US Air Force/Staff Sgt. Cherie Thurlby
Nearly 50 years after its first flight, the F-16 remains in service with air forces around the world.
The US Air Force was set to get rid of its F-16s in the coming decade, but delays on its new fighters mean the Fighting Falcon will fly on.
February 2 was the 47th anniversary of the first official test flight for the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
Designed by General Dynamics in the 1970s, the Falcon or the Viper, as it is commonly and affectionately known by its American pilots quickly became one of the best fighter jets in history.
18/02/2021 a las 10:03pm
The F-16 first flew 47 years ago, and the Air Force may keep it flying decades longer due to problems with the F-35
The F-16 first flew 47 years ago, and the Air Force may keep it flying decades longer due to problems with the F-35
A US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon on a mission near Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, March 22, 2003.
US Air Force/Staff Sgt. Cherie Thurlby
Nearly 50 years after its first flight, the F-16 remains in service with air forces around the world.
The US Air Force was set to get rid of its F-16s in the coming decade, but delays on its new fighters mean the Fighting Falcon will fly on.
National Interest’s Dave Majumdar has written an
excellent analysis of how the two aircraft would fare in aerial clash. He concluded that regardless of their differences, the two aircraft were more or less closely matched. As a result, supporting assets and pilot skill are more likely to determine the outcomes of an engagement between the two rather than any technological gap.
Here, I’d like to break down the strengths and weaknesses of the two aircraft, and how those will inform their ability to perform various mission.
Sensors and Stealth
The Su-35S has a powerful Irbis-E passive electronically scanned array radar with a range of up to 400 kilometers; it is also effective against ground targets. However, the F-15’s APG-63 V3 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar is superior harder to jam, higher resolution and harder to track.
The New F-15EX Flies For The First Time Ahead Of The First Deliveries Later This Year
The New F-15EX Flies For The First Time Ahead Of The First Deliveries Later This Year
The F-15EX AF 20-0001 photographed immediately after the landing gear retraction during the takeoff. (Photo: @vikingaeroimages)
The new advanced F-15EX Eagles will replace the older F-15Cs that have long surpassed their expected service-life estimates.
The first new F-15EX built for the U.S. Air Force took the skies for the first time today from Boeing’s plant at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis. The aircraft, serial AF 20-0001, blasted off from runway 30L at about 1:53 pm ET, using the callsign RED 62 [a previous version of the story reported the c/s as BREM but we were informed it was RED, another Boeing flight test callsign], for a 90-minute test flight. This maiden flight was initially scheduled for yesterday, however it had to be delayed because of the weather. The photos of the aircraft were