The F-16 Fighter Jet is widely regarded as one of the most successful and versatile multi-role jet fighters ever produced. Currently, there are approximately 3,000 F-16s in active service across 25 countries, a testament to the aircraft’s enduring popularity and effectiveness.
Despite being first introduced in the 1970s, the fourth-generation F-16 is still going strong today and is expected to remain in service for many more years to come. Its adaptability and versatility have allowed it to stay relevant in an ever-changing global security landscape, and it continues to play a vital role in many air forces’ operations.
Since its introduction in 1979, this “warbird” has been tested in battle, participating in over 400,000 combat sorties and accumulating a total of 19 million flight hours. Its exceptional performance and versatility have established it as the primary aircraft for air force operations around the globe.
One of the key advantages of the F-16 is its speed and agility, making it a formidable fighter in air-to-air combat situations. But the F-16 isn’t just a top performer in its class; it’s also one of the most cost-effective options available.
While it may lack the range and payload capacity of larger planes like the F-15 Eagle, the F-16’s affordability has made it a popular choice among air forces around the world.
One of the F-16’s unique features is its cockpit design, which provides exceptional visibility to the pilot. The single-piece, bird-proof polycarbonate bubble canopy provides 360 degrees all-round visibility, with a 40 degrees look-down angle over the side of the aircraft, and 15 degrees down over the nose; the pilot’s seat is elevated for this purpose.
In addition, the F-16 Fighting Falcon’s canopy lacks the forward bow frame commonly found on other fighters, which can obstruct a pilot’s forward vision. Despite this, the highly agile F-16 remains the most widely-used jet in military service today and has an exceptional combat record.
However, as the F-16 approaches its 40th year in service and plans to remain in the US military until 2048, it must adapt to maintain its competitive edge in a world where newer 4.5-generation fighters, long-range missiles, and stealth technology are increasingly prevalent.
To address this challenge, a significant upgrade was recently completed on January 9th, when a facility in Baltimore installed powerful new AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radars inside the nosecones of 72 National Guard F-16Cs and Ds.
The APG-83 radar is 85 percent based on the APG-81 radar used in modern F-35 stealth fighters but has been scaled down to fit into the F-16 and made more affordable for this aircraft.
The latest version of the Fighting Falcon is powered by a single engine, either the General Electric F110-GE-129, or the Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-229. Highly agile, the F-16 was the first fighter aircraft purpose-built to pull 9G maneuvers and can reach a maximum speed of over Mach 2.
These innovative upgrades to the Fighting Falcon might not enable it to rival Russian or Chinese fifth-generation stealth fighter jets. Still, these upgrades may explain why the study recommends holding on to the Fighting Falcons.
The Firepower of the F-16 Fighter Jet
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a highly versatile fighter jet with a wide range of weapon capabilities. Its nine hardpoints provide flexibility for a variety of mission requirements, including air-to-air and air-to-surface operations.
For air-to-air engagements, the F-16 can carry a range of missiles including the AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-7 Sparrow, ASRAAM, Rafael Python, and the AIM-9X Sidewinder. The AIM-9X is a new-generation missile that provides enhanced capabilities for engaging targets at short range.
For air-to-surface operations, the F-16 can carry AGM-65 Maverick, AGM-88 HARM, AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, and AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon, as well as anti-ship missiles such as the AGM-84 Harpoon and AGM-119 Penguin.
Additionally, the F-16 can carry a wide range of bombs, including CBU-87, CBU-89, CBU-97, general-purpose bombs, GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb, Paveway series of laser-guided bombs, JDAMs, and Nuclear bombs.
The F-16 is also equipped with a 20mm General Electric M61A1 multi-barrel cannon, which is mounted on the left side of the fuselage and has a firing rate of approximately 6,000 rounds per minute. The cannon is used for close-range engagements and is typically used as a last resort when other weapons have been expended or are unavailable.
The gunsight for the M61A1 cannon is interfaced with the cockpit head-up display, which provides the pilot with targeting information and allows for the accurate firing of the cannon.
F-16 Fighter Jet Variant
F-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.
In addition to the block designs, there are several other variants of the F-16 that have undergone significant changes due to modification programs. Some variants have been specialized for particular roles, such as close air support and reconnaissance. Furthermore, various models were created to test new technologies.
F-16A/B
The F-16A/B is the initial production version of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, which entered service with the US Air Force in 1979. It is the most numerous of all F-16 variants with 475 produced.
F-16C/D
These Fighter jet 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 AIM-7 and AIM-120 air-air missiles.
F-16E/F
The F-16E/F are advanced variants of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, based on the F-16C/D Block 50/52. The aircraft features numerous enhancements over the standard F-16, including conformal fuel tanks for increased range, an APG-80 AESA radar system, and advanced avionics and weapons systems.
These variants are powered by a General Electric F110-GE-132 engine, producing up to 32,000 pounds of thrust with an afterburner, and have a maximum speed of Mach 2.05.
The first F-16E/F was delivered to the United Arab Emirates in 2004, and the aircraft remains in service today.
F-16IN Super Viper
The F-16IN Super Viper was a proposed variant of the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft that was designed by Lockheed Martin for the Indian Air Force. It was part of a competition to replace the aging MiG-21 fighters that were in service at the time.
The F-16IN was based on the F-16E/F Block 60 variant and included several modifications specific to the Indian Air Force’s requirements. These modifications included conformal fuel tanks, a larger airframe, and an active electronically scanned array radar system.
However, the Indian government ultimately decided not to move forward with the F-16IN and instead chose to purchase the French-made Dassault Rafale as their new fighter aircraft.
F-16IQ
The F-16IQ is a variant of the F-16 Fighting Falcon that was specifically developed for the Iraqi Air Force. The aircraft is based on the F-16C/D Block 52+ model and features various upgrades and modifications to suit the needs of the Iraqi military.
The F-16IQ was first delivered to the Iraqi Air Force in 2014 and has since been used in various combat operations against terrorist groups such as ISIS. The aircraft has proven to be a valuable asset to the Iraqi military and has helped to enhance their air combat capabilities.
F-16N
The F-16N was an adversary aircraft operated by the United States 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.
The F-16N was used by the Navy’s Topgun training program and was also leased to other countries for training purposes. The last aircraft was retired from service in 2018.
F-16V Viper
The Lockheed Martin F-16V is the latest and most advanced F-16 on the market today.
It was first unveiled at the Singapore Airshow in February 2012.
The Viper configuration is available as a new production aircraft, while a components upgrade is also being offered for the existing F-16 versions.
The F-16V has been in service since 2017, with several countries, including Taiwan, Bahrain, and Slovakia, adopting the upgraded variant into their air forces.
QF-16
The QF-16 represents a significant modification to the F-16 Fighting Falcon, transforming it into an unmanned aerial target drone.
The QF-16 program was launched by the United States Air Force in order to replace its aging fleet of QF-4 target drones, which were themselves modified F-4 Phantom II aircraft.
While the QF-16 retains many of the same avionics and weapons systems as its predecessor, it has been outfitted with additional equipment for remote control and telemetry.
The drone can be easily operated from a ground station and is utilized primarily as a target for training and testing of various weapon systems. The QF-16 program has been in service since 2014 and has been used extensively for training and testing by the US Air Force and other military organizations.
