Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon Developments

[Flyaway]

More detail in this article:

F-16s Will Be Focus Of Ukrainian Pilot Training In U.K.

This summer, the United Kingdom will start training Ukrainian pilots to get them ready for future F-16 fighter jet deliveries.

www.thedrive.com

 

[Forest Green]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1658568560388591649

View: https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1658568560388591649?s=20

 

[isayyo2]

Air Force Reserve stands up the 706th Aggressor Squadron based out of Nellis with Block 30s.

From fighter to aggressor: 706th Fighter Squadron redesignated as the 706th Aggressor Squa

The 926th Wing’s 706th Fighter Squadron was redesignated as the 706th Aggressor Squadron during a ceremony on May 5, 2023, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The redesignation goes into effect on May

www.arpc.afrc.af.mil

New Air Force F-16 Aggressor Squadron Stands Up

The 706th Aggressor Squadron reflects a still-growing demand for more advanced red air adversaries and greater numbers of them.

www.thedrive.com

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

The thread is about F-16 developments (specifically platform developments) NOT the Ukraine War and which types may/may not be sent there or how. Further off topic posts will be deleted.

See above message by GTX earlier in topic!

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

If it isn't, feel free to report those posts.

 

[jsport]

New Study: USAF Needs Big Cash Infusion to Overcome Aging Fighter Fleet

WIthout a surge in funding for newer, better, and larger numbers of fighters, the USAF fighter fleet could “collapse,” a new paper argues.

www.airandspaceforces.com

 

[TomcatViP]

Some gorgeous pics ahead:

PHOTOS: See The Air Force Thunderbirds Refuel Midair Ahead Of Chicago Air And Water Show

SOMEWHERE OVER OHIO — A KC-135 refueling tanker took off from Gary Jet Center Thursday morning with Illinois Air National Guardsmen and members of

blockclubchicago.org

 

[aonestudio]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1693239748368703652

View: https://twitter.com/DanishMFA/status/1693239748368703652

https://twitter.com/x/status/1693238851630756342

View: https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1693238851630756342

 

[Flyaway]

Further details here. Are these all upgrades to block 50 equivalent?

With F-16s, Ukraine Could Grow Its Air Force By Half

The Dutch and Danish governments have pledged to Ukraine many of the F-16s their air forces are putting into storage as new F-35 stealth fighters gradually replace them.

www.forbes.com

 

[Scorpion82]

This thread is about the F-16V, not about Ukraine getting this or that F-16! When is this finally being recognised and accepted?

 

[TomcatViP]

An airplane find a new user. This is news.

 

[Scorpion82]

An airplane find a new user. This is news.

But not news related to the F-16V isn't it?

 

[GTX]

But not news related to the F-16V isn't it?

This thread is about the F-16V, not about Ukraine getting this or that F-16! When is this finally being recognised and accepted?

Valid point but difficult to enforce. I have adjusted the thread topic to slightly broaden it to being about "Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Fighting Falcon Developments". That said, this does not mean that it becomes open slather for all Ukraine war comments. Rather, it can be restricted to developments including single mentions of sales to new customers, upgrades and the like for the in service F-16s.

I have also deleted some of the comments complaining about the topic/thread moderation. If you have issues with things such as this use the Report function.

 

[isayyo2]

IRST's for Taiwans F-16Vs - $500 million

Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) – F-16 Infrared Search and Track (IRST) systems | Defense Security Cooperation Agency

www.dsca.mil

Taiwan's F-16s Cleared To Receive IRST Targeting Systems

Infrared search and track sensors would greatly help Taiwan's F-16s detect and track threats, especially stealthy ones like China's J-20.

www.thedrive.com

 

[Flyaway]

Posting this purely because of this technical variation.

After selling off most of its F-16s in favor of F-35 stealth fighters, Norway still has a dozen of the older jets in some hangar somewhere. And while the Norwegian F-16AM/BMs broadly are similar to the Danish and Dutch F-16s—built in the 1980s, deeply upgraded through the 2000s—Oslo’s jets are unique in at least one way.

They’re compatible with anti-ship missiles. If the Ukrainian air force is looking to introduce an aerial sea-denial capability, this might be its best chance.

Those F-16s Norway Is Giving To Ukraine—They Can Carry Anti-Ship Missiles

If the Ukrainian air force is looking to introduce an aerial sea-denial capability, this might be its best chance.

www.forbes.com

 

[TomcatViP]

I wonder where all those planes are going to be refurbished and put more or less in a comune standards. Belgium?

 

[TomcatViP]

PZL Mielec turns out first Polish-built F-16 rear fuselage

PZL Mielec has rolled out the first Polish-built rear-fuselage section for the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon programme at its facility in southern Poland.

www.janes.com

 

[Basil1891]

I wonder where all those planes are going to be refurbished and put more or less in a comune standards. Belgium?

Yes, at SABCA, that's the original idea at least. We can only guess about other potential participants like Greece/Poland/Turkiye

 

[helmutkohl]

Slovak F-16 Block 70 unveiled!

Lockheed Martin and Slovak Republic Minister of Defence Unveil Country’s First F-16 Block 70 Aircraft

GREENVILLE, S.C, Sept. 7, 2023 – The first F-16 Block 70 aircraft for the Slovak Republic was unveiled at Lockheed Martin’s (NYSE: LMT) facility in Greenville, South Carolina, during a visit...

news.lockheedmartin.com

two thoughts.
1. If this has an AESA radar, is it necessary to have the pitot tube on the radome? the Block 60 does away with the tube.
2. Since HaveGlass V is trending now, I am surprised its not applied on these new builds

 

[Forest Green]

Singapore reveals upgraded F-16 jets can fire Python-5 missiles

An information board showcasing the upgraded aircraft also lists other weapons the Republic of Singapore Air Force is using.

www.defensenews.com

 

[eagle]

1. If this has an AESA radar, is it necessary to have the pitot tube on the radome? the Block 60 does away with the tube.

Block 60s have an all new radome and reworked nose section for their APG-80 radars.
The APG-83 installed in new Block 70/72 F-16s and older F-16 updated to F-16V standard is a drop-in replacement of the older radar sets.

 

[helmutkohl]

Block 60s have an all new radome and reworked nose section for their APG-80 radars.
The APG-83 installed in new Block 70/72 F-16s and older F-16 updated to F-16V standard is a drop-in replacement of the older radar sets.

right the advantage of the 83 is that its scalable to different types of F-16s.
but this still begs the question, why doesnt the newer block 70s re-use the new radome of the 60? The block 70s dont have to be bound to the older airframe designs no?

or does the UAE have some kind of ownership of certain Block 60 technologies that make it difficult?

 

[eagle]

or does the UAE have some kind of ownership of certain Block 60 technologies that make it difficult?

They do, they want to see licence payments
But it's not only that. The first operators looking for an upgrade including AESA were the RoKAF, ROCAF and the USAF. Korea initially selected the BAE offering with Raytheon's RACR, but Taiwan and the USAF went with LM's upgrade with NG's APG-83. Subsequently the RoKAF cancelled the contract with BAE and selected the now defacto standard LM upgrade with the APG-83 radar instead (aka the F-16V Viper) .
All of these 3 programs were upgrades to existing F-16s, so the new radar had to fit into older airframes. LM then offered this package for their latest new build version aswell, which is the F-16C/D Block 70/72.
Surely LM would offer a newer version of the F-16E/F Block 60, if anyone wants to pay for it, but so far, customers prefer the safer and cheaper option.

 

[stealthflanker]

2. Since HaveGlass V is trending now, I am surprised its not applied on these new builds

I guess it's more on the user side which may not necessarily want Radar absorber treatment added to their task.

 

[Colonial-Marine]

They do, they want to see licence payments
But it's not only that. The first operators looking for an upgrade including AESA were the RoKAF, ROCAF and the USAF. Korea initially selected the BAE offering with Raytheon's RACR, but Taiwan and the USAF went with LM's upgrade with NG's APG-83. Subsequently the RoKAF cancelled the contract with BAE and selected the now defacto standard LM upgrade with the APG-83 radar instead (aka the F-16V Viper) .
All of these 3 programs were upgrades to existing F-16s, so the new radar had to fit into older airframes. LM then offered this package for their latest new build version aswell, which is the F-16C/D Block 70/72.
Surely LM would offer a newer version of the F-16E/F Block 60, if anyone wants to pay for it, but so far, customers prefer the safer and cheaper option.

I'm amazed that the UAE managed to get such a deal. Is that true for the F110-GE-132 engine as well? It seems odd that the latest F-15s or F-16s powered by F110s don't use that variant.

 

[RAP]

Not sure if this belongs here but found these images on the SDAM site, no info. Some type of anti-shipping missile?

 

[Forest Green]

It says 'MRASM' on the last picture.

 

[fightingirish]

Not sure if this belongs here but found these images on the SDAM site, no info. Some type of anti-shipping missile?

A few weeks ago, I posted these three pictures in the thread 'AGM-109/BGM-109 Tomahawk/Gryphon'. Link: https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/agm-109-bgm-109-tomahawk-gryphon.8698/post-612301

 

[GTX]

Could we soon see this?

Exclusive: Biden aides in talks with Vietnam for arms deal that could irk China

A package could include U.S. F-16 fighter jets and come with special financing terms that could help Hanoi steer away from its reliance on lower-cost Russian-made arms.

www.reuters.com

Will Vietnam Buy F-16 Fighter Jets and US Sub Hunting Planes?

With the lifting of the arms embargo, Vietnam is purportedly mulling the purchase of U.S. military aircraft.

thediplomat.com

F-16 Viper could fly alongside Su-30 in Vietnam People's Air Force

There is talk of Vietnam's People's Air Force acquiring F-16 fighters. VPAF currently maintains a fleet of 10 Su-27s, complemented by 35 Su-30s and 34 Su-22s.

bulgarianmilitary.com

 

[helmutkohl]

I assume it will be replacing the Su-22s. what kind of ordinances does the F-16 have for anti shipping missions? Harpoon?

 

[TomS]

I assume it will be replacing the Su-22s. what kind of ordinances does the F-16 have for anti shipping missions? Harpoon?

Harpoon is an option. Possibly Joint Strike Missile for something more modern. Or some Israeli or Turkish weapons, depending on how Vietnamese foreign policy looks.

 

[GTX]

Harpoon is an option:

As is Penguin I suppose:

 

[NMaude]

Could we soon see this?

Exclusive: Biden aides in talks with Vietnam for arms deal that could irk China

A package could include U.S. F-16 fighter jets and come with special financing terms that could help Hanoi steer away from its reliance on lower-cost Russian-made arms.

www.reuters.com

Will Vietnam Buy F-16 Fighter Jets and US Sub Hunting Planes?

With the lifting of the arms embargo, Vietnam is purportedly mulling the purchase of U.S. military aircraft.

thediplomat.com

F-16 Viper could fly alongside Su-30 in Vietnam People's Air Force

There is talk of Vietnam's People's Air Force acquiring F-16 fighters. VPAF currently maintains a fleet of 10 Su-27s, complemented by 35 Su-30s and 34 Su-22s.

bulgarianmilitary.com

Good way to cement US relations with Vietnam while giving the PRC the collective Finger.

I assume it will be replacing the Su-22s. what kind of ordinances does the F-16 have for anti shipping missions? Harpoon?

Well there's the Harpoon, Penguin, as mentioned by another poster Israeli and/or Turkish weapons also I suppose the Storm Shadow, NSM, Taurus, JASSM and maybe the SLAM-ER. Also what about designing, testing and building a suitable adapter pylon to enable the F-16s to carry and launch existing Soviet-era/Russian ASMs in Vietnamese inventory?

 

[TomcatViP]

A welcomed end to a long lasting soap opera?

https://x.com/StateDeptPM/status/1154872650952585216?s=20

 

[Forest Green]

F-16s are no magic bullets in Ukraine, but their armaments will matter

If Ukraine’s F-16s are expected to strike ground targets, they will require the right munitions.

www.defensenews.com

 

[TomcatViP]

Splash one!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1717933305583096067

View: https://twitter.com/i/status/1717933305583096067

IDF F-16 shotdown presumably Iran built drone.

Look how pilot choose not to lead turn on it, keeping centered in the piper to avoid risk of loosing visual after a loss of radar lock.

 

[Flyaway]

The first U.S.-made F-16 combat aircraft the Netherlands is donating Ukraine will arrive in Romania's training centre within two weeks, outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Monday.

"I expect the Patriot missiles to be delivered shortly, to aid Ukraine in the upcoming winter. And the same speed applies to the F-16s," Rutte during a video conference with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy posted on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

"The first ones will be shipped to the training centre in Romania within the next two weeks so that day we will get ready for further training," he added.

Dutch F-16s for Ukraine to arrive in Romania within two weeks-Rutte

The first U.S.-made F-16 combat aircraft the Netherlands is donating Ukraine will arrive in Romania's training centre within two weeks, outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Monday.

www.reuters.com

 

[totoro]

Рыбарь

❗️ О прибытии F-16 на Украину Этой ночью из Польши на Украину въехало два грузовика, в которых находилось два разобранных американских истребителя F-16. По состоянию на 2 ноября на территорию Украины уже перевезено пять самолетов этого типа. ▪️С одной стороны, поставки американских...

t.me

Rybar writes that first f-16 airframes have been moved into Ukraine. Now, it's easy to just say he's making it up. But one is left wondering if there is ANY other similar claim/indication from any other source on those f-16s?

 

[Topi]

Рыбарь

❗️ О прибытии F-16 на Украину Этой ночью из Польши на Украину въехало два грузовика, в которых находилось два разобранных американских истребителя F-16. По состоянию на 2 ноября на территорию Украины уже перевезено пять самолетов этого типа. ▪️С одной стороны, поставки американских...

t.me

Rybar writes that first f-16 airframes have been moved into Ukraine. Now, it's easy to just say he's making it up. But one is left wondering if there is ANY other similar claim/indication from any other source on those f-16s?

I have seen nothing pointing to any F-16s having been moved to Ukraine yet. Neither have I seen any credible rumours pointing to any being moved to Ukraine before spring. However, the first flights of Ukrainian pilots in twin-seater Vipers are about to commence any day now.

 

[NMaude]

I have seen nothing pointing to any F-16s having been moved to Ukraine yet.

Hasn't the Netherlands started transferring the F-16s it said it would donate to Ukraine to Romania for pilot training?