“At any given moment, there’s an F-16 flying in the world, and that’s not hyperbole,” said OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of the integrated fighter group at aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin.
Today, 50 years later, as new aircraft proliferate and sixth-generation fighters appear on the horizon, Lockheed Martin insists that the fourth-generation F-16 is here to stay.
The F-16s are still “relevant, capable and ready,” Sanchez said Newsweek at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, UK
“What we see in the F-16 is not only this amazing, adaptable technology that is relevant for the future, but also an aircraft and a system that brings together like-minded partners and allies, and that is particularly true here in NATO.”
Lockheed Martin says 4,600 F-16s have been produced in the half-century since the program began. The aircraft has undergone several waves of upgrades over the decades, and the latest version, the Block 70/72, will be delivered to Slovakia in the coming weeks.
Michael Ammons/US Air Force/Getty Images
The changes are mostly internal. The basic structure has remained essentially the same, Sanchez said, but there are “huge differences inside.”
The latest F-16s are equipped with technologies such as Lockheed Martin’s Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System, which automatically takes over if a pilot is distracted or unable to fly, and newer radars. “We’ve been able to adapt with internal hardware and software in that way to stay in the race,” Sanchez said.
Similar trends are being seen elsewhere. The Eurofighter Typhoon, which made its maiden flight three decades ago, is being constantly upgraded, according to its makers. BAE Systems announced last week that it had completed ground testing with Leonardo UK for an advanced new radar for the Typhoon.
With at least 128 more F-16s still to be built, the Fighting Falcon competes with the fifth-generation F-35, the stealth aircraft also being developed by Lockheed Martin.
“The F-16s and F-35s are truly the pinnacle of aviation and aircraft right now,” said Chris “Sasquatch” Nations, F-16 test and production pilot for Lockheed Martin. Newsweek“You can’t go wrong with either one.”
The latest F-16s will be equipped with the same radar as the F-35, and software updates to the stealth jet will often be compatible with those of the F-16. “That’s why we see countries continuing to use them,” Sanchez said.
According to Nations, demand for the F-16s is still strong, and the planes are expected to be in service until the 2060s.
Ukraine is one of the countries most demanding F-16s. Western countries supporting kyiv committed to sending F-16s to Ukraine last year, but the timelines for getting the jets up and running are vague and subject to delays. Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium have committed to providing F-16s to Ukraine.
“It’s been 18 months and the planes haven’t reached us,” Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky told the BBC earlier this week.
The fighter jets will represent a significant upgrade to Ukraine’s air force, which has been battered by more than two years of war with Russia’s larger and superior fleet. While some countries have turned to F-35s, Ukraine may be hoping to get its hands on more F-16s.
Uncommon knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
