The F-16 Fighting Falcon, one of the most versatile aircraft in the US Air Force arsenal,
has been a cornerstone of the Air Force aerial combat fleet.
First achieved its combat-ready status in October 1980, the aircraft has been modified
to perform a variety of tasks excellently, including air-to-air combat, ground attack,
and electronic warfare.
Today, the air services of more than 25 different militaries throughout the world continue to
fly F-16s, with around 3,000 Fighting Falcons in operational.
So, how good is the F-16?
Well, we have wrapped up some important information for you.
Let’s check them out!
Number one.
It was designed to be the world’s top dogfighter The F-16 Fighting Falcon can fly for more
than 500 miles, deliver its weapons with superior accuracy, defend itself against enemy aircraft,
and return to its starting point.
In an air combat role, the F-16’s maneuverability and combat radius exceed that of all potential
threat fighter aircraft.
It can locate targets in all weather conditions and detect low flying aircraft in radar ground
clutter.
A report from 2015 revealed the findings of a series of dogfight experiments between the
Fighting Falcon and America’s newest stealth fighter, the F-35.
The exercises reportedly took place on January 14, 2015, over the Sea Test Range, which is
a stretch of the Pacific Ocean near Edwards Air Force Base, California.
The fight was between a modern F-16D Block 40 and an Air Force F-35A to the test out
the F-35’s capabilities as a close-range dogfighter in an air-to-air tangle with high
“angles of attack,” or AoA, and “aggressive stick/pedal inputs.”
The F-35 was flying “clean,” without armaments in its bomb bay, wings, or fuselage.
The F-16, on the other hand, was carrying two huge underwing drop tanks, placing it
at an aerodynamic disadvantage.
However, the F-35, according to the report, was no match for the 4th generation aircraft.
Despite the debate, the test pilot stated that even with the limited F-16 target configuration,
the F-35 seemed to immediately struggle, unable to line up the Viper in its sights for notional
fire runs.
The F-35 pilot attempted to hit the F-16 with the stealth jet’s 25-millimeter cannon,
but the smaller F-16 easily dodged, making the F-35A at a significant energy deficit
in every engagement.
And when the pilot of the F-16 turned the tables on the F-35, maneuvering to place the
stealth fighter in his own gunsight, the F-35 could not get out of the way and the tight-turning
Viper might have a chance at scoring a kill on the F-35.
Number two.
It has great value for money The F-16 light fighter is faster and more
maneuverable, and it costs around $18 million in 1999, or $27 million in 2017.
This remarkable bang-for-buck ratio has not gone unnoticed by air forces all over the
world, as the F-16 remains the most popular aircraft in modern military service, of which
about 2,700 of the 4,500 built are still in service in approximately twenty-six countries.
Needless to say, the cutting-edge fourth-generation fighter from the 1980s will be around for
a long time, with a service life of 18-20 years.
Moreover, the new F-16s features conformal fuel tanks, which greatly extend the Falcon’s
short range at low aerodynamic cost, as well as an APG-80 Active Electronically Scanned
Array radar.
These make the Fighting Falcon has proven to be an excellent and versatile combat jet
with minimal maintenance and operational costs.
According to one estimate, it costs $22,000 per flight hour to operate, compared to $42,000
for a twin-engine F-15.
Number three.
Its great tech support and upgrades are already in place and available worldwide
The F-16 is a strategic and beneficial choice for many customers around the world seeking
advanced fighter aircraft capabilities, regional and global partnerships, and reasonable lifecycle
costs.
To date, 4,588 F-16s have been produced for 28 customers, and it continues to advance
to keep ahead of future threats by utilizing combat lessons-learned and capabilities developed
on Lockheed Martin’s F-22 and F-35.
For these reasons and another, five nations have chosen the new F-16 Block 70/72.
Indonesian Air Force (IDAF), for example, with current fleet of 34 F-16 Block 15 aircraft,
has existing F-16 support equipment and spares, as well as qualified pilots and maintenance
personnel.
That fleet just underwent mid-life structural as well as avionics upgrades that will keep
them capable for decades.
This existing fleet would be supplemented and augmented by new Block 72 jets.
The latest F-16 Block 70/72 combines sophisticated F-16 capability enhancements with structural
modifications, including structural life that is more than 50% longer than prior F-16 aircraft
production.
The IDAF’s configuration is further upgraded with a sophisticated datalink, targeting pod,
and armaments, as well as accuracy GPS navigation and the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance
System (Auto GCAS), allowing it to function in a net-centric data environment.
Hence, the F-16 Block 72, with the essential F-16 experience and infrastructure already
in place, would offer the Indonesian Air Force a more seamless, efficient transfer, and cost-effective
operations, guaranteeing it is ready for any mission, at any time.
Number four.
It is combat proven and racked up many kills The F-16 Fighting Falcon is one of the most
successful and combat-proven military aircraft in history.
Being in service with forces throughout the world, it has already participated in over
400,000 combat missions and amassed a total of 19 million flying hours.
The US Air Force F-16 fleet first saw combat in the 1991 Persian Gulf War in support of
Operation Desert Storm, where it flew more than thirteen thousand strike missions armed
with 2,000-pound bombs and Maverick missiles.
F-16s launched the greatest air strike in history over downtown Baghdad, in which 72
aircraft performed the Package Q Airstrike and one squadron undertook “Wild Weasel”
tasks, tracking down Iraqi surface-to-air missile batteries with AGM-88 Harm missiles.
Although two of the Falcons were shot down by air-defense missiles and their pilots were
captured.
After the formal conclusion of hostilities, F-16s enforcing the no-fly zone over Iraq
killed a fast MiG-25 Foxbat with the long-range AIM-120 Scorpion missile.
Since the Gulf War, the Falcon has been prevalent in US and NATO air assaults over the former
Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Syria.
During the 1990s, American and Belgian F-16s shot down additional enemy fighters over Serbia
and Kosovo during the 1990s, though two were brought down by Serb surface-to-air missiles.
In 1992, two Venezuelan Falcons pilots played a key role in defeating a coup by supporters
of Hugo Chávez by putting down two rebel OV-10 Broncos and a Tucano trainer.
By one count, the Falcon has shot down 76 enemy aircraft, while only incurring one or
two losses in aerial combat, usually under questionable circumstances.
As a result, since September 11, 2001, the F-16 Fighting Falcon has been a key component
of the combat forces engaged in the Global War on Terrorism, flying thousands of sorties
in support of operations Noble Eagle (Homeland Defense), Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan,
and Iraqi Freedom.
That’s all for today.
Thanks for watching and see you next time.