Most advanced F16's headed to Taiwan
- 5 years ago
U.S. / TAIWAN — In a deal worth $8 billion dollars, the Trump administration has officially cleared the sale of 66 F16 fighter planes to Taiwan, the most updated model of Lockheed martin's multirole fighter.
Lockheed Martin details their new-build Block 70 F16 as having a speed of 1,500 miles per hour, a wingspan of 31 feet and an empty weight of 20,300 pounds.
The latest F16's have received upgrades such as the Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, which provides pilots with superior target detail, greater "situational awareness" and digital maps to its high-resolution 6"x 8" screen which can be customized with "slew" and zoom features.
The fighter also comes with a structural upgrade that extends the aircraft's lifespan by more than 50 percent compared to the previous model.
Most crucially, the F16 commands the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System, which is designed to reduce incidents of controlled flight into terrain which is responsible for 75 percent of all F-16 pilot fatalities.
The system predicts imminent collision and performs flight maneuvers to avoid ground impact.
The new fighters could replace Taiwan's current 50 or so Mirage 2000s as well as their aging F-5s.
Lockheed Martin details their new-build Block 70 F16 as having a speed of 1,500 miles per hour, a wingspan of 31 feet and an empty weight of 20,300 pounds.
The latest F16's have received upgrades such as the Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, which provides pilots with superior target detail, greater "situational awareness" and digital maps to its high-resolution 6"x 8" screen which can be customized with "slew" and zoom features.
The fighter also comes with a structural upgrade that extends the aircraft's lifespan by more than 50 percent compared to the previous model.
Most crucially, the F16 commands the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System, which is designed to reduce incidents of controlled flight into terrain which is responsible for 75 percent of all F-16 pilot fatalities.
The system predicts imminent collision and performs flight maneuvers to avoid ground impact.
The new fighters could replace Taiwan's current 50 or so Mirage 2000s as well as their aging F-5s.