The world of military aviation has just witnessed a historic milestone with the delivery of the world's most advanced F-16. Almost half a century after its creation, the iconic F-16 has been completely reinvented, showing that old warriors can also learn new tricks.
Back in the 60s, the United States Air Force had the flea behind his ear with the performance of his fighters in the Vietnam War.
O F4 Phantom he was the sweetheart of the time, but he ended up not being successful against the agile Mig 21. This whole robbery gave birth to the group Fighter Mafia, who got his hands dirty to develop a lighter hunting, fast and cheap to operate.
YF-16: the beginning of everything
It was in this climate of “let's turn the game around” that the LWF (Light Weight Fighter) program emerged, and General Dynamics presented the prototype YF-16.
The little thing was a revolution: it had a cool Side Stick instead of the traditional Center Stick, an eagle's vision with a bubble-shaped canopy and jaw-dropping maneuverability, thanks to relaxed static stability and flight control 100% Fly by Wire.
First-class Avionics and a Respectful Engine
O Original F-16 came with an AN/APG-66 Pulse Doppler radar, which at the time was the top of the galaxies, and an F100-PW-200 engine, a turbocharged version of the F-15 Eagle engine.
With these beauties, the F-16 it exceeded all expectations and became a first-rate multi-mission fighter.
And now, holding the wave of almost 50 years of history, the F-16V Block 70/72 arrives
It comes with an AN/APG-83 radar, related to the F-22 and F-35 radar, a electronic warfare system jaw-dropping, a cockpit with colorful and customizable displays, and a bunch of other technological frills.
And that's not all: the new F-16 it can automatically avoid collisions with the ground and has a data link that makes data transmission faster and safer.
A Lockheed Martin, who is behind this beauty, is already hands-on delivering up to four aircraft per month, and that number could increase if more countries join the dance.
And there's more: those who already have F-16 of older models can give their looks and technology a facelift by upgrading to the F-16V Block 70/72 standard.
