The F-16 Should return to Production

November 11, 2009 • written by Mitch Cordes

 

The F-16 is one of the most valuable aircraft in our arsenal

today. The key factor of any modern combat plane is versatility. Any plane

that is able to fly a variety of missions is very valuable due to the fact

that it can help reduce costs of operations by limiting the number of

different aircraft needed as well as reduce the number of components that

are needed for maintenance. The nimble F-16 is just that versatile plane.

This aircraft has had over 34 years of service to our nation’s defense and

has been used during Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom; as well by many other

countries, in many other operations. The aircraft first came to light in

1975 when it won the light-weight fighter competition between Boeing,

Northrop, General Dynamics, Ling-Temco-Vought, and Lockheed. Since then the

F-16 has become one of the most used and successful aircraft in history. The

reason the F-16 has been so successful and is used all around the world is

because of its many useful features, one of the more notable features of the

aircraft is that at peak performance it can exceed mach 2, yet at the same

time twist and turn at such sharp angles it can turn inside of many other

modern jet adversaries. Another way the plane is quite versatile is that; it

can perform the roles of a fighter, bomber, and reconnaissance aircraft

quite well; thus allowing the aircraft to be a virtual one plane air force.

This plane is so great in fact that it is used by the famous U.S.Air Force

Thunderbirds acrobatic demonstration team. This aircraft is also used by

Israel and NATO alongside other larger planes like the larger F-15Eagl. One

of the most recognizable raids of the aircraft; is it’s raid on Iraq’s

nuclear weapons plant nearly undetected, before the plant could produce

weapons grade nuclear materials. Another very notable feature is it can

carry more than thirty types of offensive weapons, defensive weapons, and

electronic pods in variations weighing up to ten tons. The F-16, for these

reasons and others is one of the best modern aircraft ever produced. That is

why we think we should restart production of the F-16 once again for

operation purposes.

 

 

Manufacturer: General Dynamics, Fort Worth, Texas

 

 

Engine: Models (A, B, C, D) one 23,840 lb thrust Pratt & Whitney F 100-200

afterburner turbofan. Model F, one 23,450 lb F 100-220 afterburner turbofan.

Model F, one 29,000 lb General Electric F 110-100 afterburner turbofan used

after 1986 and on.

 

 

Armament weighing up to ten tons: One M61A-1 20mm gun with about 500,515

rounds. AGM-65 Maverick-air to ground missiles. AGM-84 Harpoon-anti-ship

missile. AIM-120 AMRAAM-Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile. AIM-7

Sparrow-Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile.AIM-9 Sidewinder-Short range

Air-to-Air missile. AN/AAQ-13 & AN/AAQ-14 LANTRIN- Navigation & Targeting

Pod. GBU-31 and GBU-38 JDAM- Joint Direct Attack Munitions. AM-54 Phoenix

Missiles-Long range Air-to-Air Missile. Other export operators may use their

own variations.

 

 

Users: U.S. Air Force, Navy, NASA, USN, PACAF, ANG, TAC, Italy, Israel,

Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Chile, Indonesia, Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Jordan,

Morocco, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Republic of China/Taiwan,

Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, The Netherlands, and the United Arab

Emirates.