General Dynamics F-16

F-16 is a redirect to this article. For the F-16 rule in photography, see Exposure (photography) #exposure without metering , for other meanings F16 .

F-16 Fighting Falcon
F-16C "Fighting Falcon" of the US Air Force
Type:	Multipurpose fighter
Design country:	United States
Manufacturer:	General Dynamics (until 1993) Lockheed Martin (since 1993)
First flight:	2nd February 1974
Commissioning:	17th August 1978
Production time:	In series production since 1976
Number of pieces:	4604 (as of June 2018)

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single - engine, multi- role fighter aircraft made in the USA . The single-seat machine was originally developed by General Dynamics for the US Air Force and has been produced by Lockheed Martin since 1993 . Initially, the F-16 was designed only as a light fighter aircraft , but the high demand meant that it was further developed as an all-weather multi-purpose fighter . Over 4570 machines have been built since series production began in 1976.

When the F-16 was put into service in 1978, some technical innovations were introduced with it, including the bubble canopy without struts for improved all-round visibility, a side-mounted joystick for easier operation, and one inclined by 30 ° Pilot seat for better absorption of the g-forces and a fly-by-wire system. All of these measures served to give the F-16 a high level of maneuverability, as the Vietnam War had shown that aerial battles are still primarily carried out in close-range combat .

The great export success of the F-16 - especially with smaller NATO air forces - means that the machine is still used by 25 countries today. At the beginning of 2014, 2,281 F-16s were still in service, which corresponds to about 15% of all active fighter jets worldwide, making them the most common aircraft.

Purpose and origin

A YF-16 (front) alongside the YF-17 in December 1972

From the beginning, the F -16 was neither intended as a technical breakthrough nor as a powerful weapon platform, but rather as a highly available, inexpensive "workhorse" for many areas of application. This distinguishes the F-16 from its predecessors and models introduced at the same time, which were either not suitable for all weather conditions ( F-104 ) or overly expensive ( F-15 ).

By design, the F-16 is more of a fighter than a ground attack aircraft . It is small and agile, and the cockpit is designed for optimal all-round visibility for the pilot, which can be vital in aerial combat . The F-16 is equipped with an internal M61 Vulcan on- board cannon for air combat ; In addition to the weapon mounting points under the fuselage and under the wings air-to-air missiles of the types Sidewinder and AMRAAM be attached. If the F-16 is required for ground attack and support missions, it is possible to arm it with various air-to-surface missiles and precision bombs .

The F-16 has its origins in the Lightweight Fighter program, a design competition announced by the US Department of Defense in 1974 to find an inexpensive aircraft with a thrust-to-weight ratio greater than 1: 1 as a replacement for some older types in the United States Air Force . Two companies were ultimately commissioned to build prototypes : General Dynamics the single-engine prototype YF-16 and Northrop the twin-engine prototype YF-17 Cobra . The YF-16 had its maiden flight on February 2, 1974. The Air Force selected the YF-16 for series production after a selection process; the YF-17 Cobra was not mothballed, but successfully developed into the carrier-based fighter-bomber F / A-18 Hornet . The F / A-18 was superimposed on the competition design from General Dynamics and LTV Aerospace , who had the YF-16 further developed into the F-16N under the Vought Model 1600 series in order to adapt it to the needs of the Navy. In contrast to the US Air Force, the Navy decided in favor of the F / A-18, which is in service to the present and is also produced by Boeing as the F / A-18E / F Super Hornet .

In addition to its official name Fighting Falcon ("Fighting Falcon"), the F-16 is often called Viper . This is because the pilots at Hill AFB, the first F-16 base, were largely of the opinion that the F-16 looked like a cobra when it took off. This name was already intended for the YF-17, so they switched to another snake, the Viper. Another reason for the name Viper is said to have been the spaceships of the same name in the TV series Battle Star Galactica . The Luftwaffe leadership ultimately decided on the name Fighting Falcon , because a bird would fit better. As a nickname, however, the name Viper could keep.

construction

An F-16A accompanies a Soviet Su-27 Flanker , August 1990

The cockpit of an F-16C

Although it was relatively cheap to buy and was never supposed to be a technically superior aircraft, the F-16 was ahead of its time in several areas. As with the Panavia Tornado  , an analog fly-by-wire system was installed. A digital FBW system was used from block C / D.

In addition, the pilot's control commands are not passed on directly to the servomotors on the control surfaces, but are first sent to a four-channel flight attitude computer (FLCS). A channel is planned as a reserve in the event of system failures. The use of an FLCS computer made it possible to build the F-16 as an aircraft with subsonic instability around the longitudinal axis. In subsonic flight, the F-16 lacks the tendency in most flight situations to assume a stable flight condition without control inputs. Positive static stability (a tendency to remain in the current attitude) would reduce maneuverability. Due to the rearward shifting point of application of the aerodynamic forces in supersonic flight, the F-16 has positive static stability in supersonic flight.

Without a computer, the F-16 would not be controllable by the pilot at subsonic speed. In order to avoid undesired deviations in the flight path, the FLCS processes thousands of measured values ​​per second and automatically actuates the actuators on the control surfaces. Control commands from the pilot are received and implemented in such a way that the aircraft does not get out of control. In addition, depending on certain parameters (e.g. flight attitude, speed and angle of attack), various restrictions apply. This prevents, among other things, side gliding , a high angle of attack and maneuvers that would expose the aircraft to more than nine times the acceleration of gravity.

The airframe consists essentially of aluminum (78%) and various types of steel (11%). Another measure to enable the pilots to fly even smaller radii was to increase the inclination of the pilot's seat from 13 to 30 °. In this "reclining seat", the pilot is much better able  to withstand the effects of centrifugal force  - with tight flight curves up to 9 g , i.e. 9 times the acceleration due to gravity - without becoming unconscious. In older aircraft, a maximum of 7 g was possible. The joystick is no longer between the legs as it was traditionally, but ergonomically convenient on the right console. He is not agile, but reacts to the handshake of the pilot. This means that the Falcon can be controlled tolerably even with high g loads. The bubble-shaped cockpit canopy without annoying steel struts ("one-piece-canopy" or "bubble canopy") offers excellent all-round visibility.

The cockpit hoods of the aircraft from Block 25 are provided with an extremely thin layer of gold, which means that incident radar waves are evenly scattered instead of penetrating into the interior of the cockpit. This made it possible to significantly reduce the radar cross-section of the F-16, as the cockpit had generated a very strong radar echo in earlier versions due to its many angled objects and surfaces. The engine and air inlet are arranged in such a way that radar beams cannot penetrate as far as the fan blades at most angles, which would otherwise generate a strong radar echo and the analysis of which would enable the passive identification of the machine (so-called non-cooperative target identification , NCTI ). The air inlet itself has been provided with radar-absorbing materials (RAM) since block 32 in order to further reduce its radar cross-section. As part of the “Pacer Bond” and “Have Glass II” programs, RAM was applied to other critical areas, but more detailed information is not available. However, the use of RAM in the area of ​​radar systems has become known.

For the YF-16, the plan was to deliver the aircraft without radar, as influential pilot circles and "experts" complained that the primary weapon of the F-16 was the heat-seeking Sidewinder missile, which did not need radar, and radar-guided missiles - with a view on the disastrous hit rate of the AIM-7 Sparrow in Vietnam  - too unreliable. At that time, BVR combat was hardly possible because the radar devices were not yet capable of profiling and had no friend-foe recognition. As a compromise, the designers built a small but very advanced radar into the F-16, which was coupled with the Head-Up-Display (HUD), a semi-transparent mirror that the pilot always has in mind when looking ahead and on the current flight, target and weapon data are projected so that the pilot is always provided with all relevant information.

In order to improve the performance of the F-16 in close air combat (English "dogfight"), it was decided to purchase JHMCS helmets, which were delivered from 2003.

Technical errors and defects in the fly-by-wire system led, among other things, to machine crashes. The F-16 fleet was therefore banned from taking off several times. Such errors in the electronics are particularly fatal during low-level flights, as the time remaining until the pilot touches the ground is too short for the pilot to get out of the aircraft, even if the ejection seat is triggered immediately when the error occurs. Another weakness of the F-16 is its single-jet design. An engine failure combined with a low altitude almost inevitably leads to a crash. Texas Instruments, as the supplier of the circuits for the fly-by-wire system, ran into serious difficulties for a short time at the end of the 1980s as a result of billions in compensation claims by the US government.

Versions

General Dynamics initially produced the F-16 in two versions: the F-16A was the regular combat version and the F-16B was the two-seat variant for training. The first launch of an F-16A took place in December 1976; in January 1979 the first aircraft was handed over to the Air Force.

The production of the F-16 was switched to the models F-16C and F-16D (also one / two-seat) with improved avionics and an improved engine in the 1980s . With the retirement of the F-4G Wild Weasel V , the F-16 took over SEAD missions. For this purpose, a special series F-16CJ was acquired, which carries special equipment for the effective use of the AGM-88-HARM missile and jammers to suppress the enemy air defense. Although "normal" F-16Cs can also carry the HARM missile, the F-16CJ can use the weapon in a particularly accurate mode.

F-16A / B

A F-16A from Portugal

A Turkish F-16C

NASA's F-16XL

Two seat F-16B of the Portuguese Air Force

• Block 1/5/10
  early series. Only minimal differences between each other.
• Block 15
  The first major revision of the F-16. Block 15 had enlarged elevators and ailerons, two new weapon mounts right next to the air inlet, the improved AN / APG-66 radar and an increased payload. Production ended in 1996.
• Block 15 OCU
  From 1987 onwards, Block 15 aircraft were delivered according to the Operational Capability Upgrade (OCU) standard. This included the improved F100 PW-220 engine, AGM-65 Maverick missile, AIM-120 AMRAAM , countermeasures and an improved cockpit.
• Block 20
  150 OCUs for Taiwan.
• Other variants
  • F-16/79 - Modified export version of the F-16A for the J79 engine, project canceled.
  • F-16/101 - Modified F-16A for the F101 engine, also canceled. Derived from this: F110 engine in F-16C / D.
  • F-16ADF - Improved F-16A / B. Went brand new to the United States Air National Guard .
  • F-16I - A version with improved avionics, made for Israel .
  • F-2A / B (FS-X) - Modified version, licensed in Japan by Mitsubishi .
  • F-16XL - version with double delta wings , used by NASA for aeronautical research. Originally developed for the tender for the Enhanced Tactical Fighter (ETF), but was defeated by the F-15E Strike Eagle. Afterwards in use at NASA.
  • F-16N - A simplified version of the F-16C / D for the US Navy as an enemy display aircraft. A simpler radar was installed and the on-board cannon is missing. Retired due to structural overloads until 1994 and replaced in 2002 by Block 15 OCU stored in the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), which was originally intended to go to Pakistan.
  • RF-16C / F-16R - Experimental recon version with ATARS package.
  • F-16 MATV - Experimental F-16 with thrust vector control. The program was considered successful, but was never realized in a series version.
  • F-16 MLU - (Mid Life Update) Update for F-16A / B of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, the Belgian Air Force, the Royal Danish Air Force, the Portuguese Air Force and the Royal Norwegian Air Force. Surplus aircraft of this model were delivered from the Netherlands and Belgium to Chile and Jordan.

F-16C / D

• Block 25

  The F-16C of Block 25 first flew in June 1984 and was in service with the USAF from September of the same year. These aircraft have AN / APG-68 radar, precision and night attack capabilities, and the F100-PW-220E engine.

• Block 30/32

  As part of the Alternative Fighter Engine project, these aircraft could be equipped with either the standard Pratt & Whitney engine or the General Electric F110. Blocks ending with 0 have a GE engine, blocks ending with 2 fly with P&W. The first Block 30 F-16s went into service in 1987. For the first time they were able to carry the AGM-88-Harm anti-radar missile and the AGM-65 Maverick . Aircraft from Block 30D upwards have enlarged air inlets for the more powerful GE engine. Block 32 did not have to be modified. Production of F-16C / D with F110 engines began in mid-1986 after this engine was selected by the US Air Force in 1984.

• Block 40/42 (F-16 CG / DG)

  In service since 1988. Block 40/42 is an improved all-weather ground attack version with a LANTIRN container. Their night combat capabilities gave these aircraft the name Night Falcon . The landing gear was reinforced and the radar improved. Since 2002, new weapons such as JDAM , JSOW , WCMD and EGBU-27 can be used as standard.

• Block 50/52 (F-16 CJ / DJ)

  Block 50/52 was delivered from the end of 1991. The aircraft now have improved GPS / INS and the ability to target air-to-air missiles with helmet sights. The USSR first introduced this function with the MiG-29 . It is also used in the Eurofighter . Like the F-16CG, they can carry the latest air-to-ground weapons. Block 50D / 52D also has improved SEAD capabilities with the Harm Targeting System (HTS) to suppress enemy air defense.

• Block 50/52 Plus

  These aircraft have the latest avionics and can carry conformal fuel tanks (CFT). All two-seat aircraft of this variant have 850 liters of additional storage space for avionics behind the cockpit.

• F-16 CCIP (F-16CM / DM)

  In the Common Configuration Implementation Program , 651 F-16s of blocks 40/42/50/52 were brought to a common technical level in order to simplify training and maintenance. The upgrade package includes new computers, color screens, Link 16 , JHMCS and the ability to carry the Sniper XR container. The CCIP program started in 2002 and was completed in March 2010.

F-16E / F

F-16 Block 60 of the UAE

• Block 60

  Based on the F-16C / D, with conformal fuel tanks (CFT) and improved avionics and radar; has so far only been sold to the United Arab Emirates . The General Electric F110 –132 is a further development of the 129 model and achieves 144.4 kN thrust. An important difference to previous blocks is the Northrop Grumman APG-80 Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar (AESA) with active electronic beam steering and a fixed antenna. This means that several tasks can be carried out at the same time (air-to-air, air-to-ground, off-road flight), since the radiation of the radar can be realigned without the delay by mechanically pivoting an antenna (the Emirates were the first country outside the USA to use this radar technology in a fighter plane). Block 60 machines can carry all weapons compatible with Block 50/52 as well as AIM-132 ASRAAM and AGM-84E. The CFT provide an additional 1860 liters of fuel. This means that in many cases the external tanks on the internal weapon mountings can be omitted.

• Block 60+

  The United Arab Emirates is buying another 30 F-16s of an improved Block 60 version. Details are not yet known, but the remaining 79 aircraft are to be upgraded to the new version.

F-16V

• Block 70/72

  Further improved version for Bahrain with APG-83 radar, new Raytheon mission computer and further system improvements. It is possible either to upgrade existing machines to the new standard or to build completely new F-16V.

An F-16I Sufa of the 107th Squadron "Orange Tail Knights" with full equipment and mounted CFTs

F-16I

Special version for the Israel Air Force (IAF). The Israeli two-seater variant is nicknamed "F-16I Sufa" ("Storm") and is based on Block 50/52. Some modifications were made by the Israeli arms company Lahav . The F-16I can also carry the Israeli Python-5 and Python-4 air-to-air missiles. This version also has an enlarged central tank and additional, removable CFTs that can be mounted on the side of the fuselage back above the wing.

F-16IN

The F-16IN is a special version for the Indian Air Force , with which Lockheed Martin entered a tender for 125 aircraft. This is equipped with a Pratt & Whitney -F100-PW-229A- turbofan engine, which enables supersonic flights without an afterburner ( supercruise ). The use of an AESA radar system is also planned. The F-16IN competed with the F / A-18E Super Hornet , Dassault Rafale , Eurofighter , MiG-35 and the Saab 39 Gripen and was not shortlisted.

KF-16

The KF-16 is a version of the F-16 Block 52 produced under license by KAI in South Korea . A total of 140 combat aircraft have been produced since the 1990s. The first fighter jet was delivered to the South Korean Air Force in 1994 , the last in 2003. Two versions are currently in use. The 95 aircraft of the single-seater variant KF-16C are based on the F-16C, while the 55 jets of the two-seater variant KF-16D are based on the F-16D.

QF-16

The QF-16 is a remote-controlled version of the F-16 that is currently being tested. This version, converted to a supersonic drone , was tested on September 19, 2013 by Tyndall AFB in Florida in a one-hour maneuver. Previously, the prototype, like its manned versions, had been checked regularly by a pilot before the QF-16 was launched, flown and landed unmanned. Various maneuvers were officially carried out at supersonic speed. According to a report by the British trade magazine Jane’s from May 2014, Boeing has now converted six F-16s into combat drones that can optionally be controlled by pilots.

Manufacturers and assembly lines

Main producer

• General Dynamics , today Lockheed Martin (both USA ) is the developer and manufactures the front fuselage elements, landing gear fairings, stabilizer fins and the radome for all machines .

Assembly lines

Assembly lines have been set up at the following five manufacturers:

• SABCA ( Belgium ) for the machines of the Belgian and Danish air forces
• Fokker ( Netherlands ) for the machines of the Dutch and Norwegian air forces
• TAI ( Turkey ) for the machines of the Turkish and Egyptian air forces
• Samsung (South Korea) for the machines of the South Korean Air Force
• General Dynamics , now Lockheed Martin (both USA ) for the remaining machines

Sub-suppliers

The following manufacturers produce components for the F-16 as subcontractors:

• TAI ( Turkey )
• Fokker ( Netherlands )
• SABCA ( Belgium )
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ( Japan )
• Per Udsen (today: Terma) ( Denmark )
• Nordisk ( Norway )
• KAI ( South Korea )

operator

Over 4500 aircraft had been built by 2013:

• United States Air Force : 2231 (some of which have since been resold)
• United States Navy : 14
• other air forces: over 2400 (the information on the various versions relates to the machines ordered, some older versions have already been sold (e.g. Belgium) or not yet delivered (e.g. Israel, Morocco))
  • Egypt : 224 (when ordering: 34A, 8B, 140C, 42D)
  • Bahrain : 36 (14C, 6D, 16V Block 70, the latter ordered in 2018)
  • Belgium : 160 (136A, 24B)
  • Bulgaria : 8 (8V Block 70/72, ordered in 2020)
  • Chile : 46 (29A, 7B, 6C, 4D), the A / B models were adopted by the Netherlands
  • Denmark : 77 (60A, 17B)
  • Greece : 170 (40 block 30, 40 block 50, 60 block 52, 30 block 52+)
  • Indonesia : 16 (12A, 4B)
  • Iraq : 8 were delivered by August 2016, another 28 are on order; a total of 96 machines are to be purchased.
  • Israel : 362 (125A / B, 135C / D, 102I)
  • Italy : 38 F-16A / B ADF (leased from USAF, 2003 to 2012)
  • Jordan : 79
  • Croatia : 12 (10C, 2D block 30; stopped from Israeli stocks)
  • Morocco : 49 (16C, 8D block 50/52, 48V block 70/72 including 23 converted C / D)
  • Netherlands : 213 (177A, 36B), part of which was given to Chile and Jordan
  • Norway : 74 (60A, 14B)
  • Oman : 16 (12C, 4D); another 12 machines (10 F-16C, 2 F-16D Block 50) have been ordered
  • Pakistan : 124 (43A, 27B, 12C, 6D)
  • Poland : 48 (36 C Block 52+, 12 D Block 52+), the procurement of 50-100 other used machines was temporarily stopped in March 2017
  • Portugal : 45 (38A / AM, 7B / BM Block 15), part of which was given to Romania
  • Romania : 17 (14AM and 3BM Block 15, a total of 26 more planned), taken over by Portugal,
  • Singapore : 60 (13A, 6B, 29C, 33D, Block 52)
  • Slovakia : 14 have been ordered (V block 70/72, 12 single-seaters, 2 double-seaters, delivery 2022/2023)
  • South Korea : 180 (30C block 32, 10D block 32, 95C block 52, 55D block 52)
  • Taiwan : 216 (120A, 30B, 208V - 142 converted F-16A / B and 66 new builds)
  • Thailand : 52 (41A, 11B)
  • Turkey : 270 (as of February 2013) (43 Block 30, 117 Block 40, 80 Block 50, 30 Block 50+, 217 F16 will be CCIP modernized)
  • Venezuela : 30 (24A, 6B)
  • United Arab Emirates : 80 (55E, 25F) + 30 (block 60+)

In Germany, three squadrons of the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) were / are equipped with the F-16.

• Hahn Air Base , December 1981 to September 1991, F-16A / B / C / D ( 50th Tactical Fighter Wing with three squadrons)
• Ramstein Air Base , September 1985 to July 1994, F-16C / D ( 86th (Tactical) (Fighter) Wing with two squadrons)
• Spangdahlem Air Base , since July 1987, F-16C / D ( 52d (Tactical) Fighter Wing partly in two squadrons, today still one, the 480th Fighter Squadron )

In addition, F-16s were or are stationed at a number of other airfields, at USAFE in southern Europe in Torrejon and Aviano , the latter base mainly received the aircraft from Ramstein . The European air forces flew or fly the F-16s in the following locations: Norway ( Bodø , Ørland , Rygge ), Denmark ( Aalborg , Skrydstrup ), Poland (Łask), Netherlands ( Leeuwarden , Twente , Volkel ), Belgium ( Beauvechain , Florennes , Kleine Brogel ), Portugal ( Monte Real ), Italy ( Cervia , Trapani ) and Greece ( Almiros / Nea Anchialos , Andravída, Araxos , Kasteli, Larisa, Soúda ).

Calls

An F-16 takes off from Aviano Air Base in Italy as part of Operation Allied Force (1999 over Kosovo)

Because it was exported to many countries or built there under license, the F-16 has also participated in many conflicts, most of them in the Middle East . On June 7, 1981, two groups of four Israeli F-16s each took part in the attack on the Iraqi Osirak nuclear reactor near Baghdad . The entire flight (965 km one way) was carried out in absolute radio silence and low-altitude. The following year, when Israel invaded Lebanon , the Israeli Falcons attacked Syrian MiG-23s ( NATO code name "Flogger") countless times and - except for one time - always emerged victorious from the aerial battles. During the Second Gulf War in 1991, the US Air Force's F-16s attacked Iraqi ground forces and fixed targets and kept the airspace clear. In the subsequent " Operation Southern Watch ", the surveillance of the no-fly zone in southern Iraq, the first BVR ( Beyond Visual Range ) shot down of an enemy MiG-29 ("Fulcrum" ) occurred on December 12, 1992 ) with the relatively new AIM-120 missile . In all subsequent conflicts of the 1990s, for example in the Kosovo war , during the overthrow of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and finally during the Third Gulf War , the US Air Force used the F-16 as a hunter and to attack all types of ground targets .

In Germany, a squadron F-16 C / D Block 50 (480th Fighter Squadron) of the US Air Force in Europe was stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base in the Eifel.

On March 18, 2005, Lockheed-Martin handed over the last of a total of 2214 F-16s to the United States Air Force , an F-16CJ-50 (AF 01-053). In the meantime, only F-16s were built for export at the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth , before production of the F-16 in Fort Worth was discontinued in favor of the Lockheed Martin F-35 and moved to the Donaldson Center Airport plant in Greenville in the US state of South Carolina was relocated. The model is the most exported western fighter aircraft. The last USAF F-16s will be decommissioned in 2025, according to current plans. They will be replaced by the new F-35 "Lightning II" by then.

On June 7, 2006, terrorist leader Abu Musab az-Zarqawi was killed by two 227-kilogram bombs from two American F-16s in Hibhib, Iraq.

On November 24, 2015, a Sukhoi Su-24 of the Russian Air Force was shot down by an F-16 of the Turkish Air Force in the Syrian-Turkish border area .

On February 10, 2018, an Israeli F-16 crashed east of Haifa after being hit by the Syrian air defense during an operation against an Iranian military base in Syria .

Use and crash over Bosnia

In the summer of 1995, NATO had been monitoring the no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina for more than two years ( Operation Deny Flight ). NATO was willing to maintain the so-called safe area by raising military resources. Combat, reconnaissance and surveillance flights were therefore carried out as part of Operation Deny Flight. During the operation on February 28, 1994, Scott O'Grady fired an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile at a Bosnian Serbian Soko J-21 Jastreb fighter aircraft , but missed it.

At that time, Bosnian Serbs had relocated units of their 2K12 Kub anti-aircraft missiles into the no-fly zone. Captain Scott O'Grady's plane was caught and hit by a missile from these troops, whereupon he deployed his ACES-II ejector seat to rescue himself from the crashing machine. Days later he was rescued by US Marines using CSAR helicopters.

Crashes in Germany

In September 2006, an F-16 coming from the US military base in Spangdahlem crashed near Oberkail in the Eifel, and the pilot catapulted himself with the ejector seat. According to the US military, it was a "controlled crash".

Due to an engine failure, an F-16 crashed into a forest area on August 11, 2015 in the Bavarian district of Neustadt an der Waldnaab near Engelmannsreuth . The pilot saved himself with the ejection seat.

On October 8, 2019, an F-16 from the US Airbase Spangdahlem crashed into a forest area around 15 kilometers northeast of Trier (D) near the village of Zemmer during a routine training flight . The pilot was able to save himself with the ejection seat and was slightly injured.

Technical specifications

Crack drawing

A USAF F-16C

Norwegian F-16A over the Balkans

An F-16C fires an AGM-65D Maverick from

Portuguese F-16A photographed from a KC-10 extender

Parameter	F-16C data (block 30)	F-16E data (block 60)
Type	Multipurpose fighter
length	14.52 m (15.03 m with pitot tube)
span	9.45 m
height	5.09 m
Wing area	27.87 m²
Wing extension	3.2
Wing loading	minimum (empty weight): 297 kg / m² nominal (normal take-off weight): 431 kg / m² maximum (max. takeoff weight): 688 kg / m²	minimum (empty weight): 311 kg / m² nominal (normal take-off weight): 457 kg / m² maximum (max. takeoff weight): 813 kg / m²
Empty mass	8,273 kg	8,670 kg
normal takeoff mass	12,003 kg	12,747 kg
Max. Takeoff mass	19,187 kg	22,680 kg
internal fuel capacity	3,986 l or 3,175 kg	7,390 l or 5,886 kg (with CFTs)
g limits	−3 to +9 g
Top speed at optimal flight altitude	Mach 2.02 or 2142 km / h	Do 1.89 or 2007 km / h
Maximum speed at sea level	Do 1.2 or 1470 km / h
Max. Turn rate	briefly: approx. 26 ° / s permanent: 21.7 ° / s	k. A.
Roll rate	270 ° / s	k. A.
Service ceiling	15,240 m
Max. Rate of climb	254 m / s	k. A.
Use radius	Hi-Hi-Hi profile: 925 km Hi-Lo-Hi profile: 580 km	Hi-Hi-Hi profile: 1605 km Hi-Lo-Hi profile: 650 km
Transfer range	3819 km	4220 km
Take-off run	533 m	k. A.
Landing runway	762 m	k. A.
	a General Electric F110-GE-100 turbofan	a General Electric F110-GE-132 turbofan
Thrust	with afterburner: 128.90 kN without afterburner: 76.31 kN	with afterburner: 142.38 kN without afterburner: 79.22 kN
Thrust-to-weight ratio	maximum (empty weight): 1.59 nominal (normal take-off mass): 1.09 minimum (max.starting mass): 0.69	maximum (empty weight): 1.67 nominal (normal take-off mass): 1.14 minimum (max.start mass): 0.64
Max. Gun load	9,276 kg	5,638 kg

Armament

Internal barrel weapon:

• 1 × 20 mm Gatling revolver cannon M61A1 "Vulcan" with 511 rounds of ammunition

Ordnance at eleven external load stations (two of which only for sensor containers)

Air-to-air guided missile:

• 6 × LAU-7 / A start rails on the side of the suspension station for 1 × AIM-9P-3 / L / M "Sidewinder" each - infrared-controlled, self-targeting for short distances
• 6 × LAU-7 / A start rails for 1 × Rafael "Python 4" each - infrared controlled for short distances
• 6 × LAU-7 / A start rails for 1 × Diehl BGT Defense "IRIS-T" each - infrared-controlled, self-targeting for medium-haul routes
• 2 × LAU-92 start rails for 1 × Hughes AIM-7D "Sparrow" each - semi-active radar-controlled for medium-haul routes
• 4 × LAU-128 start rails with BOL decoys for 1 × Raytheon AIM-120 A / B / C "AMRAAM" - radar-guided

Air-to-ground missile:

• 2 × Boeing AGM-84A "Harpoon" (radar-guided anti-ship missile )
• 4 × Kongsberg AGM-119 "Penguin"
• 2 × LAU-118 star rails for 1 × Texas Instruments AGM-88 HARM (self-targeting radar anti-aircraft missile) each
• 2 × Rafael / Lockheed Martin AGM-142E "Popeye / Have Nap" (infrared / guided inertial navigation system)
• 2 × Raytheon AGM-154 JSOW
• 2 × Lockheed Martin AGM-158 JSSM
• 2 × LAU-88A triple launch rails for 3 × Raytheon AGM-65A / B "Maverick" each - infrared or TV-controlled
• 4 × LAU-117A starter rails for 1 × Raytheon AGM-65A / B "Maverick" - infrared or tv-controlled

Steering bombs:

• 2 × BRU-42 TER (Triple Ejection Rack) each with three (total of ten) Raytheon GBU-12 "Paveway IV" (laser-guided glide bomb 227 kg / 500 lb)
• 4 × Lockheed-Martin GBU-10E / B "Paveway II" (laser-guided glide bomb 945 kg / 2055 lb - based on a Mk.84 explosive bomb with front control and rear steering set)
• 4 × Raytheon GBU-24A / B "Paveway III" (laser-guided glide bomb 1100 kg / 2055 lb - based on a BLU-109 penetration bomb or Mk.84 explosive bomb with front control and rear steering set)
• 4 × Raytheon GBU-27 "Paveway III" (laser-guided glide bomb)
• 4 × bomb racks for 2 × GBU-39 (Small Diameter Bomb) each

Unguided bombs (on up to two BRU-41 MULTIPLE EJECTOR RACK (MER) or three BRU-42 TER (Triple Ejection Rack)):

• 12 × Mk.82 General Purpose bombs (227 kg / 500 lb free-fall bomb)
• 12 × Mk.82 SE "SnakeEye" (241 kg / 500 lb, with four air brake flaps)
• 8 × Mk.83 LDGP (454 kg / 1000 lb free-fall bomb)
• 3 × Mk.84 LDGP (907 kg / 2000 lb free fall bomb)
• 1–2 B43 (nuclear free-fall bomb with 1.0 MT explosive device)
• 1–2 B61 (nuclear free-fall bomb with 0.3–170 kT explosive device)
• 1 × B83 (nuclear free-fall bomb with 1.2 MT explosive device)

Additional container

• 1 × AN / ASQ-213 Harm Targeting System - container for targeting the AGM-88 HARM
• 1 × Rafael / Nortroph-Grumman AN / AAQ-28 (V) "Litening" target lighting container ( Forward Looking Infrared Pod with thermal imaging device, TV camera, laser and laser search and tracking system)
• 1 × LANTIRN target lighting and navigation container
• 1 × AN / ALQ-131, EKF malfunction container
• 1 × AN / ALQ-184, EKF malfunction container
• 1 × Lockheed-Martin AN / AAQ-33 "Sniper ATP" target light container
• 1 × drop-off additional tank for 1135 liters (300 US gallons)
• 2 × drop-off additional tanks for 1400 liters (370 US gallons) each
• 2 × drop-off additional tanks for 2271 liters (600 US gallons) each
• 1 × Orpheus reconnaissance container
• 1 × UTC Aerospace DB-110 - long-range image reconnaissance vessel with electro-optical and thermal imaging sensors
• 2 × CNU-188 / A luggage containers

EloKa systems

The following table lists all known and compatible EloKa systems for the F-16.

designation	Accommodation	Remarks
Radar warning systems
AN / ALR-56M	internally	from block 50/52
AN / ALR-69	internally	to block 50/52
AN / ALR-74	internally
AN / ALR-93	internally
Missile warning systems
AN / AAR-54	internally
AN / AAR-57	internally	for block 60
AN / AAR-60	internally
PAWS	semi-internal	from block 50/52
Decoys launcher
AN / ALE-40	internally	to block 15 OCU
AN / ALE-47	internally	from block 30
AN / ALE-50	internally	from block 50/52
AN / ALE-55	internally	Part of the AN / ALQ-214
Disruptive systems
AN / ALQ-119	external
AN / ALQ-131	external
AN / ALQ-162	semi-intern
AN / ALQ-165	internally
AN / ALQ-176	external
AN / ALQ-178 (V) 1/3/5	internally	for block 50/52
AN / ALQ-184	external
AN / ALQ-187	internally
AN / ALQ-202	internally
AN / ALQ-211 (V) 4	internally	for F-16C / D (Chile, Oman)
AN / ALQ-214	internally
EL / K-82 xx series	external	various systems of Israeli corporations

See also

• Fighter plane
• List of aircraft types

Web links

Commons : General Dynamics F-16  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• F-16 Fighting Falcon Information (WaffenHQ)
• Page about the F-16 In: F-16.net (English)
• Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon In: .scramble.nl. Scramble - The Aviation Magazine (English)
• F-16 Fighting Falcon , report at N24

Individual evidence

1. ↑ https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2018-06-25-Lockheed-Martin-Awarded-Contract-to-Build-F-16-Block-70-Aircraft-for-Bahrain
2. ↑ World Air Forces 2014. (PDF; 4.0 MB) In: img.en25.com. Flightglobal, 2016, accessed October 9, 2014 . 
3. ↑ Stefaan Vanhastel: F-16 Fighting Falcon, F16, or Viper? In: f-16.net. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
4. ↑ airpower.at
5. ^ ^{A b} Doug Richardson: Stealth - Invisible Airplanes . Stocker-Schmid AG, Dietkion-Zurich 2002, ISBN 3-7276-7096-7 .
6. ↑ F-16.net
7. ↑ F-35 JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER ( Memento from August 24, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
8. ↑ TCC - RNLAF F-16 ( Memento from September 20, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
9. ^ Aviation Week
10. ↑ Falcon flourishes in the desert [IDX15D1 . ] In: janes.com. Jane's Information Group , accessed February 24, 2015.
11. ↑ Bahrain F-16V procurement and upgrade approved, Janes, September 12, 2017 ( Memento of September 13, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
12. ↑ Article on www.f-16.net
13. ↑ http://www.airpower.at/news2011/0501_mrca_india/index.html
14. ↑ KF-16 on Military Today
15. ↑ F-16 South Korea
16. ↑ [1]
17. ↑ Archive link ( Memento from May 11, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
18. ^ Aviation Fact File. Modern Fighting Aircraft F-16 Fighting Falcon. Salamander Books, 1983, p. 12.
19. ↑ http://www.f-16.net/fleet-reports_article18.html
20. ↑ http://www.f-16.net/news_article1332.html
21. ↑ Current active F-16 airframes assigned to USNAVY NAWDC. Retrieved November 22, 2019 . 
22. ↑ Bahrain order keeps F-16 production ticking over, Flightglobal, June 25, 2018
23. ↑ US awards Lockheed $ 512 million for Bulgarian F-16 production, Flightglobal, April 3, 2020
24. ↑ Iraq receives a new batch of F-16 fighter jets from US In: Navy Times. August 8, 2016, archived from the original on August 8, 2016 ; accessed on June 16, 2019 . 
25. ^ Israel halts F-16 sale to Croatia, Flightglobal, January 11, 2019
26. ↑ Morocco receives approval for F-16V procurement, upgrades, Janes, March 26, 2001
27. ↑ Oman accepts first F-16 from new batch. In: Flightglobal.com. April 8, 2014, accessed on April 8, 2014 (English): "Oman has accepted the first aircraft from its second order of Lockheed Martin F-16C / Ds in a ceremony at the manufacturer's Fort Worth, Texas facility." 
28. ↑ BARTOSZ GLOWACKI: Poland shoots down used F-16A / B acquisition. FLIGHTGLOBAL.COM, March 23, 2017, accessed on March 23, 2017 . 
29. ↑ Romania to take five more F-16s from Portugal, Flightglobal, December 3, 2018
30. ^ Greg Waldron: US approves updates for Singapore F-16 upgrade. In: Flightglobal.com. May 8, 2015, accessed on May 9, 2015 (English): "The US State Department has issued a list of updated approvals for equipment related to Singapore's upgrade of its 60 Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 52 fighters." 
31. ↑ Slovakia signs for F-16V fighters, Janes, December 13, 2018
32. ↑ F-16 South Korea
33. ↑ Taiwan receives first F-16Vs, Chinese media reports, Janes, October 22, 2018
34. ↑ Taiwan anticipates new F-16 Block 70 boost to RoCAF operations. Janes, August 23, 2019
35. ↑ Order for F-16 Block 70 for Bahrain. FlugRevue.de , June 25, 2018, accessed on February 2, 2019 . 
36. ↑ Middle East: Syria shoots down Israeli fighter aircraft . In: FAZ.NET . February 10, 2018, ISSN  0174-4909 ( faz.net [accessed February 11, 2018]).
37. ↑ Syria shoots down Israeli warplane . In: BBC News . February 10, 2018 ( bbc.com [accessed February 11, 2018]).
38. ↑ F-16 fighter plane crashed near Engelmannsreuth - risk of explosion averted at nordbayerischer-kurier.de, accessed on August 11, 2015
39. ↑ Unsuccessful training flight in the Eifel: US military has started to recover the F16 wreck swr.de, December 9, 2019, accessed December 9, 2019. - With video (1:27).
40. ^ ^{A b} Thomas B. Cochran: Nuclear Weapons Databook. Chapter 7: Nuclear Capable Aircraft and Bombs . Volume 1, 1984. p. 221.