered aircraft.
While many F-16s were produced according to these block designs, there have been many other variants with significant changes , usually due to modification programs . Other changes have resulted in role-specialization, such as the close air support and reconnaissance variants . Several models were also developed to test new technology . The F-16 design also inspired the design of other aircraft, which are considered derivatives . Older F-16s are being converted into QF-16 drone targets .[167]
A Venezuelan Air Force F-16B F-16A/BThe F-16A (single seat) and F-16B (two seat) were initial production variants. These variants include the Block 1, 5, 10 and 20 versions. Block 15 was the first major change to the F-16 with larger horizontal stabilizers. It is the most numerous of all F-16 variants with 475 produced.[168] Many F-16A and B aircraft have been upgraded to the Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) Block 20 standard, becoming functionally equivalent to mid-production C/D models.[citation needed ] An Israeli F-16I (Block 52) with conformal fuel tanks (CFTs), internal/integrated Electronic countermeasures , and other external stores during a Red Flag exercise at Nellis AFB , NV, July 2009 F-16C/DThe F-16C (single seat) and F-16D (two seat) variants entered production in 1984. The first C/D version was the Block 25 with improved cockpit avionics and radar which added all-weather capability with beyond-visual-range (BVR) AIM-7 and AIM-120 air-air missiles. Block 30/32, 40/42, and 50/52 were later C/D versions.[169] The F-16C/D had a unit cost of US$18.8 million (1998).[4] Operational cost per flight hour has been estimated at $7,000[170] to $22,470[171] or $24,000, depending on calculation method.[172] F-16E/FThe F-16E (single seat) and F-16F (two seat) are newer F-16 Block 60 variants based on the F-16C/D Block 50/52. The United Arab Emirates invested heavily in its development. It features improved AN/APG-80 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, avionics, conformal fuel tanks (CFTs), and the more powerful General Electric F110 -GE-132 engine.[173] [174] [175] A United Arab Emirates Air Force F-16E Block 60 with the Northrop Grumman IFTS pod, Conformal Fuel Tanks, and various external armament taking off from the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth , Texas. F-16INFor the Indian MRCA competition for the Indian Air Force , Lockheed Martin offered the F-16IN Super Viper .[176] The F-16IN is based on the F-16E/F Block 60 and features conformal fuel tanks; AN/APG-80 AESA radar, GE F110-GE-132A engine with FADEC controls; electronic warfare suite and Infra-red search and track (IRST) unit; updated glass cockpit; and a helmet-mounted cueing system.[177] As of 2011, the F-16IN is no longer in the competition.[178] In 2016, Lockheed Martin offered the new F-16 Block 70/72 version to India under the Make in India program.[179] [180] In 2016, Indian government offered to purchase 200 (potentially up to 300) fighters in a deal worth $13–15bn.[181] As of 2017, Lockheed Martin has agreed to manufacture F-16 Block 70 fighters in India with the Indian defense firm Tata Advanced Systems Limited. The new production line could be used to build F-16s for India and for exports.[182] On 25 November 2017, Sputnik reported that the Indian government wanted to remove the single–engine criteria and focus on the fighter capabilities instead.[183] F-16IQIn September 2010, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency informed the United States Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale of 18 F-16IQ aircraft along with the associated equipment and services to the newly reformed Iraqi Air Force . Total value of sale is estimated at US$4.2 billion .[184] F-16NThe F-16N was an adversary aircraft operated by the U.S. Navy . It is based on the standard F-16C/D Block 30 and is powered by the General Electric F110-GE-100 engine, and is capable of supercruise .[185] The F-16N has a strengthened wing and is capable of carrying an Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI) pod on the starboard wingtip. Although the single-seat F-16Ns and twin-seat (T)F-16Ns are based on the early-production small-inlet Block 30 F-16C/D airframe, they retain the APG-66 radar of the F-16A/B. In addition, the aircraft's 20 mm cannon has been removed, as has the ASPJ, and they carry no missiles. Their EW fit consists of an ALR-69 radar warning receiver (RWR) and an ALE-40 chaff/flare dispenser. The F-16Ns and (T)F-16Ns have the standard Air Force tailhook and undercarriage and are not aircraft carrier capable. Production totaled 26 airframes, of which 22 are single-seat F-16Ns and four are twin-seat TF-16Ns. The initial batch of aircraft were in service between 1988 and 1998. At that time, hairline cracks were discovered in several bulkheads and the Navy did not have the resources to replace them, so the aircraft were eventually retired, with one aircraft sent to the collection of the National Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola , Florida, and the remainder placed in storage at Davis-Monthan AFB . These aircraft were later replaced by embargoed ex-Pakistani F-16s in 2003. The original inventory of F-16Ns were previously operated by adversary squadrons at NAS Oceana , Virginia; NAS Key West , Florida and the former NAS Miramar , California. The current F-16A/B aircraft are operated by the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at NAS Fallon , Nevada.[186] [187] [188] A USAF QF-16A, on its first unmanned test flight, over the Gulf of Mexico F-16VAt the 2012 Singapore Air Show Lockheed Martin unveiled plans for the new F-16V variant with the V suffix for its Viper nickname. It features an AN/APG-83 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, a new mission computer and electronic warfare suite, automated ground collision avoidance system, and various cockpit improvements; this package is an option on current production F-16s and can be retrofitted to most in service F-16s.[189] [190] First flight took place 21 October 2015.[191] Lockheed and AIDC both invested in the development of the aircraft and will share revenue from all sales and upgrades.[192] Upgrades to Taiwan's F-16 fleet began in January 2017.[193] The first country to confirm the purchase of 16 new F-16V Block 70/72 was Bahrain.[194] [195] Slovakia announced on 11 July 2018 that it intends to purchase 14 F-16V Block 70/72 aircraft.[196] [197] Lockheed Martin has redesignated the F-16V Block 70 as the "F-21" in its offering for India's fighter requirement.[198] Taiwan's Republic of China Air Force announced on 19 March 2019 that it formally requested the purchase of an additional 66 F-16V jets.[199] The Trump administration approved the sale on 20 August 2019.[200] [201] QF-16In September 2013, Boeing and the U.S. Air Force tested an unmanned F-16, with two US Air Force pilots controlling the airplane from the ground as it flew from Tyndall AFB over the Gulf of Mexico .[202] [203] [204]By July 2010 there had been 4,500 F-16s delivered.[205]
The F-16 has been involved in over 670 hull-loss accidents as of January 2020.[207] [208]
Data from USAF sheet,[4] International Directory of Military Aircraft,[71] Flight Manual for F-16C/D Block 50/52+[299]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament