The F-16 Fighting Falcon Lockheed Martin, the first multirole fighter of the US Air Force, is the most useful fighter jet in the world with more than two thousand units in service with the United States Air Force and two thousand operative aircraft in more than twenty-five countries. Entering service in 1978 became the first fighter purposely built to withstand twists 9-gravity force.
The last of the 2,231 F-16s, the Air Force of the United States, was delivered in the first quarter of 2005, while the first dual-seat version, called F-16D, was approved by the United States of America government in the first quarter of 2009. International acquisitions of this model have been made by countries such as Bahrain, Greece, Israel, Egypt, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, South Korea, Oman, Chile, and Poland.
The advanced equipment implemented in the current update of the F-16 Fighting Falcon includes multifunction liquid crystal displays color Honeywell, digital terrain system (DTS), computer modular mission and color video camera. The equipment helps the pilot to save the perspective in the head-up display system (HUD) with three levels) and an improved display generator. Also, under the "Sure Strike" project of the United States of America Air Force, the F-16 Fighting Falcon was equipped with a data modem (IDM), which sends information to the Head-Up Display.
The aircraft includes zero ejection seat ACES II driven by a rocket, which is leaning back with an unusual angle 30 ° (in the former fighters had an inclination of 13-15º). This change in the tilt angle was chosen to increase the tolerance to high gravity forces to the pilot, consequently reducing its susceptibility to consciousness loss to the pilot induced by high gravity forces (Lockheed Martin, 2016).
The United States Air Force implemented in the F-16 Fighting Falcon the helmet mounted sight system (JHMCS, in English). The system has being tested for the first time during Operation Freedom Iraq. Also, a monitoring program developed within the "Gold Strike" project, gave the hunt for an MDI updated for the images communication to other aircraft and base control, including drones and ground units. The system can send information from the white pod of location and images on a video screen in the top of the airplane.
The equipment has eleven anchor points for weapons payload; six under the wings, two at the ends of the wings and three under the chassis. The armament is activated from Raytheon pitchers LAU-88, MAU-12 and racks ejector pumps equipped with a General Electric Canyon M61A1 of 20mm caliber, which is interconnected to the HUD cabin (Airforce-Technology, 2016).
Air-to-air missiles operationally compatible with the F-16 Fighting Falcon include the Raytheon and Lockheed Martin standard missile; the most conventional missiles models are Amraam, AIM-9, Sidewinder, MBDA Sky flash, Sparrow. In the second quarter of 2004, the F-16 Fighting Falcon tested the new generation of Sidewinder AIM-9X, which is full production by the United States Air Force. Concerning air-ground missiles used by the F-16 Fighting Falcon include Shrike, Maverick, and Harm missiles, as well as anti-ship missiles including the Kongsberg Penguin and Boeing Harpoon.
In the second quarter of 2000, Lockheed Martin tested the F-16 aircraft with an innovative Joint Direct-Attack Ammunition system and the Joint Launch Remote Weapon (JLRW). These two innovations were the first experimentations of the company with cruise missiles and low visibility scenarios.
Lockheed Martin equipped the F-16 Fighting Falcon with the wind-corrected munitions dispenser (WCMD). The system guides precision munitions CBU with caliber eighty-seven, eighty-nine and ninety-seven. The system improves winds aloft and ballistic transient launch errors.
The F-16 Fighting Falcon was the pioneer in using the vertical ejection rack BRU-57, which multiplies by two the capacity of the airplane as JLRW and WCMD. The launch weapons capability works with all weather conditions, such as land-attack missiles (SLAM) AGM-84E, were included in the latest update of the airplane. Other weapons integrated to the airplane include the Python IV, IRIS-T, and MICA, air-to-air missile powerful sky flash, anti-radiation missiles ALARM, Apache multi-mission weapons, autonomous free-flying dispensing system and laser-guided missile AS30L (The National Interest, 2015).
The infrared aircraft system integrates low altitude navigation with night search lantern; used with a holographic screen BAE System.
In the second half of 2001, Lockheed Martin and the United States Air Force developed the Sniper XR pod as seeking new targets for advanced implementation aircraft in the United States of America Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-15E. The Sniper XR incorporates dual-mode laser, a high-resolution medium wave flips, laser tracker, CCD TV, and laser marker point algorithms combined with an image processing system. The inclusion of these systems finally started in the first quarter of 2003.
The F-16 Fighting Falcon was equipped by the United States of America Air Force with a radar warning receiver AN/ALR-56M with the support of Lockheed Martin. There is another electronic equipment compatible with the aircraft produced by Raytheon and Northrop Grumman. The compatible models are AN/ALQ-184, EL/L-8240, AN/ALQ-131, SPS 3000 and the ALQ-165.
The airplane has infrared countermeasure flares gadgets that help it to avoid attacks from the enemy. The flares may be operated by the pilot or from the remote base.
The Northrop Grumman equipment provides twenty-five separate modes air-to-ground and air-to-air, including long distance, tracking and detection, simultaneous tracking of multiple targets. The latest improved version of radar AN/APG-68 tested in flight, allowing the increase of 30% in the detection range, an increase of five times the processing speed (Airforce-Technology, 2016).
The F-16 Fighting Falcon was the first United States airplane to use a global positioning system (GPS). The airplane integrates a ring laser gyroscope and an inertial navigation system, either the LN-93 Honeywell H-423 or Northrop Grumman LN-39. Another compatible equipment is BAE Systems Terprom and Rockwell Collins. He compatible models are AN/APN-232 and ARN-118.
Communication systems include the receiver and transmitter manufactured by Raytheon and Rockwell Collins. The compatible models with the aircraft are AN-ARC-164 and AM-FM-AN-ARC-186-VHF. Currently, the AN-APX-101 is being updated with the AN-APX-113.
The airplane is powered by one engine. Lockheed Martin has long-term contracts with Pratt & Whitney and General Electric for the provision of the engine. The compatible models for the aircraft are F100-PW-229 and F110-GE-129 respectively. The airplane works with fossil energy protected with an anti-fire inert gas technology, integrating a refueling probe mounted at the top of the chassis. Lockheed Martin made flight tests with bigger fuel tanks to increase the range of the aircraft, but reducing the top speed to 4%. The first flight of the F-16 Fighting Falcon equipped with the new tanks was completed in the first quarter of 2003 (Lockheed Martin, 2016).
The F-16 Fighting Falcon has a length of 14.8 m, a wingspan of 9.8 m, a height of 4.8 m, a wing area of 27.87 m² surfaces and an NACA 64A204 airfoil, counting on an unloaded weight of 8,670 kg. The aircraft with full load has a weight of 12,000 kg and a maximum takeoff weight of 19,200 kg.
Its engine allows average thrust of 7,781 kg and a thrust with afterburner of 12,973 kg, allowing the pilot to reach a maximum operating speed of 2,414 km/h (over Mach 2) in altitude without external load, while at sea level the aircraft sets to 1,470 km/h (Mach 1.2).
The range of the airplane is 550 km, with six pumps of 450 kg the range is 4,220 km with auxiliary fuel tanks. Also, the aircraft can reach a service ceiling of 18.288 m, a rate of climb of 254 m/s, enabling a wing loading of 430 kg/m², a spin rate of 26 degrees per second and a maximum speed of continued rotation of 18 degrees per second.
F-16 Operators:
Currently, the F-16 Fighting Falcon is used by 25 nations and is still produced at the plant in Fort Worth (Texas, United States). Also, Belgium, South Korea, the Netherlands and Turkey manufacture the aircraft under license, both for its air force as for other countries.
In total, there are more than 4,400 produced aircraft. Also, Japan has developed, together with Lockheed Martin, the Mitsubishi F-2. This derivative of the F-16 Fighting Falcon stands out for having a greater wing and horizontal stabilizers. The airplane has a larger air intake for the engine, a modified train landing and changes in its systems and avionics (The National Interest, 2015).
Morocco incorporates in 2010 into its Royal Air Force the F-16. In December 2009 the Moroccan government signed a contract with Lockheed Martin for the provision of twenty-four F-16 Fighting Falcon, with a total value of 841.9 million dollars, in addition to weapons and target acquisition systems.
In 2009, the United States government approved the sale of twenty F-16 blocks 52 (16 F-16C and F-16D 4) to Egypt, delivered in 2013. Romania bought in 2014, twenty-four second-hand F-16 equipment from the United States. India had included the F-16 Fighting Falcon in its fleet to replace the MIG-21.
The list of operator countries of the F-16 Fighting Falcon is the following (Table 1).
Other countries, like Italy, abandoned the use of the F-16 in 2005.
NASA among its aircraft has several F-16 both in traditional versions, used as support aircraft and engine test, and for research and development purposes, such as F-16 XL and F-16 AFTI (Advanced Fighter Technology Integration).
Combats and main events of the F-16 Fighting Falcon:
The F-16 had participated in several conflicts since the eighties when, in the hands of Israelis and Pakistanis; the Afghan air forces and Soviet air forces clashed respectively. Next came the successive conflicts in Iraq in 1992, which the United States would make extensive use of them in combat. Since 2001 both the F-16 from the United States Air Forces and North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies did significant operations in the war against terrorism in Afghanistan (Airforce-Technology, 2016).
The conflicts of Serbia-Herzegovina (1995) and Kosovo (1999), the F-16 made numerous combat missions and incidents with F-16 aircraft in Greece and Turkey. The latter nation has used them against Kurdish rebels. Pakistan also is using it to fight the Islamic fundamentalists who have led the country into civil war.
Israel, in turn, uses them regularly in their attacks against terrorist targets, finally is important to mention the utilization of the F-16 Fighting Force to face the coup leaders in 1992 in Venezuela, led by Hugo Chavez, who tried to overthrow the legitimate government of Carlos Andres Perez.
Procedure to turn-on the aircraft:
1. Turn on Parking Brakes.
2. Energize the plane:
■ Main Generator: The main generator has an output of 175kW that gives electric energy to the turbine, armament, ejection and control systems.
■ Standby Generator: The standby generator provides power to the control systems of the airplane and the wheel rotation engine.
■ Emergency Power Unit (EPU): The Emergency Power Unit works when the main generator fails. When the main generators are out of energy or an external attack overt the aircraft, the emergency power unit gives energy to the ejection system, control and communication system (Lockheed Martin, 2016).
■ Battery: The battery supports the Emergency Power Unit with an autonomy of four hours in the air and eight hours on the ground.
The main generator is driven by the turbine and generates power for all aircraft systems. The generator, also powered by the turbine, supplied essential systems. The "EPU" is an independent system that provides power when the main generators fail. The batteries provide power only to individual systems. Each generator has a power bus connecting each set with the plane. In the event of failure of one becomes active the next. The battery can provide sufficient electricity for primary systems; it is possible to start the engine.
3. Turn "MAIN ELECTRIC" to "POWER" to power the external lights systems. The process activates the "MASTER SWITCH" and anti-collision lights
4. Put "MASTER FUEL ON" and "ENG FEED" to normal position. The "MASTER FUEL" switch controls the main fuel valve.
5. Activate the "EPU" switch to the normal position. The "UPE" lights.
6. Put "AIR SOURCE" to normal position.
The turbine starts rotating at a required speed for the pilot and takes the throttle to idle. The fuel and air will be mixed into the engine, and the injectors will be primed, then the main turbine will start. A few seconds later the turbine will turn off, and the gates are closed (The National Interest, 2015).
8. Turn on the "Avionics": Turn on the "FCC", "SMS", "MDF", "UFC", "GPS" and "DL".
■ FCC is the fire control computer; the system protects the aircraft computer from fire events.
■ SMS is the Store Management System.
■ MFD is the Multi-Function Display.
■ UFC is the Up Front Computer.
■ DL is the Data Link.
■ INS is the inertial navigation system.
9. Turn left and right HDPT, FCR and put RDR ALT to "STBY".
10. Turn on the HUD.
11. Check the "INS DED" function; analog watches ADI, VVI, and AOA.
12. Adjust the volume of COMM1, COMM2, and MSL.
13. Turn on the POWER SYSTEM.
14. Assemble on the ejector seat.
F-16 Aircraft transformation into a drone and design evolution:
The United States of America Air Force has successfully transformed a fighter plane F-16 in a drone, controlled from the ground, without a pilot. Drones have become a key part of the defense system and the United States Arsenal, which develops several programs with this new type of aircraft. The intent of the Air Force is transforming conventional aircraft drones, unmanned, to adapt to a new generation of asymmetric combats and strategies (Airforce-Technology, 2016).
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft model has been chosen for this pilot program. The test flight was held in the Florida base operations in 2012. During the experiment, controlled from the ground, the plane was able to perform several maneuvers, reaching an altitude of 40,000 feet (12.2 km altitude) and reach a speed of 1.47 Match (i.e., about 1,800 kilometers per hour).
The next step will be to continue developing this technology and adapt most of the current fleet, while extending in parallel with research in aerial robotics
Comparison of the F-16 Fighting Falcon with the Saab Gripen Jas-39 plane
The Saab Jas-39 has more load capacity than the F-16 (8.5 tons) while the F-16 has a capacity of 7.7 tons. The Saab is faster than the F-16 with more than 2,500 km/h whiles the F-16 flies from 2.000 to 2.400 km/h; these are some benefits of modern Gripen Fighter.
The F-16 has an advantage over the Gripen in autonomy. The F-16 has a range of 4,200 km while the Gripen has a maximum range of 3,940 km (Lockheed Martin, 2016).
The Jas-39 exceeds the F-16 in several technical aspects as design, range, speed, and drive experience. Although the F-16 reaches their limits, it is a good choice for the Air Forces of the world who want to invest in a trustable aircraft with user experience in several countries of the world. If an air force purchases a new F-16 Block 60 in small lots would be cheaper to acquire a used F-16 in large batches. The Jas-39 offers advantages over the F-16, but the potential costs in improvement and maintenance are higher than the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The Gripen is ideal for an Air Force who does not have another aircraft in its fleet, and the company has enough money for the investment.
Another factor for the convenience of the F-16 acquisition is the support and experience of Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and the United States Air Force and the support of licensed manufacturers in Belgium, South Korea, the Netherlands and Turkey. If the country or Air Force acquires a Saab Gripen Jas-39 aircraft, the support and spare parts come from the manufacturer from Sweden with larger time responses than Lockheed Martin.
The Jas-39 Armament could carry the missile BVR "MBDA Meteor '' with a higher range of 100 km and a speed of Mach-4, the F-16 Block 60 may take the missile BVR AIM-120C, which a range of 120km and a speed of Mach 4.5. The Russian missiles like the R-37, which is in another category (Long range), have a range from 150 to 398 km and a Mach-6 (The National Interest, 2015).
Reference List
Airforce-Technology. (2016). F-16 Fighting Falcon Multirole Fighter, United States of America. Retrieved June 29, 2016, from Airforce-Technology: http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/f16/
Lockheed Martin. (2016). F-16 Fighting Falcon. Retrieved June 29, 2016, from Lockheed Martin: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/f16.html
The National Interest. (2015, September 23). Russia's Su-35 Fighter vs. America's F-16 Fighting Falcon: Who Wins? Retrieved June 29, 2016, from http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/russias-su-35-fighter-vs-americas-f-16-fighting-falcon-who-13918
