How many times will the F-16 be reborn from its ashes?

The F-16, the most popular and popular aircraft of the US and other user countries' Air Forces in the 1980s, has reinvented itself many times in recent decades, almost reborn from its ashes.

The F-16 made its first flight in 1974. It entered service with the US Air Force in 1978. Between 1980 and 2020, the air forces of 25 countries (ACC, AETC, AFMC, AFMC, AFRC, ANG, USAFE, PACAF, USN, NASA in the US) used the F-16, and continue to use it, with additional potential customers.

Like the mythological Phoenix, the US Air Force's 1980s-era F-16 has been reborn from its ashes several times over the last four decades, rising from its own ashes to once again claim its power and glory in the sky. The scope of upgrades, enhancements and modifications to the F-16 is extraordinary, as they include new, paradigm-shifting performance parameters, weapon systems, electronic warfare (EW) and advanced detection capabilities.

For example, in recent years, the F-16 has incorporated technologies that have made their debut on the F-35, such as the AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar, which can track up to 20 targets at a time.

According to Lockheed Martin, there are 10 production blocks of the F-16, from Block 1 in 1979 to the latest Block 70/72, known generically as the F-16V. Between countries, blocks and models, a total of 139 versions/variants of this jet have been produced over the last four decades. Some configurations are niche and purely purpose-built. However, in particular, the configurations given in the block groupings are truly multi-role fighter/bomber variants. These are the ones that are produced and used the most. 

A total of 4,588 F-16s have been produced to date, making the F-16 the second most produced American supersonic jet fighter after the F-4 Phantom, and its production is still ongoing. Will the F-16 be able to beat the F-4's record of 5,195 aircraft? It is a bit difficult, but we will see.

Variants of F-16s:

F-16 LWF, Light Weight Fighter

YF-16, the Birth of a Fighter

F-16A/B, Block 1/5/10/15/15OCU/20

F-16C/D, Block 25

F-16C/D, Block 30/32

F-16C/D, Block 40/42

F-16C/D, Block 50/52

F-16E/F, Block 60

F-16E/F, Block 60, F-21 for India.

F-16V, Block 70 Viper

F-16 MLU, Mid-Life Update

F-16 ADF, Air Defense Fighter

(T)F-16N, F-16 for the US Navy

RF-16/F-16(R), Recce Versions

A-16, F/A-16, F-16A (30mm gun), F-16s for the CAS/BAI missions

QF-16, Full Scale Aerial Target

F-16/101, Derivative Fighter Engine

F-16/79, FX Export Fighter

F-16/CCV, Control Configured Vehicle

F-16 XL, Cranked-Arrow Wing

F-16 AFTI, Advanced Fighter Technology Integration

F-16 VISTA / MATV / NF-16D, Variable-stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft, Multi Axis Thrust Vectoring

F-16 GCAS, Ground Collision Avoidance System

F-16 LOAN, Low Observable Asymmetric Nozzle

F-16 ES, Enhanced Strategic

F-16 SFW, Swept Forward Wing

F-16X, The Tailless Fighter

F-16 FSX/F-2, F-16 Inspired Japanese Fighter

F-16 - Various, Agile Falcon/production extension

US Tri-Service Aircraft Designations, DOD Mission, Design, and Series System (MDS)

F-21 Glass Cocpit artistic design view (screenshot from LMA F-21 launch video).

The F-16 was born as a "Thoroughbred Fighter"

As with every fourth generation US fighter, the F-16 was defined by the US Air Force's experience in Vietnam. Its design was shaped by the lessons of air combat experience dictated by the Vietnam war. In the late 1960s, former Air Force fighter pilot Colonel John Boyd and a group of combat technology analysts known as the "Fighter Mafia" called for the development of a highly maneuverable, lightweight and simple concept fighter (Low-Mixed Concept) as an alternative to the heavy and complex High-Mixed Concept fighters such as the F-4 Phantom, F-14 Tomcat and F-15 Eagle, some of which were still in the design phase.

The idea gained support, was funded by the US government, and quickly evolved into the Light Weight Fighter (LWF) program. In February 1972, six aircraft designers and manufacturers presented their design proposals to the customer (USAF), all based on two main considerations: low turning radius and high acceleration. The low turning radius and high acceleration design requirements essentially defined the "Thoroughbred Fighter".

Two months later, the General Dynamics Model 401-16B and Northrop Model P-600 were selected for development and 300 hours of test flights at Edwards Air Force Base in California. At the end of this process, the winning aircraft would be decided and mass production would begin. 

Known as the YF-16 and YF-17, both of these prototypes weighed approximately 20,000 pounds unladen. These prototype aircraft were relatively light compared to the F-15, which weighed 28,000 pounds, and the F-14, which weighed 40,000 pounds.

At the end of the trials, General Dynamics' Model 401-16B was selected, and General Dynamics won the tender, earning the right to first develop the model and then move to mass production. (General Dynamics' aerospace division was acquired by Lockheed Martin in 1993.)

A team including General Dynamics chief designer Harry Hillaker launched the YF-16 in December 1973, just 21 months after the development contract was signed. The diminutive, largely aluminum single-engine design featured a clipped delta wing blended with the fuselage skin. Forward wing fairings, a bottom-hung air intake, and a rear under-fuselage engine air intake contributed to a dynamically unstable (intended to increase maneuverability) configuration controlled by the world's first fly-by-wire production flight control system.

YF-16 and YF-17 in Arm Flight

The Viper fighter jet from Battle Star Galactica. Inspired the F-16's Viper nickname

F-16 Fighter Achieves Fame

Despite its initial emphasis on a light, day fighter, the YF-16 would quickly evolve into a multi-role fighter-bomber. While the LWF program was underway, NATO allies Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway were looking for a jet fighter to replace their Lockheed F-104G Starfighter fighter-bombers. The similarly sized single-engine YF-16 was a perfect fit.

The USAF also needed a cost-effective alternative aircraft with the fighter-bomber capabilities of its F-105s and F-4s that could replace them, cooperate with the air superiority-oriented F-15, take over some missions from it, and thus leave their superior and very expensive aircraft, the F-15 Noble Eagle, alone with its primary mission. 

These imperatives led to the F-16 with a longer fuselage, increased wing area, larger engine nacelles and two more underwing weapon stations. With a larger nose radome, the new F-16 also incorporated a Westinghouse AN/APG-66 radar. As a result, weight was increased by 25 percent over the YF-16.

The US Air Force accepted its first mass-produced F-16A in January 1979. In July 1980, it was officially named the "Fighting Falcon". The air forces of Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway began to receive F-16As. So did the Israelis. Yes, from 1979 onwards, the YF-16 (Y for "experimental") entered service as the F-16A.

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) named the F-16 "Netz" (Hawk-Hawk) and sent it into combat less than a year after receiving it. In July 1981, the IAF bravely flew eight F-16As escorted by six IAF F-15As, each carrying two 2,000-pound unguided bombs, into Iraq, where they struck a nuclear reactor.

The Fighting Falcon's first aerial victories came courtesy of the IAF in April 1982, when an F-16 shot down a MiG-23 belonging to the Syrian Air Force. That June, Israeli F-16s intercepted more Syrian MiGs during the conflict in Lebanon, ultimately shooting down 44 of them.

Its early success in combat, combined with its relatively low cost and versatility, made the F-16 a best-selling, highly favored fighter aircraft. By May 1982, Venezuela was already the 10th Fighting Falcon customer. In April 1983, the USAF Thunderbirds demonstration team performed the first public air show with F-16s.

From Turkey to Thailand, F-16s were in high demand. Today, the fighter is used by 25 countries and 4,588 have been produced, making the F-16 the second most produced American supersonic jet fighter after the F-4 Phantom. 

According to Lockheed Martin, there were 10 production blocks of the F-16, from Block 1 in 1979 to the latest Block 70/72, known generically as the F-16V. Between countries, blocks and models, a total of 139 versions of the jet have been produced over the last four decades.

The Unofficial Use of the Viper (Viper Snake) Name for the F-16

For decades, the F-16 was unofficially called the "Viper". The name was given by the first F-16 pilots at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, and was reportedly a reference to the aircraft's appearance before takeoff, or to the spacecraft from the popular science fiction series Battlestar Galactica in the late 70s. I personally don't recall any US F-16 pilot calling this aircraft a "Fighting Falcon". For them, the F-16 was a "Viper". The US pilots did not like the fact that a nickname given to an airplane by them during the testing, evaluation and acceptance phase was not accepted by the government and given another official name. It is also rumored that the US government did not want to name an airplane from which they expected very high commercial benefits after a viper, and that naming the airplane after a snake might be considered antipathetic in some cultures, so they wanted to name it after a bird of prey that would be suitable for all cultures. However, the naming of the latest version of the Block 70/72 F-16 as "Viper" is a sign of loyalty to the first phase fliers who worked so hard on this aircraft.

The F-16 became iconic, especially among pilots who could not make the transition to the F-15. It was almost a plane of rebellion. Because at that time, the F-15C Noble Eagle was an unattainable dream, a superior aircraft, an insurmountable rival. The F-15 was considered the plane of the elite, the elite, the rich. The F-15 was almost a "House of Lords System". The F-16 was seen as the choice of those who could not join the elite, in which case the F-16 represented a "House of Commons System". A social cant culture had developed between the aircrew and technical personnel of these two aircraft. A similar relationship can be established in the sociology of Russian Su-27 and MiG-29 pilots. 

F-16 Earned her Wings (Flight Badge) by Her Wrists

By 2019, US Air Force weapon systems developers had made major structural upgrades to the F-16's upper wing skin and fittings, upper and lower bulkhead, and canopy sill longeron. These structural upgrades/improvements increased the F-16's service life from 8,000 to 12,000 flight hours, extending the aircraft's structural life by 4,000 flight hours.

USAF modernization experts described this SLEP Service Life Extension Program as 12 structural changes called TCTO Time Compliance Technical Orders. Part of this involved upgrading the F-16 radar systems from mechanically scanned radar (APG-68) to Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) (APG-83).

Several years ago, Lockheed F-16 developers developed and implemented new computers, software, targeting technology and cockpit displays to ensure the F-16 remains superior and capable against advanced 4th generation threats. As part of this effort, Lockheed created a new "V-Viper" variant of the F-16, which added missile warning systems, electronic warfare and helmet-mounted marking technology to create an F-16 that attracted the attention of allies around the world.

F-16 Block 70/72 V-Viper

F-21 (F-16) in Special Configuration for India. Artistic rendering (Credit. Lockheed Martin)

The F-16 "V" model, which has undergone further modifications in line with India's requirements, has once again been born as an India-specific F-16 jet fighter aircraft, designated the F-21. Based on a series of innovations, the F-21 incorporates several India-specific technologies such as Electronic Warfare weapons and triple missile launcher adapters that equip the aircraft with 40 percent more air-to-air weapons. 

Having a Design Well Suited for Continuous Improvement/Model Upgrades

Developers have taken advantage of recent innovations such as the F-21's new Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, which not only essentially doubles the radar range, but also the Infrared Search and Track (IRST) targeting technology used by the US Navy on the F/A-18. Designed for the F/A-18, IRST is a passive, long-range sensor that can track multiple targets simultaneously in a "jamming" or electronic warfare threat environment and supports air-to-air precision targeting.

The US Air Force has also integrated the latest "Collision Avoidance" technology into the F-16, a computer-assisted collision avoidance system that can automatically take over and fly the aircraft to avoid mid-air collisions if, for example, a pilot pulls too many "G's" and loses consciousness or is injured. The Collision Avoidance System will steer the aircraft away from other aircraft, terrain or other objects. It is a very necessary and useful system for the protection of both the pilot's life and the aircraft.

What are the concepts and innovations that the F-16 has taught us?

Perfect Aerodynamic Design. Agile Aircraft Aerodynamic Design: 

To make the aircraft structurally "unstable" by not keeping the structural CG (Center of Gravity) point of the aircraft in full equilibrium, but to make the aircraft structurally "unstable" by taking it back from the equilibrium point, thus increasing its maneuverability/agility. However, it is only possible to fly this unstable airframe smoothly with a flight control system (FBW-Fly By Wire System) supported by computer and electrical systems. 

Excellent cockpit ergonomics: 

The cockpit design of the F-16 is the result of a very serious "human factors engineering", in other words ergonomic study. The design was made with the joint brainstorming of both pilot and technical personnel. It is a design that does not tire the pilot physically and mentally. This design has been taken as an example in the 4th, 4th+, 4++, 4++, 5th Generation aircraft. 

Very Effective Use of FBW (Fly-By-Wire) Flight Control System: 

Fly-by-wire is not a system used by the first F-16, but the F-16 used this system very effectively and efficiently. Fly-by-wire (FBW) is a system that replaces an aircraft's traditional manual flight controls with an electronic interface. The movements of the flight controls are converted into electronic signals transmitted by wires, and flight control computers determine how to move the actuators on each control surface to ensure sequential response.

A Great Technical Documentation Index:

The F-16 has a simple, adequate, highly developable, understandable, streamlined technical documentation index for both the flier (pilot) and the maintainer (maintainer). This feature is very necessary and useful for pilots and aircraft maintainers.

Low Maintenance Concept: The F-16 is an aircraft designed according to the low maintenance concept. Contrary to the conventional concept, it is a "system of systems" that can operate for long periods of time with little and self-sufficient maintenance. This feature is a very important criterion that not only enables the aircraft to achieve high sortie production, but also buffers the financial and moral pressure caused by excessive maintenance. Aircraft maintenance personnel who work on the F-16 are very fond of this aircraft because of this feature. In addition, the ability to produce a large number of sorties with a small number of maintenance personnel provides significant support to the relevant air forces. Some aircraft trying to follow in the F-16's footsteps, such as the F-35, are currently an "over maintenance concept" platform because the low maintenance concept could not be applied to its design.

High Cost/Benefit Ratio: 

Thanks to the features listed above, the F-16 is an aircraft with very low maintenance and sustainment costs and a very high benefit to you against these costs. This is the main reason why it is so preferred worldwide.

User Friendly Aircraft:

All of the above-mentioned features make the F-16 a "User Friendly" aircraft, and it is known as such.

Future of the F-16

F-16 production is still intensive at Lockheed Martin's facilities in Greenville, South Carolina (the facilities in Fort Worth, Texas are used for the production of the F-35). Currently, 128 of the latest Block 70/72 versions are being produced, ordered by five countries.  

To date, F-16s around the world have flown more than 19 million hours. But despite all its capabilities, the best and at the same time the most important feature of the F-16 is that it is a "user friendly" aircraft. The pilots who fly it and the aircraft maintainers who maintain it love the F-16 very much. This love reflects positively on the mission. The F-16 is an airplane that does not "overwhelm its fliers and maintainers with its own problems". 

Yes; the F-16 has been reborn from its ashes 139 times, and it seems that it will continue to be reborn and live again and again.