General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a one-engine multirole combat aircraft. It was originally designed and built by General Dynamics, which is now part of Lockheed Martin.[5][6] The United States Air Force (USAF) ordered the F-16 in 1972. The airplane first flew four years later in 1976. Over 4,600 F-16s have been built since then.[7] The airplane has been used by more than 25 air forces around the world.[8] It is also used by the Thunderbirds, the USAF's aerobatics team. As of 2015, there are more F-16s in military use than any other fixed-wing aircraft.[9]
| F-16 Fighting Falcon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A US Air Force F-16C over Iraq in 2008 | |
| Role | Multirole fighter, air superiority fighter |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | General Dynamics Lockheed Martin |
| First flight | 20 January 1974 (unplanned) 2 February 1974 (official) |
| Introduction | 17 August 1978 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary users | United States Air Force 25 other users |
| Produced | 1973–2017, 2019–present[1] |
| Number built | 4,604 (June 2018)[2][3] |
| Unit cost | F-16A/B: US$14.6 million (1998) [4] F-16C/D: US$18.8 million (1998)[4] |
| Developed into | Vought Model 1600 General Dynamics F-16XL Mitsubishi F-2 |
Capabilities
The F-16 is able to fly at twice the speed of sound. It is armed with a M61 Vulcan Gatling gun and has eleven places where weapons or other equipment can be attached. It was the first production combat airplane to be designed to be unstable to be easier to turn, and has easier controls to make it highly agile in the air. Its designers also used many other new ideas such as a bubble canopy to help the pilot see better and a control stick on the side of the cockpit to make it easier to steer during tight turns and high g-forces.
The F-16's official name is "Fighting Falcon", but it is often called the "Viper" by its pilots and crews. The nickname came from the fact that the viper snake is known for its deadly fangs and venom, and because the Colonial Viper spacecraft from Battlestar Galactica was popular when the airplane was introduced to the USAF.[10][11][12]
Users
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Bahrain
Belgium
Chile
Denmark
Egypt
Greece
Indonesia
Morocco
Netherlands
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Singapore
South Korea
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine, has "F-16AM/BM models" or[13] fourth-generation F-16 airplanes (since 2024's third quarter)[14]
United Arab Emirates
United States
Venezuela
Past users
Italy – Italian Air Force leased up to 30 F-16As and 4 F-16Bs from the US Air Force from 2001 until 2012.
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon Media
A right-side view of a YF-16 (foreground) and a Northrop YF-17, each armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles
YF-16 on display at the Virginia Air and Space Center
An F-16C of the Colorado Air National Guard with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, an Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation pod, and a centerline fuel tank (300 US gal or 1,100 L capacity)
F-16CJ of the 20th Fighter Wing from Shaw AFB, South Carolina, armed with a mix of air-to-air missiles, anti-radiation missiles, external fuel tanks and support equipment
A Portuguese Air Force F-16A outfitted with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, AN/ALQ-131 ECM pod, and external fuel tanks
F-16C of the South Carolina Air National Guard in-flight over North Carolina equipped with air-to-air missiles, bomb rack, targeting pods, and electronic countermeasures pods
Bubble canopy, allowing all-round visibility
F-16 ground trainer cockpit (F-16 Mid-Life Update (MLU))
F-16 pilot with Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System and cockpit head-up display
AN/APG-68, as fitted to the nose
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Related pages
References
- ↑ Weisgerber, Marcus (22 March 2007). "Lockheed to Move F-16 Production to South Carolina". Defense One. https://www.defenseone.com/business/2017/03/lockheed-move-f-16-production-line-south-carolina/136365/. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
- ↑ "How the F-16 fighter jet put Fort Worth on the aerospace map". star-telegram.com. Archived from the original on 24 November 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
- ↑ "Lockheed Martin Awarded Contract to Build F-16 Block 70 Aircraft for Bahrain". Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "F-16 Fact Sheet". U.S. Air Force. 23 September 2015. Archived from the original on 29 January 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
- ↑ Rosenwald, Michael S. "Downside of Dominance? Popularity of Lockheed Martin's F-16 Makes Its F-35 Stealth Jet a Tough Sell." Archived 14 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine Washington Post, updated 17 December 2007. Retrieved 11 July 2008.
- ↑ "Company Histories – Lockheed Martin Corporation". Funding universe. Archived from the original on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ "Lockheed Martin to deliver 4,500th F-16 fighter". McClatchy DC. 2012-04-02. Archived from the original on 31 July 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ Stout, Joe and Laurie Quincy. "United States Government Awards Lockheed Martin Contract to Begin Production of Advanced F-16 Aircraft for Morocco." Archived 4 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine Lockheed Martin press release, 8 June 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2008.
- ↑ "Strength in numbers: The World's Top 10 military aircraft types". Flight global. Reed Business Information. 9 January 2015. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
- ↑ Aleshire 2005, p. xxii.
- ↑ Peacock 1997, p. 100.
- ↑ "F-16 Fighting Falcon". Lockheed Martin. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- ↑ https://www.kyivpost.com/opinion/37255. Retrieved 2024-08-12
- ↑ https://www.kyivpost.com/post/36931. Retrieved 2024-08-05
