| F-16 Fighting Falcon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A USAF F-16 over Iraq after refueling, 2008 | |
| Role | Multirole Fighter |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | General Dynamics Lockheed Martin |
| First flight | 2 February 1974 |
| Introduction | 17 August 1978 |
| Status | Active |
| Primary users | United States Air Force 25 other users (see operators) |
| Number built | Over 4,400 |
| Unit cost | F-16A/B: US$14.6 million (1998 dollars)[1] F-16C/D: US$18.8 million (1998 dollars)[1] |
| Variants | General Dynamics F-16XL F-16 VISTA Mitsubishi F-2 |
The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, daytime Visual Flight Rules (VFR) fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft. The Falcon's versatility is a paramount reason it has proven a success on the export market, having been selected to serve in the air forces of 25 nations.[2] The F-16 is the largest Western jet fighter program with over 4,400 aircraft built since production was approved in 1976.[2] Though no longer being purchased by the U.S. Air Force, advanced versions are still being built for export customers. In 1993, General Dynamics sold its aircraft manufacturing business to the Lockheed Corporation,[3] which in turn became part of Lockheed Martin after a 1995 merger with Martin Marietta.[4]
The Fighting Falcon is a dogfighter with numerous innovations including a frameless, bubble canopy for better visibility, side-mounted control stick to ease control while under high g-forces, and reclined seat to reduce the effect of g-forces on the pilot. The F-16 has an internal M61 Vulcan cannon and has 11 hardpoints for mounting various missiles, bombs and pods. It was also the first fighter aircraft deliberately built to sustain 9-g turns. It has a thrust-to-weight ratio greater than one, providing power to climb and accelerate vertically — if necessary.[1] Although the F-16's official name is "Fighting Falcon", it is known to its pilots as the "Viper", due to it resembling a cobra snake and after the Battlestar Galactica starfighter.[5][6][7] It is used by the Thunderbirds air demonstration team.
The F-16 is scheduled to remain in service with the U.S. Air Force until 2025.[8] The planned replacement is the F-35 Lightning II, which will gradually begin replacing a number of multirole aircraft among the air arms of the program's member nations.
Specifications (F-16C Block 30)
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 49 ft 5 in (14.8 m)
- Wingspan: 32 ft 8 in (9.8 m)
- Height: 16 ft (4.8 m)
- Wing area: 300 ft² (27.87 m²)
- Airfoil: NACA 64A204 root and tip
- Empty weight: 18,900 lb (8,670 kg)
- Loaded weight: 26,500 lb (12,000 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 42,300 lb (19,200 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× F110-GE-100 afterburning turbofan
- Dry thrust: 17,155 lbf (76.3 kN)
- Thrust with afterburner: 28,600 lbf (128.9 kN)
Performance
- Maximum speed:
- At sea level: Mach 1.2 (915 mph, 1,470 km/h)
- At altitude: Mach 2+ (1,500 mph, 2,414 km/h)
- Combat radius: 340 mi (295 nm, 550 km) on a hi-lo-hi mission with six 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs
- Ferry range: 2,280 NM (2,620 mi, 4,220 km) with drop tanks
- Service ceiling: 60,000+ ft (18,000+ m)
- Rate of climb: 50,000 ft/min (254 m/s)
- Wing loading: approx 40 lb/ft²[142] (430 kg/m²)
- Thrust/weight: 1.095
Armament
- Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61 Vulcan gatling gun, 511 rounds
- Hardpoints: 2× wing-tip Air-to-air missile launch rails, 6× under-wing & 3× under-fuselage pylon stations holding up to 17,000 lb (7,700 kg) of payload
- Rockets:
- Missiles:
- Air-to-air missiles:
- 2× AIM-7 Sparrow or
- 6× AIM-9 Sidewinder or
- 6× IRIS-T or
- 6× AIM-120 AMRAAM or
- 6× Python-4
- Air-to-ground missiles:
- 6× AGM-45 Shrike or
- 6× AGM-65 Maverick or
- 4× AGM-88 HARM
- Anti-ship missiles:
- 2× AGM-84 Harpoon or
- 4× AGM-119 Penguin
- Air-to-air missiles:
- Bombs:
- 2× CBU-87 Combined Effects Munition
- 2× CBU-89 Gator mine
- 2× CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon
- Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser capable
- 4× GBU-10 Paveway II
- 6× GBU-12 Paveway II
- 6× Paveway-series laser-guided bombs
- 4× JDAM
- 4× Mark 84 general-purpose bombs
- 8× Mark 83 GP bombs
- 12× Mark 82 GP bombs
- B61 nuclear bomb
- Others:
- SUU-42A/A Flares/Infrared decoys dispenser pod and chaff pod or
- AN/ALQ-131 & AN/ALQ-184 ECM pods or
- LANTIRN, Lockheed Martin Sniper XR & LITENING targeting pods or
- up to 3× 300/330/370 US gallon Sargent Fletcher drop tanks for ferry flight or extended range/loitering time.
Avionics
- AN/APG-68 radar
Operators
Over 4,400 F-16s have been sold to 25 foreign air forces.[133]
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