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For educational purposes
The F-16 Falcon was the economical, single-engine successor to the F-15. It has more in common with planes of World War II, excelling in dogfights, but capable of ground war.
Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Israel and Norway all invested in F-16 technology.
The F-16 Falcon was the economical, single-engine successor to the F-15. It has more in common with planes of World War II, excelling in dogfights, but capable of ground war.
Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Israel and Norway all invested in F-16 technology.
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00:10To be continued...
00:43The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a lightweight multi-role fighter that is highly maneuverable in air-to-air combat
00:50and air-to-ground attack.
00:52Designed as a high-performance, cost-effective combat weapon, it's in use by 25 nations around the world.
00:59Don't let its small-sized fool you.
01:01The F-16 employs advanced aerospace engineering and flight control systems and can withstand over 9 Gs, more than any
01:09other current fighter.
01:11I'm Paul Max Moga, and I've flown some of the most sophisticated planes ever built.
01:28I'm at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia, the first U.S. military base built specifically for air power.
01:37On this episode of Great Plains, we'll learn the amazing story of the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
01:57Lieutenant Colonel Bob Ghost Gray flew the F-16 here in Virginia.
02:01Well, Ghost, I appreciate you taking a couple minutes to talk to us about the F-16 today.
02:06Tell me a little bit about what you know about the history of this jet as far as why did
02:09the Air Force need the plane in the first place?
02:11Max, the F-16 was a response to the cost and complexity of the F-15.
02:16So they came up with the lightweight fighter concept, and what resulted from that was the F-16.
02:22The goal was lightweight, low-cost, minimal complexity airplane that they could put a lot up of rather than a
02:29few very complex and capable airplanes.
02:36The F-16 entered service in 1979, packing Mach 2 speed, agility, and high-tech features into a lightweight fuselage.
02:54Equally incredible is that the creation of the F-16 utilizes a new design process that hasn't been used on
03:00a fighter before.
03:07It represents the latest technology available to military aviation anywhere.
03:12It can handle almost any kind of mission with more comfort and ease than any other fighter.
03:23Many see the F-16 as the ultimate dogfighter, a culmination of 60 years of fighter development.
03:45When World War II reunites enemy nations, they quickly learn that the opposition's fighters are faster, more heavily armored, and
03:54have deadly effect.
04:06The need for a superior aircraft is fueled by the ongoing conflict.
04:10Several nations in the conflict experiment with jet power, and by the end of the war, the Allies and Germans
04:16are building the first fighter jets.
04:24Nazi leaders recognize the importance of air power, and their financial contributions generate several breakthroughs in jet research.
04:33German designers are the first to raise the issue of compressibility, the drag and control problems encountered at high speed.
04:41Nazi engineers experiment with swept-back wing designs to reduce drag.
04:45prolific.
04:48The first US jet takes flight in 1942.
04:56The Bell 59 Aero Comet is built around the Whittled Turbojet, but its performance is inferior to other fighters, and
05:03production is canceled by 1944.
05:06incluso
05:14German
05:19The output of early engines is low and requires at least two power plants to achieve reasonable
05:25performance.
05:30While jet engine development radically progresses, many of the first fighter jets fail because
05:35the conventional airframe cannot equip a turbojet engine.
05:40The Republic F-84 is introduced with the same straight wings and tail of a World War II fighter,
05:45and several early flight tests result in fatal crashes.
06:03The jet has so many structural and engine problems that in the first year of service,
06:08the Air Force considers scrubbing the program.
06:13In spite of complications, studies continue and perseverance pays off when a possible
06:18solution comes from the North American Aviation Company.
06:22After studying information captured from the Germans at the end of the war, they propose
06:27that swept-back wings may decrease drag on a plane traveling at high speeds.
06:32The U.S. Army Air Corps ends a 40-year association with the Army and becomes the U.S. Air
06:38Force
06:38in 1947.
06:39The new Air Force focuses on jet research during this new era of aviation where air power is
06:45a major element of defense and a primary hope for deterring war.
06:51Their tests confirm that the swept-back wing surface adds speed without reducing the aircraft's stability,
06:57and America's first swept-wing fighter, the F-86 Sabre, emerges for combat in 1950.
07:05The Sabre distinguishes itself in the Korean War as an excellent aircraft with high-speed maneuverability
07:10and firepower.
07:25But America is not the only country developing the swept-back wing design.
07:32The Russians have also been using German innovation to manufacture their own jets with swept-back wings.
07:39The most famous is the MiG-15.
07:42It shocks the West out of its complacency once it first appears over Korea in 1949.
07:59On June 27, 1950, the U.S. Air Force deploys to fight as an individual arm in the military
08:05for the first time.
08:14While the F-86 Sabre could not match the MiG-15 in some performance areas, Sabre pilots
08:20use superior flight tactics to achieve a 10-to-1 kill ratio over MiGs in Korean dogfights.
08:28The U.S. finds success with this combination of experience and technology, but when the conflict
08:34ends in 1953, it seems that the time for the dogfighter is about to run out.
08:43During the Cold War, the role of American fighter aircraft is to destroy long-range Russian bombers
08:49that threaten nuclear attack.
08:52The Sabre's machine guns are not the best weapons to use against these aircraft and are
08:57soon replaced by missiles developed for air-to-air and air-to-ground use.
09:02As their sophistication improves, the fighter's role diminishes to a platform for launching
09:07missiles.
09:12In 1965, the United States commits air power to the Vietnam conflict.
09:17While fighter bombers are effective in the ground attack role, they are not dogfighters.
09:24When the North Vietnamese MiGs appear, the faster and more sophisticated American fighter bombers
09:29are not agile enough to bring them down.
09:32The MiG-21's maneuverability and speed make it one of the most widely used fighters in
09:37the world.
09:37The model is only a slight improvement to the MiG-15s used in the Korean War, but the agile
09:43fighters are heavily armed and more dangerous than ever.
09:46The Vietnam skies present another challenge with a change in the rules of engagement.
09:51This requires U.S. pilots to closely identify their target before weapon release.
09:58The previous tactics of long-range missile attack are useless, and pilots must develop
10:03new strategies.
10:05While developing high-speed missile platforms, a truly versatile aircraft evolves.
10:12The McDonnell F-4 Phantom revolutionizes aerial combat with its sophisticated radar and deadly
10:19air-to-air missiles.
10:20But the F-4 is never a true dogfighter, and the combination of Mach 2 speed and maneuverability
10:26is only a temporary answer to the deadly MiG.
10:30The Navy soon finds a replacement that revives the concept of a dual-role attack fighter.
10:47On November 22, 1961, the F-4 Phantom breaks the world speed record, flying at 1,606 miles
10:56per hour.
11:04In the late 1960s, the United States Navy and Air Force worked to fill the void created by
11:10the lack of a high-agility dogfighter.
11:12The Navy announces a design contest among manufacturers for a new plane to replace the F-4 Phantom.
11:24In 1969, they adopt the Grumman Corporation's sophisticated but expensive approach and develop an aircraft that
11:31can successfully perform two different types of missions.
11:42The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a twin-engine aircraft with variable swept wings that adjust to suit
11:48the type of mission it is required to perform.
11:54With the wings swept back in a delta configuration, it can reach 1,585 miles per hour and climb
12:02at 50,000 feet per minute.
12:04With the wings set forward, it can achieve greater agility, and despite its considerable
12:09size, outmaneuver much smaller aircraft.
12:13This versatile jet can still fulfill the important Cold War role.
12:17as an aircraft that launches long-range guided missiles that are highly accurate.
12:43The Air Force, however, has a less diverse mission requirement and looks toward the fixed wing design
12:49that McDonnell Douglas offers in the F-15 Eagle.
13:05The F-15 Eagle embodies knowledge from Vietnam Air Combat to create a fast and agile fighter.
13:15This single-seat, high-performance fighter is, without a doubt, the best dedicated dogfighter in service.
13:21But while the Eagle excels in the skies, cost makes it virtually impossible to equip every Air Force
13:27squadron.
13:29The U.S. military needs an economical, high-performance fighter that can be built in sufficient numbers
13:35to compete with the Soviet threat.
13:43And military top brass are not alone in recognizing this need.
13:47After serving in the Korean War, fighter tactics instructor Colonel John Boyd launches his own research to develop
13:54the necessary fighter.
13:56Colonel Boyd flew at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base and became well-known
14:01for defeating all challengers in air-to-air combat in 40 seconds or less.
14:07He gained further respect with the U.S. Air Force when he developed the Aerial Attack Study, which turned the
14:13art of dogfighting into a science.
14:18Colonel Boyd works with mathematician Thomas Christie to develop the now-famous Energy Maneuverability Theory.
14:25This groundbreaking work enables fighter pilots to evaluate their energy potential at any altitude and in any maneuver,
14:32as well as the energy potential of their aerial adversary.
14:36Colonel Boyd goes on to show how his theory can be used as an effective tool for designing new fighter
14:41aircraft.
14:41The approach emphasizes an aircraft capable of quick changes in speed, altitude, and direction.
14:48Boyd and a group of like-minded innovators form a small advocacy group within the U.S. Air Force.
14:53Dubbed the Lightweight Fighter Mafia, they conceived the Lightweight Fighter Program.
14:58And in 1969, they secured funding from the Air Force to validate their theory.
15:03General Dynamics receives $149,000 and Northrop $100,000
15:08to develop design concepts that embody Boyd's Energy Maneuverability Theory
15:13for a small, low-drag, lightweight, pure fighter.
15:17The concept gains political support from the Deputy Secretary of Defense.
15:22In May 1971, he establishes an Air Force Prototype Study Group, which will fund two of the proposals.
15:29And on the 6th of June 1972, the U.S. Defense Department seeks submissions from the aviation industry.
15:39Five companies respond.
15:41And in March, the Air Staff announces that the winners for the prototype development and testing phase are Northrop and
15:47General Dynamics.
15:51Northrop works in collaboration with McDonnell Douglas to design a twin-engine lightweight fighter
15:56that employs two separate tail fins, giving it an appearance similar to the F-15.
16:03The design is given the Air Force prefix YF-17, and they place an order for two prototypes.
16:22The General Dynamics concept employs a single-engine design of the same type used in the twin-engine F-15.
16:35Many late western designs offer two power plants as a safeguard against engine failure.
16:40But General Dynamics wages a lot on the excellent reputation of the Pratt & Whitney F-100 engine.
16:47The Pratt & Whitney F-100 turbofan delivers 23,450 pounds of thrust and reduces the weight of the aircraft
16:55by 3,740 pounds.
16:59The model is designated the YF-16, and two prototypes are ordered.
17:04Both companies are given contracts of over $30 million to produce the competing models.
17:12In January 1974, General Dynamics delivers the first YF-16 to Edwards Air Force Base in California,
17:19and the first official flight is to commence on February 2nd.
17:23But the first actual flight occurs accidentally during a high-speed taxi test on January 21st.
17:30While gathering speed, a fin scrapes the ground and the aircraft begins to veer off the runway.
17:36The test pilot lifts off to avoid wrecking the machine, and safely lands it six minutes later.
17:43Northrop completes the YF-17 design in June 1974,
17:47and after testing, competes in a flyover alongside the YF-16 as part of the decision-making process to resolve
17:54which concept will win.
17:57Belgium, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands form the Multinational Fighter Program Group
18:02to select a replacement for their aging F-104 starfighters.
18:07They indicate that the winner of the lightweight fighter contest will be the favored candidate.
18:11In September, the Air Force announces that they plan to purchase 650 of whichever aircraft is chosen for the air
18:19combat fighter.
18:20In January, the Air Force announces the selection of the YF-16.
18:26It is the overall performance of the F-16 prototypes that impressed the Department of Defense.
18:32A pre-production order of 15 aircraft is placed, with the prospect to purchase 650 aircraft over the next five
18:40years.
18:41But Northrop's design is not scrapped forever.
18:45The YF-17 would eventually evolve into the F-18 Hornet.
18:49The Hornet is an all-weather, carrier-capable, multi-role fighter jet designed to attack both ground and air targets.
18:58F-16s joined the Iraq War in 2003 and are still active in counterinsurgency missions.
19:04The Fighting Falcon's most famous involvement in the war was the 2006 strike that assassinated Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the
19:12then leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
19:20The U.S. Air Force names General Dynamics prototype, the YF-16, winner of the air combat fighter competition in
19:27January 1975.
19:29The flight test program reveals the YF-16's superior acceleration, climb rates, endurance, and turning ability.
19:39During development, both manufacturers are aware that the aging F-104 starfighter will soon need to be replaced.
19:45The F-104 equipped several European NATO air forces, so the replacement will be the fighter deal of the century.
20:03In May 1975, the prototype makes its first transatlantic flight for a sales tour to potential NATO customers.
20:10The Paris Air Show offers an ideal opportunity to display the YF-16's ability to European clients.
20:20At the air show, General Dynamics chief test pilot, Neil Anderson, thrills the crowd and impresses experts with the red,
20:27white, and blue lightweight fighter.
20:30Many countries have been studying the design for some time.
20:34They are looking for a replacement European fighter that offers economy without sacrificing performance.
20:46After intense international competition among manufacturers, NATO countries adopt the General Dynamics design.
20:57By the end of the air show, four European air forces sign up for 348 F-16's.
21:05With substantial orders on hand, General Dynamics' Fort Worth plant goes into top gear.
21:11And the first F-16 single seat model rolls out in December 1976 for testing.
21:28When the plane is built, it represents the last word in technological design.
21:33At about 18,000 pounds, the aircraft is extremely lightweight, thanks to the use of advanced aluminum alloys.
21:41The cockpit has several features not seen in earlier fighters.
21:45Provisions are made to reduce stress forces on pilots as their F-16's maneuver.
21:50Sharp turns and sudden accelerations can put the pilot's body under severe stress from the forces of gravity, or G
21:56-forces.
21:57Higher G-forces cause problems with blood circulation and present a serious threat to the pilot.
22:03At two G's, the pilot begins to lose peripheral vision, and by six, he's in danger of blacking out.
22:11To improve the pilot's tolerance of G-forces, the seat is laid back at an angle of 30 degrees.
22:17This distributes the pilot's weight over a greater area, and creates pressure for blood to return to the heart.
22:27The cockpit layout makes information readily available to enhance the pilot's situational awareness.
22:33The heads-up display, or HUD, projects visual flight and combat information onto the weapon's sight glass directly in front
22:41of the pilot, without obstructing his view.
22:46The design also places controls at the pilot's fingertips, so during a fight, he never needs to look down into
22:53the cockpit.
22:54For easy and accurate control of the aircraft during high-G combat maneuvers, the side stick controller is used instead
23:01of the conventional center-mounted stick.
23:05So talk to me a little bit about the evolution of the flight control system in the jets, specifically the
23:10stick.
23:10When it first came out as a new concept, did the guys that were flying it like it, or was
23:14it kind of foreign to them?
23:15Well, it was truly foreign. It was a side stick, which was different from any airplane before, the F-15
23:20or the F-4.
23:21And the stick didn't have any movement at all in it. It was fixed. It took inputs based on pressure
23:27alone.
23:27No movement. No movement, and the pilots didn't like that.
23:29Did that end up making it easier to fly, more difficult to fly? Did it lighten the workload for the
23:34guy in the cockpit?
23:35It was a lot more sensitive control. And you get into what they call roll ratcheting, where you put what
23:40used to have been the right amount of input into a lateral move of the jet,
23:45but you would give too much and you would overcorrect. And it took a little bit, coming from a different
23:50background, to recalibrate your flying motor to what was the right input.
23:56But once you got used to it, it was great. It was very responsive as a fly-by-wire flight
24:02control system.
24:04The F-16 also employs an advanced radar for search, weapons control, and guidance.
24:18General Dynamics recognizes that maximum visibility can provide a small edge that today's dogfighters need over their opponents.
24:30The one-piece bubble canopy is one of the most subtle yet beneficial features of the F-16 design. It
24:37provides 360-degree all-around visibility.
24:44The wing and fuselage blend into each other, creating a single modular unit. By having a smooth transition from wing
24:52to fuselage, the F-16 is given improved performance at high angles of attack.
24:56The phenomenal maneuverability and agility that allows the F-16 pilot to outperform all other aircraft is a result of
25:04the blending of two new sciences.
25:06Fly-by-wire electrical operation of the aircraft's control surface actuators and a relaxed static stability.
25:13When both of these innovations work together with the F-16 electronics and automatic flight controls, the result puts the
25:20aircraft in a class of its own.
25:27The high-tech F-16 also uses a digital flight control concept. The flight control computer accepts the pilot's input
25:35from the stick and rudder controls and manipulates the control surfaces to produce the desired result without inducing a loss
25:42of control.
25:43They had certain advancements already by the time the F-16 was fueled, and one of them was the digital
25:50flight control concept.
25:51F-16 was the first one to have that kind of system. The airplane was able to be designed what's
25:58called statically unstable, so that it won't fly unless it has the assistance of a computer.
26:03So a computer actually controls all the flight control surfaces on that, sending signals to the hydraulics that move those
26:10surfaces, which is a direct contrast to how all previous airplanes were done.
26:16The F-16 is the first plane completely controlled by a computer, and many pilots call it the electric plane.
26:25It is also the first aircraft to feature a thrust to weight ratio greater than 1 to 1, providing enough
26:32power to climb and accelerate vertically at the same time.
26:38Quick turnaround speed is essential for any modern-day fighter. Its ability to land, quickly refuel, and rearm is fundamental
26:47to its effectiveness in combat.
26:52Because the manufacturers incorporate technologies that are already proven in aircraft like the F-15 and F-111, it allows
27:00designers to simplify the airplane and reduce its size, purchase price, maintenance costs, and weight.
27:09The aviation industry. The aviation industries of the four participating European nations also benefit from the F-16 success through
27:16subcontracting, licensing, and ultimate assembly.
27:21The first and major assembly line is at General Dynamics plant in Fort Worth, Texas.
27:26The program is large and complex. Scale models must be used to achieve effective workflow.
27:39As production and assembly get underway, the European manufacturers also begin construction.
27:50In August 1978, the first fully operational F-16 rolls off the line and begins pre-acceptance trials.
28:02And on January 23, 1979, the United States Air Force's 388th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base in
28:11Utah receives the first F-16.
28:18Hill Air Force Base holds the official naming ceremony for the new aircraft on July 21, 1980.
28:24And the F-16 is formally named the Fighting Falcon, after the mascot for the United States Air Force Academy.
28:37Within weeks, other NATO Air Forces receive their own planes.
28:46Increased interest in the F-16 spawns orders from around the world.
28:50In 1979, Iran orders 160 aircraft.
28:55But after a change in power, the United States cancels the order.
29:02Eventually, 79 aircraft from that order find their way to the Israeli Air Force.
29:14The F-16 quickly becomes the standard fighter for countries who do not produce their own aircraft.
29:23Before Fighting Falcon was selected as the official name, pilots at Hill Air Force Base came up with a number
29:29of proposals, including Viper, because they thought it resembled a Cobra or Viper as it approached.
29:35Even though the Fighting Falcon became the official name, Viper stuck around and became the unofficial nickname for the F
29:41-16.
29:42The U.S. government selects the General Dynamics YF-16 after an intense competition between Northrop's YF-17 for a
29:50new lightweight fighter.
29:51By now, the F-16 is becoming the standard airframe for countries who do not produce their own aircraft.
29:56But these countries demand more than just a fighter.
30:00In 1979, the F-16 enters service as a representation of the latest technology, excelling in both dogfighting and ground
30:09attacks.
30:10Mindful of the dogfight mission, it is equipped with a cannon, missiles and has a staggering array of potential configurations.
30:21The F-16 is armed with an M-61 Vulcan 20-millimeter cannon in the left wing route and up
30:27to six A-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking short-range air-to-air missiles.
30:32It was conceived of as a lightweight, low-cost fighter primarily for air-to-air, but it evolved to possess
30:38air-to-air and air-to-ground, a true multi-role fighter.
30:42It can do the air-to-air role, it can do air-to-ground and dropping bombs, shooting missiles at
30:47the ground, and also do what's called a C, suppression of enemy air defense.
30:51So that's where it's going against an enemy SAM and shooting missiles at that SAM.
30:55It also carries a wide variety of air-to-ground missiles, rockets or bombs, electronic countermeasures, navigation targeting or weapons
31:03pods, and fuel tanks on 11 hardpoints under the wings and fuselage.
31:14In addition to its traditional fighter role, pilots soon realized that the F-16 is highly effective in air-to
31:20-ground scenarios.
31:30So as a guy that flew it, you obviously liked it.
31:32Oh yeah.
31:33I liked the F-16, it was a great airplane to fly, but I really liked the diversity of missions
31:38that it had.
31:39It gave me a lot of opportunity to train and fly in both an air-to-air and an air
31:44-to-ground role, and I liked it.
31:45So if you had to take your pick between the Viper and the Eagle, which one would you choose?
31:48That's always a loaded question.
31:49I love both of them.
31:50Come on, pick one.
31:51The Eagle was my first airplane, I loved it, and it was the big dog, the Cadillac of air-to
31:55-air warfare.
31:56And the Viper, I just love the fact that I could go out there and not only do an air
32:01-to-air mission, but an air-to-ground.
32:03I probably, just based on mission alone, would take the Viper, but they're both great.
32:08Bite your tongue.
32:09Yeah.
32:10That's a good answer.
32:11In an air-combat role, the F-16's maneuverability and combat radius exceed that of all potential threat fighter aircraft.
32:19In an air-to-ground role, it can fly more than 500 miles to deliver its weapons with superior accuracy
32:26and defend itself against enemy aircraft.
32:29So it's not surprising when the F-16 is chosen to participate in the 1981 technical bombing competition at Lossieboot
32:37in Scotland.
32:52Considered by some to be the penultimate competition of its kind, the competition focuses on the ground attack capabilities of
32:58two types of aircraft from the British and two from the US.
33:02Still new and fairly unknown, the F-16 must compete against contenders with proven performance records.
33:09The BAC Jaguar is Britain's state-of-the-art ground attack aircraft.
33:18Another contender is General Dynamics' F-111 swing-wing bomber, which comes from the same stable as the F-16.
33:27At the time, the F-111 is the Air Force's number one attack aircraft, capable of striking any fixed or
33:34moving target with a range of over 1,000 nautical miles.
33:42Employed by the Royal Air Force, the British twin-engine Buccaneer is a veteran with many years of service as
33:48a naval attack bomber.
34:05The F-16 wins the accuracy competition, even against the dedicated ground attack Jaguar.
34:18The F-16 wins the accuracy competition, even against the dedicated ground attack Jaguar.
34:26But the competition does not just test bombing accuracy. It involves all aspects of combat readiness and effectiveness. Navigation, aircraft
34:36turnaround, pilot skills and tactics.
34:44In all aspects, the F-16 establishes itself with breathtaking effectiveness. By the time the final results are calculated, General
34:53Dynamics' brilliant lightweight wins the number one position in the final formation.
34:58However, the success of the F-16 at Lassimuth does not come as a complete surprise.
35:10About a week before the competition, the Israeli Air Force demonstrates the F-16's bombing potential during Operation Babylon.
35:17This is the F-16's first combat mission worldwide. On the afternoon of June 7, 1981, Israeli fighter planes prepare
35:27for a surprise airstrike that will deprive the Iraqis of atomic weapons.
35:31The target is a nuclear reactor in Osirak, Iraq, where nuclear fuel can be converted into plutonium for atom bombs.
35:41The mission calls for eight F-16's, each carrying two 2,000-pound bombs, and six F-15's that serve
35:48as fighter escorts to protect the bomb-laden Falcons.
35:52One by one, the Falcon's bombs find their marks, and in less than two minutes, the plant is destroyed by
35:5816 tons of TNT.
36:06The bombs penetrate the plutonium processing plant and cause the reactor to collapse.
36:15The success of the mission brings attention to the F-16's flawless maneuvering and fly-by-wire controls.
36:21And this is only the beginning of the Fighting Falcon's rise to glory.
36:26The F-16's first air-to-air combat success comes on April 28, 1981, when the Israeli Air Force shoots
36:33down a Syrian MI-8 helicopter with cannon fire.
36:44Air forces around the world become aware of the F-16's success as a low-cost multi-role fighter.
36:56While United States F-16s see little combat in their first years, several other nations facing conflict turn to the
37:02Falcon and it quickly proves successful.
37:08A year later, in 1982, Israeli F-16's demonstrate their fighter ability when Syria threatens Israel.
37:33Together with the Israeli Air Force Eagles and F-4s, they devastate Syrian fighters in classic dogfight situations.
37:41One-on-one, Syrian MiGs are simply no match for Israeli F-16s.
38:02Due to its astounding maneuverability, the United States Air Force quickly finds another role for the versatile fighter.
38:08On April 2, 1983, the U.S. Air Force Aerial Demonstration Squadron flies its first public show with the F
38:16-16.
38:19The Thunderbirds were activated in 1953 to present aerial maneuvers that exhibit the capabilities of high-performance Air Force aircraft.
38:30During the Soviet-Afghan War, Pakistani Air Force F-16s shoot down Afghan and Soviet ground attack and transport aircraft,
38:39operating in Pakistani airspace between May 1986 and December 1988.
38:46During Operation Desert Storm, the F-16 is known as the workhorse of the war.
38:52It executes 25% of all strike sorties throughout the war.
39:08Averaging 300 to 400 a day, the Fighting Falcon is credited with flying 13,500 sorties, more than any other
39:17aircraft.
39:18In March of 1993, Lockheed buys General Dynamics and merges with another company to become Lockheed Martin.
39:25This new company continues to make the F-16s.
39:29When Desert Storm ends, United States Air Force F-16s begin patrolling the Iraqi no-fly zones.
39:40NATO F-16s see action during Bosnian peacekeeping operations in 1994 to 1995,
39:46flying ground attack missions and enforcing the no-fly zone over Bosnia.
40:01F-16s return to Iraq in December 1998 as part of the Operation Desert Fox bombing campaign to degrade Iraq's
40:09ability to manufacture and use weapons of mass destruction.
40:16The fighter responds to modern conflict by employing the latest precision munitions and by providing effective suppression of enemy air
40:24defenses.
40:25United States Air Force F-16s currently operate in Iraq and Afghanistan.
40:30Since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, F-16s have flown continuous all-weather operations that accomplish precision
40:39strike mission objectives.
40:41The F-16 provides more proven combat capability and affordability than any other multirole fighter available in the world today.
40:50The F-16 evolves through four generations to become the most capable multirole fighter available, building upon its legendary combat
40:59record of 72 victories and zero losses.
41:04Talk to me about a couple of those different evolutions the plane has been through.
41:08What are some of the things that they have continuously made better about this plane throughout its surface history?
41:13Well, the F-16s started out as an A-model and then it evolved into a C-model and that
41:18was a big evolutionary change.
41:20One of the early A-models had a different radar. It had much less capable air-to-ground avionics.
41:26It had a very good sight for dropping bombs, but you had to find your target and maneuver yourself in
41:31the position to drop those bombs.
41:32When the C-model came along, all those next-generation capabilities with a targeting pod that allowed laser-guided targeting
41:40and LGB weapons to be dropped.
41:44It had a GPS navigation system which allowed it to target with GPS-guided bombs.
41:51The most current evolution of the capabilities came about with the C-model.
41:55It also got a bigger motor because the jet started to get heavier as it started to take on all
41:59these capabilities.
42:00Suffice to say that the Viper that first came out back in the late 70s would almost pale in comparison
42:05to the Vipers that were flying today.
42:07Oh, most certainly. Most certainly. I mean, they were lighter and they were a lot simpler avionics-wise.
42:13There were a lot more additions that were added to the capabilities both internally and externally on the F-16.
42:20Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force are committed to modification and sustainment of the worldwide F-16 fleet.
42:28Continuous technology enhancements, upgrades, and global sustainment allow the F-16 to perform as a comprehensive weapon system.
42:36These advanced technologies spawn from the aircraft's performance and combat operations by multiple nations.
42:43They combine feedback from the warfighter and incorporate it into the avionic systems and architecture of the F-16 to
42:50keep the aircraft relevant.
42:52The Falcon proves itself through years of continuous combat with the United States Air Force.
42:58In 2005, the 2,231st and last F-16 is built for the U.S. Air Force.
43:05The fighter continues to serve with the U.S. and 23 other nations as the world standard in multirole fighters.
43:14Not since the P-51 Mustang or the F-86 Sabre has such a technologically advanced flying machine come in
43:21such a deceivingly small package.
43:24Flown by pilots of 25 allied nations around the world or the U.S. Air Force at home and abroad.
43:30Fighting Falcon has proven itself in vigorous exercises and in actual combat to be probably the greatest single-engine combat
43:38fighter since the arrival of the jet.
43:40Fly from the Republic to have proven itself on the exit!
43:402016
43:41Fast
43:42Now
43:42Coffee
43:42You
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