General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon

(Redirected fromF-16D)

TheGeneral Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falconis an American single-enginesupersonicmultirolefighter aircraftoriginally developed byGeneral Dynamicsfor theUnited States Air Force(USAF). Designed as anair superiorityday fighter,it evolved into a successfulall-weathermultirole aircraft with over 4,600 built since 1976.[4]Although no longer purchased by the U.S. Air Force, improved versions are being built for export. In 1993, General Dynamics sold its aircraft manufacturing business to theLockheed Corporation,[5]which became part ofLockheed Martinafter a 1995 merger withMartin Marietta.[6]

F-16 Fighting Falcon
Aerial view of jet aircraft, carrying cylindrical fuel tanks and ordnance, overflying desert
A USAF F-16C flying over the desert inIraq,2008
General information
TypeMultirole fighter,air superiority fighter
National originUnited States
Manufacturer
StatusIn service
Primary usersUnited States Air Force
25 otherusers(seeoperators page)
Number built4,604 (as of June 2018)[1][2]
History
Manufactured1973–2017, 2019–present[3]
Introduction date17 August 1978;46 years ago(1978-08-17)
First flight
  • 20 January 1974;50 years ago(1974-01-20)(unplanned)
  • 2 February 1974;50 years ago(1974-02-02)(official)
VariantsGeneral Dynamics X-62 VISTA
Developed into

The F-16's key features include a framelessbubble canopyfor enhanced cockpit visibility, aside-mounted control stickto ease control while maneuvering, anejection seatreclined 30 degrees from vertical to reduce the effect ofg-forceson the pilot, and the first use of arelaxed static stability/fly-by-wireflight control system that helps to make it an agile aircraft. The fighter has a single turbofan engine, an internalM61 Vulcancannon and 11hardpoints.Although officially named "Fighting Falcon", the aircraft is commonly known by the nickname "Viper".[7]

In addition to active duty in the U.S. Air Force,Air Force Reserve Command,andAir National Guardunits, the aircraft is also used by theU.S. Air Force Thunderbirdsaerial demonstration team, the US Air Combat Command F-16 Viper Demonstration Team,[8]and as an adversary/aggressor aircraft by theUnited States Navy.The F-16 has also been procured by the air forces of 25 other nations.[9]As of 2024, it is the world's most commonfixed-wing aircraftin military service, with 2,145 F-16s operational.[10]

Development

edit

Lightweight Fighter program

edit

USVietnam Warexperience showed the need forair superiorityfighters and better air-to-air training for fighter pilots.[11]Based on his experience in theKorean Warand as a fighter tactics instructor in the early 1960s, ColonelJohn Boydwith mathematicianThomas Christiedeveloped theenergy–maneuverability theoryto model a fighter aircraft's performance in combat. Boyd's work called for a small, lightweight aircraft that could maneuver with the minimum possible energy loss and which also incorporated an increasedthrust-to-weight ratio.[12][13]In the late 1960s, Boyd gathered a group of like-minded innovators who became known as theFighter Mafia,and in 1969, they securedDepartment of Defensefunding for General Dynamics and Northrop to study design concepts based on the theory.[14][15]

Air Force F-X proponents were opposed to the concept because they perceived it as a threat to theF-15program, but the USAF's leadership understood that its budget would not allow it to purchase enough F-15 aircraft to satisfy all of its missions.[16]The Advanced Day Fighter concept, renamedF-XX,gained civilian political support under the reform-minded Deputy Secretary of DefenseDavid Packard,who favored the idea of competitiveprototyping.As a result, in May 1971, the Air Force Prototype Study Group was established, with Boyd a key member, and two of its six proposals would be funded, one being theLightweight Fighter(LWF). Therequest for proposalsissued on 6 January 1972 called for a 20,000-pound (9,100 kg) class air-to-air day fighter with a good turn rate, acceleration, and range, and optimized for combat at speeds ofMach 0.6–1.6and altitudes of 30,000–40,000 feet (9,100–12,000 m). This was the region where USAF studies predicted most future air combat would occur. The anticipated average flyaway cost of a production version was$3 million.This production plan was hypothetical as the USAF had no firm plans to procure the winner.[17][18]

Selection of finalists and flyoff

edit
A right-side view of a YF-16 (foreground) and aNorthrop YF-17,each armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles

Five companies responded, and in 1972, the Air Staff selected General Dynamics' Model 401 and Northrop's P-600 for the follow-on prototype development and testing phase. GD and Northrop were awarded contracts worth$37.9 millionand$39.8 millionto produce the YF-16 andYF-17,respectively, with the first flights of both prototypes planned for early 1974. To overcome resistance in the Air Force hierarchy, the Fighter Mafia and other LWF proponents[which?]successfully advocated the idea of complementary fighters in a high-cost/low-cost force mix.[19]The "high/low mix" would allow the USAF to be able to afford sufficient fighters for its overall fighter force structure requirements. The mix gained broad acceptance by the time of the prototypes' fly-off, defining the relationship between the LWF and the F-15.[20][21]

The YF-16 was developed by a team of General Dynamics engineers led byRobert H. Widmer.[22]The first YF-16 was rolled out on 13 December 1973. Its 90-minutemaiden flightwas made at the Air Force Flight Test Center atEdwards AFB,California, on 2 February 1974. Its actual first flight occurred accidentally during a high-speed taxi test on 20 January 1974. While gathering speed, a roll-control oscillation caused a fin of the port-side wingtip-mounted missile and then the starboardstabilatorto scrape the ground, and the aircraft then began to veer off the runway. The test pilot,Phil Oestricher,decided to lift off to avoid a potential crash, safely landing six minutes later. The slight damage was quickly repaired and the official first flight occurred on time.[23]The YF-16's first supersonic flight was accomplished on 5 February 1974, and the second YF-16 prototype first flew on 9 May 1974. This was followed by the first flights of Northrop's YF-17 prototypes on 9 June and 21 August 1974, respectively. During the fly-off, the YF-16s completed 330sortiesfor a total of 417 flight hours;[24]the YF-17s flew 288 sorties, covering 345 hours.[25]

Air Combat Fighter competition

edit

Increased interest turned the LWF into a serious acquisition program.NATOallies Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway were seeking to replace theirF-104G Starfighterfighter-bombers.[26]In early 1974, they reached an agreement with the U.S. that if the USAF ordered the LWF winner, they would consider ordering it as well. The USAF also needed to replace itsF-105 ThunderchiefandF-4 Phantom IIfighter-bombers. The U.S. Congress sought greater commonality in fighter procurements by the Air Force and Navy, and in August 1974 redirected Navy funds to a new Navy Air Combat Fighter program that would be a naval fighter-bomber variant of the LWF. The four NATO allies had formed the Multinational Fighter Program Group (MFPG) and pressed for a U.S. decision by December 1974; thus, the USAF accelerated testing.[27][28][29]

YF-16 on display at theVirginia Air and Space Center

To reflect this serious intent to procure a new fighter-bomber, the LWF program was rolled into a new Air Combat Fighter (ACF) competition in an announcement byU.S. Secretary of DefenseJames R. Schlesingerin April 1974. The ACF would not be a pure fighter, butmultirole,and Schlesinger made it clear that any ACF order would be in addition to the F-15, which extinguished opposition to the LWF.[28][29][30]ACF also raised the stakes for GD and Northrop because it brought in competitors intent on securing what was touted at the time as "the arms deal of the century".[31]These wereDassault-Breguet'sproposedMirage F1M-53,the Anglo-FrenchSEPECAT Jaguar,and the proposedSaab 37E "Eurofighter".Northrop offered the P-530 Cobra, which was similar to the YF-17. The Jaguar and Cobra were dropped by the MFPG early on, leaving two European and two U.S. candidates. On 11 September 1974, the U.S. Air Force confirmed plans to order the winning ACF design to equip five tactical fighter wings. Though computer modeling predicted a close contest, the YF-16 proved significantly quicker going from one maneuver to the next and was the unanimous choice of those pilots that flew both aircraft.[32]

On 13 January 1975,Secretary of the Air ForceJohn L. McLucasannounced the YF-16 as the winner of the ACF competition.[33]The chief reasons given by the secretary were the YF-16's lower operating costs, greater range, and maneuver performance that was "significantly better" than that of the YF-17, especially at supersonic speeds. Another advantage of the YF-16 – unlike the YF-17 – was its use of thePratt & Whitney F100turbofan engine, the samepowerplantused by the F-15; such commonality would lower the cost of engines for both programs.[34]Secretary McLucas announced that the USAF planned to order at least 650, possibly up to 1,400 production F-16s. In the Navy Air Combat Fighter competition, on 2 May 1975, the Navy selected the YF-17 as the basis for what would become theMcDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet.[35][36]

Production

edit
An F-16C of theColorado Air National GuardwithAIM-9 Sidewindermissiles, anAir Combat Maneuvering Instrumentationpod, and a centerline fuel tank (300 US gal or 1,100 L capacity)

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 which 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 theAN/APG-66radar, wing area was increased from 280 to 300 sq ft (26 to 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 inFort Worth, Texas,atUnited States Air Force Plant 4in 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 aircraft entered USAF operational service with the34th Tactical Fighter Squadron,388th Tactical Fighter Wing,atHill AFBin Utah, on 1 October 1980.[40]

The F-16 was given its name of "Fighting Falcon" on 21 July 1980. Its pilots and crews often use the name "Viper" instead, because of a perceived resemblance to avipersnake as well as to the fictional Colonial Viperstarfighterfrom the television programBattlestar Galactica,which aired at the time the F-16 entered service.[41][7]

On 7 June 1975, the four European partners, now known as theEuropean Participation Group,signed up for 348 aircraft at theParis 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 atFokker's Schiphol-Oost facility and the other atSABCA'sGosseliesplant in Belgium, would produce 184 and 164 units respectively. Norway'sKongsberg Vaapenfabrikkand Denmark'sTerma A/Salso 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 theBelgian Air Forcebegan in January 1979. The firstRoyal Netherlands Air Forceaircraft was delivered in June 1979. In 1980, the first aircraft were delivered to theRoyal Norwegian Air Forceby Fokker and to theRoyal Danish Air Forceby SABCA.[42][43]

During the late 1980s and 1990s,Turkish Aerospace Industries(TAI) produced 232Block30/40/50 F-16s on a production line in Ankaraunder licensefor theTurkish Air Force.TAI also produced 46 Block 40s for Egypt in the mid-1990s and 30 Block 50s from 2010 onwards.Korean Aerospace Industriesopened 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 itsMedium Multi-Role Combat Aircraftprocurement, a sixth F-16 production line would have been built in India.[44]In May 2013, Lockheed Martin stated there were currently enough orders to keep producing the F-16 until 2017.[45]

Improvements and upgrades

edit

One change made during production was augmented pitch control to avoiddeep stallconditions 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 theLangley Research Centerrevealed 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 a real concern. In response, the area of each horizontal stabilizer was 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.[46][47]

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.[48]In 2012, the USAF had allocated $2.8 billion (~$3.67 billion in 2023) to upgrade 350 F-16s while waiting for the F-35 to enter service.[49]One key upgrade has been an auto-GCAS (Ground collision avoidance system) to reduce instances ofcontrolled flight into terrain.[50]Onboard power and cooling capacities limit the scope of upgrades, which often involve the addition of more power-hungry avionics.[51]

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;[52][53][54]BAE lost the South Korean contract because of a price breach in November 2014.[55]In 2012, the USAF assigned the total upgrade contract to Lockheed Martin.[56]Upgrades include Raytheon's Center Display Unit, which replaces several analog flight instruments with a single digital display.[57]

In 2013,sequestration budget cutscast 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.[58]Air Combat Command's GeneralMike Hostagestated that if he only had money for a service life extension program (SLEP) or CAPES, he would fund SLEP to keep the aircraft flying.[59]Lockheed Martin responded to talk of CAPES cancellation with a fixed-price upgrade package for foreign users.[60]CAPES was not included in the Pentagon's 2015 budget request.[61]The USAF said that the upgrade package will still be offered to Taiwan'sRepublic of China Air Force,and Lockheed said that some common elements with the F-35 will keep the radar's unit costs down.[62]In 2014, the USAF issued a RFI to SLEP 300 F-16 C/Ds.[63]

Production relocation

edit

To make more room for assembly of its newerF-35 Lightning IIfighter aircraft, Lockheed Martin moved the F-16 production from Fort Worth, Texas to its plant inGreenville, South Carolina.[3]Lockheed delivered the last F-16 from Fort Worth to theIraqi Air Forceon 14 November 2017, ending 40 years of F-16 production there. The company resumed production in 2019, though engineering and modernization work will remain in Fort Worth.[64]A gap in orders made it possible to stop production during the move; after completing orders for the last Iraqi purchase,[65]the company was negotiating an F-16 sale toBahrainthat would be produced in Greenville. This contract was signed in June 2018,[2]and the first planes rolled off the Greenville line in 2023.[66]

Design

edit

Overview

edit
Early
Late
Comparison between F-16's inset cannon; early aircraft had four leading vents, a grille, and four trailing vents, while later aircraft had only two trailing vents

The F-16 is a single-engine, highly maneuverable, supersonic, multirole tactical fighter aircraft. It is much smaller and lighter than its predecessors but uses advancedaerodynamicsand avionics, including the first use of arelaxed 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-gmaneuvers and can reach a maximum speed of overMach2. Innovations include a framelessbubble canopyfor better visibility, a side-mounted control stick, and a reclined seat to reduceg-forceeffects on the pilot. It is armed with an internal 20 mm M61 Vulcancannonin 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.[67]

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-gradealuminum alloys,8% steel, 3% composites, and 1.5%titanium.The leading-edge flaps, stabilators, and ventral fins make use of bonded aluminumhoneycomb structuresandgraphite epoxylaminationcoatings.The number of lubrication points, fuel line connections, andreplaceable modulesis significantly less than in preceding fighters; 80% of the access panels can be accessed without stands.[44]The air intake was placed so it was rearward of the nose but forward enough to minimize air flow losses and reduceaerodynamic drag.[68]

Although the LWF program called for a structural life of 4,000 flight hours, capable of achieving7.33gwith 80% internal fuel; GD's engineers decided to design the F-16's airframe life for 8,000 hours and for9-gmaneuvers on full internal fuel. This proved advantageous when the aircraft's mission changed from solely air-to-air combat to multirole operations. Changes in operational use and additional systems have increased weight, necessitating multiple structural strengthening programs.[69]

General configuration

edit
F-16CJ of the20th Fighter WingfromShaw AFB,South Carolina,armed with a mix ofair-to-air missiles,anti-radiation missiles,external fuel tanks and support equipment

The F-16 has a cropped-delta wingincorporatingwing-fuselage blendingand forebodyvortex-controlstrakes;a fixed-geometry, underslung air intake (withsplitter plate[70]) to the single turbofan jet engine; a conventional tri-planeempennagearrangement with all-moving horizontal "stabilator" tailplanes; a pair of ventral fins beneath the fuselage aft of the wing's trailing edge; and a tricyclelanding gearconfiguration with the aft-retracting, steerable nose gear deploying a short distance behind the inlet lip. There is a boom-styleaerial refuelingreceptacle located behind the single-piece "bubble" canopy of the cockpit. Split-flapspeedbrakesare located at the aft end of the wing-body fairing, and atailhookis mounted underneath the fuselage. A fairing beneath the rudder often houses ECM equipment or adrag chute.Later F-16 models feature a long dorsal fairing along the fuselage's "spine", housing additional equipment or fuel.[44][71]

Aerodynamic studies in the 1960s demonstrated that the "vortex lift"phenomenon could be harnessed by highlyswept wingconfigurations to reach higherangles of attack,usingleading edgevortex 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, avariable-camberwing with a NACA 64A-204airfoilwas selected; the camber is adjusted by leading-edge and trailing edgeflaperonslinked to a digitalflight control systemregulating theflight envelope.[44][69]The F-16 has a moderate wing loading, reduced by fuselage lift.[72]The vortex lift effect is increased by leading-edge extensions, known as strakes. Strakes act as additional short-span, triangular wings running from thewing root(the junction 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-ratiowing, which increases roll rates anddirectional stabilitywhile decreasing weight. Deeper wing roots also increase structural strength and internal fuel volume.[69][73]

Armament

edit
APortuguese Air ForceF-16A outfitted with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, AN/ALQ-131 ECM pod, and external fuel tanks

Early F-16s could be armed with up to sixAIM-9 Sidewinderheat-seeking short-rangeair-to-air missiles(AAM) by employing rail launchers on each wingtip, as well as radar-guidedAIM-7 Sparrowmedium-range AAMs in a weapons mix.[74]More recent versions support theAIM-120 AMRAAM,and US aircraft often mount that missile on their wingtips to reducewing flutter.[75]The aircraft can carry various other AAMs, a wide variety of air-to-ground missiles, rockets or bombs;electronic countermeasures(ECM), navigation,targetingorweapons pods;and fuel tanks on 9hardpoints– six under the wings, two on wingtips, and one under the fuselage. Two other locations under the fuselage are available for sensor or radar pods.[74]The F-16 carries a20 mm (0.79 in)M61A1 Vulcan cannon,which is mounted inside the fuselage to the left of the cockpit.[74]

Relaxed stability and fly-by-wire

edit
F-16C of theSouth Carolina Air National Guardin-flight over North Carolina equipped with air-to-air missiles, bomb rack, targeting pods, and electronic countermeasures pods

The F-16 is the first production fighter aircraft intentionally designed to be slightly aerodynamically unstable, also known as relaxed static stability (RSS), to both reduce drag and improve maneuverability.[76]Most aircraft are designed to have positive static stability, which induces the aircraft to return to straight and level flightattitudeif the pilot releases the controls. This reduces maneuverability as the inherent stability has to be overcome and increases a form of drag known astrim drag.Aircraft withrelaxedstability are designed to be able to augment their stability characteristics while maneuvering to increase lift and reduce drag, thus greatly increasing their maneuverability. AtMach 1,the F-16 gains positive stability because of aerodynamic changes.[77][78][79]

To counter the tendency to depart from controlled flight and avoid the need for constant trim inputs by the pilot, the F-16 has a quadruplex (four-channel)fly-by-wire(FBW)flight control system(FLCS). The flight control computer (FLCC) accepts pilot input from the stick and rudder controls and manipulates the control surfaces in such a way as to produce the desired result without inducing control loss. The FLCC conducts thousands of measurements per second on the aircraft's flight attitude to automatically counter deviations from the pilot-set flight path. The FLCC further incorporates limiters governing movement in thethree main axesbased on attitude, airspeed, and angle of attack (AOA)/g;these prevent control surfaces from inducing instability such asslipsorskids,or a high AOA inducing a stall. The limiters also prevent maneuvers that would exert more than a9-gload.[80][81]

Flight testing revealed that "assaulting" multiple limiters at high AOA and low speed can result in an AOA far exceeding the 25° limit, colloquially referred to as "departing"; this causes a deep stall; a near-freefall at 50° to 60° AOA, either upright or inverted. While at a very high AOA, the aircraft's attitude is stable but control surfaces are ineffective. The pitch limiter locks the stabilators at an extreme pitch-up or pitch-down attempting torecover.This can be overridden so the pilot can "rock" the nose via pitch control to recover.[82]

Unlike the YF-17, which hadhydromechanicalcontrols serving as a backup to the FBW, General Dynamics took the innovative step of eliminating mechanical linkages from the control stick and rudder pedals to theflight control surfaces.[83]The F-16 is entirely reliant on its electrical systems to relay flight commands, instead of traditional mechanically linked controls, leading to the early moniker of "the electric jet" and aphorisms among pilots such as "You don't fly an F-16; it flies you."[84]The quadruplex design permits "graceful degradation"in flight control response in that the loss of one channel renders the FLCS a" triplex "system.[85][86]The FLCC began as an analog system on the A/B variants but has been supplanted by a digital computer system beginning with the F-16C/D Block 40.[87][88]The F-16's controls suffered from a sensitivity to static electricity orelectrostatic discharge(ESD) andlightning.[89]Up to 70–80% of the C/D models' electronics were vulnerable to ESD.[90]

Cockpit and ergonomics

edit
Bubble canopy, allowing all-round visibility

A key feature of the F-16's cockpit is the exceptional field of view. The single-piece,bird-proofpolycarbonatebubble canopy provides 360° all-round visibility, with a 40° look-down angle over the side of the aircraft, and 15° down over the nose (compared to the common 12–13° of preceding aircraft); the pilot's seat is elevated for this purpose. Additionally, the F-16's canopy omits the forward bow frame found on many fighters, which is an obstruction to a pilot's forward vision.[44][91]The F-16'sACES IIzero/zero ejection seatis reclined at an unusual tilt-back angle of 30°; most fighters have a tilted seat at 13–15°. The tilted seat can accommodate taller pilots and increasesg-forcetolerance; however, it has been associated with reports of neck aches, possibly caused by incorrect headrest usage.[92]Subsequent U.S. fighters have adopted more modest tilt-back angles of 20°.[44][93]Because of the seat angle and the canopy's thickness, the ejection seat lacks canopy-breakers for emergency egress; instead the entire canopy is jettisoned prior to the seat's rocket firing.[94]

F-16 ground trainer cockpit (F-16 Mid-Life Update (MLU))

The pilot flies primarily by means of an armrest-mountedside-stickcontroller (instead of a traditionalcenter-mounted stick) and an engine throttle; conventional rudder pedals are also employed. To enhance the pilot's degree of control of the aircraft duringhigh-gcombat maneuvers, various switches and function controls were moved to centralizedhands on throttle-and-stick(HOTAS) controls upon both the controllers and the throttle. Hand pressure on the side-stick controller is transmitted by electrical signals via the FBW system to adjust various flight control surfaces to maneuver the F-16. Originally, the side-stick controller was non-moving, but this proved uncomfortable and difficult for pilots to adjust to, sometimes resulting in a tendency to "over-rotate" during takeoffs, so the control stick was given a small amount of "play". Since the introduction of the F-16, HOTAS controls have become a standard feature on modern fighters.[citation needed]

F-16 pilot withJoint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systemand cockpithead-up display

The F-16 has ahead-up display(HUD), which projects visual flight and combat information in front of the pilot without obstructing the view; being able to keep their head "out of the cockpit" improves the pilot'ssituation awareness.[95]Further flight and systems information are displayed onmulti-function displays(MFD). The left-hand MFD is theprimary flight display(PFD), typically showing radar and moving maps; the right-hand MFD is the system display (SD), presenting information about the engine, landing gear, slat and flap settings, and fuel and weapons status. Initially, the F-16A/B had monochromecathode-ray tube(CRT) displays; replaced by colorliquid-crystal displayson the Block 50/52.[44][96]The Mid-Life Update (MLU) introduced compatibility withnight-vision goggles(NVG). TheBoeingJoint Helmet Mounted Cueing System(JHMCS) is available from Block 40 onwards for targeting based on where the pilot's head faces, unrestricted by the HUD, using high-off-boresightmissiles like theAIM-9X.[97]

Fire-control radar

edit

The F-16A/B was originally equipped with theWestinghouseAN/APG-66fire-control radar.Its slottedplanar arrayantenna was designed to be compact to fit into the F-16's relatively small nose. In uplook mode, the APG-66 uses a lowpulse-repetition frequency(PRF) for medium- and high-altitude target detection in a low-clutterenvironment, and inlook-down/shoot-downemploys a medium PRF for heavy clutter environments. It has four operating frequencies within the X band, and provides four air-to-air and seven air-to-ground operating modes for combat, even at night or in bad weather. The Block 15's APG-66(V)2 model added more powerfulsignal processing,higher output power, improved reliability, and increased range in cluttered orjammingenvironments. The Mid-Life Update (MLU) program introduced a new model, APG-66(V)2A, which features higher speed and more memory.[98]

AN/APG-68, as fitted to the nose

TheAN/APG-68,an evolution of the APG-66, was introduced with the F-16C/D Block 25. The APG-68 has greater range and resolution, as well as 25 operating modes, including ground-mapping, Doppler beam-sharpening, groundmoving target indication,sea target, andtrack while scan(TWS) for up to 10 targets. The Block 40/42's APG-68(V)1 model added full compatibility with Lockheed MartinLow Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night(LANTIRN) pods, and a high-PRF pulse-Doppler track mode to provide Interrupted Continuous Wave guidance forsemi-active radar homing(SARH) missiles like the AIM-7 Sparrow. Block 50/52 F-16s initially used the more reliable APG-68(V)5 which has a programmable signal processor employingVery High Speed Integrated Circuit(VHSIC) technology. The Advanced Block 50/52 (or 50+/52+) is equipped with the APG-68(V)9 radar, with a 30% greater air-to-air detection range and asynthetic aperture radar(SAR) mode for high-resolution mapping and target detection-recognition. In August 2004, Northrop Grumman was contracted to upgrade the APG-68 radars of Block 40/42/50/52 aircraft to the (V)10 standard, providing all-weather autonomous detection and targeting forGlobal Positioning System(GPS)-aided precision weapons, SAR mapping, andterrain-following radar(TF) modes, as well as interleaving of all modes.[44]

The F-16E/F is outfitted with Northrop Grumman'sAN/APG-80active electronically scanned array(AESA) radar.[99]Northrop Grumman developed the latest AESA radar upgrade for the F-16 (selected for USAF and Taiwan's Republic of China Air Force F-16 upgrades), named theAN/APG-83Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR).[100][101]In July 2007, Raytheon announced that it was developing a Next Generation Radar (RANGR) based on its earlierAN/APG-79AESA radar as a competitor to Northrop Grumman's AN/APG-68 and AN/APG-80 for the F-16.[44]On 28 February 2020, Northrop Grumman received an order from USAF to extend the service lives of their F-16s to at least 2048 with AN/APG-83 as part of the service-life extension program (SLEP).[102]

Propulsion

edit
Afterburner – concentric ring structure inside the exhaust

The initial powerplant selected for the single-engined F-16 was the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200afterburning turbofan,a modified version of the F-15's F100-PW-100, rated at 23,830 lbf (106.0 kN) thrust. During testing, the engine was found to be prone to compressor stalls and "rollbacks", wherein the engine's thrust would spontaneously reduce to idle. Until resolved, the Air Force ordered F-16s to be operated within "dead-stick landing"distance of its bases.[16]It was the standard F-16 engine through the Block 25, except for the newly built Block 15s with the Operational Capability Upgrade (OCU). The OCU introduced the 23,770 lbf (105.7 kN) F100-PW-220, later installed on Block 32 and 42 aircraft: the main advance being a Digital Electronic Engine Control (DEEC) unit, which improved reliability and reducedstalloccurrence. Beginning production in 1988, the "-220" also supplanted the F-15's "-100", for commonality. Many of the "-220" engines on Block 25 and later aircraft were upgraded from 1997 onwards to the "-220E" standard, which enhanced reliability and maintainability; unscheduled engine removals were reduced by 35%.[103]

Adjustable exhaust nozzle in contracted position

The F100-PW-220/220E was the result of the USAF's Alternate Fighter Engine (AFE) program (colloquially known as "the Great Engine War" ), which also saw the entry of General Electric as an F-16 engine provider. ItsF110-GE-100turbofan was limited by the original inlet to a thrust of 25,735 lbf (114.47 kN), the Modular Common Inlet Duct allowed the F110 to achieve its maximum thrust of 28,984 lbf (128.93 kN). (To distinguish between aircraft equipped with these two engines and inlets, from the Block 30 series on, blocks ending in "0" (e.g., Block 30) are powered by GE, and blocks ending in "2" (e.g., Block 32) are fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines.)[103][104]

The Increased Performance Engine (IPE) program led to the 29,588 lbf (131.61 kN) F110-GE-129 on the Block 50 and 29,160 lbf (129.7 kN) F100-PW-229 on the Block 52. F-16s began flying with these IPE engines in the early 1990s. Altogether, of the 1,446 F-16C/Ds ordered by the USAF, 556 were fitted with F100-series engines and 890 with F110s.[44]The United Arab Emirates' Block 60 is powered by the General Electric F110-GE-132 turbofan with a maximum thrust of 32,500 lbf (145 kN), the highest thrust engine developed for the F-16.[105]

Operational history

edit

United States

edit
A U.S. Air Force F-16 from the480th Fighter Squadrontakes off fromSpangdahlem Air Basein support ofOperation Odyssey Dawn

The F-16 is being used by the active-duty USAF,Air Force Reserve,andAir National Guardunits, the USAF aerial demonstration team, theU.S. Air Force Thunderbirds,and as an adversary-aggressor aircraft by theUnited States Navyat theNaval Strike and Air Warfare Center.[citation needed]

The U.S. Air Force, including the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard, flew the F-16 in combat duringOperation Desert Stormin 1991 and in theBalkanslater in the 1990s. F-16s also patrolled the no-fly zones in Iraq during OperationsNorthern WatchandSouthern Watchand served during theWar in Afghanistanand theWar in Iraqfrom 2001 and 2003 respectively. In 2011, Air Force F-16s took part in theintervention in Libya.[106]

On 11 September 2001, two unarmed F-16s were launched in an attempt to ram and downUnited Airlines Flight 93before it reachedWashington D.C.during the11 September 2001 terrorist attacks,but Flight 93 was prematurely brought down by the hijackers after passengers attacked the cockpit, so the F-16s were retasked to patrol the local airspace and later escortedAir Force Oneback to Washington.[107][108][importance?]

The F-16 had been scheduled to remain in service with the U.S. Air Force until 2025.[109]Its replacement is planned to be the F-35A variant of theLockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II,which is expected to gradually begin replacing several multirole aircraft among the program's member nations. However, owing to delays in the F-35 program, all USAF F-16s will receive service life extension upgrades.[110]In 2022, it was announced the USAF would continue to operate the F-16 for another two decades.[111]

Israel

edit
Israeli Air ForceF-16A Netz 107with 6.5 kill marks of other aircraft, a record for an F-16, as well as one kill mark of anIraqi nuclear reactor[112]

The F-16's first air-to-air combat success was achieved by theIsraeli Air Force(IAF) over theBekaa Valleyon 28 April 1981, against a SyrianMi-8helicopter, which was downed with cannon fire.[113]On 7 June 1981, eight Israeli F-16s, escorted by six F-15s, executedOperation Opera,their first employment in a significant air-to-ground operation. This raid severely damagedOsirak,an Iraqinuclear reactorunder construction nearBaghdad,to prevent the regime ofSaddam Husseinfrom using the reactor for the creation ofnuclear weapons.[114]

The following year, during the1982 Lebanon WarIsraeli 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.[113][115]

In January 2000, Israel completed a purchase of 102 new F-16I aircraft in a deal totaling$4.5 billion.[116]F-16s were also used in their ground-attack role for strikes against targets in Lebanon. IAF F-16s participated in the2006 Lebanon Warand the2008–09 Gaza War.[117]During and after the 2006 Lebanon war, IAF F-16s shot downIranian-madeUAVslaunched byHezbollah,usingRafaelPython 5air-to-air missiles.[118][119][120]

On 10 February 2018, an Israeli Air Force F-16Iwas shot downin northern Israel when it was hit by a relatively old modelS-200(NATO name SA-5 Gammon) surface-to-air missile of the Syrian Air Defense Force.[121]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 airspace and was shot down.[122]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.[123]

On 16 July 2024, the last single-seat F-16C Barak-1 (‘Lightning’ in Hebrew) were retired; theIsraeli Air Forcecontinue to use the F-16D Brakeet and F-16I Sufa two-seat variants.[124]

Pakistan

edit
The PAF F-16BM (S. No. 84-606) which shot down one of the Indian jets duringOperation Swift Retort(kill mark visible on nose)

During theSoviet–Afghan War,PAF F-16As shot down between 20 and 30 Soviet and Afghanwarplanes;the political situation however resulted in PAF officially recognizing only 9 kills which were made inside Pakistani airspace.[125]From May 1986 to January 1989,PAFF-16s from theTail ChoppersandGriffinsquadrons using mostly AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, shot down fourAfghanSu-22s,twoMiG-23s,oneSu-25,and oneAn-26.[126]Most of these kills were by missiles, but at least one, a Su-22, was destroyed by cannon fire. One F-16 was lost in these battles. The downed F-16 was likelyhit accidentallyby the other F-16.[127]

On 7 June 2002, a Pakistan Air Force F-16B Block 15 (S. No. 82-605) shot down an Indian Air Force unmanned aerial vehicle, an Israeli-madeSearcher II,using an AIM-9L Sidewinder missile, during a night interception nearLahore.[128]

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.[129][failed verification]

Between May 2009 and November 2011,the PAF F-16 fleet flew more than 5,500 sorties[needs update]in support of thePakistan Army'soperationsagainst the Taliban insurgency in theFATAregion ofNorth-West Pakistan.More than 80% of the dropped munitions werelaser-guided bombs.[130][131]

On 27 February 2019, followingsix Pakistan Air Force airstrikes in Jammu and Kashmir, India,Pakistani officials said that two of its fighter jets shot down oneMiG-21and oneSu-30MKIbelonging to the Indian Air Force.[132][133][134][135]Indian officials only confirmed the loss of one MiG-21 but denied losing any Su-30MKI in the clash and claimed the Pakistani claims as dubious.[136][137]Additionally Indian officials also claimed to have shot down one F-16 belonging to the Pakistan Air Force.[138][139]This was denied by the Pakistani side,[140]considered dubious by neutral sources,[141][142]and later backed by a report byForeign Policymagazine, reporting that the US had completed a physical count of Pakistan's F-16s and found none missing.[143]A report byThe Washington Postnoted thatthe PentagonandState Departmentrefused public comment on the matter but did not deny the earlier report.[144]

Turkey

edit
F-16 SoloTürk aerial aerobatic aircraft

TheTurkish Air Forceacquired its first F-16s in 1987. F-16s were later produced in Turkey under four phases ofPeace Onyxprograms. In 2015, they were upgraded to Block 50/52+ withCCIPby Turkish Aerospace Industries.[145]Turkish F-16s are being fitted with indigenous AESA radars and EW suite called SPEWS-II.[146]

On 18 June 1992, a Greek Mirage F1 crashed during adogfightwith a Turkish F-16.[147][148][149]On 8 February 1995, a Turkish F-16 crashed into the Aegean Sea after being intercepted by Greek Mirage F1 fighters.[150][151]

Turkish F-16s have participated inBosnia-HerzegovinaandKosovosince 1993 in support ofUnited Nationsresolutions.[152]

On 8 October 1996, seven months after the escalation a GreekMirage 2000reportedly fired anR.550 Magic IImissile and shot down a Turkish F-16D over the Aegean Sea.[153][154]The Turkish pilot died, while the co-pilot ejected and was rescued by Greek forces.[149][155][156]In August 2012, after thedowning of an RF-4Eon the Syrian coast, Turkish Defence Ministerİsmet Yılmazconfirmed that the Turkish F-16D was shot down by a Greek Mirage 2000 with an R.550 Magic II in 1996 nearChiosisland.[157]Greece denies that the F-16 was shot down.[158]Both Mirage 2000 pilots reported that the F-16 caught fire and they saw oneparachute.[159][160]

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 ofKarpathos,within the AthensFIR.A mock dogfight ensued between the two sides, resulting in a midair collision[161]between a Turkish F-16 and a Greek F-16. The Turkish pilot ejected safely, but the Greek pilot died owing to damage caused by the collision.[162][163]

Turkey used its F-16s extensively in itsconflict with Kurdish insurgentsin southeastern parts of Turkey and Iraq. Turkey launched its first cross-border raid on 16 December 2007, a prelude to the2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq,involving 50 fighters beforeOperation Sun.This was the first time Turkey had mounted a night-bombing operation on a massive scale, and also the largest operation conducted by the Turkish Air Force.[164]

During theSyrian Civil War,Turkish F-16s were tasked with airspace protection on the Syrian border. After theRF-4 downing in June 2012Turkey changed its rules of engagement against Syrian aircraft, resulting in scrambles and downings of Syrian combat aircraft.[165]On 16 September 2013, a Turkish Air Force F-16 shot down aSyrian Arab Air ForceMil Mi-17helicopter near the Turkish border.[166]On 23 March 2014, a Turkish Air Force F-16 shot down a Syrian Arab Air Force MiG-23 when it allegedly entered Turkish air space during a ground attack mission againstAl Qaeda-linked insurgents.[167]On 16 May 2015, two Turkish Air Force F-16s shot down a SyrianMohajer 4UAV firing twoAIM-9missiles after it trespassed into Turkish airspace for 5 minutes.[168][169]A Turkish Air Force F-16shot down a Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-24on the Turkey-Syria border on 24 November 2015.[170]

On 1 March 2020, two Syrian Sukhoi Su-24s were shot down by Turkish Air Force F-16s using air-to-air missiles over Syria'sIdlib Governorate.[171]All four pilots safely ejected.[172]On 3 March 2020, a Syrian Arab Army Air ForceL-39combat trainer was shot down by a Turkish F-16 over Syria's Idlib province.[173]The pilot died.[174]

As a part of Turkish F-16 modernization program new air-to-air missiles are being developed and tested for the aircraft.GÖKTUĞprogram led byTUBITAK SAGEhas presented two types of air-to-air missiles named as Bozdogan (Merlin) and Gokdogan (Peregrine). While Bozdogan has been categorized as a Within Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (WVRAAM), Gokdogan is a Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM). On 14 April 2021, first live test exercise of Bozdogan have successfully completed and the first batch of missiles are expected to be delivered throughout the same year to the Turkish Air Force.[175][176]

Egypt

edit
An Egyptian Air Force F-16 prepares to make contact with a United States Air ForceKC-135 Stratotanker,2007

On 16 February 2015, Egyptian F-16sstruck weapons caches and training campsof theIslamic State(ISIS) in Libya in retaliation for the murder of 21 EgyptianCoptic Christianconstruction workers by masked militants affiliated with ISIS. The airstrikes killed 64 ISIS fighters, including three leaders inDernaandSirteon the coast.[177]

Europe

edit

TheRoyal Netherlands Air Force,Belgian Air Component,Royal Danish Air ForceandRoyal Norwegian Air Forceall fly the F-16.[178]All F-16s in most European air forces are equipped withdrag chutesspecifically to allow them to operate from automobile highways.[179]

A YugoslavianMiG-29was shot down by a Dutch F-16AM during theKosovo Warin 1999.[180]Belgian and Danish F-16s also participated in joint operations over Kosovo during the war.[180]Dutch, Belgian, Danish, and Norwegian F-16s were deployed during the 2011 intervention in Libya and in Afghanistan.[181]In Libya, Norwegian F-16s dropped almost 550 bombs and flew 596 missions,[182]some 17% of the total strike missions[183]including the bombing ofMuammar Gaddafi's headquarters.[184]

In late March 2018, Croatia announced its intention to purchase 12 used Israeli F-16C/D "Barak" / "Brakeet" jets, pending U.S. approval.[185]Acquiring these F-16s would allow Croatia to retire its aging MiG-21s.[186]In January 2019, the deal was canceled because U.S. would only allow the resale if Israel stripped the planes of all the modernized electronics, while Croatia insisted on the original deal with all the upgrades installed.[187]At the end of November 2021, Croatia signed with France instead, for 12Rafales.[188]

On 11 July 2018, Slovakia's government approved the purchase of 14 F-16 Block 70/72 to replace its aging fleet of Soviet-made MiG-29s.[189]A contract was signed on 12 December 2018 in Bratislava.[190]

Ukraine

edit

In May 2023, an international coalition consisting of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark announced their intention to trainUkrainianpilots on the F-16 ahead of possible future deliveries to increase the Ukrainian Air Force capabilities in the currentRusso-Ukrainian War.The U.S. confirmed that it would approve the re-export from these countries to Ukraine.[191]Denmark has agreed to help train Ukrainians on their usage of the fighter. Denmark's acting Defence MinisterTroels Lund Poulsensaid that Denmark "will now be able to move forward for a collective contribution to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s".[192]On 6 July 2023, Romania announced that it will host the future training center after the meeting of theSupreme Council of National Defense.[193]During the2023 Vilnius summit,a coalitionwas formed consisting of Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine.[194]A number of Ukrainian pilots began training in Denmark and the U.S.[195][196]TheEuropean F-16 Training Center,organized by Romania, the Netherlands, and Lockheed Martin through several subcontractors, officially opened on 13 November 2023. It is located at theRomanian Air Force's86th Air Base,and Ukrainian pilots are expected to start training there in early 2024.[197][needs update]On 17 August 2023, the U.S. approved the transfer of F-16s from the Netherlands and Denmark to Ukraine after the Ukrainian pilots have completed their training.[198]The Netherlands and Denmark have announced that together they will donate up to 61F-16AM/BM Block 15 MLUfighters to Ukraine once pilot training has been completed.[199][200]

On 13 May 2024, Danish Prime MinisterMette Frederiksensaid that "F-16 from Denmark will be in the air over Ukraine within months." Denmark is sending 19 F-16s in total.[201]By the end of July 2024, the first F-16s were delivered to Ukraine.[202]

On 4 August 2024, President Zelensky announced to the public that the F-16 was now in operational service with Ukraine. Zelensky stated at an opening ceremony that: "F-16s are in Ukraine. We did it. I am proud of our guys who are mastering these jets and have already started using them for our country,".[203]

On 29 August 2024, it was reported that a Ukrainian F-16 had crashed and that the pilot, Oleksiy Mes, was killed while intercepting Russian aerial targets during the26 August 2024 Russian strikes on Ukraine.The cause is under investigation.[204]

On 30 August 2024, theCommander of the Ukrainian Air Force,Mykola Oleshchuk,was dismissed by President Zelenskyy and replaced by Lieutenant GeneralAnatolii Kryvonozhko,[205]which was partially attributed to "indications" that the F-16 that crashed on 26 August was shot down in "a friendly fire incident". Ukrainian parliamentarianMaryana Bezuhlaand Oleshchuk had previously argued over the cause of the F-16 loss.[206][207]

Others

edit
Iraqi Air ForceF-16C

Venezuela Air Forcehave flown the F-16 on combat missions.[178]

TheRoyal Moroccan Air Forceand theRoyal Bahraini Air Forceeach lost a single F-16C, both shot down byHouthianti-aircraft fire during theSaudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen,respectively on 11 May 2015 and on 30 December 2015.[208]

Potential operators

edit

Bulgaria

edit

TheBulgarian Air Forceexpects delivery of the first eight new F-16 Block 70s by 2025 and the second batch of eight F-16 Block 70s is expected to arrive in 2027.[209]

Argentina

edit

On 11 October 2023, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regional Security Mira Resnick confirmed toJorge Argüello,Argentineanambassador to the US, that the State Department has approved the transfer of 38 F-16s from Denmark.[210]

Philippines

edit

On 24 June 2021, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency approved thePhilippines' purchase of 12 F-16s worth an estimated US$2.43 billion. However, the Philippines has yet to complete this deal due to financial constraints with negotiations ongoing.[211][212]

Civilian operators

edit

Top Aces

edit

In January 2021, Canadian defence contractorTop Acesannounced that they had taken delivery of the first civilian owned F-16s to their US HQ in Mesa, Arizona.[213]In an approval process that had taken years, they had purchased a batch of 29 F-16A/BNetzfrom theIsraeli Air Force,including several that had taken part inOperation Opera.A year later, the first of these aircraft had finished the extensive AAMS mission system upgrades including AESA radar, HMCS, ECM, and Tactical Datalink. In late 2022 they began regular operations flying as contracted aggressors for USAF F-22 and F-35 squadrons in Luke AFB and Eglin AFB, as well as supporting exercises in other USAF and USMC bases.[214]

Variants

edit
A Republic of China Air Force F-16B landing atHualien Air Force Base
Venezuelan Air ForceF-16B
Testing of the F-35diverterless supersonic inleton an F-16 testbed. The original intake withsplitter plateshown in the top image.

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 andretrofitdelivered aircraft.[citation needed]

While many F-16s were produced according to these block designs, there have been many other variants withsignificant changes,usually because ofmodification programs.Other changes have resulted in role-specialization, such as theclose air support and reconnaissance variants.Several models were also developed totest new technology.The F-16 design also inspired the design of other aircraft, which are consideredderivatives.Older F-16s are being converted intoQF-16 drone targets.[215]

F-16A/B
The F-16A (single seat) and F-16B (two seat) were initial production variants. These variants include the Block 1, 5, 10, 15, 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 983 produced.[216]Around 300 earlier USAF F-16A and B aircraft were upgraded to the Block 15Mid-Life Update(MLU) standard, getting analogous capability to F-16C/D Block 50/52 aircraft.[217][218]From 1987 a total of 214 Block 15 aircraft were upgraded to OCU (Operational Capability Upgrade) standard, with engines, structural and electronic improvements, and from 1988 all Block 15 were directly build to OCU specifications.[216]Between 1989 and 1992 a total of 271 Block 15OCU airframes (246 F-16A and 25 F-16B) were converted at the Ogden Air Logistic Center to the ADF (Air Defense Fighter) variant, with improved IFF system, radio and radar, the ability to carry advanced Beyond Visual Range missiles and the addition of a side-mounted 150,000 candlepower spotlight for visual night identification of intruders. Originally intended for Cold-War air defense of the continental U.S. airspace, with the fall of the Berlin Wall the ADF lost a clear mission, and most were mothballed starting from 1994. Some mothballed ADFs were later exported to Jordan (12 -A and 4 -B models) and Thailand (15 -A and 1 -B), while 30 -A and 4 -B models were leased to Italy from 2003 to 2012[219][220]
An F-16D assigned to the 416th Flight Test Squadron, 412th Test Wing, Air Force Test Center, flies over the Mojave Desert near Edwards AFB, California
F-16C/D
F-16C Block 50M of theChilean Air Force
The 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 withbeyond-visual-range(BVR) AIM-7 and AIM-120 air-air missiles. Block 30/32, 40/42, and 50/52 were later C/D versions.[221]The F-16C/D had a unit cost of US$18.8 million (1998).[67]Operational costper flight hour has been estimated at $7,000[222]to $22,470[223]or $24,000, depending on the calculation method.[224][unreliable source?]
United Arab Emirates Air ForceF-16E Block 60 with the IFTS pod, CFTs, and various external armament taking off
F-16E/F
The 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. TheUnited Arab Emiratesinvested heavily in their development. They feature improvedAN/APG-80active electronically scanned array(AESA) radar,infrared search and track(IRST), avionics,conformal fuel tanks(CFTs), and the more powerfulGeneral Electric F110-GE-132 engine.[225][226][227][N 1]
F-16IN
For theIndian MRCA competitionfor theIndian Air Force,Lockheed Martin offered theF-16IN Super Viper.[230]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 withFADECcontrols; electronic warfare suite andinfrared search and track (IRST)unit; updated glass cockpit; and a helmet-mounted cueing system.[231]As of 2011, the F-16IN is no longer in the competition.[232][unreliable source?]In 2016, Lockheed Martin offered the new F-16 Block 70/72 version to India under theMake in Indiaprogram.[233][234]In 2016, the Indian government offered to purchase 200 (potentially up to 300) fighters in a deal worth $13–15bn.[235]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.[236]
F-16IQ
In September 2010, theDefense Security Cooperation Agencyinformed theUnited States Congressof a possible Foreign Military Sale of 18 F-16IQ aircraft along with the associated equipment and services to the newly reformedIraqi Air Force.The total value of sale was estimated atUS$4.2 billion.[237]The Iraqi Air Force purchased those 18 jets in the second half of 2011, then later exercised an option to purchase 18 more for a total of 36 F-16IQs.[238]As of 2021,the Iraqi had lost two in accidents.[239]By 2023, the US government reported that these jets were Iraq's most capable airborne platforms with a 66 percent mission-capable rate. Their maintenance was being supported by private contractors. At the same time, Iraq's Russian-made systems were suffering from sanctions imposed in the wake ofRussia's invasion of Ukraine.[240]
F-16N
The F-16N was an adversary aircraft operated by theUnited States Navy.It is based on the standard F-16C/D Block 30, is powered by the General Electric F110-GE-100 engine, and is capable ofsupercruise.[241]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's20 mmcannon has been removed, as has the airborne self-protection jammer (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 4 are twin-seat TF-16Ns. The initial batch of aircraft was 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 theNational Naval Aviation MuseumatNAS Pensacola,Florida, and the remainder placed in storage atDavis-Monthan AFB.These aircraft were later replaced by embargoed ex-Pakistani F-16s in 2003. The original inventory of F-16Ns was previously operated by adversary squadrons atNAS Oceana,Virginia;NAS Key West,Florida; and the formerNAS Miramar,California. The current F-16A/B aircraft are operated by theNaval Strike and Air Warfare CenteratNAS Fallon,Nevada.[242][243][244]
F-16V
At 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 anAN/APG-83active electronically scanned array(AESA) radar, a new mission computer and electronic warfare suite, an 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.[245][246]First flight took place 21 October 2015.[247]Taiwanese media reported that Taiwan and the U.S. both initially invested in the development of the F-16V.[248]Upgrades to Taiwan's F-16 fleet began in January 2017.[249]The first country to confirm the purchase of 16 new F-16 Block 70/72 was Bahrain.[250][251]Greeceannounced the upgrade of 84 F-16C/D Block 52+ and Block 52+ Advanced (Block 52M) to the latest V (Block 70/72) variant in October 2017.[252][253]Slovakia announced on 11 July 2018 that it intends to purchase 14 F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft.[254][255]Lockheed Martin has redesignated the F-16V Block 70 as the "F-21" in its offering for India's fighter requirement.[256]Taiwan'sRepublic of China Air Forceannounced on 19 March 2019 that it formally requested the purchase of an additional 66 F-16V fighters.[257]TheTrumpadministration approved the sale on 20 August 2019.[258][259]On 14 August 2020, Lockheed Martin was awarded aUS$62 billion contract by the US DoD[260]that includes 66 new F-16s at US$8 billion (~$9.28 billion in 2023) for Taiwan.[261]
USAF QF-16A, on its first unmanned test flight, over the Gulf of Mexico
QF-16
In September 2013,Boeingand 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 fromTyndall AFBover theGulf of Mexico.[262][263][264]
edit
Vought Model 1600
Proposed naval variant
General Dynamics F-16XL
1980s technology demonstrator
General Dynamics NF-16D VISTA
1990s experimental fighter
Mitsubishi F-2
1990s Japanese multirole fighter based on the F-16

Operators

edit
Operators:
Current
Former
Future
F-16C Block 52 of theHellenic Air Forcewith conformal fuel tanks and AdvancedIFF(AIFF)

As of 2024, there have been 2,145 F-16s in active service around the world.[265][266]

Former operators

edit

Future operators

edit
  • Argentina– In 2024, Argentina bought 24 F-16AM/BM fromDenmark,beating a bid to acquireJF-17sfrom China.[279]
  • Bulgaria– On 3 June 2019, the US State Department approved the possible sale of 8 F-16 Block 70s to Bulgaria.[280]On 26 July the deal was approved by the Bulgarian parliament, and PresidentRumen Radev.[281]In November 2022, the purchase of a further 8 F-16 Block 70 fighters, spares, weapons and other systems was approved for delivery in 2027.[282]

Notable accidents and incidents

edit
AU.S. Air Force Thunderbirdspilot ejects from the F-16 just before impact at an air show in September 2003

The F-16 has been involved in over 670 hull-loss accidents as of January 2020.[283][284]

  • On 8 May 1975, while practicing a 9-gaerial display maneuver with the second YF-16 (tail number72-1568) atFort Worth, Texas,prior to being sent to theParis Air Show,one of the main landing gears jammed. The test pilot, Neil Anderson, had to perform an emergency gear-up landing and chose to do so in the grass, hoping to minimize damage and avoid injuring any observers. The aircraft was only slightly damaged, but because of the mishap, the first prototype was sent to the Paris Air Show in its place.[285]
  • On 15 November 1982, while on a training flight outsideKunsan Air Basein South Korea, USAF Captain Ted Harduvel died when he crashed inverted into a mountain ridge. In 1985, Harduvel's widow filed a lawsuit against General Dynamics claiming an electrical malfunction, not pilot error, as the cause; a jury awarded the plaintiff$3.4 millionin damages. However, in 1989, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled the contractor had immunity to lawsuits, overturning the previous judgment. The court remanded the case to the trial court "for entry of judgment in favor of General Dynamics".[286]The accident and subsequent trial was the subject of the 1992 filmAfterburn.[287][288]
  • On 23 March 1994, during a joint Army-Air Force exercise atPope AFB,North Carolina, F-16D (AF Serial No. 88-0171) of the23d Fighter Wing/74th Fighter Squadronwas simulating an engine-out approach when it collided with a USAF C-130E. Both F-16 crew members ejected, but their aircraft, on full afterburner, continued on an arc towards Green Ramp and struck a USAFC-141that was being boarded by US Army paratroopers. This accident resulted in 24 fatalities and at least 100 others injured.[289]It has since been known as the "Green Ramp disaster".[290]
  • On 15 September 2003, aUSAF ThunderbirdsF-16C crashed during an air show atMountain Home AFB,Idaho. Captain Christopher Stricklin attempted a "split S"maneuver based on an incorrect mean-sea-level altitude of the airfield. Climbing to only 1,670 ft (510 m) above ground level instead of 2,500 ft (760 m), Stricklin had insufficient altitude to complete the maneuver, but was able to guide the aircraft away from spectators and ejected less than one second before impact. Stricklin survived with only minor injuries; the aircraft was destroyed. USAF procedure for demonstration" Split-S "maneuvers was changed, requiring both pilots and controllers to use above-ground-level (AGL) altitudes.[291][292]
  • On 26 January 2015, a Greek F-16Dcrashedwhile performing a NATO training exercise inAlbacete,Spain. Both crew members and nine French soldiers on the ground died when it crashed in the flight line, destroying or damaging two ItalianAMXs,two FrenchAlpha jets,and one FrenchMirage 2000.[293][294]Investigations suggested that the accident was due to an erroneous rudder setting that was caused by loose papers in the cockpit.[295]
  • On 7 July 2015, an F-16CJcollidedwith aCessna 150Mover Moncks Corner, South Carolina, U.S. The pilot of the F-16 ejected safely, but both people in the Cessna were killed.[296]
  • On 11 October 2018, an F-16 MLU from the2nd Tactical Wingof theBelgian Air Component,on the apron atFlorennes Air Station,was hit by a gun burst from a nearby F-16, whose cannon was fired inadvertently during maintenance. The aircraft caught fire and was burned to the ground, while two other F-16s were damaged and two maintenance personnel were treated for aural trauma.[297]
  • On 11 March 2020, a Pakistani F-16AM (Serial No. 92730) of theNo. 9 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)crashed in theShakarparianarea ofIslamabadduring rehearsals for thePakistan Day Parade.The plane crashed when the F-16 was executing an aerobatic loop. As a result, the pilot of the F-16,Wing CommanderNoman Akram,who was also the Commanding Officer of the No. 9 Squadron "Griffins", lost his life. A board of inquiry ordered by thePakistan Air Forcelater revealed that the pilot had every chance to eject but opted not to and tried his best to save the aircraft and avoid civilian casualties on the ground. Videos taken by locals on the ground show his F-16AM crashing into some woods. He was hailed a hero by Pakistanis while also gaining some attention internationally.[298]
  • On 6 May 2023, a U.S. Air Force F-16C of the8th Fighter Wingcrashed in a field near Osan Air Base in South Korea during a daytime training sortie. The pilot safely ejected from the aircraft.[299][importance?]
  • On 8 May 2024, an F-16C of theRepublic of Singapore Air Forcecrashed during takeoff withinTengah Air Base.The pilot successfully ejected from the aircraft without major injuries.[300]The cause was later identified to be from the malfunction of two of the three primary pitch rate gyroscopes on the aircraft. This was noted to be a "rare occurrence" byLockheed Martindue to the concurrent failure of the two independent pitch rate gyroscopes giving similar inputs which caused the digital flight control computer to reject inputs from the correctly functioning pitch rate gyroscope and the backup pitch rate gyroscope when it was activated by the rejection of a primary pitch rate gyroscope.[301]

Aircraft on display

edit

As newer variants have entered service, many examples of older F-16 models have been preserved for display worldwide, particularly in Europe and the United States.

Specifications (F-16C Block 50 and 52)

edit
3-view drawing of an F-16
The underside of an F-16 during a vertical climb
F-16 in afterburner
Weapons Storage and Security Systemvault in raised position holding aB61 nuclear bomb,adjacent to an F-16. The vault is within aProtective Aircraft Shelter.
An Israeli F-16I Block 52 with conformal fuel tanks (CFTs),electronic countermeasures,and other external stores during aRed Flagexercise atNellis AFB,Nevada

Data fromUSAF sheet,[67]International Directory of Military Aircraft,[76]Flight Manualfor F-16C/D Block 50/52+[302]

General characteristics

  • Crew:1
  • Length:49 ft 5 in (15.06 m)
  • Wingspan:32 ft 8 in (9.96 m)
  • Height:16 ft (4.9 m)
  • Wing area:300 sq ft (28 m2)
  • Airfoil:NACA 64A204[303]
  • Empty weight:18,900 lb (8,573 kg)
  • Gross weight:26,500 lb (12,020 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight:42,300 lb (19,187 kg)
  • Fuel capacity:7,000 pounds (3,200 kg) internal[67]
  • Powerplant:1 ×General Electric F110-GE-129for Block 50 aircraft, 17,155 lbf (76.31 kN) thrust dry, 29,500 lbf (131 kN) with afterburner
    (1 ×Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229for Block 52 aircraft, 17,800 lbf (79 kN) thrust dry and 29,160 lbf (129.7 kN) with afterburner.)

Performance

  • Maximum speed:Mach 2.05, 1,176 kn (1,353 mph; 2,178 km/h) at 40,000 feet, clean[76]
    • Mach 1.2, 800 kn (921 mph; 1,482 km/h) at sea level[76]
  • Cruise speed:504 kn (580 mph, 933 km/h)
  • Combat range:295 nmi (339 mi, 546 km) on a hi-lo-hi mission with 4 × 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs
  • Ferry range:2,277 nmi (2,620 mi, 4,217 km) with threedrop tanks
  • Service ceiling:50,000 ft (15,000 m)[67]
  • g limits:+9
  • Roll rate:324°/s[304]
  • Wing loading:88.3 lb/sq ft (431 kg/m2)
  • Thrust/weight:1.095 (1.24 with loaded weight & 50% internal fuel)[N 2]

Armament

A view of an AGM-84 Harpoon air-to-surface anti-ship missile fixed under the wing of an F-16

Avionics

  • AN/APG-83/AN/APG-68radar (depends on aircraft variant). The AN/APG-68 radar is being replaced on many US Air Force F-16C/D Block 40/42 and 50/52 aircraft by the AN/APG-83AESAradar.[309][310]
  • AN/ALR-56M radar warning receiver, being replaced on US Air Force F-16C/D Block 40/42 and 50/52 by AN/ALR-69A(V)
  • AN/ALQ-213 electronic warfare suite, being replaced on US Air Force F-16C/D Block 40/42 and 50/52 by AN/ALQ-257
  • MIL-STD-1553bus[311]

See also

edit

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^TheF-16XLwas originally referred to as "F-16E", with "F-16F" reserved for a variant, however this was dropped after the decision was made to procure theF-15E Strike Eagleinstead.[228][229]
  2. ^Thrust (28,600 lb) / Loaded weight with 50% internal fuel (23,000 lb)

Citations

edit
  1. ^"How the F-16 fighter jet put Fort Worth on the aerospace map".Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Archivedfrom the original on 24 November 2017.Retrieved24 November2017.
  2. ^ab"Lockheed Martin Awarded Contract to Build F-16 Block 70 Aircraft for Bahrain".Archivedfrom the original on 29 June 2018.Retrieved28 June2018.
  3. ^abWeisgerber, Marcus (22 March 2007)."Lockheed to Move F-16 Production to South Carolina".Defense One.Archivedfrom the original on 22 March 2017.Retrieved28 June2018.
  4. ^"Lockheed Martin to deliver 4,500th F-16 fighter".McClatchy DC.2 April 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 31 July 2014.Retrieved13 September2014.
  5. ^Rosenwald, Michael S. (17 December 2007)."Downside of Dominance? Popularity of Lockheed Martin's F-16 Makes Its F-35 Stealth Jet a Tough Sell".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on 14 October 2017.Retrieved11 July2008.
  6. ^"Company Histories – Lockheed Martin Corporation".Funding universe.Archivedfrom the original on 17 April 2012.Retrieved13 September2014.
  7. ^abPeacock 1997,p. 100.
  8. ^Air Combat Command Public Affairs Staff (14 March 2023)."Meet the 2023 Air Combat Command Demonstration Team Pilots".acc.af.mil.US Air Combat Command.Retrieved29 May2023.
  9. ^Stout, Joe; Quincy, Laurie (8 June 2008)."United States Government Awards Lockheed Martin Contract to Begin Production of Advanced F-16 Aircraft for Morocco".Media – Lockheed Martin(Press release). Lockheed Martin Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on 4 January 2009.Retrieved11 July2008.
  10. ^2024 World Air Forces,Flight Global,p. 10.
  11. ^Spick 2000,p. 190.
  12. ^Hillaker, Harry (April 1997)."John Boyd, USAF Retired, Father of the F-16".Code One: An Airpower Projection Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on 1 June 2009.Retrieved7 June2008.
  13. ^Hehs, Eric (15 April 1991)."F-16 Designer Harry Hillaker".codeonemagazine.Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company.Retrieved25 April2023.
  14. ^Richardson 1990,pp. 7–8.
  15. ^Coram 2002,pp. 245–246.
  16. ^abBjorkman, Eileen (March 2014)."The Outrageous Adolescence of the F-16".Air & Space Magazine.Smithsonian Magazine.
  17. ^Peacock 1997,pp. 9–10.
  18. ^Richardson 1990,pp. 7–9.
  19. ^"Re-Thinking the High-Low Mix, Part I: Origins Story".25 January 2017.
  20. ^Peacock 1997,pp. 10–11.
  21. ^Richardson 1990,pp. 8–9.
  22. ^Douglas, Martin (2 July 2011)."Robert H. Widmer, Designer of Military Aircraft, Dies at 95".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on 28 December 2016.
  23. ^Mizokami, Kyle (23 January 2020)."That Time When the F-16 Accidentally Had Its First Flight".Popular Mechanics.Archivedfrom the original on 3 August 2021.Retrieved31 July2021.
  24. ^Richardson 1990,pp. 12–13.
  25. ^Jenkins 2000,p. 14.
  26. ^Osborne, Phil, Executive Producer. "F-16 Fighting Falcon" (video #9-315842-037444).Magna Pacific,2009. Quote: At 17:29, "Another development, which both manufacturers were aware of, was the aging F-104 Starfighters, which equip several European NATO air forces, would soon need to be replaced."
  27. ^Jenkins 2000,pp. 14–15, 19–20.
  28. ^abRichardson 1990, p. 14.
  29. ^abPeacock 1997, pp. 12–13.
  30. ^"YF-16 The Birth of a Fighter".f-16.net.Archivedfrom the original on 9 July 2017.Retrieved29 June2017.
  31. ^Dörfer, Ingemar (June 1983).Arms Deal: The Selling of the F-16.Praeger.ISBN9780030623691.Retrieved23 April2011.
  32. ^Coram 2002,p. 305.
  33. ^Peacock 1997,pp. 13–16.
  34. ^Richardson 1990,p. 13.
  35. ^Peacock 1997,pp. 14, 17–19, 33–34.
  36. ^Donald, David (2005). "Boeing F/A-18 Hornet".Warplanes of the Fleet.London:AIRtime.ISBN9781880588819.
  37. ^Darling 2003,p. 17
  38. ^Peacock 1997,pp. 31–32.
  39. ^Spick 2000,p. 196.
  40. ^Peacock 1997,pp. 17–19, 33–34.
  41. ^Aleshire 2004,p. xxii
  42. ^Peacock 1997,pp. 14–16, 21.
  43. ^Richardson 1990,pp. 13–15.
  44. ^abcdefghijJackson, Paul; Munson, Kenneth; Peacock, Lindsay, eds. (1 January 2008). "Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon".Jane's All the World's Aircraft.Jane's.ISBN9780710628374.
  45. ^Fuquay, Jim (1 May 2013)."Iraq to buy 18 more Lockheed F-16 fighters".Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Archived fromthe originalon 13 December 2013.
  46. ^Chambers, Joseph R. (1 October 2000). "Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon: Curing Deep Stall".Partners in Freedom: Contributions of the Langley Research Center to U.S. Military Aircraft of the 1990s.Washington, DC:NASA.20000115606.Retrieved22 June2008.
  47. ^Darling 2003,p. 56
  48. ^Camm, Frank (1993).The F-16 Multinational Staged Improvement Program: A Case Study of Risk Assessment and Risk Management(Report).RAND Corporation.ADA281706.Retrieved2 June2008.
  49. ^Wolf, Jim (2 February 2012)."U.S. plans $2.8 billion upgrade of F-16 fighter".Reuters.Archivedfrom the original on 2 October 2015.
  50. ^"Savings in aircraft losses swing the argument in favour of auto-GCAS".FlightGlobal.13 September 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 17 September 2013.Retrieved13 September2014.
  51. ^"DoD clears AESA export policy as F-16 sales await".Reed Business Information Limited. 4 February 2009.Archivedfrom the original on 24 March 2014.Retrieved13 September2014.
  52. ^"BAE Wins Korean F-16 Upgrade Contract".Archivedfrom the original on 3 December 2013.Retrieved13 September2014.
  53. ^"Continuing to Provide Critical F-16 Support Equipment to Oman".Archivedfrom the original on 13 October 2014.Retrieved13 September2014.
  54. ^"BAE Systems Growing Steadily in Defense Services By Beating Incumbents".Forbes.12 August 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 22 October 2014.Retrieved13 September2014.
  55. ^Waldron, Greg (6 November 2014)."South Korea kills BAE Systems F-16 upgrade programme".FlightGlobal.Archivedfrom the original on 6 November 2014.Retrieved6 November2014.
  56. ^Majumdar, Dave (12 October 2012)."US Air Force changes acquisitions strategy for F-16 radar modernization".FlightGlobal.Archivedfrom the original on 15 October 2012.
  57. ^"New Mega Display Cleared for F-16s' Primary Flight Reference".defense-update.14 March 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 19 August 2014.Retrieved13 September2014.
  58. ^Minnick, Wendell (19 September 2013)."US Budget Woes Could Affect Taiwan F-16 Upgrades".defensenews.Gannett Government Media Corporation. Archived fromthe originalon 20 September 2013.Retrieved19 September2013.
  59. ^MINNICK, WENDELL; MEHTA, AARON (2 February 2014)."Unfunded F-16 Upgrades Put Jet's Combat Value in Doubt".Defense News.Gannett Government Media. Archived fromthe originalon 2 February 2014.Retrieved2 February2014.
  60. ^Waldron, Greg (11 February 2014)."SINGAPORE: Lockheed offers fixed-price F-16 upgrade".FlightGlobal.Archivedfrom the original on 22 February 2014.Retrieved11 February2014.
  61. ^MINNICK, WENDELL; MEHTA, AARON (8 March 2014)."Taiwan Faces Tough Choices After US Cancels F-16 Upgrade".defensenews.Gannett Government Media. Archived fromthe originalon 8 March 2014.Retrieved8 March2014.
  62. ^MEHTA, AARON (19 March 2014)."USAF: Taiwan Will Still Receive F-16 Radar Upgrades".defensenews.Gannett Government Media. Archived fromthe originalon 21 March 2014.Retrieved20 March2014.
  63. ^Parsons, Dan (9 October 2014)."US Air Force moves ahead with F-16 service life extension".FlightGlobal.Archivedfrom the original on 11 October 2014.Retrieved9 October2014.
  64. ^Baker, Max (24 November 2017)."How the F-16 fighter jet put Fort Worth on the aerospace map".Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Archivedfrom the original on 29 June 2018.Retrieved28 June2018.
  65. ^Baker, Max (22 March 2017)."Lockheed Martin to shift F-16 production line to South Carolina".Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Archivedfrom the original on 29 June 2018.Retrieved28 June2018.
  66. ^Everstine, Brian (21 June 2023)."Lockheed Martin Rolls Out Second F-16 for Bahrain".Aviation Week & Space Technology.Retrieved28 June2023.
  67. ^abcde"F-16 Fact Sheet".U.S. Air Force. 23 September 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 29 January 2017.Retrieved25 November2018.
  68. ^Hillaker, Harry (1 March 2004)."Technology and the F-16 Fighting Falcon Jet Fighter".nae.edu.National Academy of Engineering.Archivedfrom the original on 28 May 2010.Retrieved25 October2009.
  69. ^abcRichardson 1990,p. 10
  70. ^Ibrahim, I.H.; Ng, E.Y.K.; Wong, K. (19 November 2014). "Flight Maneuverability Characteristics of the F-16 CFD and Correlation with its Intake Total Pressure Recovery and Distortion".Engineering Applications of Computational Fluid Mechanics.5(2): 223–234.doi:10.1080/19942060.2011.11015366.ISSN1994-2060.S2CID124964283.
  71. ^Peacock 1997,pp. 99–102.
  72. ^Dryden, Joe Bill (April 1986)."F-16 Aerodynamics".codeonemagazine.Code One Magazine. Archived fromthe originalon 28 August 2008.Retrieved7 August2011.
  73. ^Droste & Walker 1980,pp. 3–8.
  74. ^abcSpick 2000, pp. 226–228, 232.
  75. ^Rogoway, Tyler (6 May 2021)."The Definitive Answer on Why F-16s Carry AIM-120 AMRAAMs on Their Wingtip Rails".The War Zone.The Drive.Archivedfrom the original on 10 May 2021.Retrieved7 May2021.
  76. ^abcdFrawley 2002,p. 114
  77. ^Hoh & Mitchell 1983,pp. 11ff.
  78. ^Aronstein & Piccirillo 1996,p. 21.
  79. ^Droste & Walker 1980,pp. 8–13.
  80. ^Hoh & Mitchell 1983,p. 5.
  81. ^Droste & Walker 1980,4: Unique Flight Control System Functional Features.
  82. ^Dryden, Joe Bill (July 1986)."Recovering From Deep Stalls And Departures".Code One Magazine. Archived fromthe originalon 27 June 2009.Retrieved17 April2010.
  83. ^Droste & Walker 1980,pp. 14–19.
  84. ^Greenwood, Cynthia (Spring 2007)."Air Force Looks at the Benefits of Using CPCs on F-16 Black Boxes".CorrDefense.Archived fromthe originalon 11 October 2008.Retrieved16 June2008.
  85. ^Richardson 1990,p. 12.
  86. ^Droste & Walker 1980,pp. 53–62.
  87. ^Nielson, Mats (2007)."Total Immersion Fuel Tank Airborne Cable Assemblies: Glenair's Manufacturing Model and Qualification Process".Glenair. Archived fromthe originalon 2 May 2007.Retrieved16 June2008.
  88. ^Day, Dwayne A. (2003)."Computers in Aviation".USCentennial of Flight Commission.Archivedfrom the original on 7 June 2007.Retrieved16 June2008.
  89. ^Droste & Walker 1980,3.4: Lightning Protection.
  90. ^Thompson, William H. "F-16 Study".Electrical Overstress-Electrostatic Discharge Symposium Proceedings, 1984: EOS-6.EOS/ESD Association, Inc. p. 23.Archivedfrom the original on 13 March 2023.Retrieved14 November2010.
  91. ^Peacock 1997,p. 99.
  92. ^Albano, J. J.; Stanford, J. B. (December 1998)."Prevention of minor neck injuries in F-16 pilots".Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine.12(69): 1193–1199.PMID9856546.
  93. ^Peacock 1997,pp. 99–100.
  94. ^Sherman, Robert (30 May 2008)."F-16 Fighting Falcon".Archived fromthe originalon 2 December 2013.Retrieved23 March2011.
  95. ^Task, H.L. (December 1983).Optical Effects of F-16 Canopy-HUD (Head Up Display) Integration(Report). Air Force Aerospace Medical Research Lab. ADP003222.
  96. ^Spick 2000,p. 222.
  97. ^Boeing Integrated Defense Systems."Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS)".Boeing.Archived fromthe originalon 11 June 2012.Retrieved25 October2009.
  98. ^John Raahauge."The AN/APG-66 Radar".Archivedfrom the original on 30 January 2015.Retrieved13 September2014.
  99. ^Kopp, Carlo (June 2002)."Active Electronically Steered Arrays: A Maturing Technology".Australian Aviation.2002(June).Air Power Australia.Archivedfrom the original on 19 June 2008.Retrieved21 June2008.
  100. ^"NGC's SABR to Help Extend Viability of USAF F-16s Beyond 2025".ASDNews.Archivedfrom the original on 5 February 2015.Retrieved13 September2014.
  101. ^"SABR (Scalable Agile Beam Radar) APG-83 AESA for the F-16 and Legacy Aircraft".Northrop Grumman.Archivedfrom the original on 5 April 2020.Retrieved28 April2020.
  102. ^Donald, David (3 March 2020)."U.S. Air Force Orders AESA Radar for F-16s".AINOnline.Archivedfrom the original on 31 July 2020.Retrieved29 April2020.
  103. ^abPeacock 1997,pp. 102–103
  104. ^Camm, Frank; Glennan, Jr., Thomas K. (1993).The Development of the F100-PW-220 and F110-GE-100 Engines(PDF)(pdf).RAND Corporation.N-3618-AF.Archived(PDF)from the original on 5 June 2007.Retrieved21 June2008.
  105. ^Peacock 1997,p. 103
  106. ^"Libya live blog: Coalition confirms strike on Gadhafi compound".CNN. 20 March 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 19 April 2015.Retrieved20 March2015.
  107. ^Penney, Heather(13 September 2013)."Heather Penney, the 9/11 fighter pilot, says celebrating normalcy is a way to honor heroes".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on 11 September 2020.
  108. ^Hendrix, Steve (8 September 2011)."F-16 pilot was ready to give her life on Sept. 11".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on 12 September 2015.Retrieved25 June2021.
  109. ^Tirpak, John A. (March 2007)."Making the Best of the Fighter Force"(PDF).Air Force Magazine(pdf).Air Force Association.pp. 40–45.Archivedfrom the original on 21 February 2009.
  110. ^"AF seeks F-16 fleet upgrade, requests 19 more F-35As".Air Force Times.Retrieved13 September2014.
  111. ^Tirpak, John A. (4 April 2022)."F-16s to Serve Nearly Two More Decades, Replacement Choice Still 6–8 Years Away".Air Force Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on 5 April 2022.Retrieved5 April2022.
  112. ^Etzion, Udi (11 February 2015)."Record-breaking F-16 Falcon to be retired from IDF service".Archivedfrom the original on 13 February 2015.
  113. ^abIskra, Alex (26 September 2003)."GD/L-M F-16A/B Netz in Israeli Service".Air Combat Information Group (ACIG). Archived fromthe originalon 10 May 2012.Retrieved16 May2008.
  114. ^Rebecca, Grant (August 2002)."Osirak and Beyond"(PDF).Air Force Magazine(pdf).Air & Space Forces Association.Archived(PDF)from the original on 26 April 2023.Retrieved8 December2011.
  115. ^Schow, Jr., Kenneth C. (November 1995).Falcons Against the Jihad: Israeli Airpower and Coercive Diplomacy in Southern Lebanon(Report).Air University Press.ADA301572.Retrieved16 May2008.
  116. ^"F-16 Air Forces – Israel".F-16.net.Archivedfrom the original on 2 September 2014.Retrieved13 September2014.
  117. ^Colvin, Marie; Allen-Mills, Tony (28 December 2008)."Israeli jets kill 'at least 225' in strikes on Gaza".The Sunday Times.The Times.Archivedfrom the original on 29 April 2011.Retrieved25 October2009.
  118. ^"Airframe Details for F-16 #87-1672".F-16.net.Archivedfrom the original on 2 September 2014.Retrieved13 September2014.
  119. ^"IAF shoots down hostile drone from Lebanon off Haifa".TheJerusalem Post.25 April 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 28 September 2013.Retrieved23 September2013.
  120. ^"IAF shoots down UAV in northern Negev".The Jerusalem Post.6 October 2012.Archivedfrom the original on 27 August 2017.Retrieved9 June2017.
  121. ^Zitun, Yoav (25 February 2018)."Investigation finds pilots of downed F-16 failed to defend themselves".Ynetnews.Archivedfrom the original on 11 March 2018.Retrieved27 February2018.
  122. ^Andrew Carey, Laura Smith-Spark and Nicole Chavez."Israeli F-16 jet crashes after Syrian fire".CNN.Archivedfrom the original on 10 February 2018.
  123. ^"Israel Air Force Investigation into F-16 Crash Blames Pilot Error".Haaretz.Archivedfrom the original on 27 February 2018.Retrieved27 February2018.
  124. ^"Israel retires Barak 1-variant F-16s".janes.16 July 2024.Retrieved5 October2024.
  125. ^Rai Muhammad Saleh Azam."An Airman Remembered".Defence Journal.Archived fromthe originalon 22 April 2003.due to political reasons, the kills made inside Afghan airspace by the PAF (estimated to be between 20 and 30, were never officially recognized or disclosed. To date, PAF officially recognized only the eight kills made inside Pakistani airspace and one forced manoeuvre kill.
  126. ^"PAF F-16 air kills illustrations".PAFwallpapers. Archived fromthe originalon 15 January 2012.Retrieved5 July2015.
  127. ^"F-16 Air Forces – Pakistan".F-16.net.Archivedfrom the original on 29 May 2011.Retrieved8 September2010.
  128. ^"IAF's Searcher-II Loss on June 07, 2002".Vayu-sena-aux.tripod.Archivedfrom the original on 23 January 2009.Retrieved1 March2012.
  129. ^Bokhari, Farhan (17 April 2008)."Pakistan and Turkey organise air force exercises".Jane's Defence Weekly.IHS Inc.
  130. ^Schmitt, Eric."Pakistan Injects Precision Into Air War on Taliban."Archived19 January 2017 at theWayback MachineThe New York Times,29 July 2009. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
  131. ^PPI (14 November 2011)."PAF conducted 5,500 bombing runs in Fata since 2008".The Express Tribune.Archivedfrom the original on 28 January 2012.Retrieved13 September2014.
  132. ^"In a first, PAF Chief reveals shooting down of IAF Russian made Su 30 MKI, inside details of Indian Combat Helicopter downing".Times of Islamabad.17 April 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 1 November 2020.Retrieved27 October2020.
  133. ^"Pakistan shoots down two Indian fighter jets: Military".Al Jazeera. 27 February 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 28 February 2019.Retrieved3 January2020.
  134. ^"Pakistan says it downed two IAF jets, identifies pilots behind act".Hindustan Times.6 March 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 3 January 2020.Retrieved3 January2020.
  135. ^Helen Regan; Nikhil Kumar; Adeel Raja; Swati Gupta (27 February 2019)."Pakistan says it shot down two Indian jets as Kashmir border crisis deepens".CNN.Archivedfrom the original on 27 February 2019.Retrieved26 March2020.
  136. ^"On Air Force Day, India flies the Sukhoi-30MKI that Pak claimed to have shot down".The News Minute.8 October 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 29 September 2022.Retrieved17 January2023.
  137. ^"Sukhoi Fighter Jet 'Shot Down' by Pakistan Makes Appearance at Indian Air Force Day Flypast".News18.8 October 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 13 March 2023.Retrieved17 January2023.
  138. ^"India's Exhibit A: Debris of AMRAAM missile that nails Pakistan's F-16 denial".1 March 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 25 June 2020.Retrieved25 June2020.
  139. ^"Radar images prove Pakistan F-16 shot down, says Indian Air Force".The Japan Times.9 April 2019. Archived fromthe originalon 10 April 2019.
  140. ^Marlow, Iain."India Never Shot Down Pakistani F-16, New Report Says".Time.Archivedfrom the original on 5 April 2019.Retrieved6 June2020.
  141. ^"IAF Did Not Shoot Down Pak F-16 in Balakot Aftermath, Says US Scholar Christine Fair".The Wire.Archivedfrom the original on 9 January 2023.Retrieved30 January2023.
  142. ^"No proof India shot down Pakistan F-16".Asia Times.5 March 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 19 February 2020.Retrieved30 January2023.
  143. ^Seligman, Lara (4 April 2019)."Did India Shoot Down a Pakistani Jet? U.S. Count Says No".Foreign Policy.Archivedfrom the original on 23 November 2021.Retrieved5 April2019.
  144. ^Lalwani, Sameer; Tallo, Emily."Analysis | Did India shoot down a Pakistani F-16 in February? This just became a big deal".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on 30 November 2020.Retrieved26 March2020.Indian media reported that a U.S. Defense Department spokesman said he was unaware of any investigation. The Pentagon, like the State Department, has yet to issue a public statement on the F-16 count, but there have been no counter-leaks contradicting the Foreign Policy report.
  145. ^"F-16 Air Forces – Turkey".f-16.net.Archivedfrom the original on 12 April 2022.Retrieved19 May2021.
  146. ^sabah, daily (7 February 2019)."Turkey's F-16 jets equipped with new domestic electronic warfare systems".Daily Sabah.Archivedfrom the original on 5 March 2021.Retrieved21 December2020.
  147. ^HUD footageonYouTube
  148. ^"While engaged by two THK F-16Cs, Sialmas entered a break that was too much for the F.1CG at low level: the aircraft entered a spin and crashed into the sea, killing the pilot".Archivedfrom the original on 2 November 2014.Retrieved13 September2014.
  149. ^abSander Peeters."Greek & Turkish Air-to-Air Victories".Archivedfrom the original on 4 March 2016.Retrieved13 September2014.
  150. ^"F-16 crash heightens tension in Aegean".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 12 March 2014.Retrieved13 September2014.
  151. ^Greek TV: A pilot of Hellenic Air Force explain how the Turkish F-16 crashed over Aegean SeaonYouTube
  152. ^Turkish Air Force."Our History".hkvv.tsk.tr.Archived fromthe originalon 11 January 2012.Retrieved3 February2012.
  153. ^"Turkish F-16 jet crashes after Greek interception".Chicago Sun-Times.9 October 1996. Archived fromthe originalon 4 November 2012.Retrieved8 October2015.
  154. ^"Deadly 1996 Aegean clash is confirmed".f-16.net.Archivedfrom the original on 27 November 2015.Retrieved21 November2015.
  155. ^Turkish Pilot at 0:46onYouTube
  156. ^"F-16 Aircraft Database: F-16 Airframe Details for 91-0023".Archivedfrom the original on 6 May 2008.Retrieved13 September2014.
  157. ^Cenciotti, David (6 September 2012)."30 years later, Ankara admits Turkish Air Force jet was shot down by Iraq".The Aviationist.Archivedfrom the original on 30 January 2015.
  158. ^"Court rejects Turkish request for trial of Greek pilot who allegedly shot down F-16 jet".24 February 2017. Archived fromthe originalon 24 February 2017.Retrieved8 November2021.
  159. ^"Κατάρριψη τουρκικού F-16 – Τι δήλωσε ο Έλληνας πιλότος | Newsbomb".14 November 2018. Archived fromthe originalon 14 November 2018.Retrieved8 November2021.
  160. ^"Turkish court wants trial of Greek pilot for allegedly shooting down fighter jet".Ekathimerini.Archivedfrom the original on 24 February 2017.Retrieved14 July2020.
  161. ^Turkish F-16 pilots attitude-2:22onYouTube
  162. ^"It will be recalled that on 23 May 2006, a Greek F-16 aircraft crashed into a Turkish F-16".Archivedfrom the original on 22 March 2014.Retrieved13 September2014.
  163. ^"Greek F-16 and Turkish F-16 collide – 1 pilot OK".Archivedfrom the original on 15 January 2014.Retrieved13 September2014.
  164. ^Gürgen, Murat (17 December 2007)."Uçaklar nasıl vurdu?".Vatan(in Turkish).Archivedfrom the original on 20 May 2013.Retrieved3 February2012.
  165. ^"Turkish F-16 jets scramble to intercept 2 Syrian Su-24s".Archivedfrom the original on 5 May 2015.Retrieved13 September2014.
  166. ^Fahim, Kareem; Arsu, Sebnem (16 September 2013)."Turkey Says It Shot Down Syrian Military Helicopter Flying in Its Airspace".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on 3 August 2017.Retrieved9 June2017.
  167. ^"Al Qaeda-Linked Islamists Capture Christian Town".CBN. Archived fromthe originalon 29 March 2014.Retrieved26 March2014.
  168. ^Butler, Desmond (16 May 2015)."Turkey Says It Shot Down Syrian Helicopter".ABC News.Associated Press. Archived fromthe originalon 18 May 2015.Retrieved16 May2015.
  169. ^"F-16'ların vurduğu İHA, İran yapımı 'Muhacir'".MİLLİYET HABER – TÜRKİYE'NİN HABER SİTESİ.18 May 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 5 March 2016.Retrieved28 November2015.
  170. ^"Putin calls plane's downing by Turkey 'stab in the back'".CNN.24 November 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 24 November 2015.Retrieved24 November2015.
  171. ^"بعد إسقاطها لمروحيتين الشهر الفائت.. القوات التركية تسقط طائرتين حربيتين تابعة للنظام السوري في أجواء محافظة إدلب".SOHR.March 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 20 April 2020.Retrieved1 March2020.
  172. ^"Two Syrian jets shot down near Turkish border, pilots survive".CP24 Toronto News.1 March 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 24 January 2021.Retrieved19 May2021.
  173. ^"Joint Turkish-Russian patrols to begin on March 15 – latest updates".7 March 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 29 October 2022.Retrieved15 February2021.
  174. ^"Syrian pilot killed as Turkey downs warplane: monitor".Radio France Internationale. 3 March 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 13 September 2020.Retrieved16 July2020.
  175. ^SABAH, DAILY (14 April 2021)."Turkey's air-to-air missile Bozdoğan successfully hits target".Daily Sabah.Archivedfrom the original on 14 April 2021.Retrieved14 April2021.
  176. ^"Turkey becomes 1 of few countries with air-to-air missile".aa.tr.Archivedfrom the original on 14 April 2021.Retrieved14 April2021.
  177. ^Chris Stephen (17 February 2015)."Egyptian air strikes in Libya kill dozens of Isis militants".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 2 December 2016.Retrieved17 December2016.
  178. ^abSenior 2002,p. 92.
  179. ^"Analysis: French Expert's Claims Ukraine's F-16s and Pilots Won't be 'Up to the Job' Disproved".25 April 2024.
  180. ^abSpick 2000,p. 241
  181. ^Belgian Armed Forces."Composante Air de la Défense".Archivedfrom the original on 18 February 2014.Retrieved19 February2014.
  182. ^"Norway withdraws fighter jets from Libya mission: military".defencetalk.Archivedfrom the original on 25 March 2015.Retrieved2 January2015.
  183. ^"Accidental Heroes: Britain, France and the Libya Operation"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 10 October 2014.Retrieved8 November2021.
  184. ^Ramona Tancau."Norway involved in Gaddafi bombing".theforeigner.no.Archived fromthe originalon 7 October 2014.Retrieved2 January2015.
  185. ^"Government Adopts Final Decision to Buy Israeli F-16 Jets".Archivedfrom the original on 4 April 2018.
  186. ^"Croatia agrees to buy Israeli F-16s for $500 million".Anadolu Agency. 26 January 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 1 February 2018.Retrieved28 March2018.
  187. ^Zagreb, HINA, N1 (10 January 2019)."Israel-Croatia F-16 deal officially pronounced dead".N1(in Croatian).Retrieved26 November2024.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  188. ^Hina (25 November 2021)."Croatia signs €999 purchase deal to buy 12 Rafale fighter jets from France".N1(in Croatian).Retrieved26 November2024.
  189. ^"Slovakia's Government approves purchase of US F-16 fighter jets".Archivedfrom the original on 14 December 2018.Retrieved14 July2018.
  190. ^"General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, Herpa and Hobbymaster".Flying Tigers.4 July 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 26 February 2020.Retrieved26 February2020.
  191. ^"Ukraine war: US to support providing F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine".BBC News.19 May 2023.Retrieved19 May2023.
  192. ^"Zelenskky hails Biden's decision on F-16 jet training for Ukraine".Aljazeera. 20 May 2023.
  193. ^"România devine oficial centru regional de F-16. Piloții români, ucraineni și aliați vor fi pregătiți aici".DefenseRomania(in Romanian). 6 July 2023.
  194. ^"Group of 11 countries forms coalition for training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighters".Ukrainska Pravda.11 July 2023.
  195. ^Johannes Birkebaek (22 August 2023)."Eight Ukrainian pilots begin F-16 training in Denmark".Reuters.
  196. ^Liebermann, Oren (25 October 2023)."Ukrainian pilots begin F-16 training in US".CNN.
  197. ^"Romania Debuts F-16 Center, Hosts Ukrainian Pilots for Joint Exercises".mil.in.ua.14 November 2023.
  198. ^Steve Holland; Idrees Ali (17 August 2023)."US approves sending F-16s to Ukraine from Denmark and Netherlands".Reuters.Retrieved18 August2023.
  199. ^"Ukraine conflict – Analysis: Dutch and Danish F-16 options for Ukraine".Janes.26 June 2023.Retrieved8 January2024.
  200. ^Sabbagh, Dan (20 August 2023)."Netherlands and Denmark to donate up to 61 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine".the Guardian.Retrieved20 October2023.
  201. ^"F-16 fighters from Denmark will be in Ukraine within month - Danish PM".RBC-Ukraine.13 May 2024.Retrieved14 May2024.
  202. ^"Ukraine Receives First F-16 Fighter Jets After Long Wait".Bloomberg.Retrieved31 July2024.
  203. ^Cole, Deborah (4 August 2024)."Ukrainian pilots have started flying F-16s, says Zelenskiy".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved4 August2024.
  204. ^Tarasova-Markina, Daria; Kottasová, Ivana (29 August 2024)."Exclusive: Top Ukrainian pilot killed when US-made F-16 fighter jet crashed".CNN.Retrieved29 August2024.
  205. ^"President Zelensky sacks Ukraine air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk".BBC.Retrieved31 August2024.
  206. ^Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Eric Schmitt."Zelensky Dismisses the Head of the Air Force Days After F-16 Crash".New York Times.Retrieved31 August2024.
  207. ^"Ukrainian president Zelenskyy fires air force commander after fatal F-16 crash".NPR.Retrieved31 August2024.
  208. ^"The Houthis' Do-It-Yourself Air Defenses".23 January 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 27 March 2019.Retrieved8 March2019.
  209. ^news.bg (29 January 2023)."Първите 8 F-16 за България вече са в монтаж, другите се очакват през 2027 г."News.bg(in Bulgarian).Retrieved28 June2023.
  210. ^"US State Department clears transfer of 38 F-16 fighters from Denmark to Argentina".airrecognition.13 October 2023.
  211. ^"The Philippines – F-16 Block 70/72 Aircraft".Defense Security Cooperation Agency (dsca.mil).Retrieved15 February2024.
  212. ^Dangwal, Ashish (23 December 2023)."Philippines Seeks Fighting Falcons To Fight China; Negotiates With US To Acquire 'Combat Proven' F-16 Jets".Latest Asian, Middle-East, EurAsian, Indian News.Retrieved15 February2024.
  213. ^"Top Aces Brings 1st Israeli F-16s Back to the US".19 February 2021.
  214. ^"Top Aces' F-16 fleet wins USAF contract for adversary air".
  215. ^"Boeing Receives 1st F-16 for Conversion into QF-16 Aerial Drone".Boeing. 27 May 2010.Archivedfrom the original on 1 June 2010.
  216. ^ab"F-16.net - the ultimate F-16, F-35 and F-22 reference".
  217. ^Hehs, Eric (19 February 2014)."History Of The F-16 Fighting Falcon".Code One Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on 2 April 2023.Retrieved5 November2023.
  218. ^Jennings, Gareth (12 October 2023)."Ukraine conflict: Belgium joins Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands in promising F-16s to Kyiv".Janes.Retrieved5 November2023.
  219. ^"F-16.net - the ultimate F-16, F-35 and F-22 reference".
  220. ^"Addio agli F-16, restituiti agli USA dopo 9 anni di leasing (VIDEO)".23 May 2012.
  221. ^Darling 2003,pp. 58–62
  222. ^Saurabh, Joshi (4 July 2012)."Gripen operational cost lowest of all western fighters: Jane's".Stratpost. Archived fromthe originalon 16 February 2014.Retrieved4 July2012.
  223. ^Venlet, David (31 December 2011).F-35 Selected Acquisition Report (SAR)(PDF)(pdf). Defense Acquisition Management Information Retrieval. p. 84. DD-A&T(Q&A)823–198.Archived(PDF)from the original on 13 May 2012.Retrieved27 August2012.
  224. ^Trimble, Steven (26 August 2011)."EXCLUSIVE: US Air Force combat fleet's true operational costs revealed".Flight International.Archived fromthe originalon 29 January 2012.Retrieved27 August2012.
  225. ^Darling 2003,pp. 62–63
  226. ^"Dubai 2007: UAE shows off its most advanced Falcons".Reed Business Information Limited.Archivedfrom the original on 2 April 2009.Retrieved13 September2014.
  227. ^"Top Falcons: The UAE's F-16 Block 60/61 Fighters".Defense Industry Daily.19 July 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 26 August 2018.Retrieved14 November2018.
  228. ^Darling 2003,p. 63
  229. ^Piccirillo, Albert C. (2014).Elegance in Flight: A Comprehensive History of the F-16XL Experimental Prototype and its Role in NASA Flight Research.Washington, D.C.: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. p. 143.ISBN978-1-62683-022-6.
  230. ^Pandey, Vinay."F-16 maker Lockheed mounts an India campaign."Times of India,17 January 2008. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  231. ^"F-16IN page".Lockheed Martin.Archived fromthe originalon 21 February 2009.Retrieved11 October2007.
  232. ^Trimble, Stephen (3 June 2011)."Tellis: US fighters lost MMRCA contract due to technical faults".Flight International.Archived fromthe originalon 3 September 2011.Retrieved9 September2011.
  233. ^"In exclusive deal, India to get 'most advanced' F-16 fighter jets by 2019–20".The Hindu.11 July 2016.Retrieved11 July2016.
  234. ^"F-16 Block 70 Under Make in India".lockheedmartin.Archivedfrom the original on 14 August 2016.Retrieved6 August2016.
  235. ^"Govt offers to buy 200 foreign fighter jets if they are Made in India".Archived fromthe originalon 9 June 2017.Retrieved21 June2017.
  236. ^Gady, Franz-Stefan."Lockheed Martin Agrees to Build F-16 Fighter Jets in India".thediplomat.Archivedfrom the original on 20 June 2017.Retrieved21 June2017.
  237. ^Taylor, Charles; Ebner, Paul (15 September 2010)."IRAQ – F-16 AIRCRAFT"(Press release).Defense Security Cooperation Agency.10-23.Archived(PDF)from the original on 28 September 2010.Retrieved4 February2011.
  238. ^Rogoway, Tyler (7 May 2014)."Iraq's F-16s Have A Cool Paint Job But Antiquated Weapons".Jalopnik.Retrieved4 May2023.
  239. ^Newdick, Thomas (7 January 2021)."The Iraqi Air Force's F-16 Fleet Is On The Brink Of Collapse Despite Showy Flybys".The War Zone.Retrieved4 May2023.
  240. ^Trevithick, Joseph (3 May 2023)."Iraq's F-16 Fleet Surges In Importance Thanks In Part To War In Ukraine".The War Zone.Retrieved4 May2023.
  241. ^"What it Was Like Flying and Fighting the F-16N Viper, Topgun's Legendary Hotrod".9 May 2016.Archivedfrom the original on 18 December 2018.Retrieved2 February2019.
  242. ^"F-16 Versions – (T)F-16N".Archivedfrom the original on 17 October 2014.Retrieved13 September2014.
  243. ^"Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center".Archived fromthe originalon 23 September 2015.Retrieved13 September2014.
  244. ^Petty, Dan."The US Navy – Fact File: F-16A/B Fighting Falcon Fighter".Archivedfrom the original on 14 August 2014.Retrieved13 September2014.
  245. ^"Singapore: Lockheed Martin announces F-16V development".Reed Business Information Limited. 15 February 2012.Archivedfrom the original on 22 August 2014.Retrieved13 September2014.
  246. ^Seligman, Lara (21 October 2015)."Lockheed's New F-16V Flies With Advanced AESA Radar".Defense News.Retrieved7 May2016.
  247. ^"First F-16V Developed for Taiwan Requirement Takes Flight".Archivedfrom the original on 8 January 2018.Retrieved8 January2018.
  248. ^Salmonsen, Renée (23 February 2018)."Taiwan earns money off Korean fighter jet purchase".Taiwan News.Archivedfrom the original on 7 June 2019.Retrieved7 June2019.
  249. ^Gady, Franz-Stefan."Taiwan Begins Upgrade of 144 F-16 Fighter Jets".The Diplomat.Archivedfrom the original on 9 January 2018.Retrieved8 January2018.
  250. ^"Bahrain order keeps F-16 production ticking over".25 June 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 20 July 2018.Retrieved13 July2018.
  251. ^"Lockheed lands first customer for its new F-16 fighter jet".The Business Journals.Archivedfrom the original on 8 March 2021.Retrieved25 January2022.
  252. ^"Government of Greece – Upgrade of F-16 Aircraft to F-16 Block V Configuration".Defence Security Cooperation Agency.Archivedfrom the original on 23 December 2021.Retrieved23 December2021.
  253. ^"F-16V for the Hellenic Air Force".Lockheed Martin.2 March 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 23 December 2021.Retrieved23 December2021.
  254. ^Garrett, Reim (12 July 2018)."Slovakia to purchase 14 Lockheed Martin F-16s".FlightGlobal.Archivedfrom the original on 13 July 2018.Retrieved12 July2018.
  255. ^Gould, Joe (18 November 2018)."With F-16 buy, Slovakia 'cutting off' Russian hardware".Defense News.Archivedfrom the original on 20 November 2018.Retrieved17 January2019.
  256. ^"AERO INDIA: F16V rechristened 'F-21' for New Delhi fighter deal".20 February 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 21 February 2019.Retrieved23 February2019.
  257. ^"Pressured by China's Military Updates, Taiwan Asks US for More Weapons".22 March 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 7 April 2019.Retrieved7 April2019.
  258. ^Wong, Edward (16 August 2019)."Trump Administration Approves F-16 Fighter Jet Sales to Taiwan".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Archivedfrom the original on 2 January 2022.Retrieved19 August2019.
  259. ^"Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) – F-16C/D Block 70 Aircraft and Related Equipment and Support".dsca.mil.Archivedfrom the original on 26 August 2019.Retrieved21 August2019.
  260. ^"Contracts For Aug. 14, 2020 AIR FORCE".Archivedfrom the original on 15 August 2020.Retrieved19 August2020.
  261. ^"66 new fighter jets to arrive in Taiwan by 2026".Taiwan News.12 November 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 19 September 2020.Retrieved7 October2020.
  262. ^"Forget drones – F-16 makes unmanned flight".3 news. Archived fromthe originalon 4 November 2013.Retrieved13 September2014.
  263. ^"First unmanned QF-16 flight takes place".AF. 24 September 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 15 September 2014.Retrieved13 September2014.
  264. ^"Boeing".Archivedfrom the original on 1 January 2016.Retrieved21 November2015.
  265. ^"Lockheed Martin F-16 Is Ready for the Future As The World's Most Advanced 4th Generation Fighter".Archivedfrom the original on 15 August 2014.Retrieved13 September2014.
  266. ^Morales, Jowi (29 June 2024)."How Many Fighter Jets Does Ukraine Have: What Kind Are They?".SlashGear.Retrieved2 July2024.
  267. ^"Slovakia's Government approves purchase of US F-16 fighter jets".Air Force Technology.14 December 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 14 December 2018.Retrieved17 December2018.
  268. ^"Slovakia inks deal to buy 14 F-16s from US Lockheed Martin".The Washington Post.Bratislava, Slovakia. 12 December 2018. Archived fromthe originalon 12 December 2018.Retrieved17 December2018.
  269. ^McNeil, Harry (27 March 2024)."Denmark strikes deal to offload 24 F-16 fighter jets to Argentina".Airforce Technology.Retrieved7 June2024.
  270. ^Orton, Daniel (22 April 2024)."NATO Ally Confirms F-16 to Ukraine as 'Entire Fleet' Decommissioned".Newsweek.Retrieved6 June2024.
  271. ^Shamim, Asif."Italian F-16 'Peace Caesar' program comes to an end."Archived3 June 2012 at theWayback MachineF-16.net, 24 May 2012.
  272. ^Ruitenberg, Rudy (5 February 2024)."Netherlands halts F-16 sale to US firm, will send to Ukraine instead".Defense News.Retrieved7 June2024.
  273. ^"F-16.net - The ultimate F-16, F-35 and F-22 reference".f-16.net.Retrieved7 June2024.
  274. ^Sabbagh, Dan (20 August 2023)."Netherlands and Denmark to donate up to 61 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Retrieved7 June2024.
  275. ^"Norway retires F-16 as F-35 takes on national air defence".7 January 2022.Archivedfrom the original on 23 April 2022.Retrieved5 February2022.
  276. ^"Norway signs F-16-contract with Romania".4 November 2022.
  277. ^"Norway signs €388m deal with Romania to sell 32 F-16 fighter jets".Airforce-technology.7 November 2022.
  278. ^Ulvin, Philippe Bédos; Sandven, Synne Malen; Kruse, Jan Espen; Uleberg, Ingrid (24 August 2023)."Zelenskyj vil ha fredssamtaler i Norge"[Zelenskyj wants peace talks in Norway].NRK(in Norwegian).Kyiv/Oslo.Retrieved24 August2023.
  279. ^"Argentina chooses US-built F-16 fighters over Chinese JF-17s".MercoPress.Retrieved1 February2024.
  280. ^Beech, Eric (4 June 2019)."State Department OKs possible sale of F-16 fighters to Bulgaria".Reuters.
  281. ^Perry, Dominic (30 July 2019)."Bulgarian parliament clears F-16V buy for second time".Flightglobal.Retrieved30 July2019.
  282. ^Adamowski, Jaroslaw."Bulgarian parliament votes to buy F-16s under $1.3 billion deal".Defense News, 2022-11-05.
  283. ^Ranter, Harro."Aviation Safety Network > ASN Aviation Safety WikiBase > ASN Aviation Safety Database results".aviation-safety.net.Archivedfrom the original on 9 August 2016.Retrieved25 January2020.
  284. ^"F-16 Mishaps & Accident Reports".f-16.net.Archivedfrom the original on 18 June 2016.Retrieved28 June2016.
  285. ^"YF16 in Belly landing".onYouTube.Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  286. ^"United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. – 878 F.2d 1311".Justia Law.Archivedfrom the original on 2 February 2014.Retrieved13 September2014.
  287. ^Schindehette, Susan (1 June 1992). Sider, Don (ed.)."Pilot Error? An Angry Widow Rejects That Judgment".People.Vol. 37, no. 21.Time Inc.Archived fromthe originalon 8 May 2012.
  288. ^Tucker, Ken (29 May 1992)."Afterburn Review".Entertainment Weekly.Archived fromthe originalon 8 August 2011.
  289. ^Brooks, Drew."Fort Bragg Report: Green Ramp Disaster anniversary was March 23".Fay Observer.Retrieved12 January2017.
  290. ^Harro Ranter (23 March 1994)."23 March 1994 crash".Archivedfrom the original on 3 November 2011.Retrieved13 September2014.
  291. ^Gladman, Paul (3 October 2008)."Thunderbirds Lockheed Martin F-16 Ejection".FlightGlobal. Archived fromthe originalon 13 April 2011.
  292. ^"Thunderbirds accident report released".AF.mil. Archived fromthe originalon 14 February 2006.Retrieved13 September2014.
  293. ^"Greek fighter-jet crash in Spain leaves at least 10 dead".The Guardian.26 January 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 18 January 2017.
  294. ^"Onze morts dont neuf Français lors du crash d'un avion de chasse en Espagne"(in French).Le Monde.28 January 2015.Archivedfrom the original on 28 January 2015 – viaAFP.
  295. ^González, Miguel (29 July 2015)."Loose papers in cockpit likely cause of F-16 crash at NATO base in Albacete".El País.Archivedfrom the original on 7 April 2023.
  296. ^Pager, Tyler (8 July 2015)."2 killed when F-16, Cessna collide in midair over S.C."USA Today.Archivedfrom the original on 10 April 2019.
  297. ^"A Florennes, un F-16 a bien été détruit par un tir accidentel:" L'explosion a été provoquée par un tir de canon "".RTL Info. 7 November 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 24 April 2021 – viaBelga.
  298. ^"Pakistan pays tribute to Wing Commander Noman Akram on his first martyrdom anniversary".11 March 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 17 April 2022.Retrieved26 March2022.
  299. ^"Air Force Pilot Ejects as F-16 Crashes in South Korea".8 May 2023.
  300. ^"RSAF F-16 jet crashes at Tengah Air Base; pilot hospitalised with no major injuries".
  301. ^"Final Update on the RSAF's F-16 Crash at Tengah Air Base".19 June 2023.
  302. ^"Hellenic Air Force F-16C/D Flight Manuals".15 June 2003. GR1F-16CJ-1.Archivedfrom the original on 23 October 2021.
  303. ^Lednicer, David."The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage".m-selig.ae.illinois.edu.Archivedfrom the original on 26 March 2019.Retrieved16 April2019.
  304. ^"SEMPER VIPER!".Lockheed Martin.Archivedfrom the original on 3 April 2016.Retrieved1 August2015.
  305. ^"ADM-160 MALD".airandspaceforces.Retrieved6 October2023.
  306. ^"AIM-7 Sparrow Pylon for F-16 Fighting Falcon".
  307. ^"Provision of AIM-120 Missiles Would Greatly Enhance Iraq's F-16s".Forbes.
  308. ^"U.S. Air Force Deploys APKWS Laser-Guided Rockets on F-16s".baesystems.BAE. 8 June 2016.Archivedfrom the original on 11 June 2016.Retrieved8 June2016.
  309. ^Hunter, Jamie (4 March 2022)."USAF launches huge upgrade program for its F-16s".Skies Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on 25 September 2022.Retrieved25 September2022.
  310. ^Leone, Dario."USAF to Upgrade 608 F-16 fighter jets to V variant in Viper Fleet largest Modification Work in History".The Aviation Geek Club.Archivedfrom the original on 25 September 2022.Retrieved25 September2022.
  311. ^"MIL-STD-1553 Avionics Bus Description. Military Standard".Interfacebus.Archivedfrom the original on 19 October 2012.Retrieved24 December2015.

Bibliography

edit

Further reading

edit
edit