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F-16: THE BEST-SELLER

To Brigadier General Jeffery Riemer of the US Air Force, the secret of the F-16's success is quite simple: "It offers its customers excellent value and is affordable even on a tight budget." This conclusion is shared by 19 countries on top of the United States. Since 1975 over 4,250 firm orders for the aircraft have been received either by General Dynamics or its successor Lockheed Martin. In terms of sales, the Fighting Falcon is streets ahead of the YF-17/F-18 Hornet, its main rival in the lightweight fighter competition of the early 70s.

"Since the Second World War only rarely has a fighter aircraft had a production run as big as 4,000 units," said Dain M. Hancock, President of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, with evident satisfaction as the 4000th aircraft was recently handed over to the Egyptian Air Force in Fort Worth. Egypt is one of the many countries which, not content with just placing a single order, has replenished its stocks more than once - according to Lockheed convincing proof indeed of customer satisfaction.

A success story like that of the F-16 is of course no accident. If the Fighting Falcon's external appearance has hardly changed since the roll-out of the YF-16 in December 1973, as far as its equipment and capability are concerned there is no comparison between the first aircraft and the F-16C/D Block 50/52 currently being built.

The comparatively small size of the aircraft, which was imposed in the early 1970s as a means of keeping the spiralling cost of fighter aircraft within reasonable bounds, benefited particularly from two developments. Firstly, Pratt & Whitney and General Electric succeeded in extracting ever more power from their engines, and secondly the electronics, which today play such a critical role, gradually occupied less and less space while at the same time producing a whole order of magnitude more capability. In this way an aircraft originally intended for air combat in fair-weather operations turned into a multi-role, multi-purpose fighter. For example, there is hardly any other fighter jet which is cleared for so many different weapons.

Even so, in recent years the F-16 has faced increasing competition, above all from the new generation of European fighters, the JAS 39 Gripen, Eurofighter and Rafale. For a time it looked as if production would have to cease in 2001. But in the last 18 months, Lockheed Martin has made some major sales:

• Egypt ordered another 24 F-16C/D Block 40 in August 1999.
• Israel is purchasing 50 new F-16l's after a competition in which the other contender was the F-15I. A contract worth $2.5 billion (DM5.1 billion) was signed in September 1999. This includes an option to buy an additional 60 aircraft for $2 billion. First delivery is scheduled for 2003.
• The United Arab Emirates was the first customer for the F-16 Block 60. Although the decision for this version in preference to the F-15E was made in May 1998, the negotiations on details such as equipment and technology transfers dragged out for almost two years. Only on 5 March 2000 were contracts finally signed for 80 aircraft (including 25 two-seaters). The price of the UAE's Desert Falcons, including an estimated $2 billion of development costs, is around $6.4 billion (DM13.1 billion). Deliveries will commence in 2004.
• In the spring of 1999, Greece selected the F-16 Block 50+ and ordered 50 aircraft on 10 March 2000. Including equipment and logistics, the total contract value is $2.1 billion (DM4.3 billion).. First delivery is scheduled for 2002.
• On 8 May the US Air Force signed a contract initially for nine F-16C Block 50. The contract specifies that a total of 30 aircraft will be purchased over the next few years.

These orders will keep the production line going in Fort Worth, Texas until at least the beginning of 2006. If all the options are taken up, production of the Fighting Falcon could continue even to 2009.

To win the latest sales, Lockheed Martin had to offer a number of new systems. One prominent new feature is the two large upper-wing/fuselage-mounted auxiliary tanks, each of which holds 1900 litres of fuel. These will change the Fighting Falcon's profile radically, but thanks to aerodynamic shaping the tanks should have little effect on drag and agility. What they offer in return is an increase in operational radius of 250 to 300km (135 to 162nm), depending on mission profile and payload.

To take advantage of the extra fuel, take-off weight was increased to 22,680kg (50,000lb). According to Lockheed Martin this did not require any structural modifications. However, with the extra weight it made sense to upgrade the powerplant. The UAE's Block 60 aircraft will therefore be fitted with the General Electric F110-GE-132, which offers 145kN (32,500lb) thrust. This approximately 10% increase is made possible by a new blisk fan and an improved afterburner. GE is also proposing a new nozzle. In addition to improved performance, the manufacturer has also made longer maintenance intervals a priority.

In the cockpit, Lockheed Martin is now offering several different configurations with colour screens that can be up to 250 x 250mm (9.85 x 9.85in). However, due to the extra space needed to accommodate them on the small panel, it has been necessary to dispense with standby instruments. If required, helmet-mounted displays produced by Elbit or an American company can be integrated.

The radar naturally remains the F-16's primary sensor, and here Northrop Grumman is developing new versions of its APG-68. The APG-68(V)XM now has an SAR mode and can therefore produce highly accurate radar maps for the deployment of precision weapons. The range of the upgraded radar is 25% greater, while its reliability has doubled. Among other things, the receiver and computer have been replaced by commercial off-the-shelf products. The radar is also intended as a retrofit item. Northrop Grumman is going one step further for the UAE, whose radar antenna will have active electronic beam scanning. This apparently should enable targets with a radar cross-section of one square metre to be acquired at a distance of approx. 120km (65nm) - a distinct improvement on the F-15 Eagle.

In addition to the APG-68, Lockheed Martin is offering to install a FLIR. This comprises two sensors above the nose and in a small pod. The upper sensor provides a wide-angle image for navigation and target seeking, while the lower sensor is used for target acquisition and laser designation. The hefty LANTIRN pods used previously have thus been consigned to the past.

As regards electronic warfare capability, various options are available, and Israel has traditionally used EW suites developed by the Israeli company Elisra. The United Arab Emirates has chosen Northrop Grumman. Although little information is available, this suite is said to be one of the most sophisticated systems available.

Three different data links can be installed, and BAE Systems' TERPROM navigation system is also on offer. For Block 60, Litton's Onboard Oxygen Generating System (OBOGS), which generates the oxygen for the crew directly on board, is available.

The range of weapons which can be deployed with the F-16 is constantly being extended. The Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser and the EGBU-27 laser-guided bomb against hardened structures have recently completed their trials successfully, to mention but two. The El Hakim stand-off weapon is to be integrated on the UAE's F-16s.

All in all, the Fighting Falcon is well equipped for further fighter competitions. Lockheed Martin is confident of winning several hundred additional F-16 sales. This would ensure that capacity at the Fort Worth plant remained fully utilised until the Joint Strike Fighter enters production, possibly at the end of the decade.

From page 60 of FLUG REVUE 9/2000