Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon News and Developments

[Flyaway]

More detail in this article:

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/f-16s-will-be-focus-of-ukrainian-pilot-training-in-u-k

 

[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.

https://www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/News/A...hter-squadron-redesignated-as-the-706th-aggr/
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/new-air-force-f-16-aggressor-squadron-stands-up

 

[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]

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/n...Toverlay=2002c2d9-c344-4bbb-8610-e5794efcfa7d

 

[TomcatViP]

Some gorgeous pics ahead:

https://blockclubchicago.org/2023/0...l-midair-ahead-of-chicago-air-and-water-show/

 

[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?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davida...16s-ukraine-could-grow-its-air-force-by-half/

 

[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

https://www.dsca.mil/press-media/ma...ltural-representative-office-united-states-30
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/taiwans-f-16s-cleared-to-receive-irst-targeting-systems

 

[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.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davida...can-carry-anti-ship-missiles/?sh=6219e345648a

 

[TomcatViP]

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

 

[TomcatViP]

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/...rns-out-first-polish-built-f-16-rear-fuselage

 

[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!
https://news.lockheedmartin.com/202...-Unveil-Countrys-First-F-16-Block-70-Aircraft
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]

https://www.defensenews.com/air/202...pgraded-f-16-jets-can-fire-python-5-missiles/

 

[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?

https://www.reuters.com/world/biden...am-arms-deal-that-could-irk-china-2023-09-23/
https://thediplomat.com/2016/05/will-vietnam-buy-f-16-fighter-jets-and-us-sub-hunting-planes/
https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2023/...alongside-su-30-in-vietnam-peoples-air-force/

 

[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?

https://www.reuters.com/world/biden...am-arms-deal-that-could-irk-china-2023-09-23/
https://thediplomat.com/2016/05/will-vietnam-buy-f-16-fighter-jets-and-us-sub-hunting-planes/
https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2023/...alongside-su-30-in-vietnam-peoples-air-force/

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]

https://www.defensenews.com/opinion...ts-in-ukraine-but-their-armaments-will-matter

 

[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.

https://www.reuters.com/business/ae...ve-romania-within-two-weeks-rutte-2023-10-30/

 

[totoro]

https://t.me/rybar/53836
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]

https://t.me/rybar/53836
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?