Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon Developments

AN/AWW-14(V) said:
L3Harris Technologies has been awarded a contract from Lockheed Martin for development of a new advanced electronic warfare system to protect the international F-16 multirole fighter aircraft against emerging radar and electronic threats.

L3Harris designed Viper Shield to provide U.S. and global coalition partners with cutting-edge countermeasures against sophisticated, ever-changing threats. The baseline version is integrated into the aircraft fuselage, saving space for additional capability such as a fuel pod that could be attached externally to increase mission range.

www.l3harris.com

L3Harris Technologies to Provide Next-Generation Electronic Warfare System for F-16 Multirole Fighter

L3Harris Technologies has been awarded a contract from Lockheed Martin for development of a new advanced electronic warfare system to protect the international F-16 multirole fighter aircraft against emerging radar and electronic threats.
www.l3harris.com www.l3harris.com
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So Viper Shield compete with AN/ALQ-211 and AN/ALQ-213 in the export Block 70/72 market soon enough. I'm curious if the US gov. will, just like DEWS (for export) and EPAWSS (use in USAF alongside clearance to key allies like Japan), only clear the export of Viper Shield to allied nations?

Also, if I'm right, Viper Shield is the second Fighting Falcon/Viper EW Suite to get an actual nickname after the Falcon Edge for the Block 60. newer 211 was named AIDEWS, which I'm not sure if I'll call it a nickname. Then DEWS and EPAWSS ain't no nicknames either...
 
EPAWSS is not for export as much as we can guess. It's a different EW suites integrated with all US systems, including F-35s.
But I agree that key allies like Japan might get the opportunity since they are already cleared for the F-35.
 
TomcatViP said:
EPAWSS is not for export as much as we can guess. It's a different EW suites integrated with all US systems, including F-35s.
But I agree that key allies like Japan might get the opportunity since they are already cleared for the F-35
Click to expand...
They already have. It was recently revealed that newly inclusion of EPAWSS in JSI upgrade program has been problematic and has become one of the reasons for major increase in cost of the whole program. Now they are reconsidering JSI program althogether because of it.
 
WASHINGTON, June 24, 2021

The Government of the Philippines has requested to buy ten (10) F-16C Block 70/72 aircraft; two (2) F-16D Block 70/72 aircraft; fifteen (15) F100-PW-229EEP engines or F110-GE-129D engines; fifteen (15) Improved Programmable Display Generators (iPDG); fifteen (15) AN/APG-83 Advanced Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Scalable Agile Beam Radars (SABR); fifteen (15) Modular Mission Computers 7000AH; fifteen (15) LN-260 Embedded GPS/INS (EGI) with SAASM and PPS; twenty-four (24) Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) AIM-120C-7/C-8 or equivalent; one (1) AIM-120 Guidance Section; forty-eight (48) LAU-129 missile launchers; three (3) KMU-572 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM) tail kits; six (6) Mk-82 500lb bombs; six (6) Mk-82 500lb Inert training bombs; six (6) FMU-152 or FMU-139 fuzes; six (6) Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods (ATP) or Litening ATP; fifteen (15) Multifunctional Information Display System Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS-JTRS) aircraft terminals, and; fifteen (15) M61A1 Vulcan Anti-Aircraft 20mm guns. Also included are AN/ARC-238 radios; Advanced Identification Friend or Foe with Combined Interrogator Transponder and Mode 5; Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems II (JHMCS II) or Scorpion Hybrid Optical-based Inertial Tacker (HObIT); Integrated Electronic Warfare Suite; Electronic Combat International Security Assistance Program (ECISAP) support; AN/ALE-47 Countermeasure Dispenser Systems (CMDS); Joint Mission Planning Systems (JMPS) or equivalent; AIM-120 CATM; LAU-118 launchers with Advanced Launcher Interface Computer (ALIC); LAU-117 missile launchers; DSU-38 Precision Laser Guided Sensor for LJDAM; Harpoon interface adapter kits; PGU-28 High Explosive Incendiary (HEI) ammunition; PGU-27 ammunition training rounds (non HEI); Cartridge Actuated Devices/Propellant Actuated Devices (CAD/PAD); ARD-446 impulse cartridges; ARD-863 impulse cartridges; BBU-36/B impulse cartridges; BBU-35/B impulse cartridges; MK-124 smoke flares; MJU-7/B Flare Cartridge L463; BRU‐61 Bomb Racks; BRU‐57 bomb racks; MAU‐12 bomb racks and TER‐9A triple ejection racks; weapons support, test equipment, and missile containers; chaff and flare; Night Vision Devices (NVD) and support equipment and spares; secure communications; cryptographic equipment; aircraft and personnel support and test equipment; integration and test; weapons, ammunition, pylons, launcher adaptors, weapons interfaces, fuel tanks, and attached hardware; travel pods, precision measurement equipment laboratory, calibration, and simulators; spare and repair parts, repair and return services; maps, publications, and technical documentation; studies and surveys; classified / unclassified software and software support; personnel training and training equipment; facilities and facility management, design and/or construction services; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support. The estimated total cost is $2.43 billion.

The Philippines – F-16 Block 70/72 Aircraft | Defense Security Cooperation Agency

www.dsca.mil www.dsca.mil

The Government of the Philippines has requested to buy twenty-four (24) AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II tactical missiles; twenty-four (24) AIM-9X Block II Captive Air Training Missiles (CATMs); six (6) Tactical Guidance Units; and ten (10) Captive Air Training Missile (CATM) Guidance Units. Also included are containers, support and test equipment, spare and repair parts, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical data, software delivery and support, U.S. Government and contractor technical assistance and other related support; and other related elements of logistical and program support. The estimated total cost is $42.4 million.

The Philippines – AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II Tactical Missiles | Defense Security Cooperation Agency

www.dsca.mil www.dsca.mil

The Government of the Philippines has requested to buy twelve (12) AGM-84L-1 Harpoon Block II air launched missiles; and two (2) ATM-84L-1 Harpoon Block II Exercise missiles. Also included are containers; spare and repair parts; support and test equipment; publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistical support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support. The estimated total cost is $120 million.

The Philippines – AGM-84L-1 Harpoon Air Launched Block II Missiles | Defense Security Cooperation Agency

www.dsca.mil www.dsca.mil
 
MANILA, Philippines - Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the F-16 fighter jets that were being offered by the United States were “expensive”, prompting the Philippine Air Force (PAF) to look at other options.

“The US wants us to buy their F-16s. It’s very expensive so the PAF is evaluating others,” he told INQUIRER.net on Friday (June 25).

Only 1 other option is the Saab JAS-39 Gripen from Sweden.
globalnation.inquirer.net

Lorenzana: Pricey F-16s prompted look at fighter jet options

MANILA, Philippines—Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the F-16 fighter jets that were being offered by the United States were “expensive”, prompting the Philippine Air Force (PAF) to look
globalnation.inquirer.net globalnation.inquirer.net
 
TomcatViP said:
Draken to get 12 (26 more as an option) ex-Dutch F-16s (soon to be retired airframe) :
theaviationist.com

Dutch Government Agrees To Sell 12 F-16s To Draken International For Use In Adversary Role In The U.S.

Draken International is about to expand its fleet of fighter jets already used for Combat Air Force/Contracted Air Support (CAF/CAS) program in the U.S
theaviationist.com theaviationist.com
Click to expand...
I was surprised to realized how much aicraft Draken operates. Their fleet is larger than many air forces!
and despite that fleet, they have 0 Drakens!
 
I've a question about the F-16s radars and pitot tube

the regular F-16s As through Cs generally have a short pitot tube at the end of the radome

the UAE b.60 F-16s, don't have them. I assume its because of the AESA.

does the V have them? or the AESA equipped USAF F-16s?
the problem with google is htat many media agencies incorrectly use random F-16 stock image, which I think are of an older model

even the official LockMart website
www.lockheedmartin.com

Meet the F-16V: The Most Technologically Advanced 4th Generation Fighter in the World

The F-16V: A 4th Generation multi-role fighter aircraft. Enhanced for international security, it remains at the forefront of modern military capabilities.
www.lockheedmartin.com www.lockheedmartin.com
the top pic has one without a pitot tube
while the next pic has one with a pitot tube

does the relocation of the pitot tube away from the tip of the radome matter for AESA radars?
 
Wichita State University’s National Institute of Aviation Research, or NIAR, will create the digital twin for a projected cost of $27 million. The service intends to award a $19 million contract for the first phase of the effort by September, an Air Force Materiel Command spokesman said in response to questions from Defense News.

“Our goal is to create a full-scale 3D model of the aircraft, with the exception of the engine,” said 1st Lt. Connor Crandall, the program manager within the F-16 program office, which will oversee the digital twin effort. “The data will be used to help address future parts obsolescence and mitigate supply chain risks because we won’t have to rely on legacy manufacturing sources and processes. We’ll have the 3D models and designs that we can send to the manufacturers we choose.”
Click to expand...

www.airforcetimes.com

How two F-16s from the US Air Force’s ‘boneyard’ will find a second life as digital models

From a collection of dismantled F-16s parts, the Air Force hopes to build a "digital twin" of the jet.
www.airforcetimes.com www.airforcetimes.com
 
www.19fortyfive.com

The Smaller, Older—But Busier—U.S. Air Force

“Divest to invest” is a slogan the Joint Chiefs use when touting their approach to managing declining defense budgets that don’t keep up with inflation. While the bumper sticker term is new, the tactic is not. In its 2022 budget request, the U.S. Air Force continued its unproven bet to...
www.19fortyfive.com www.19fortyfive.com
 
“Resuming the production of F-16 wings is a continuation of a decades-long cooperation of manufacturing aerostructures for Lockheed Martin customers. The F-16 assembly line once again joins IAI's assembly center of excellence for the production of fighter aircraft wings. The center also produces F-35 wings along with T-38 wings for the American defense establishment.
Click to expand...

www.jpost.com

Israel Aerospace Industries reopens F-16 wing production line

This production makes use of an assembly line first established in the 1980s, which will make the wings and ship them to the assembly line in Greenville, South Carolina.
www.jpost.com www.jpost.com
 
“We are very focused on reducing costs … for the F-16 and improving the product quality as we go,” he said. “This was part of Lockheed Martin's vision really to build a digital-based factory that works faster and smarter.”

The Air Force also plans to create a digital twin of the F-16 that will help improve sustainment and modernization efforts, Ulmer said.

“This effort really does help lay the foundation and the groundwork for a multitude of potential future efforts relative to F-16 digital engineering,” Ulmer said.
Click to expand...

AFA NEWS Digital Engineering Key to New F16 Production Line

AFA NEWS Digital Engineering Key to New F16 Production Line
www.nationaldefensemagazine.org www.nationaldefensemagazine.org
 
4811583f629c37231626572209849970.jpg


Leonardo expects the BriteCloud Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) programme to open doors for US sales of the countermeasure.

Leonardo has revealed that BriteCloud expendable active decoy Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT), led by the US Office of the Secretary of Defense, should soon see the countermeasure transition to a programme of record.
The FCT line of effort dates back to May 2019 when a BriteCloud 218 fitted into a 2x8x1in form factor was selected to undergo testing with US Air National Guard F-16 fighter jets.

Representatives from Leonardo’s Luton facility have already supported BriteCloud training for the national guard, covering areas like programming and launch trajectory, according to Mark Hamilton, managing director, Electronics, at Leonardo UK.

DSEI 2021: Leonardo's BriteCloud decoy ready to break America | Shephard

Leonardo expects the BriteCloud Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) programme to open doors for US sales of the countermeasure.
www.shephardmedia.com
 

Biden should slam the door on Turkey F-16 sale - Washington Examiner

Turkey has reportedly signaled its desire to purchase 40 F-16s from the United States and 80 kits to upgrade its existing F-16 fleet. The deal is worth $6 billion dollars and comes two years after Congress blocked the sale of more advanced F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. Congress took that action...
www.washingtonexaminer.com www.washingtonexaminer.com

Honesty, focusing on Erdogan today to assess this sale would be probably an error: the delivery of the first plane might well outlast his reign.
 
Some more details on the Turkish sales:

Speaking to reporters [...], Erdogan said Turkey wants a return for its investment in the F-35 programme and that talks on the issue are ongoing.

"There is the payment of $1.4 billion we have made for the F-35s and the U.S. had such a proposal in return for these payments," Erdogan said.


"And regarding this, we said let's take whatever steps are needed to be taken to meet the defence needs of our country," he said, adding that the new F-16 jets would help develop its fleet.
Click to expand...

www.reuters.com

Turkey's Erdogan says U.S. proposed F-16 sales in return for its F-35 investment

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that the United States had proposed the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey in return for its investment in the F-35 programme, from which Ankara was removed after purchasing missile defence systems from Russia.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com
 
And more regarding the news reported post above:

www.reuters.com

U.S. says it made no financing offers to Turkey on F-16 jets

The United States on Monday did not confirm Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's comment that Washington had made an offer to Ankara for the sale of F-16 fighter jets but added that it has not made Turkey a financing offer for the warplanes.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com
 
US Congress could probably block further F-16 sales to Turkey:

news.yahoo.com

U.S. lawmakers express concern over reports of potential Turkey F-16 purchase

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Democratic and Republican U.S. lawmakers urged President Joe Biden's administration not to sell F-16 fighter jets to Turkey and said they were confident Congress would block any such exports. In a letter to Biden and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, 11 members of...
news.yahoo.com news.yahoo.com
 
With negations of UAE F-35s still ongoing, has there been any updates to what exactly their “Block 61” E/F model is receiving?
 
Last edited:
Taiwan's air force last week suspended combat training for its entire F-16 fleet after a recently upgraded model of the fighter jet crashed into the sea in the latest of a series of accidents.

"They (the Chinese) are wearing out their opponent without firing a shot," said Derek Grossman, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation.

Taiwan's air force in 2020 scrambled 2,972 times against Chinese aircraft at a cost of T$25.5 billion ($905 million).
Click to expand...

www.reuters.com

Exclusive: U.S. seeks way to speed delivery of new fighter jets to Taiwan

The United States is looking for ways to potentially accelerate delivery of Taiwan's next generation of new-build F-16 fighter jets, U.S. officials said, bolstering the Taiwanese air force's ability to respond to what Washington and Taipei see as increasing intimidation by China's military.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com
 
V8Interceptor said:
I've always wondered if; had the official name for the F-16 been simply "Falcon", it would have been accepted and referred to as such by the fighter pilot community.
After all, they had no problem with "Eagle"
Was the "Fighting" suffix added to the name of the aircraft as a way to avoid confusion with the Hughes AIM-4 Falcon series of air-to-air missiles? The -4F/-4G variants of that AAM were still in the ANG inventory during the F-16 procurement;they remained in service with the Guard until 1988 when the last F-106s were retired?
Click to expand...
I could be wrong, but as I recall, the "Fighting Falcon" name was conceived as a tribute to the US Air Force Academy football team, of all things.
 
The United States Air Force (USAF) Seek Eagle Office have cleared Leonardo’s BriteCloud 218 expendable active decoy for operational testing on-board the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. The authorisation is one of the final stages of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) programme for the product, which is due to complete this year. The FCT, which is being conducted by the US Air National Guard, will open the door to U.S. procurement.

The BriteCloud variant given the green light by U.S. authorities, called BriteCloud 218, fits standard 2x1x8 inch countermeasure dispensers such as the AN/ALE-47 on the F-16. As well as seeing interest in the United States, Leonardo is in discussions with a number of other F-16 operators internationally that are looking to equip their fleets with latest-generation countermeasures without needing to modify the platform or perform expensive integration work.

Following a series of confirmatory flight trials with the U.S. Air National Guard this year, BriteCloud is expected to be approved for U.S. Armed Forces as an off-the-shelf countermeasure product.

US Air Force grants F-16 operational clearance for BriteCloud 218 decoy

The United States Air Force (USAF) Seek Eagle Office have cleared Leonardo’s BriteCloud 218 expendable active decoy for operational testing on-board the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. The authorisation is one of the final stages of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Foreign Comparative Testing...
www.airrecognition.com www.airrecognition.com
 
Anyone else catch this? Seems like a really big deal for the Air Force.

USAF upgrading 608 F-16s to V variant​

In one of the largest modernization efforts in U.S. Air Force history, 608 F-16s – comprised of Blocks 40 and 50 – will undergo up to 22 modifications designed to improve lethality and ensure the fourth-generation fighter remains effective in meeting current and future threats.
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A number of the modifications have already started and will continue over several years. Overall, PoBIT involves six major commands, more than 18 bases, multiple companies, and contracts totaling approximately $6.3 billion.
Click to expand...

www.wpafb.af.mil

F-16 fleet undergoing largest modification work in history

In one of the largest modernization efforts in U.S. Air Force history, 608 F-16s – comprised of Blocks 40 and 50 – will undergo up to 22 modifications designed to improve lethality and ensure the
www.wpafb.af.mil

 
www.aflcmc.af.mil

F-16s to receive next-generation electronic warfare suite

The Air Force took another step in the effort to modernize the electronic warfare (EW) capabilities of the F-16 fleet. On March 10, in advance of a multi-million dollar contract modification award
www.aflcmc.af.mil

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – The Air Force took another step in the effort to modernize the electronic warfare (EW) capabilities of the F-16 fleet.

On March 10, in advance of a multi-million dollar contract modification award expected later this year, the Fighters and Advanced Aircraft Directorate issued an Unpriced Change Order (UCO) modification to Northrop Grumman for the F-16 Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite (IVEWS).

The UCO follows a $40 million Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) modification award the company received in June 2021 to develop an IVEWS environmentally and safety of flight certified prototype.

Over the next 18 months, Northrop Grumman will complete IVEWS – also referred to as AN/ALQ-257 – development and install the system on several F-16s for flight testing.
Additional development, integration, hardware qualification testing, and Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) asset procurement will support the IVEWS Developmental Test/Operational Test (DT/OT) and Operational Assessment (OA) in early 2023.

“This contract and overall program effort is vital to increase the protection of our F-16 operators as they execute their missions in contested environments,” said Maj. Charles Prichard, Chief of Electronic Warfare Integration within the directorate’s F-16 System Program Office. “In order for the F-16 Viper to meet assigned mission sets in line with the CSAF’s Fighter Roadmap and operate in certain environments, the fleet needs an advanced electronic warfare (EW) system. IVEWS lines up with HAF/ACC’s EW plan and recently became the solution that improves the F-16’s survivability and lethality against current and emerging threats.”

IVEWS provides a next generation EW system that is internal to the F-16 and interoperable with the on-board APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. It is designed to Open Missions Systems requirements and provisioned for long-term growth capability to support future upgrades such as the Fiber Optic Tow Decoy, Adaptive/Cognitive Processing, and Open System Architecture compliance.

A key part of the effort has been the use of the Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) approach which leveraged competition between defense companies to realize significant cost and schedule savings without sacrificing capability. This allowed the Air Force to strategically select IVEWS as the advanced fleet EW solution for the F-16.

The production and fielding of IVEWS is expected to begin in 2024.
Click to expand...
 
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Biden administration believes a potential sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey would be in line with U.S. national security interests and would also serve NATO's long-term unity, the State Department said in a letter to Congress that fell short of explicitly supporting the deal.

Turkey made a request in October to the United States to buy 40 Lockheed Martin-made F-16 fighters and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes. Washington has so far refrained from expressing any opinion on the sale, saying it needs to go through the standard arms sales process.
Click to expand...

news.yahoo.com

U.S. says potential F-16 sale to Turkey would serve U.S. interests, NATO - letter

The Biden administration believes a potential sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey would be in line with U.S. national security interests and would also serve NATO's long-term unity, the State Department said in a letter to Congress that fell short of explicitly supporting the deal. Turkey made...
news.yahoo.com news.yahoo.com
 

F-16s to Serve Nearly Two More Decades, Replacement Choice Still 6-8 Years Away​


April 4, 2022 | By John A. Tirpak

Additional budget documents set to be released later this month will start to map an improvement program for the F-16, to support that type serving almost another two decades.
Click to expand...
Lt. Gen. David S. Nahom told Air Force Magazine in an interview. The jet will continue to be USAF’s low-end, multipurpose force builder.
Click to expand...
Rather than a high-low mix, Nahom said USAF’s future fighter force structure would be better described as a bell curve with the bulk being low/medium capability F-16s and medium/high capability F-35s. At the very low end would be a small number of aircraft only able to operate in permissive environments while the upper end would be aircraft like the F-22 and the Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter, tuned to the most demanding conditions.
Click to expand...
“So now, the question is, what replaces” the F-16...
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All of that, he said, is “a question for another day. The good thing is, we don’t have to do anything right now. We’ve got 18-20 years of life left on 600-plus F-16s that are doing great work for our nation.”
Click to expand...
www.airforcemag.com

F-16s to Serve Nearly Two More Decades, Replacement Choice Still 6-8 Years Away | Air & Space Forces Magazine

Budget documents set to be released later this month will start to map an improvement program for the F-16 to keep it flying another two decades.
www.airforcemag.com www.airforcemag.com

Well well well, who could have imagined the Viper would be flying for nearly 70 years at the end of its life? At this point, why not upgrade them eventually with those juicy AETP derivative engines, and, maybe, Anti-Laser eXVS ala X-59 too?
Qjj3ljocAMiAjrQgjjmusytCnVi920-F-HDJxLqzcVs.jpg
 
I guess this puts to rest the rumors of a new 4.5 gen fighter (F-36 Kingsnake and such).
 
news.northropgrumman.com

Northrop Grumman Upgrades Radars for Air National Guard F-16s

BALTIMORE – June 10, 2022 – The U.S. Air Force has completed installation of Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE: NOC) AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) on Air National Guard F-16s to meet a U.S. Northern Command Joint Emergent Operational Need...
news.northropgrumman.com news.northropgrumman.com
 

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