Crew.

………………………………… 1 pers.

Multi-role fighter F-16. Performance characteristics.


Speed, km/h


maximum at an altitude of about 10 km……. 2170

maximum at an altitude of up to 3 km……….. 1,470


Practical ceiling

M……………….. 15 240

Range, km
distillation……………………….. 3 890
actions……………………………… 550-925
Weight, kg
maximum takeoff……………….. 19 185
empty plane……………………. 8 625
Maximum combat load, kg……….. 5 420

Aircraft dimensions

M
wingspan……………………… 9.45
length…………………………….. 14.52
height……………………………….. 5.01
Engines:
TRDDF F-100-PW-229
or F-110-GE-129, kgf……………… 13 155


Designed for air superiority, strikes against ground targets and reconnaissance.
Work on the creation of the aircraft has been carried out since the late 1960s. to 1975. The F-16 aircraft became the subject of the so-called contract of the century, winning in competition with the Mirage, F-1E and Viggen aircraft. Several NATO member states have chosen the F-16 as the successor to the F-104G.


The F-16 is a monoplane of the classical design, with a mid-wing and an engine in the rear fuselage. It has an integrated aerodynamic layout, characterized by a smooth pairing of the fuselage and a trapezoidal wing in terms of a relatively small sweep along the leading edge. The smooth articulation of the wing and fuselage made it possible to provide the fuselage with additional lift at small angles of attack, reduce the wettability of the aircraft surface and increase the volume of internal fuel tanks.
This design made it possible to obtain high flight performance in the range of 0.6-1.2M and at altitudes up to 7000 m. In terms of rate of climb and acceleration characteristics, the F-16 outperforms other aircraft of this class and has a 1.5-2 times smaller turning radius . Training battles of the F-16 with the T-38, F-100, F-104 and F-105 aircraft showed its superiority, and with the F-15 - similar characteristics.


Several modifications of the F-16 aircraft have been created:

F-16A - single-seat multi-role tactical fighter

for operations during daylight hours;
F-16B - two-seat combat training version of the F-16A aircraft;
F-16C - single-seat advanced multirole fighter;
F-16D - two-seat combat training version of the F-16C aircraft;
F-16N and TF-16N - one- and two-seat versions of mock enemy aircraft built for the US Navy's Top Gun fighter pilot school;
F-16ADF - air defense aircraft for the US Air National Guard;
RF-16C (F-16R) is a reconnaissance aircraft designed to replace RF-4C aircraft.
On the basis of the F-16 in Japan in 1987, the fighter-bomber FS-X (SX-3) was created.


The equipment includes: Doppler radar Westinghouse APG-68, 2 containers with equipment of the ALQ-131 electronic warfare system, wide-angle HUD. The F-16 aircraft is the first of the foreign fighters with a permanent EDSU (the presence of an EDSU is one of the main signs of belonging to the fourth generation of aircraft), both analog (F-16A) and digital (F-16C).
Armament consists of one M61-A-1 six-barrel gun (caliber 20 mm, rate of fire 6000 rounds, ammunition 511 rounds), 2 AIM-9J/L Sidewinder or AIM-7 Sparrow missiles, Mk.82 bombs , Mk.83, Mk.84. The number of hardpoints is 9. It is planned to install the AIM-120 UR. The maximum estimated mass of the combat load is 5420 kg.
For the first time in combat conditions, the aircraft was used on June 7, 1981, when 8 F-16s of the Israeli Air Force raided an Iraqi research center in Osirak (near Baghdad). F-16 aircraft were used in combat operations in the early 1980s.
against Libya, during the war in Afghanistan (from the Pakistani side), the conflict in the Persian Gulf. The most common fourth-generation jet fighter forms the backbone of the air forces of many of the 19 countries that buy it.

This year marks 45 years since the first flight of the F-16 Fighting Falcon ("Attacking Falcon"), which is the most massive fourth-generation aircraft that has undergone 13 modifications. This is one of the most popular aircraft - it is in service with 25 countries of the world. Of course, this is not an absolute record. Our MiG-21 bypassed the American in terms of mass production by almost three times, and was in service with more than 40 countries of the world.

However, the fame and demand for the F-16 could not affect the desire of the Indian Air Force command, which refused to purchase a new modification - the F-16 Block 70/72, shown at the Aero India -2019 exhibition under the name F-21. Apparently, American marketers thought that such a renaming would smooth out all associations with the Pakistani F-16s, and also nullify all information about the crashes of this aircraft.

Indeed, since the start of operation, 671 F-16 Fighting Falcon crashes have been recorded, in which 208 pilots and 98 people who were in the crash zones of this aircraft were killed. Strange as it may sound, the American Air Force "distinguished itself" the most, losing 286 aircraft. The combat losses of the F-16 for the entire time of participation in local wars amounted to about 160 fighters.

Despite such statistics, the Americans continue to offer the world this aircraft already in the latest modification and at the same time carry out work on upgrading previous versions of fighters in service with NATO forces to the Block 70/72 version. Thus, the US Department of Defense signed a $996.8 million contract with Lockheed Martin to upgrade 84 Greek Air Force F-16s from the Block 50/52 version to the Block 70/72 version.

True, not everything goes smoothly. The latest case occurred in Bulgaria, where President Rumen Radev executed a $1.256 billion contract for the purchase of eight F-16 Block 70/72 due to the fact that guarantees and post-warranty service were not clearly spelled out in the text of the contract. On the other hand, one must be aware of the fact that the United States did its best to meet Bulgaria halfway, reducing the initial price of the contract by $417 million.

It would seem like a big discount and a good deal, but, apparently, the Bulgarians doubted that $157 million for one F-16 Block 70/72 with a weapon system is a "better purchase" than the cheaper F-35 that they receive some NATO countries. But this is not the biggest price for this aircraft - in 2018, the US Department of Defense Agency for Military Cooperation (Defense Security Cooperation Agency) informed the US Congress about a possible contract with Slovakia, which will sell 14 F-16V Block 70/72 Viper fighters for 2 .91 billion dollars, or 207 million dollars for the delivery set.

Why is the F-16 Block 70/72 so good that it is more expensive than a fifth-generation aircraft? Let's figure it out.

The latest upgrade of the Block 70/72 was based on the prototype F-16V (where V is Viper, Viper), which made its first flight in 2015. Basically, the upgrade affected the electronics of the fighter - he received a new airborne radar with an active phased array - APG-83 (SABR), which can detect and identify targets in the air and on the ground at long distances, as well as an on-board electronic warfare system with jamming systems, helmet-mounted targeting system, data transmission equipment according to the Link 16 standard and much more.

Naturally, such modernization did not affect the aircraft's flight performance in the least, only slightly increasing its combat qualities in the use of a standard weapon system for the F-16, consisting of Raytheon AIM-120C7 AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air guided missiles (URVV). , AIM-9X Sidewinder short range air defense missiles, GBU-12 Paveway II, GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway II, GDU-39 SDB, GBU-54 Laser JDAM and GBU-38 JDAM guided bombs. In addition, the delivery package may include AN / AAQ-33 Sniper target designation pods, which provide more accurate targeting of aircraft weapons in the daytime and at night. The hanging container and the "swells" on the fuselage change the EPR of the aircraft, but the Americans hope that the electronic warfare equipment and the jamming station located in these "swells" will more than compensate for this shortcoming.

The "electronic stuffing" of the Block 70/72 Viper is estimated by many foreign experts as "almost identical" to the on-board electronics of the F-22 and F-35 aircraft. The presence of a command data line according to the Link 16 standard suggests that F-16V aircraft will be able to exchange tactical information in real time not only with fifth-generation aircraft, but also with AWACS and Patriot air defense systems. Thanks to the onboard electronic warfare systems, they will be able to increase their combat survivability in the face of strong opposition from air defense systems.

Currently, 25 countries of the world and the United States are armed with 4,400 F-16 fighters in various modifications. The re-equipment program to the Block 70/72 version and the sale of new F-16Vs will not only provide greater revenue to the American aviation industry, but will also allow NATO to have 4 ++ generation aircraft in the NATO Air Force by 2030, which in their "electronic fillings" will be close to aircraft fifth generation F-22 and F-35.

Of course, such modernization, according to American analysts, should be an "unpleasant surprise" for those countries that do not fit into the standards of proper democracy and have the audacity to pursue their sovereign policy. However, it was no coincidence that I emphasized that such modernization in no way affects the flight performance of the F-16, which has remained unchanged since the 90s of the last century.

The fact is that Russian air defense and electronic warfare systems, as well as aviation systems of the 4 ++ generation, also did not stand still, preparing for military operations in the face of strong opposition from air attack weapons with the active support of air defense and electronic warfare systems of a potential enemy. In the library of targets of domestic air defense systems and air defense systems, the F-16 aircraft in all modifications is listed as a "standard target", and the latest Russian URVVs are already "sharpened" to hunt for such a target in difficult conditions of electronic countermeasures. Moreover, the Indian MiG-21 "Bizon" (third-generation aircraft) in February of this year showed that this is also a "standard target" for it, when it successfully shot down the F-16 of the Pakistani Air Force.

Therefore, the prospects for the F-16V Block 70/72 Viper are financially rosy, and quite predictable in the conditions of modern air combat.

The F-16 is a 4th generation American supersonic jet fighter and the first to enter US service. For its lightness and maneuverability, it received its name "Fighting Falcon" ("attacking falcon"), in honor of the main symbol of the US Air Force Academy, on the coat of arms of which this bird is depicted.

The history of the creation of the American F-16 aircraft

At the end of the war with Vietnam, the US Air Force decided to create an improved high-speed fighter, due to the lack of effectiveness of the existing ones.

The development of a new military aircraft was carried out by the Americans in parallel with similar research by Soviet engineers, who already in 1967 presented the MiG-25, which surpassed the US achievements in this field of aircraft construction with its tactical and technical properties.

In contrast to the MiG-25, General Dynamics designed the heavyweight and expensive F-15 fighter, which could not improve the performance of the Soviet aircraft.

1969- US Air Force officers and defense analysts began work on the Light Weight Fighter program, which was based on the theory of "energy maneuverability" put forward by Major John Boyd and mathematician Thomas Christie and proving that maneuverability directly depends on the weight of the aircraft.

May 1971.- a team of like-minded people, under the leadership of Boyd, received funds for research and the formation of basic requirements for a future combat aircraft.

January 6, 1972. - studies completed, the US Air Force announces a competition among aircraft manufacturers for the design of a fighter with the following request: weight within 9.1 tons, good turning coefficient, optimization for close combat at a speed of 0.6-1.6 Mach and an altitude of 9 150-12 200 meters.

February 1972- Preliminary designs of six fighter prototypes were received from five applicant companies: Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed, Northrop and Vought.

March 1972- Winning companies were selected: Northrop and General Dynamics.

April 14, 1972. - Contracts for design developments were concluded with the winning aircraft manufacturers and financing was provided.

  • a twin-engine device with a two-keel plumage, with the index "YF-17" from Northrop;
  • single-engine ─ from General Dynamics, with the index "YF-16".

Both companies were issued orders for the construction of aircraft.

1974. - flight tests are being carried out, which showed that the YF-16 has better results, in comparison with the YF-17, in terms of such parameters as acceleration and maneuverability, as well as a lower production cost. In the same year, the name of the program was changed to "Air Combat Fighter".

January 13, 1975. - John L. McLucas, Secretary of the US Air Force, announced that the YF-16 fighter won the Air Combat Fighter competition. From that moment on, he received the index F-16A.


April 9, 1975- GD was given a small order for 15 aircraft for the US Air Force, and the loser YF-17 entered service with the Navy.


Since 1978 open large-scale production and operation of the new "air fighter".

Until 1980, The US Air Force buys 650 aircraft, after which orders for the fighter came from Europe and the Middle East.

1993. - General Dynamics sold its assets to the large aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Corporation, which later became Lockheed Martin.

The attacking falcon entered service with aviation, in more than two dozen countries of the world. Today, the largest number of F-16 fighters is operated in the USA, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, for the military aviation of these countries it has become the main combat fighter aircraft.

Design

The basic model of the F-16A fighter in the United States was developed by Robert Widmer, who created a completely innovative design.

Its features:

  • combination of light weight and high load capacity;
  • integral aerodynamic layout, including the design of the fuselage and wing with a forward influx, provides additional rate of climb at high angles of attack, reduces the weight of the machine and increases the interior space;
  • the center of gravity of the aircraft, shifted forward, reduced the balancing resistance;
  • highly sensitive radar system;
  • one-piece, "teardrop" canopy for a full viewing angle;
  • ergonomic seat reduced the load on the pilot; for this, the seat was tilted back by 30◦;
  • control devices are located as conveniently as possible so that they are "at hand" of the pilot.

The new fighter has become not only more functional than the F-15, but also cheaper by half.

Tests have shown that with a declared flight altitude of 12,200 meters, it is capable of climbing 15,000 meters in 90 seconds and reaching supersonic speed in 40 seconds.

Flight performance

On the basis of the F-16A fighter, three more major modifications were produced (shown in the table), which retained most of the technical characteristics of the F-16 aircraft and were put into large-scale production. American engineers managed to achieve that the speed of the F-16 aircraft reached Mach 2 (one Mach is equal to the speed of sound).

Parameters/Modifications 16A 16 B 16C
Description Basic single-seat fighter, designed for daytime operation. Double, combat training modification. The F-16C and F-16D are upgraded versions of the F-16A and F-16B, respectively. Their 40/42 (since 1988) and 50/52 (since 1991) series increased takeoff weight, were re-equipped with digital flight control, night vision, automatic terrain following, dipole spreading devices and IR traps
Height, m 5,09
Length with LDPE rod, m 15,03
Wingspan, m 9,45
Wing area, m² 27,87
Wing aspect ratio 3,2
781,2
Sweep angle along the leading edge, ◦ 40
Empty weight for series 50/52, with engine, F100, t 8 910
Empty weight for series 50/52, with F110 engine, t 9,017
Mass of external load for series 50/52, with F100 engine, t 8,855
Mass of external load for series 50/52, with F110 engine, t 8,742
Maximum takeoff weight for series 50/52, t 21,772
Weight of fuel in internal tanks, t 3,105 2,565 3,105 2,565
Mass of fuel in internal tanks for series 50/52, t 3,228
Volume of fuel tanks for series 50/52, l 3 986
engine's type 1TRDDF Pratt-Whitney F100-PW-200
Engine type for batch 50/52 1TRDDF Pratt-Whitney F-100-PW-229 or GE F110-GE-129
The maximum speed of the F-16 fighter at an altitude of 12,200 m, km/h 2 120
Rate of climb for party 50/52, m/s 275
Ferry range, km 3 890
Ferry range for batch 50/52, km 3 981-4 472
Practical ceiling for party 50/52, m 15 240
Armament for the party 50/52 Shooting and cannon: one six-barreled gun, caliber 20 mm, M61A1, with 511 rounds of ammunition.

Guided missiles: air-to-air: AIM-7, 6xAIM-9, 6xAIM-120, AIM-132, Python 3, Python 4, Derby, Sky Flash, Magic 2; air-to-surface class: 6xAGM-65A/B/D/G, AGM-45, 2xAGM-84, 4xAGM-88, AGM-154 JSOW, AGM-158 JASSM, Penguin Mk.3.

Bombs: adjustable: 4xGBU-10, 6xGBU-12, GBU-15, GBU-22, GBU-24, GBU-27, 4xGBU-31 JDAM; adjustable cassettes (with WCMD): CBU-103, CBU-104, CBU-105; free-falling: Mark 82, 8xMark 83, Mark 84.

Cannon containers: one GPU-5/A with a 30 mm cannon
Total weight of combat load on 9 hardpoints, kg 5 420

F-16 fighters of various modifications have practically no external differences in design, with the exception of the cockpit, designed for one or two pilots:





F-16D

Modifications are periodically improved, as a result of which their new configurations appear. The most recent is the series or block 70 made for India. The company is positioning this version as the F-16 combat aircraft of tomorrow, representing the 5th generation of fighters. F-16 block 70 is equipped with the latest technologies in the field of military aircraft construction, previously unavailable.


F-16 Block 70

In addition to the main modifications, the designers also designed separate, “narrow-tasking” Falcon models, produced individually for experimental purposes or on special orders. These, for example, include the F-16XL ─ "tailless", which is distinguished by a delta wing and a kink along the leading edge.

For Israel, a two-seat F-16I from the 52 series was created, called "Sufa" (Thunderstorm). Half of the on-board equipment and weapons of the Thunderstorm are produced in Israel: an anti-missile system, a system for conducting training exercises, an on-board computer, as well as missiles and a homing system.


Among the latest configurations is the F-16V, called the "Viper" (Viper). The prototype made its first flight in 2015. The Viper is equipped with an APG-83 scalable radar antenna (SABR), which allows it to effectively detect external threats and identify targets at long distances, as well as the SNIPER system, which provides more accurate day and night aiming . It is assumed that the new version will be exported, while Lockheed Martin will be able to improve any F-16C to the standard 16V and F-16S.


The F-16 has evolved over several decades and has gone through the stages from a light day fighter to a multi-purpose fighter-bomber capable of conducting combat flights at night, launching air-to-air missiles, above the range of visibility.

At the same time, the disadvantage of the fighter is its vulnerability to modern means of detection, since stealth technologies are not used on it.

Participation in hostilities

AffiliationF-16 Period

Military conflict
Israel 1981-1985 The F-16 was first used in real combat conditions of the civil war in Lebanon, for attacks on Palestinian militant bases and during Operation Peace for Galilee. Syria's losses amounted to over 45 aircraft, according to unconfirmed reports, Israel lost 6 fighters
1981 Operation Opera. As a result of the raid, a nuclear reactor under construction in Iraq near Baghdad, in the city of Tuwait, was completely destroyed
1985 The bombing of the headquarters of the Palestine Liberation Organization, located in the suburbs of Tunisia, killed or injured a large number of civilians
1990s-2000s Airstrikes on the locations of the Hezbollah group during the Second Lebanon War
2003 Attack on Islamic Jihad locations in Syria
2008-2009 Multiple air raids resulting in the death of a large number of civilians in the territory of the Gaza Strip
2016-2018 The current civil war in Syria. Fighters are used for air strikes. On February 10, 2018, an F-16 fighter was shot down, both pilots ejected, the destroyed car fell into Israel
Jordan 2014 Syrian Civil War, one Jordanian F-16 shot down
2016 Conflict in Yemen, one Jordanian F-16 shot down
Iraq 2015 Iraqi Civil War, raids on ISIS positions
Venezuela 1992 During the failed coup in Venezuela, F-16s, which were in service with the country, attacked the rebels, two OV-10s and one AT-27 were shot down
2013-2015 Three private planes carrying drugs shot down
Morocco Conflict in Yemen, one Moroccan F-16 shot down
Pakistan 1980-1988 The Afghan war, during which the F-16s provided to Pakistan by the United States participated. Over the entire period, fighters destroyed 6 enemy aircraft, including an Afghan passenger aircraft and a Soviet Su-25 attack aircraft
1997-2008 Indo-Pakistani conflict
Saudi Arabia 2014-2015 Armed conflict in Yemen, two Saudi F-16s shot down
USA 1990-2001 Gulf War and post-war clashes
2003-2008 Iraqi War, during which at least 5 Fighting Falcons were shot down
Turkey 1984–present Turkish-Kurdish conflict, one Turkish F-16 lost
1992-2006 Turkish-Greek conflict. Both Turkish and Greek F-16s are taking part in the fighting, each side has lost three aircraft
2013-present Civil war in Syria. Turkish F-16s: Forced a Syrian passenger plane to land in Ankara; shot down two Syrian military aircraft and a Russian Su-24M
2016 Revolt in Turkey

Destroyed as a result of an air raid, Iraq's nuclear reactor in Tuwait, 1981
Russian Su-24 shot down by a Turkish Air Force F-16C fighter, 2015
Saudi F-16 shot down in Yemen, 2015
The crash site of an Israeli F-16 shot down on February 10, 2018

Crash statistics

The overall crash statistics of the Fighting Falcon are impressive. Here are a few facts compiled from the US Aviation Safety Network website:

  • since the start of operation, as of March 2018, 671 Fighting Falcon crashes have been recorded, killing 208 pilots and 98 people on the ground at the time of the fall;
  • most often, disasters occurred with fighters belonging to the United States, there were a total of 286 of them;
  • the first air crash occurred on August 9, 1979, with an F-16B modification aircraft in the United States, near the city of Ogden, Utah, as a result of pilot error;
  • the largest, in terms of the number of casualties, and the most unpredictable, in terms of the development of events, the crash of the F-16 occurred on March 23, 1994 at the US military airbase in North Carolina and became known as the "Green Ramp disastern". The F-16 was on a training flight and collided in the sky with a C-130E cargo plane, after which the fighter began to fall apart.

The pilots ejected, and the collapsing car fell on the airfield between two aircraft standing there. At the time of the fall, a fragment of the fighter flew off and hit the fuel tank of a C-141 standing in the distance.

It pierced through it, a fireball flew further between the two buildings and flew to the site, where 500 troops were waiting to land in the C-141. 23 people died immediately, 80 were injured, one of them died after 9 months. The F-16 and C-130E pilots survived.


Destroyed C-141 at the airfield of the US military base in North Carolina, 1994

According to US Air Force statistics, 75% of Falcon crashes occur in controlled flight, when a technically sound aircraft is flown normally, but collides with the ground, water surface or another aircraft, as a result of pilot error.

To prevent such stalemate situations, Lockheed Martin developed the Auto GCAS automatic ground collision avoidance system, tested back in 1998, but put into operation only six years later ─ in 2014.

The system is configured in such a way that up to a certain point it only scans the flight and warns of dangerous moments, and in critical situations, without special activation by the pilot, it takes full control over itself, blocking its capabilities.

According to data posted on the company's website, since the beginning of the use of Auto GCAS, at least four pilots and fighters piloted by them have been saved with its help.

There is an opinion that the introduction of this system was facilitated by a decrease in the quality of training in the combat training of pilots.

F-16 Fighting Falcon video

F-16 reviews

Russian Su-24 shot down by a Turkish F-16

Interception of Shoigu

Takeoff at an air base in Afghanistan

F-16V

Airstrike on an Israeli F-16

"Kulbit" F-16

"Fighting Falcon" in movies and games

The popularity of the fighter jet in America is reflected in several movies and flight simulation games made, among them:

  • adventure film "Pearl of the Nile", 1985;
  • action movie "Iron Eagle", 1986, followed by "Iron Eagle ─ 2" and "Iron Eagle 3: Aces";
  • the 1992 drama ─ "Fast and the Furious", based on real events and tells about the events taking place in connection with the crash of the F-16 and the death of the pilot;
  • "The Price of Fear", 2002;
  • game Strike Commander, F-16 Combat Pilot, Falcon 4.0 and others.

F-16 "Fighting Falcon"- American multifunctional light fighter of the fourth generation, developed by General Dynamics.

The F-16, due to its versatility and relatively low cost, is the most massive fourth-generation fighter (over 4,450 aircraft were built in 2010) and is a success on the international arms market, being in service with 25 countries. Although the last of 2,231 US Air Force F-16s was delivered to a customer in 2005, it will be produced for export until at least 2013, with a high chance of production being extended if more orders come in.

Promising programs


F-16CG

Further improvement programs for the F-16 include CCV (Controlled Configuration Aircraft) and AFTI, an experimental machine with a triple digital flight control system and large ventral fins. The tailless F-16XL could have powerful armament, longer range, and better maneuverability than the original F-16.
The first flight of the new aircraft took place in July 1982, but flight tests under this program were curtailed in the late 80s. on the initiative of the US Air Force, and two built aircraft were transferred to NASA for research purposes.

"Night Falcon" and the "Block 50" series

Since December 1988, the production of the Block 40/42 Night Falcon series began, with containers for the LANTIRN low-altitude sighting and navigation system, APG-68V radar, a digital flight control system and an automatic terrain following system. "Night Falcon" can carry UR AGM-88B. With an increase in the amount of equipment, the take-off weight of the aircraft increased, which led to the strengthening of the landing gear. Since December 1991, the Block 50 and Block 52 series began to be produced. These machines have an APG-68 radar, a new HUD combined with a night vision system, a more powerful computer, as well as dipole spreaders and IR traps. These latest F-16 variants are powered by the F110-GE-229 and F100-PW-220 engines.

Air defense interceptor fighter

Since October 1986, the US Air Force began to modernize 270 F-16A / B machines under the ADF program to convert aircraft into air defense fighter-interceptors. These machines received an improved radar capable of tracking small targets, and a launcher for AIM-7 Sparrow missiles capable of hitting objects beyond visual visibility. F-16 air defense can carry 6 AIM-120, AIM-7 or AIM-9 air-to-air missiles.

Combat use


Lebanese Civil War

On April 26, 1981, during the aggravation of the situation in Lebanon, Israeli F-16 fighters participated in a raid on the camps of Palestinian militants. On April 28, the first air victories were won - aircraft of the 117th squadron shot down two Mi-8 helicopters from the Syrian military contingent in Lebanon. On July 14 of the same year, the F-16 (pilot - Amir Nakhumi, commander of the 110th squadron) scored the first air victory over the aircraft, shooting down a Syrian MiG-21 fighter.

On the eve of and during Operation Peace for Galilee in the summer of 1982, the F-16 was one of the two main fighters of the Israeli Air Force. It was widely used in air battles with Syrian aircraft, mainly MiG-21, MiG-23MS / MF and MiG-23BN aircraft. According to Israeli data, in total, in April-June 1982, F-16 pilots scored 48 air victories without a single loss. In the future, aircraft of this type continued to be involved in raids on Palestinian bases in Lebanon; during such a raid on November 23, 1989, one aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire, but subsequently returned to service.


According to Soviet and Russian data, during the Lebanese war, at least 6 F-16 aircraft were shot down in air battles, the exact numbers of their victories are not given. At the same time, it is alleged that 5 F-16s were shot down by MiG-23MF fighters, however, some circumstances do not allow convincing confirmation of the destruction of Israeli aircraft. As follows from the article by V. Babich (who served as a military adviser in the only Syrian MiG-23MF squadron) “MiG-23MF in the Lebanese war”, all these victories were credited to the Syrian pilots based on their own reports (“According to the reports of the pilots, 5 enemy aircraft were shot down …”). Probably, the Syrian side did not have other evidence of victories (wreckage of aircraft, captured pilots, recordings of photo machine guns). Also, V. Babich does not prove the truth of his statements in any way (for example, referring to specific documents or official statements of authorized persons from Syria or the USSR), in fact, leaving the reader only the opportunity to believe or not take his word for it.

Attack on Iraqi nuclear center

On June 7, 1981, eight Israeli F-16s took part in a raid on the Iraqi nuclear reactor Osirak near Baghdad. They were part of the strike group; cover was provided by six F-15s. As a result of the raid, the reactor under construction was irreversibly damaged.

Second Intifada

Since May 2001, F-16s have been involved in limited strikes against targets in the Palestinian Authority in response to terrorist attacks by Palestinian organizations.

Raid on Syria

On October 5, 2003, in response to a terrorist attack in a restaurant in Haifa organized by the Islamic Jihad group, Israeli F-16s raided the group's base camp in Syria.


Second Lebanese War

In the 1990s and 2000s, F-16s participated in many raids on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. In July-August 2006, they were actively used in the Second Lebanon War. The only loss was the F-16I, which crashed on July 19 for technical reasons during takeoff; both crew members survived.

During the failed coup attempt in Venezuela in November 1992, both squadrons of the country's air force, armed with F-16s, remained loyal to the government. They carried out strike missions, and also shot down 3 rebel aircraft.


Bosnian War

F-16s from the air forces of several NATO countries took part in patrolling the no-fly zone over Bosnia, introduced in 1993. At the same time, one air battle took place (February 28, 1994), in which American fighters managed to shoot down 4 Bosnian Serb attack aircraft. In August-September 1995, aircraft from the United States, Denmark and the Netherlands attacked Serbian positions as part of Operation Deliberate Force. During operations over Bosnia, one US Air Force F-16 was lost - it was shot down on June 2, 1995; the pilot ejected and was evacuated a few days later.

Military operation against Yugoslavia

During the 1999 air campaign, the F-16 was one of NATO's main strike aircraft; aircraft of the US Air Force, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Turkey took part in the hostilities. American aircraft were actively used to combat Yugoslav radars. During the campaign, Fighting Falcon pilots scored two aerial victories over MiG-29 fighters, one of which belonged to a Royal Netherlands Air Force pilot. According to official NATO data, the losses amounted to one aircraft, which was shot down on May 2 by the S-125 anti-aircraft missile system; the pilot ejected and was evacuated. Serbian and Russian sources claim heavier losses (according to one of the publications - at least 7 "reliably shot down" F-16s.

Military operation in Afghanistan

Only American F-16s took part in air operations in October-December 2001. In April 2002, one of the American aircraft was involved in a "friendly fire" incident, attacking a Canadian unit (4 Canadian servicemen were killed). Since 2002, a mixed squadron consisting of F-16s from the Air Forces of Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway has been stationed at the Manas airbase (Kyrgyzstan). The only loss occurred on August 31, 2006, when a Royal Netherlands Air Force plane crashed in Afghanistan.

Gulf War

The F-16 was the most massive combat aircraft of the Multinational Force aviation (249 units in total) and made the largest number of sorties (about 13,450). It was used as an attack aircraft and to suppress enemy radars ("Wild Weasels"). Not a single air victory was won, losses amounted to 3 cars in non-combat incidents on the eve of the war and 7 cars during the war (both for combat and non-combat reasons). Thus, the relative level of losses was one aircraft per 1900 sorties; the survivability of the single-engine F-16 turned out to be higher than that of the twin-engine A-10 (6 losses in 8100 sorties), F-15E (2 losses in 2100 sorties), Tornado (8 losses of British aircraft in 2000 sorties). However, such direct comparisons are not quite appropriate, since different types of aircraft performed different tasks associated with different risks.

Iraq, 1992-1993

At the end of 1992, the situation in southern Iraq sharply escalated, where Iraqi air defense systems were deployed, posing a threat to American and British aircraft patrolling the southern non-flying zone. In January 1993, American F-16s took part in a raid on air defense positions. During the crisis, Fighting Falcons shot down two Iraqi aircraft that invaded the no-fly zone - a MiG-25 and an aircraft of an unidentified type (MiG-23 or MiG-29).

Iraq, 1998-2003

In December 1998, F-16s were used in a short military operation "Desert Fox" against Iraq. After it, the Fighting Falcons continued to patrol the non-flying zones over the northern and southern parts of Iraq and participated in many incidents related to the actions of the Iraqi air defense system.

Second Iraqi campaign

As before, American F-16s were used as strike aircraft. During the invasion of coalition forces into Iraq (March-April 2003), they had no losses and air victories due to the complete inaction of the Iraqi Air Force. With the beginning of the guerrilla war, aviation continued to operate, providing direct support to the troops of the international coalition and striking at identified groups of militants, and part of the F-16 was based directly on the territory of Iraq. On June 7, 2006, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of an Iraqi al-Qaeda cell, was killed by two Fighting Falcons.

Afghan war


 Since the mid-1980s, Pakistani fighters have been actively operating in the area of ​​the Afghan-Pakistani border, protecting the country's airspace from periodic incursions by Soviet and Afghan aircraft. In 1986-1989, F-16 fighters shot down several Afghan Su-22s, An-24s and An-26s, as well as one Soviet Su-25 attack aircraft piloted by Alexander Rutsky (August 4, 1988). It was also announced that two MiG-23 fighters were shot down at once in one battle, which, however, is not true. On April 29, 1987, one of the F-16s was lost under unclear circumstances. TASS stated that the plane was shot down by Afghan air defenses.

Greece

Both Turkish and Greek F-16s have repeatedly participated in air incidents between the air forces of the two countries. Almost always, such incidents occurred without opening fire, but on October 8, 1996, this rule was violated: a Turkish F-16 was shot down by a Greek Mirage 2000 fighter, one of whose crew members died. Information about this case was hidden by both sides and was recognized by the Turkish representative only in 2003.

Official statistics of aerial victories and defeats

According to official information from the US Air Force and NATO, the F-16s of the US Air Force and NATO countries scored a total of 8 air victories. All victories were won in Iraq and the Balkans.

In addition, according to official information from the Israeli Air Force, Israeli F-16s scored about 40 air victories over Syrian Air Force aircraft.

Thus, the total number of F-16 air victories under the control of pilots from the USA, Israel and NATO countries is about 50 aircraft.

Specifications

LTH:
Modification F-16/79FX
Wingspan, m 9.95
Aircraft length with PVD boom, m 15.06
Aircraft height, m 4.98
Wing area, m2 27.87
Weight, kg
empty plane 7730
takeoff normal 11633
maximum combat 17010
Engine's type: 1 General Electric J79-GE-17X turbojet engine
Maximum thrust, kgf 1 x 8165
Max Speed
near the ground 1420
at an altitude of 12200 m 2124
Practical range, km 1520
Practical ceiling, m 16750
Max. operating overload 9
Crew, people 1

Armament

  • Gunnery: 1 × 20 mm M61A1 six-barreled gun with 511 sn.
  • Suspension points: 9
  • under fuselage: 1,000 kg
  • internal: 2 × 2,041 kg
  • central: 2 × 1,587 kg
  • external: 2 × 318 kg
  • at the ends: 2 × 193 kg
  • additional points for hanging equipment on the sides of the air intake: 2 × 408 kg

guided missiles:

  • air-to-air missiles: AIM-7, AIM-9, AIM-120, AIM-132, Python 3, Python 4, Derby, Sky Flash, Magic 2
  • air-to-surface missiles: AGM-65A/B/D/G, AGM-45, AGM-84, AGM-88, AGM-154 JSOW, AGM-158 JASSM, Penguin Mk.3

Bombs:

  • adjustable: GBU-10, GBU-12, GBU-15, GBU-22, GBU-24, GBU-27, GBU-31 JDAM
  • adjustable cassettes (with WCMD): CBU-103, CBU-104, CBU-105,
  • free-falling: Mark 82, Mark 83, Mark 84
  • Gun pods: 1× GPU-5/A with 30mm gun

In February 1980, General Dynamics proposed using a version of the Fighting Falcon with a radically modified wing shape, originally proposed for use on Concorde-type supersonic airliners. The project was named SCAMP (Supersonic Cruise and Maneuvering Program), and then was renamed F-16XL. The double-swept delta wing on the leading edge had a total area of ​​58.8 square meters (more than double the area of ​​a standard F-16 wing).

Research goals were innovative wing shapes and airfoil curvature to provide efficient supersonic cruising speed while maintaining maneuverability up to sonic fighters. The design was to provide low drag at high subsonic or supersonic speeds without sacrificing maneuverability at low speeds.

The program was originally funded by the manufacturer and involved two experienced F-16As. In the late 1980s, the US Air Force and General Dynamics agreed on a joint test program, and the Air Force provided the third and fifth prototype F-16s (tail number A-3, serial number 75-0747 and A-5, serial number 75-0749) for conversions to F-16XL prototypes.

The fuselage was lengthened by 142 cm to 16.5 meters with two new inserts at the junctions between the three main fuselage nodes: one 66 cm insert was placed at the rear split point of the wing (rear split point), and 76 cm at the front. However, the rear 66 cm insert was not a continuous segment from base to top. Below the wing, a 26 inch segment was inserted just aft of the main landing gear, above the wing the segment was still 26 inches long, but inserted 26 inches farther aft than the segment below the wing. Under the wing this insert, a 26 inch segment was inserted directly aft of the main landing gear, the above wing segment was still 26 inches long but inserted 26 inches farther aft than the under wing segment. As a result, this insert was similar to the reverse "Z". The fuselage extensions made it possible to make the tail section beveled to 3 degrees, necessary to prevent the engine nozzle from touching the runway during takeoff and landing.


For the same reason, the XL does not have ventral fins, but it does not need them, since in general the stability characteristics of the XL turned out to be higher than that of the F-16.

The 66 cm insert affected the engine air intake with its lower part because the forward fuselage insert was only applied to the upper fuselage. As a result, the F-16XL's engine air intake was 66 cm longer than on the standard F-16A.

The wing planform was changed to a swept wing with a leading edge kink 120% larger than the original F-16 wing. In order to maintain the weight of the new wing, carbon composite materials were widely used in its upper and lower skin layers. Thus, the weight savings in the wings alone amounted to 272 kilograms. The wing spar design has a sweep angle of 50º to 70º and is 1,179 kilograms heavier than the original. An increase in the internal volume, both due to the lengthening of the fuselage and the expansion of the wing, increased the internal fuel capacities by 82%, and the increased wing area made it possible to increase the number of suspension points to 27, while increasing the combat load by almost 2 times. Despite the resulting lengthening of the fuselage, the new designation XL does not mean "Extra Large" at all.

By improving the shape of the wing and optimizing the curvature of the profile, the final configuration of the aircraft provided a 25% improvement in maximum lift over the F-16 at supersonic speeds and an 11% improvement at subsonic speeds. The handling of the F-16XL was quite different from the standard F-16, allowing for more stable (smooth) flight at high speeds and low altitudes. The result was a very efficient fighter with a large wing that provides the integration of a large number of weapons on external pods.

The first of two F-16XLs (s/n 75-0749) to be modified was a single-seat, powered by the F100-PW-200 turbojet. It was first lifted into the sky on July 3, 1982 by James McKinney. The second F-16XL (serial number 75-0747) was originally equipped with a General Electric F110-GE-100 turbojet engine with a thrust of 13 tons. It was converted from the 3rd prototype aircraft (tail number A-3), which was seriously damaged in a landing accident during an open day in August 1980. During takeoff, the nose gear tire burst. It was decided to sit down without releasing the landing gear. As a result, the aircraft was badly damaged. When the airframe arrived in Fort Worth for use in the XL program, it was missing the entire front of the aircraft. During the renovation, it was converted into a double. As an XL aircraft, it first flew on October 29, 1982, piloted by Alex Wolf and Jim McKinney.

In March 1981, the US Air Force announced the creation of a new advanced tactical fighter. General Dynamics offered the F-16XL fighter for the competition, and McDonnell Douglas offered the two-seat F-15B Eagle. Thanks to the increased capacity of the fuel system and combat load, the F-16XL could carry twice as much weapons as the F-16 and had a 40% increased range. The increased combat load could be placed on 27 hardpoints located as follows:

16 under the wings, 340 kg each
4 for the suspension of AMRAAM AIM-120 missiles, partially hidden in the root of the wing
2 at the wingtips
1 central ventral pylon
2 under the wings for "heavy" ammunition
2 in the lower front of the fuselage for LANTIRN low-altitude navigation sighting infrared systems

However, the "heavy" suspension on each wing was located at the same distance from the center of the fuselage as the two conventional suspensions. This means that either one "heavy" or two conventional pendants could be used, but not both at the same time.

In addition, when an additional fuel tank was placed on the "heavy" suspension, it physically covered another suspension point under the wing. Therefore, with external fuel tanks, the maximum number of suspension points for weapons on the wings was reduced to 10. On the other hand, a device for attaching two bombs could also be placed under the fuselage. Without the use of additional fuel tanks, the maximum amount of 227 kg ammunition was increased to 16. The XL could also carry a 1100 liter drop fuel tank under the fuselage.

In February 1984, the US Air Force announced its preference for the McDonnell Douglas fighter known as the F-15E Strike Eagle. If the F-16XL had won the competition, the F-16E would have been produced as a single seat and the F-16F as a double. XL lead project engineer John G. Williams said: "The XL is a wonderful aircraft, but it fell victim to the US Air Force wanting to continue producing the F-15, which is understandable. Sometimes you win these political games, sometimes you don't. Most of the time The XL outperforms the F-15 as an attack aircraft, but the F-15 is good enough."

After losing a Department of Defense competition in the summer of 1985, General Dynamics returned both F-16XLs to Fort Worth, where they were stored. These aircraft flew 437 and 361 sorties, respectively, and although supersonic cruising speed without afterburner was the original goal of the F-16XL program, the aircraft never fully achieved it.

At the end of 1988, both prototypes were removed from storage and transferred to NASA, where they were assigned tail numbers 849 (A-5, #75-0749) and 848 (A-3, #75-0747). At NASA, they were used to study the concept of wing aerodynamics to improve airflow in supersonic flight.

The first F-16XL took to the air again on March 9, 1989 and flew to the Ames Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB. This aircraft has been modified to study the effects of vortex flow along the wing. To do this, millions of tiny holes (about 2,500 holes per square inch, only half a square meter of holes) were made by laser on the experimental titanium part of the left wing (the so-called gloves).

The purpose of this device, designed and built by Rockwell International's North American Aircraft Division, was to retain (by active suction) the boundary layer of air, ensuring its laminar flow. This turbulent layer of air, usually formed on the surface of the wing, adversely affects flight performance, causing increased drag and fuel consumption.By removing the turbulent layer of air, laminar flow touches the surface of the wing, creating much less drag.NASA research on improving laminar flow began in 1926, when NASA's predecessor organization, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), photographed turbulence airflow in a wind tunnel at his Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. Smoke was introduced into the airflow and photographed, showing visual signs of turbulence on the upper surface of the wing.

Early research led to recommendations to eliminate sources of turbulence and eliminate protruding rivet heads and other design features that contribute to turbulence at high airspeeds.

The first flight with the new wing took place on May 3, 1990, piloted by pilot Steve Ishmael. In January 1995, he conducted a series of high-speed tests with a NASA SR-71 aircraft. The aircraft were used to study sonic boom characteristics as part of the supersonic passenger aircraft program. The speed during these test flights ranged from Mach 1.25 to Mach 1.8. During the flights, engineers recorded how atmospheric conditions affect sonic booms.

Air Force One was later transferred to NASA at Langley, Virginia, where it was part of a flight test program to improve takeoff performance and reduce engine noise. It was painted black with yellow stripes and a white front fuselage. Aircraft number 849 returned to Edwards AFB in 1995 where it took part in a sonic boom study with the SR-71A.

A second F-16XL (two-seat) was delivered to NASA with an experimental engine that needed to be replaced before flight testing could begin. NASA purchased a General Electric F110-129 engine that delivered surprisingly good performance. The supersonic cruising speed of Mach 1.1 was accidentally reached at the beginning of the program at an altitude of 6000 meters. Passive "gloves" (foam and fiberglass fairing) were installed on the right wing in order to study the aerodynamic characteristics along the leading edge at supersonic speed, noise and pressure. A new active fairing (twice the size of the previous aircraft) was fitted to the left wing, a foam and fiberglass fairing around a high-tech composite test section with porous titanium skin. Despite the asymmetry of the wings, the aircraft was easy to fly.

The fairing has a maximum thickness of 63 mm and covers 75% of the wing surface and 60% of its leading edge. The S-shaped wing contour was extended on the left side straight forward to more closely match the proposed supersonic passenger aircraft wing shape. The active area (middle 66% of the fairing) has at least 2500 laser cut holes and covers at least 0.9 square meters. The holes lead to 20 cavities under the wing surface used to control suction on the wing surface. The fairing is glued to the skin itself with epoxy resins. After the paint was removed from the aircraft, a couple of layers of fiberglass were applied to the composite skin, acting as skin protection when the fairing was removed. This aircraft is currently being used as a test bench in a supersonic laminar flow research project.

Flight performance:
Crew: one (two on the second XL)
Aircraft length with PVD boom: 16.51 m
Wingspan: 10.44 m
Height: 5.36 m
Wing area: 61.59 m²
Empty weight: 9980 kg
Maximum takeoff weight: 21800 kg
Engine type: turbojet Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200, General Electric F110-GE-129 (second aircraft)
Thrust: 54.5 kN, 76.3 kN (second plane)
Maximum thrust: 106.0 kN, 128.9 kN (second plane)
Maximum speed at 12000m: Mach 1.8/2027 km/h, Mach 2.05/2253 km/h (second plane)
Cruise speed: 965 km/h
Practical range: 4590 km
Practical ceiling: 15,240 m
Rate of climb: 315 m/s
Maximum operational overload: 9
Armament: six-barreled 20 mm gun General Electric M61A1 Vulcan (6000 rounds per minute, 511 rounds)
Combat load: - 6800 kg on 17 hardpoints