{"id":2385,"date":"2024-07-20T18:36:30","date_gmt":"2024-07-20T18:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=2385"},"modified":"2024-07-20T18:36:30","modified_gmt":"2024-07-20T18:36:30","slug":"general-dynamics-f-16-fighting-falcon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=2385","title":{"rendered":"General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon"},"content":{"rendered":"


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By Peter Suciu<\/a><\/p>\n

A<\/span>merican-made F-16 Fighting Falcon could soon be employed in the skies over Eastern Europe after the initial batch of the all-weather multirole fighters pledged to Ukraine arrive to aid Kyiv\u2019s war effort against Russia. Ukrainian pilots have been training for months in the United States and the UK to operate the Fighting Falcon. How the F-16 will actually stack up against the very Soviet-era fighters it was designed to initially confront during the Cold War remains an unanswered question.<\/p>\n

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An F-16 Fighting Falcon, assigned to the 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, in flight during exercise Red Flag-Alaska during 2024. Image:\u00a0Senior Airman Julia Lebens\/U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, the F-16 already has a long and proven combat history. It has been adopted by more than two dozen nations around the world, including Israel, where it has been employed in numerous combat operations.<\/p>\n

\"F-16\n<\/picture>
An U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 80th Fighter Squadron takes off from Gwangju Air Base, South Korea. Image:\u00a0Staff Sgt. Samuel Earick\/U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was also 50 years ago this past January that the Fighting Falcon made its first flight. Today, most of the military aviators operating the aircraft were born after it entered service with the United States Air Force in 1978. While it has been steadily improved and updated, this is a testament to its original design and longevity.<\/p>\n

Origins of the Fighting Falcon<\/h2>\n

Given the proven track record of the F-16, it might be hard to imagine now that it essentially began as a technology demonstrator, and as part of a program to develop a capable multirole fighter. Today\u2019s high-flying Fighting Falcon originated with the United States Air Force\u2019s Lightweight Fighter (LWF) program in the early 1970s, which sought to develop a fighter jet that would be smaller, and more importantly cheaper to produce than the F-15 Eagle.<\/p>\n

\"F-4\n<\/picture>
An F-16 Fighting Falcon and an F-4 Phantom II<\/a> fly in formation on January 17, 1980 near Hill Air Force Base. Senior Master Sgt. Phil Lewis\/U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The LWF wasn\u2019t originally intended to lead to the production of a combat aircraft, but rather to establish what might be possible \u2014 and also determine the cost. The General Dynamics Model 401 was entered into the competition against a simplified Northrop P530, with the aircraft later being designated the YF-16 and YF-17 respectively. The latter aircraft had the unofficial nickname \u201cCobra,\u201d although it is unclear if that would have remained had the aircraft been adopted by the Air Force.<\/p>\n

\"YF-16\n<\/picture>
Air-to-air right side view of a YF-16 aircraft and a YF-17 aircraft armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. The YF-17 would later become the F\/A-18 Hornet<\/a>. Image:\u00a0R.L. House\/NARA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, it was a moot point.<\/p>\n

Though the LWF was initiated as a mere technology demonstrator, it evolved and was recast as the Air Command Fighter (ACF) program to develop a larger and much more capable multirole aircraft that could be employed by the Tactical Air Command (TAC), and even offered for foreign military sales \u2014 notably NATO allies Belgium, Denmark, the Netherland and Norway. Each was seeking a replacement for their aging F-104G Starfighters<\/a> then in service.<\/p>\n

\"YF-16\"\n<\/picture>
A YF-16 fighter aircraft in a test flight during June 1974. The YF-16 would become the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Image:\u00a0NARA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As the ACF program progressed, then Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger announced that the U.S. Air Force would acquire at least 650 of the new fighters, though the figure increased as development continued.<\/p>\n

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The YF-16 demonstrator made its first \u201cofficial flight\u201d in February 1974 \u2014 but it actually took to the skies a few weeks earlier during a taxi test when its aerodynamics proved so effective it essentially couldn\u2019t stay on the ground. Soon after, a competitive fly-off against the rival Northrop YF-17 was conducted, and the YF-16 came out on top. It quickly evolved into the larger and more capable F-16 Fighting Falcon.<\/p>\n

\"first\n<\/picture>
Transfer of first F 16 to the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Force) on June 6, 1979. Image:\u00a0Nationaal Archief<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In January 1979, just five years after that accidental maiden flight, the first operational F-16A was delivered to the United States Air Force\u2019s 388th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base (AFB), Utah.<\/p>\n

\"General\n<\/picture>
A 1983 photograph of the NF-16A Advanced Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI) team. It shows the initial configuration and paint finish of the NF-16A AFTI. Image:\u00a0NASA\/DVIDS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While the United States Air Force is no longer acquiring new F-16 Fighting Falcons, it remains the largest operator of the multirole fighter, with more than 2,000 airframes delivered. In addition, Lockheed Martin \u2014 which acquired General Dynamics\u2019 aviation business in the 1990s \u2014 continues to produce the fighter aircraft for foreign military sales. It remains in service in the air forces of two dozen nations around the globe, and could soon be employed in combat against Russian aircraft in Ukraine.<\/p>\n

An Unstoppable Warbird<\/h2>\n

From the moment the Fighting Falcon was hatched, there was an emphasis on the F-16 being a Control Configured Vehicle (CCV) with independent or \u201cdecouple\u201d flight control surfaces \u2014 which made it possible for the aircraft to maneuver in one plane without movement in another, notably being able to turn without having to bank.<\/p>\n

\"F-16\n<\/picture>
An AGM-119A Penguin anti-ship missile is launched from an F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft during a 1991 exercise in Norway. The F-16 is also armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. Image:\u00a0NARA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The configuration of the F-16 included a single vertical tail, mid-mounted tailerons, and mid-mounted wings, with a 40-degree taper on the leading edge. The aircraft\u2019s multi-spar, multi-rib aluminum fin also featured a graphite-epoxy skin with a rudder made of an aluminum honeycomb structure, powered by a servo-actuator. The Fighting Falcon has also been noted for its unusual engine intake under the fuselage, which is simple with no moving parts \u2014 while the location ensures the engine is not starved of air even at high angles of attack.<\/p>\n

\"F-16\n<\/picture>
An F-16 escorts Air Force One from Offutt Air Force Base to Andrews Air Force Base on September 11, 2001. Image:\u00a0NARA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The design of the multirole fighter allows the pilot to fly by HOTAS (Hands on Throttle and Stick), while the cockpit provides an exceptional all-around view with the only canopy frame being positioned behind the pilot in the single-seat configuration. The only forward obstruction is a pencil-thin AOE nosewheel steering indicator, while control inputs are by a force-sensing sidestick controller on the right console and force-sensing pedals \u2014 all of which were positioned for maximum application of force when required. This has been updated with large color displays, night vision goggles (NVG) compatible lighting, color moving map, and increased-area heads-up-display (HUD).<\/p>\n

\"airmen\n<\/picture>
Ground crewman load an AGM-65 Maverick missile onto an F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft during Exercise Air Warrior in 1984. Image:\u00a0Staff Sgt. Bob Simons\/U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Successive variants of the F-16 Fighting Falcon progressively increased the weight, avionics, and capabilities, yet, the aircraft retained the most relevant features of the initial production model \u2014 notably the CCV technology, fly-by-wire controls, and the generous thrust-to-weight ratio using a single engine fed by a fixed vertical intake.<\/p>\n

\"USAF\n<\/picture>
Airman 1st Class Rafael Molina lifts a GBU-12 Paveway II guided bomb warhead during a quarterly competition. Image:\u00a0Samuel King Jr.\/U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Originally produced by General Dynamics, the F-16 has been completed in nearly 140 different configurations from the prototype to the F-16V (Viper \u2014 a name employed for the aircraft by many of its pilots). Successive changes have included improved cockpit technologies, avionics, sensors, and weapons. Great effort was made to ensure the fighter was reliable and easy to maintain. The upgrades have increased the range and payload, and an improved powerplant provided greater engine thrust, while the range has been extended through the addition of conformal fuel tanks.<\/p>\n

\"F-16\n<\/picture>
The F-16 Viper Demonstration Team jet flies in a fighter repainted in the classic YF-16 livery to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the platform\u2019s first flight. Image:\u00a0Christian Turner\/U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The first \u201csub-variant\u201d of the basic F-16A was the combat-capable two-seat F-16B, which made its maiden flight in 1977, but with reduced fuel capacity. The tandem cockpits are roughly the same size as the one in the base A model, but with the bubble canopy extended. To make room for the second cockpit, the forward fuselage fuel tank and avionics \u201cgrowth space\u201d was reduced.<\/p>\n

\"F-16\n<\/picture>
A F-16 of the 40th Flight Test Squadron during a flutter mission at Eglin Air Force Base. The squadron executes fighter developmental tests. Image:\u00a0Tech. Sgt. John Raven\/U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the combat-capable model, the weapons officer is positioned behind the pilot, whereas in the training configuration, the forward cockpit is used by a student pilot with the instructor in the rear.<\/p>\n

The F-16 Fighter Jet in Combat<\/h2>\n

According to the United States Air Force, \u201cIn an air-to-surface role, the F-16 can fly more than 500 miles (860 kilometers), deliver its weapons with superior accuracy, defend itself against enemy aircraft, and return to its starting point.\u201d Its all-weather capability further allows it to accurately deliver ordnance during non-visual bombing conditions.<\/p>\n

\"F-16\n<\/picture>
An F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft escorts a Soviet Tupolev Tu-22M Backfire bomber in 1988. The F-16 is armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. Image:\u00a0NARA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Due to the F-16\u2019s combat-proven multirole capability, the aircraft has a well-earned reputation as a \u201cforce multiplier,\u201d but it should be noted that for more than its first decade in service it was largely untested in combat \u2014 at least with the U.S. Air Force.<\/p>\n

\"JDAM\n<\/picture>
Airman Robert Hunt checks an F-16 Falcon loaded with Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) during a pre-mission check during Operation Enduring Freedom. Image:\u00a0Staff Sgt. Michael Gaddis\/U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even though it was developed to engage Soviet aircraft in the skies over Europe, the F-16\u2019s first air-to-air engagement occurred in the Middle East. However, it was still one that involved West vs. East platforms as on April 28, 1981, a Fighting Falcon in service with the Israeli Air Force (IAF) engaged a Soviet-made Syrian Mi-8 helicopter, which was downed by the F-16\u2019s cannon.<\/p>\n

\"pilot\n<\/picture>
Capt. Michael Terry prepares to launch his F-16 at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea on July 9, 2020. Image:\u00a0Senior Airman Noah Sudolcan\/U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Less than three months later, on July 14, 1981, the IAF went on to achieve the first \u201ckill\u201d of another fighter when one of its F-16s shot down a Soviet-made Syrian MiG-21 (NATO reporting name Fishbed) while employing an AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile (AAM). That incident also came just over a month after IAF F-16s took part in Operation Opera \u2014 the raid to disable the Iraqi nuclear program. On June 7, 1981, the aircraft took off from a base in southern Israel, crossed the Jordanian desert, and bombed the still-under-construction Osirak reactor outside of Baghdad. It marked the first significant air-to-ground operation involving the F-16, highlighting its ground-attack capabilities. Those earlier incidents proved the F-16 Fighting Flacon was a highly agile and capable warbird.<\/p>\n

\"loading\n<\/picture>
Airmen carry an AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile toward an F-16. Entering service in 2003, it is used by other aircraft including the F\/A-18 Hornet. Image:\u00a0Samuel King Jr.\/U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The United States Air Force\u2019s F-16s finally had their chance to bloody their claws during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, when nearly 250 of the Fighting Falcons were employed in a total of 13,340 sorties on targets against Iraq \u2014 the most of any coalition aircraft. Nearly a third of those sorties were conducted at night; the average sortie duration was 3.24 hours, and almost every mission required air refueling. The fighters attacked airfields, military production facilities, Scud missile sites, and other high-value targets.<\/p>\n

\"F-16\n<\/picture>
Staff Sgt. Jessica Zabala ensures the path is clear for an F-16 Fighting Falcon to taxi out to take off at Homestead Air Reserve Base. Image:\u00a0Tech. Sgt. Lionel Castellano\/U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During the campaign, just three F-16s were lost to confirmed enemy ground fire, including two from radar-guided SA-6 and SA-3 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), while another was downed by a shoulder-launched SA-16 missile. Several other Fighting Falcons took damage but were able to return to base. In total, seven F-16s were lost during the combat operations of Desert Storm.<\/p>\n

\"F-16A\n<\/picture>
A left side view of an F-16A Fighting Falcon aircraft on a training flight out of Nellis Air Force Base. Image:\u00a0Ken Hackman\/U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As most of Iraq\u2019s aircraft were either destroyed on the ground or flew to Iran, it wasn\u2019t until December 27, 1992 \u2014 during Operation Southern Watch \u2014 that the F-16 in service with the U.S. Air Force scored its first air-to-air kill. On that day, an F-16D downed an Iraqi MiG-25 (NATO reporting name Foxbat) with an AIM-120 AMRAMM. Less than a month later, on January 17, 1993, an F-16C shot down an Iraqi MiG-23 (NATO reporting name Flogger) also with an AMRAAM.<\/p>\n

\"USAF\n<\/picture>
An airman marshals a 555th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcon after arriving at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates. Image:\u00a0Tech. Sgt. Alex Fox Echols III\/U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The F-16 continued to be employed in combat operations around the world, including in the skies over Iraq, in NATO peacekeeping operations in the former Yugoslavia; notably in the Global War on Terror (GWoT) where it took part in the air war in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. In addition to service with the U.S. Air Force and IAF, the Fighting Falcon has seen action with the militaries of Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates among others.<\/p>\n

\"Iraqi\n<\/picture>
An Iraqi Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon conducts a training mission over Iraq May 26, 2019. Image:\u00a0Master Sgt. Russ Scalf\/U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A largely forgotten operator of the F-16 Fighting Falcon was the Pakistani Air Force, and it had the distinction of being the only nation to use the multirole fighter against actual Soviet warplanes! Pakistan claimed to have employed the F-16 against numerous Soviet aircraft that illegally crossed into its airspace to target Afghan refugee camps. To counter that threat, Washington had provided Islamabad with F-16s that could not fire radar-guided beyond-visual range missiles.<\/p>\n

\"AIM-9\n<\/picture>
At Flesland Air Station in Norway, a row of AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile systems wait to be loaded during the first overseas deployment of the F-16. Image:\u00a0Master Sgt. Don Sutherland\/U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to multiple Mi-8 helicopters, Pakistani figures claim that more than a dozen Soviet and Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (the Soviet puppet state) fighters were downed. One F-16 was lost, with Pakistan stating it was lost to friendly fire, but Moscow claimed it was shot down by a Soviet MiG-23.<\/p>\n

The F-16 can thus claim numerous kills of Soviet aircraft, while at best one may have fallen victim to a MiG.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"F-16\n<\/picture>
F-16 Fighting Falcons from Eglin Air Force Base fly over a high school football game in Niceville, Florida. Image:\u00a0Master Sgt. Tristan McIntire\/U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to a combat fighter, the F-16 Fighting Falcon is currently flown by the United States Air Force Demonstration Squadron \u2014 more commonly known as the Thunderbirds. The team flies six F-16C and two F-16D Fighting Falcons, which they\u2019ve operated since 1992 (upgraded from the F-16A model adopted in 1983). <\/p>\n

Final Thoughts on the F-16 Fighting Falcon<\/h2>\n

Whether it is in performing jaw-dropping aerial maneuvers with the Thunderbirds at air shows around the country, or in combat operations with the U.S. Air Force and its allies, the F-16 is a 50-year-old combat fighter that isn\u2019t getting older, it has gotten better, and is nearly unstoppable.<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: Be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the \u201cGo To Forum Thread\u201d link below to jump in!<\/em><\/p>\n

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By Peter Suciu American-made F-16 Fighting Falcon could soon be employed in the skies over Eastern Europe after the initial batch of the all-weather multirole fighters pledged to Ukraine arrive to aid Kyiv\u2019s war effort against Russia. Ukrainian pilots have been training for months in the United States and the UK to operate the Fighting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2386,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2385\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}