Contents:
Introduction: A Lightweight Fighter
The F-16 fighting falcon was built under an unusual agreement creating a consortium between the United States and four NATO countries: Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway. These countries jointly produced with the United States an initial 348 F-16s for their air forces.
1: F-16A/B
The F-16A, a single-seat model, first flew in December 1976. The first operational F- 16A was delivered in January 1979 to the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The F-16B, a two-seat model, has tandem cockpits that are about the same size as the one in the A model.
2: F-16C/D
All F-16s delivered since November 1981 have built-in structural and wiring provisions and systems architecture that permit expansion of the multirole flexibility to perform precision strike, night attack and beyond-visual-range interception missions. This improvement program led to the F-16C and F-16D aircraft, which are the single- and two-place counterparts to the F-16A/B, and incorporate the latest cockpit control and display technology.
FEATURE: F-16I Sufa (Storm)
The F-16I is a two-seat variant of the Block 52 developed for the Israeli Defense Force. Israel issued a requirement in September 1997 and selected the F-16 in preference to the F-15I in July 1999. An initial contract was signed on 14 January 2000 for a total procurement of 102 aircraft. The F-16I, which is called Sufa (Storm) by the IDF/AF, first flew on 23 December 2003, and deliveries to the IDF/AF began on 19 February 2004.
3: F-16N - US Navy model
The F-16N was an adversary aircraft operated by the United States Navy. It is based on the standard F-16C/D Block 30. 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's 20mm cannon has been removed, as has the ASPJ, and they carry no missiles.
4: F-16E/F Desert Falcon
F-16E (single seat) and F-16F (two seat). The F-16E/F designation now belongs to a version developed especially for the United Arab Emirates Air Force, and is sometimes unofficially called the 'Desert Falcon'.
5: Export Models: F-16IN Super Viper & F-16V Viper
Lockheed Martin has described the F-16IN as 'the most advanced and capable F-16 ever.' Based closely on the F-16E/F Block 60 supplied to the UAE, the features on the F-16IN include Conformal fuel tanks (CFTs); AN/APG-80 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, GE F110-132A engine; electronic warfare suite and infra-red searching (IRST); advanced all-color glass cockpit; and a helmet-mounted cueing system.
The F-16V is dubbed the 'Viper', which is intended to better operate with fifth- generation fighters, and should not be confused with Lockheed's F-16IN Block 70/72 'Super Viper. The F-16V is being delivered to the Royal Bahraini Air Force, Hellenic Air Force, Republic of Korea Air Force, Turkish Air Force and Slovak Air Force.
6: Special Mission Variants
A-16 - The A-16 began as a late-1980s GD project to develop a close air support (CAS) version of the basic F-16 by adding armor and strengthening the wings for a heavier weapons load, including a 30 mm cannon and 7.62 mm Minigun pods. F/A-16 - The new systems for this F/A-16 Block 30 included a digital terrain- mapping system and Global Positioning System (GPS) integration for improved navigational and weapons delivery accuracy, as well as an Automatic Target Handoff System (ATHS) to allow direct digital target/mission data exchange between the pilot and ground units.
F-16A(R) - About two dozen F-16As of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) were supplied with indigenous Oude Delft Orpheus low-altitude tactical reconnaissance pods transferred from its retiring RF-104G. Designated F-16A(R), the first example flew on 27 January 1983, and they entered service with the RNLAF's 306 Squadron in October 1984.
RF-16A/C - The designation RF-16A is used, though, by the Royal Danish Air Force. In early 1994, 10 Danish F-16A were redesignated as RF-16A tactical recce aircraft, replacing the RF-35 Drakens withdrawn at the end of 1993.
FEATURE: Mitsubishi F-2 - The basis of the F-2's design is the F-16 Agile Falcon, an unsuccessful offer by General Dynamics to provide a low-cost alternative for the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition. Production started in 1996 and the first aircraft entered service in 2000.