Mission
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the United States and allied nations.
Features
In an air combat role, the F-16's maneuverability and combat radius (distance it can fly to enter air combat, stay, fight and return) exceed that of all potential threat fighter aircraft. It can locate targets in all weather conditions and detect low flying aircraft in radar ground clutter. In an air-to-surface role, the F-16 can fly more than 500 miles (860 kilometers), deliver its weapons with superior accuracy, defend itself against enemy aircraft, and return to its starting point. An all-weather capability allows it to accurately deliver ordnance during non-visual bombing conditions.
In designing the F-16, advanced aerospace science and proven reliable systems from other aircraft such as the F-15 and F-111 were selected. These were combined to simplify the airplane and reduce its size, purchase price, maintenance costs and weight. The light weight of the fuselage is achieved without reducing its strength. With a full load of internal fuel, the F-16 can withstand up to nine G's -- nine times the force of gravity -- which exceeds the capability of other current fighter aircraft.
The cockpit and its bubble canopy give the pilot unobstructed forward and upward vision, and greatly improved vision over the side and to the rear. The seat-back angle was expanded from the usual 13 degrees to 30 degrees, increasing pilot comfort and gravity force tolerance. The pilot has excellent flight control of the F-16 through its "fly-by-wire" system. Electrical wires relay commands, replacing the usual cables and linkage controls. For easy and accurate control of the aircraft during high G-force combat maneuvers, a side stick controller is used instead of the conventional center-mounted stick. Hand pressure on the side stick controller sends electrical signals to actuators of flight control surfaces such as ailerons and rudder.
Avionics systems include a highly accurate inertial navigation system in which a computer provides steering information to the pilot. The plane has UHF and VHF radios plus an instrument landing system. It also has a warning system and modular countermeasure pods to be used against airborne or surface electronic threats. The fuselage has space for additional avionics systems.
Many new capabilities have recently been added to the F-16. These include more powerful and reliable engines, structural upgrades, multimode radar upgrades, a Global Positioning System and a digital terrain system.
Aircrews of the F-16 benefit from new day/night precision strike capability with forward looking infrared targeting pods and laser-guided weapons, enhanced night attack capability with FLIR navigation pod, helmet-mounted night vision goggles, cockpit and exterior lighting compatible with the goggles, and automatic terrain and route following capabilities during low-altitude operations.
The F-16 capabilities also include an all-weather, standoff near-precision strike with the new family of inertial-aided weapons such as Joint Direct Attack Munitions, Joint Standoff Weapon, Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser and enhanced laser-guided bombs.
New avionics hardware and software systems are increasing reliability, maintainability and supportability of the F-16. Electronic data bases containing the technical manuals can now be viewed on flight line portable computers.
With all these new capabilities, the F-16 has become the world's most capable and most versatile multirole fighter.