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Sujet: F-16 around the world Sam 22 Sep 2007 - 19:54
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l'AS a des AIM-120C
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jf16 General de Division
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Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Lun 12 Sep 2016 - 19:47
Citation :
11/09/2016
Lockheed-Martin lance le F-16 « Viper « Block80/85 !
Je vous en parlais en juillet dernier sous le titre « le F-16 n’a pas dit son dernier mot » l’avionneur américain Lockheed-Martin vient de présenter une nouvelle version de son célèbre F-16. L’objectif est double, d’un part moderniser les flottes actuelles encore en service et de l’autre conquérir de nouveaux marchés là ou le F-35 s’avère trop cher. Sur certains marchés, l’avionneur prévoit même de présenter une double offre à choix pour le client avec le F-35 et le nouvel F-16.
Le F-16 « Viper « Block80/85
Le Lockheed-Martin F-16 « Viper » Block80/85 est le dernier et le plus avancé de la famille des « Fighting Falcon ». La configuration F-16V comprend de nombreuses améliorations destinées à maintenir le F-16 à la pointe des avions de combat. Selon Lockheed-Martin, cette nouvelle version va fournir des capacités de combat de pointe tout en restant une solution évolutive et abordable pour le client.
Le F-16V dispose d’un nouveau radar à antenne électronique Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Northrop-Grumman APG-83 « Radar Scalable Agile Beam ». L'APG-83 fournit aux pilotes une vision inégalée en matière de détail de la zone de cibles et d’affichages cartographiques numérique couplé à un système IRST. L’avionique est également améliorée avec un écran géant 6x8 central (CPD) à haute résolution, un nouveau bus de données à haute vitesse. Les capacités opérationnelles sont améliorées grâce à un nouveau système de liaisons de données Link-16 « Theater Data Link », l’adjonction de la dernière version de la nacelle de désignation « Sniper », d’un nouveau système de navigation et de précision par GPS. L’avion est également doté du système automatique Ground Collision Avoidance (Auto GCAS). De plus un grand nombre de logiciels sont communs avec les F-22 et F-35. Cette communité des systèmes permet de rendre le F-16V compatible en matière d’échange de données avec les deux autres appareils. En matière d’armement, le F-16V permet d’emporter l’ensemble des armes disponibles et futures en de l’US Air Force.
Gagner de nouveaux marchés :
Pour l’avionneur américain, ce nouveau F-16 est l’occasion de venir prospecter de nouveaux marchés en Asie, Amérique Latine et en Europe et de combler les lacunes de prix du F-35. Par ailleurs, une étude interne montre que de nombreux clients potentiels n’ont pas les moyens de se doter du F-35, mais n’ont pas non plus un intérêt justifié à acquérir un avion de type furtif.
Le F-16V proposé à la Suisse ?
En ce qui concerne le projet du nouvel avion de combat dont la préparation à débuté en janvier dernier, Lockheed-Martin semble très intéressée à proposer une double proposition avec le F-35 mais également le F-16V. Pour Lockheed-Martin, le F-16V aura un rapport prix/qualité excellent pour notre pays et ne demande aucune adaptation des infrastructures en place.
Photos : 1 F-16 Viper Block 80/85 2 Cockpit grand écrans non représentatif du F-16@ Lockheed-Martin
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Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Ven 16 Sep 2016 - 21:29
Citation :
VIDEO. Un pilote de chasse évanoui sauvé par son F-16 TECHNOLOGIE Le crash a été évité grâce à un système installé sur l’appareil…
Deux mille mètres de chute et une peur bleue. Un pilote a subi un G-LOC (une perte de connaissance due à la puissance G reçue) aux commandes de son avion de chasse lors d’un exercice mené en Arizona. Sans pilote conscient à bord, le F-16 effectue une chute vertigineuse de deux mille mètres en quelques secondes (à voir dans la vidéo) avant qu’il ne se stabilise automatiquement à environ 2.500 mètres au-dessus du sol.
La scène se déroule au mois de mai, mais la vidéo n’a été déclassifiée que le 13 septembre sur YouTube. On y voit les données enregistrées par l’avion de combat et on entend hurler les opérateurs lorsque le pilote ne répond plus et que l’appareil commence à piquer du nez.
Ce sauvetage n’a toutefois rien d’un miracle. L’appareil est équipé de l’Auto-GCAS, un système automatique justement conçu pour empêcher un crash. Conçu par la NASA, l’Air Force et l’entreprise Lockheed Martin, il est progressivement installé sur les F-16 depuis 2014 et a déjà été salvateur à quatre reprises, dont une fois lors d’une opération en Syrie visant l’État islamique.
Lockheed Martin Offers India Enhanced F-16 Block 70 Multirole Combat Aircraft Dubbed “F-21”
An artist conception of the new F-21 (Image credit: Lockheed Martin).
Lockheed Martin has just unveiled the new jet the giant U.S. defense company is offering India in response to the Indian Air Force’s RFI (Request For Information) for 110 fighters, worth over 15B USD.
Dubbed F-21 (a designation used by the IAI Kfir in US service) and introduced by the slogans “Make in India” and “India’s Pathway to F-35”, the aircraft would be built locally in partnership with India’s Tata Advanced Systems.
“The F-21 is different, inside and out,” Vivek Lall, vice president of Strategy and Business Development for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said in a statement. However, the aircraft, that would be “specially configured to address the Indian Air Force’s unique requirements and integrates India into the world’s largest fighter aircraft ecosystem with the world’s pre-eminent defence company”, appears to be an enhanced F-16 Block 70, a configuration upgrade of the F-16V, “the most technologically advanced 4th generation fighter in the world” that made its first flight on Oct. 16, 2015, that is an evolution of the proven F-16 Mid-Life Update (MLU) and Common Configuration Improvement Program (CCIP) and that was already pitched to India in the past.
The Block 70 upgrades included an AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar, a modern commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)-based avionics subsystem, the AN/APX-126 Advanced IFF, the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System II, CFT (Conformal Fuel Tanks); and a high-volume, high-speed data bus as well as other baseline features such as a Link-16 Theater Data Link, Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, advanced weapons, precision GPS navigation, and the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS).
One of the most interesting upgrades of the Block 70 to the baseline F-16s is the Northrop Grumman’s advanced APG-83 AESA radar, that enables greater detection and tracking ranges, multiple target track (20-plus target tracks), high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) maps for all-environment precision strike, interleaved air-to-air and air-to-surface mode operations for improved situational awareness, operational effectiveness and survivability; and robust electronic protection for operations in dense radio frequency (RF) environments. Interestingly, the APG-83 is derived from Northrop Grumman’s family of highly successful 5th generation fighter AESA radars, the F-22’s APG-77 and F-35’s APG-81, thus providing the F-16 radar capabilities of 5th Generation platforms with hardware and software commonality with F-22 and F-35 AESA radars.
The APG-83 AESA as described in the Lockheed Martin “F-16 Block 70 for India” brochure. (Image credit: LM).
Based on the first animations and renderings appeared online, the F-21 will embed further modifications the most evident of those is the probe of the IFR (In Flight Refueling) system coming out from the right dorsal CFT:
From the dorsal section, to a triple launcher to the probe-drogue system, here’s everything that’s different in @LockheedMartin’s F-21 compared to the F-16 Block 70. #AeroIndia2019 https://t.co/INEfBVMOLg pic.twitter.com/2mdlHyFYti
— Livefist (@livefist) February 20, 2019
Worth of note is also the towed decoy system deployed from the base of the tail: the F-16 Block 70 was said to carry the ALE-50 ATD in a pylon under the wing.
The cockpit configuration has also changed a lot. The one proposed by the F-16 Block 70 upgrade was an evolution of the baseline Viper cockpit with the HUD (head-up display), two large displays on the front panel and a high-resolution, color video CPD (Center Pedestal Display). Instead, based on the Lockheed Martin launch video, the F-21 will have a wide-angle HUD an a Large Area Aviationcs Display much similar to the one used by the F-35.
The F-21 glass cockpit. (Screenshot from LM F-21 launch video). The F-21, in other words the highest spec F-16, will compete with 7 other aircraft in the IAF bid, more or less the same that competed in an earlier attempt to provide 126 fighter aircraft to the IAF, known as the Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), a pretty long and complex program scrapped in 2015 and replaced by a government to government deal with France for the procurement of 36 Rafale jets.
Here’s how the 7 aircraft that have responded to the Indian Air Force’s RFI for 110 fighters are present at #AeroIndia2019. Clockwise from top left: F/A-18 Rafale Gripen E Typhoon Su-35 MiG-35 F-21/F-16 Block 70 pic.twitter.com/os0Egs8zLe
— Livefist (@livefist) February 20, 2019
What are the chances the Lockheed Martin F-21 will one day enter service with the Indian Air Force?
Hard to say. As already explained in an interview to LiveFist award winning Indian defense site, large procurement programs are most of times led by politics and price rather than capabilities and performance. Futhermore, Indian aerospace contracting has already proved to be chaotic and inefficient, and with several old and new contenders involved in a potential multi-billion dollar sale and a new long selection procedure ahead there is a significant risk to see an MMRCA “reloaded”: a never ending contracting procedure with subsequent negotiations similar to those which led to the failure of the original MMRCA v1.0.
That said, several years have passed since the first attempt and the Indian Air Force can’t wait any longer to get rid of its Soviet-era MiG-21 and MiG-27 jets and return to a number of squadron closer to the famous magic number of 42 ones mandated by the Cabinet Committee on Security.
So, let’s wait and see what happens this time.
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jf16 General de Division
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Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Lun 13 Mai 2019 - 19:03
Adam Modérateur
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Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Lun 20 Mai 2019 - 16:37
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jf16 General de Division
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Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Sam 24 Aoû 2019 - 23:38
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Shugan188 Modérateur
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Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Ven 6 Déc 2019 - 15:57
Fahed64 Administrateur
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Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Ven 6 Déc 2019 - 16:30
Merci pour le partage très intéressant.
Le F16 a encore de beau jour devant lui
_________________ Sois généreux avec nous, Ô toi Dieu et donne nous la Victoire
Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Dim 22 Déc 2019 - 15:43
Fahed64 a écrit:
Merci pour le partage très intéressant.
Le F16 a encore de beau jour devant lui
Oui de très beaux jours, le flop du F-35 a jouer un rôle dans la prolongation de la vie des F-16
L'USAF passe ses F-16 à l'AESA et upgrade du système EW, pour les garder jusqu'en 2046 ! Ils ont choisit le AIDEWS entre autres. Remarquez ils ont une équipe conjointe pour le développement commercial du programme F-16 et F-22. À croire que c'est le duo futur mono-moteur/bi-moteur avec un duo F-16 / F-22 full AESA compatible qu'ils veulent promouvoir
Citation :
Northrop Grumman Gets Funding for Hundreds of F-16 Radars
Dec. 20, 2019 | By Rachel S. Cohen
Northrop Grumman will build hundreds of active electronically scanned array radars for the F-16 fighter jet under a Dec. 19 contract worth more than $1 billion.
The contract covers work on up to 372 radars through May 2027. It modifies an earlier award to finalize the funding.
AESA radars like Northrop’s APG-83 are used to find and identify targets.
“The greater bandwidth, speed, and agility of AESA radars enable fighter and legacy aircraft to detect, track, and identify a greater [number] of targets, faster and at longer ranges, and to operate in hostile electronic environments,” according to Northrop.
The radar is a “fifth-generation fighter radar capability for the fourth-gen aircraft,” the company said.
“Building on Northrop Grumman’s 40-year legacy producing radars for the F-16, [the APG-83] integrates within the F-16’s current structural, power and cooling constraints without … aircraft modification,” Northrop said
U.S. Air Force Seeks F-16 Jamming System Upgrade Supplier
A competition has opened between L3Harris and Northrop Grumman to upgrade the self-protection jamming systems on hundreds of U.S. Air Force F-16s.
L3Harris’ Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite (Aidews) and Northrop’s ALQ-131A have been selected for a rapid prototyping process that will determine the upgrade supplier for the Air Force, both companies have announced.
The selection for the Other Transaction Agreement rapid prototyping program means the Air Force is keeping an open mind regarding the F-16’s self-protection upgrade, even though L3Harris has selected the Aidews as the baseline electronic warfare (EW) system for Lockheed’s F-16 Block 70 configuration for export customers.
The Air Force has started upgrading a subset of the F-16 fleet with Northrop APG-83 active, electronically scanned array radars (AESA). The AESA replacement for the APG-68(V) mechanically scanned radar drives a requirement for a more powerful EW system, says Randy Howard, Lockheed’s director of business development for the F-16/F-22 integrated team.
In January, the Air Force released the first details of the acquisition strategy for the F-16 EW upgrade. The new system should include a full suite of passive and active subsystems, including a digital radar warning receiver, self-protection jammer and towed decoy, according to the Air Force. Along with the radar upgrade, the improved self-protection system should help keep the surviving F-16 fleet relevant for combat through 2046.
Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Mar 31 Mar 2020 - 10:58
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FAMAS Modérateur
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Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Dim 19 Avr 2020 - 20:35
a good read: https://theaviationgeekclub.com/sa-3-vs-viper-the-thrilling-story-of-an-f-16-wild-weasel-mission-over-serbia/
_________________ "La stratégie est comme l'eau qui fuit les hauteurs et qui remplit les creux" SunTzu
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Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Ven 18 Sep 2020 - 7:29
Un sabre laser pour le F-16
Citation :
Un F-16 «détruit» un missile avec une arme laser – vidéo
DÉFENSE 16:47 17.09.2020URL courte Par Nikita Martynov
Des F-16 pourraient être équipés d'ici cinq ans d’un système d’arme laser capable de neutraliser des missiles air-air et sol-air. Une simulation de la neutralisation d’une attaque du genre a été publiée le 14 septembre sur YouTube.
Le constructeur Lockheed Martin a publié lundi 14 septembre sur YouTube la simulation d’une arme laser tactique aéroportée (TALWS) montée sur des avions F-16 Fighting Falcon en train de neutraliser un missile.
La séquence montre des F-16 équipés de nacelles laser coopérer avec des capteurs infrarouges tactiques installés à bord d'un avion ravitailleur Boeing KC-46 Pegasus qui peut détecter et suivre passivement les menaces.
Quand un avion ravitailleur détecte un missile entrant, il transmet sa position aux deux F-16 qui peuvent utiliser le directeur de faisceau dans les nacelles pour projeter une lumière à haute énergie sur la cible, la maintenir à distance puis la neutraliser.
Quelques caractéristiques
Selon le site FlightGlobal, Lockheed Martin s'est engagé à installer une arme laser défensive sur un avion d'ici cinq ans. Son système d'arme laser tactique aéroporté serait utilisé pour abattre des missiles air-air ou sol-air.
Pour alimenter le laser à haute énergie, un ensemble de batteries ou de condensateurs serait chargé à l’aide de la turbine à réaction de l’avion.
Interrogé par le site, Lockheed refuse de divulguer la portée et la cadence de tir du laser, notant que ces facteurs dépendront de la cible contre laquelle l'US Air Force voudra se défendre.
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Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Mer 9 Déc 2020 - 19:36
The Drive a écrit:
F-16 Belonging To The Wisconsin Air National Guard Crashes In Michigan
The aircraft crashed in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula during a night training sortie.
A Block 30 F-16 Viper belonging to the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 115th Fighter Wing at Truax Field Air National Guard Base in Madison crashed at around 8:00 pm local time on December 8, 2020. The aircraft went down on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
A release from the 115th Fighter Wing reads in part:
...At the time of the incident, the aircraft was on a routine training mission with one pilot on board. Emergency responders are on scene. The cause of the crash, as well as the status of the pilot, are unknown at this time, and the incident is under investigation...
Michigan Live has posted the following regarding the ongoing response to the incident:
The crash occurred north of the U.P.’s Garden Peninsula, near the border of Delta and Schoolcraft counties in the Hiawatha National Forest. U.S. Forest Service workers joined with local authorities to set up a perimeter and begin the search late Tuesday.
According to U.P. media reports and unconfirmed police scanner traffic from emergency crews in the area, authorities had located a crash site and also had a broad area identified that could be the pilot’s ejection site.
Just days prior to the crash, the 115th Fighter Wing had announced that its Vipers would be executing night training from December 7th to the 10th.
We will update this post with additional information as it becomes available.
Update, 5:40 am PST: The 115th Fighter Wing has provided the following update on the situation:
The search for the pilot continues and the pilot’s status remains unknown at this time. The 115th Fighter Wing participated in a coordinated search effort with local emergency responders, the U.S. Coast Guard and other government agencies overnight. Search and rescue efforts on the ground, in the air, and in the water continue. The crash site, located in Delta County, Michigan was initially secured by local emergency responders, but military personnel and safety and security personnel from the 115th Fighter Wing are now on site. Additional personnel will be sent later today to help facilitate the safety and security of the crash site. “We are a close-knit family and when an incident like this occurs, every member in our organization feels it,” said Colonel Bart Van Roo, 115th Fighter Wing commander. “The safety of our pilot along with search and rescue efforts are our top priority, and we will continue to pray for the pilot’s safe return”. The incident remains under investigation.
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Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Jeu 14 Jan 2021 - 19:20
Northrop Grumman a écrit:
Northrop Grumman Downselected as Sole Contractor for US Air Force F-16 Electronic Warfare Suite
System prototype will provide full-spectrum radar warning, threat identification and advanced countermeasure capabilities for the Viper.
The U.S. Air Force has downselected Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) to complete the final project efforts to provide the electronic warfare suite for its F-16 fighter aircraft fleet. This critical capability will protect pilots from the growing danger of radio frequency-guided weapons by detecting, identifying and defeating advanced threat systems. The agreement was issued under SOSSEC Consortium’s Air Force Open System Acquisition Initiative (OSAI) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) for prototyping. Northrop Grumman will continue to team with non-traditional defense contractors for the execution of this OTA project.
“The electronic warfare suite will significantly increase protection to F-16 operators as they execute their missions in increasingly contested environments,” said Ryan Tintner, vice president, navigation, targeting and survivability, Northrop Grumman. “This system draws on the best of our experience from multiple programs to create an effective and affordable solution to keep the Viper relevant throughout its service life.”
The system provides full-spectrum radar warning, threat identification and advanced countermeasure capabilities. It also has proven pulse-to-pulse operability with the F-16’s newly acquired AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR), also built by Northrop Grumman.
The electronic warfare suite leverages an open systems, ultra wideband architecture providing greater instantaneous bandwidth needed to defeat modern threats. This F-16 system is part of a mature product line of electronic warfare capabilities that can be adapted to protect virtually any platform or mission requirement. It shares a common technology baseline with the AC/MC-130J Radio Frequency Countermeasures Program and AN/APR-39 radar warning receivers.
The electronic warfare suite configuration is scalable to meet both U.S. and international partners’ operational needs in either an internal or podded configuration.
Northrop Grumman solves the toughest problems in space, aeronautics, defense and cyberspace to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide. Our 90,000 employees define possible every day using science, technology and engineering to create and deliver advanced systems, products and services.
_________________ Les peuples ne meurent jamais de faim mais de honte.
Adam Modérateur
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Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Jeu 28 Jan 2021 - 19:43
THOMAS NEWDICK - The Drive a écrit:
The First Contractor-Operated F-16 Aggressor Jets Are Heading To North America
Canada’s Top Aces will challenge U.S. fighter pilots using a fleet of ex-Israeli F-16 fighter jets based in Arizona.
The first F-16 jet fighters to be flown by a private contractor offering red air adversary support are on their way to North America. It was confirmed today that a batch of the former Israeli Air Force jets was being transported from Israel to North America aboard a Ukrainian-registered An-124 cargo aircraft. Photos show at least three F-16s, with wings and tail surfaces removed, waiting to be loaded on the aircraft, with unconfirmed reports suggesting that four F-16s are being delivered. Once in North America, the fighters will join the Top Aces company, which will use them specifically to help fulfill the U.S. Air Force’s mammoth adversary air contract.
As of January last year, Top Aces was reportedly still in the process of taking delivery of up to 29 single-seat F-16As from what was then an unknown source, with Jordan being identified at the time as one of the possible candidates.
An F-16A Netz while still in Israeli Air Force service, at Nevatim Air Base
Then, last November, it was reported that Top Aces had chosen former Israeli F-16A/B jets — known in Hebrew as Netz — under a deal with the Israeli Ministry of Defense said to be worth around $100 million. Exactly how many jets are involved is unclear, but the company received approval to acquire up to 29, and in November 2019 the Top Aces confirmed it was seeking to acquire 12, although this could just be the first batch. Furthermore, those dozen jets were described as Block 15s, which are not a variant acquired by Israel, although the block number may also refer to the approximate standard to which the Israeli jets were upgraded while in service.
מטוסי קרב מסוג F16 ("נץ") של חיל האוויר הישראלי לשעבר, מועמסים בשעה זו על אנטונוב An124 ענקי, שייקח אותם לבעליהם החדשים בקנדה. ההמראה מתוכננת ל- 15 אחה"צ. דרך צלחה @ynetalertspic.twitter.com/oZDGbED5YY
Top Aces has long harbored an aspiration to acquire F-16s for red air use and, once they arrive in North America, the jets will be outfitted with open-architecture avionics making it possible to install different radar, sensors, electronic warfare pods, or other technologies as required. These modifications should ensure that the long-in-the-tooth F-16s are able to test pilots flying fifth-generation fighter jets like the F-22 and F-35. In regular use, the jets will be flown by the firm’s pilots comprising former Canadian, German, and U.S. military aviators, around 80 percent of whom are said to be graduates of the TOPGUN Fighter Weapons School.
On its website, Top Aces provides the following information about the new addition to its inventory, which will join the subsonic Alpha Jet and A-4 Skyhawk aircraft already in use:
"As part of its future fleet, Top Aces intends to introduce the F-16 which is considered by many to be the most agile fighter aircraft of its generation. Its superior speed, acceleration, maneuverability, small visual and radar signature, and ability to integrate advanced sensors and threat systems have made it the aircraft of choice for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy aggressor fleets since 1988"
The Netz aircraft were originally delivered to Israel in the early 1980s and saw considerable combat action, including scoring the first air-to-air victory for the F-16, a Syrian helicopter downed with its cannon on April 28, 1981. The jets also executed the daring long-range daytime bombing raid on Saddam Hussein’s Osiris nuclear reactor near Baghdad on June 7, 1981.
The last examples of the Netz in Israeli service were finally withdrawn in 2016, a total of 40 then being put up for sale. The Israeli Air Force fleet now comprises the more advanced F-16C/D Barak as well as the F-16I Sufa that is optimized for long-range strike missions.
A retired F-16A Netz now preserved as an instructional airframe at Hatzerim Air Base.
The background to the significant expansion of the Top Aces aggressor fleet is the U.S. Air Force’s red air adversary support program, in which the Canadian contractor was one of seven different companies hired to help U.S. military combat jet pilots train at various bases across the United States. This massive multi-billion dollar contract announced in October 2019 is the culmination of a major effort within the service that has been years in the making to increasingly rely on contractors to provide these services in order to improve flexibility for training requirements and to save money.
The Air Combat Command contract is capped at no more than $6.4 billion, but it is unclear how much each company stands to make under their respective deals, which will cover work through 2024.
Last summer, details emerged of the first five bases to receive the contract aggressor support, covering Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico and Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, although Top Aces was not among the initial round of contract awardees.
In a tweet today, the Canadian company announced that its F-16s will be based at Mesa, Arizona, home to its F-16 Center of Excellence. Not only is this close to the company’s U.S. headquarters, but offers a useful central location, good weather, and access to local aerospace industry expertise.
Top Aces Corp. is proud to announce that its first F16s are currently on their way to Mesa, AZ in support of the U.S. Department of Defense adversary air training. Top Aces will become the 1st commercial provider in the world to offer the supersonic #F16.https://t.co/ckQMMf8nempic.twitter.com/Mjp8FIOV3j
“The F-16 really is our growth platform for the future, especially for advanced adversary training,” Paul Bouchard, president and chief executive officer of Top Aces told Skies magazine in a November 2019 interview. “It is the most prolific adversary aircraft in the western world. It is the adversary aircraft of choice just because of its performance characteristics. It is a fourth-generation aircraft, so from an aircraft architecture standpoint, it can be equipped and configured in so many different ways… And it is also scalable given there were more than 4,000 F-16s built. It is still a production aircraft. It has a lot of existing support in terms of sustainment.”
Although Top Aces is the first commercial red air enterprise to operate the F-16, the powerful and agile fighter has a proven track record in the role, serving with the U.S. Air Force and Navy, as well as fulfilling a similar role with Israel’s dedicated aggressor unit, 115 “Flying Dragon” Squadron, which you can see in action in the video below:
While offering the potential to provide a potent red air capability, there remains a question about the overall state of these ex-Israeli airframes. It would be expected that Top Aces would select those airframes in the best condition, but the Netz fleet is still 40 years old and it saw considerable operational use. Providing the jets can be brought into service without too much difficulty, there is also the matter of what kinds of contracts these aircraft will fulfill. Regardless of their age, the F-16s are fourth-generation aircraft, the first of their kind to be offered by a red air contractor.
The U.S. Air Force, in particular, has long called for more capable adversary aircraft, and in greater numbers, to adequately represent peer and near-peer threats, which would seem to open up a niche for the privately operated F-16s. On the other hand, this will have to be weighed up against the cost of operating such a relatively sophisticated asset. In the past, it is notable that the F-16 lost out to the F-5 in a multi-million-dollar U.S. Navy red air contract award. You can read all about how that deal played out here, but it is with recalling what The War Zone’s Tyler Rogoway wrote at the time:
The reality is that the F-5 is nothing near to an F-16 when it comes to many aspects of air combat capability. But for beyond-visual-range applications, aside from a larger radar aperture, an F-5 equipped with a modern radar offers one hell of a bang for the buck without losing all that much in terms of what the enemy looks like to the fleet aviator training against it.
The F-5’s small size, both in terms of radar cross-section and especially its visual signature, also gives it something of an advantage over the F-16 for this specific mission set. But there is no doubt, the F-16 is a far superior platform that possesses a whole other level of kinematic performance over the F-5, especially in the within-visual-range fight. That being said, those facts just didn’t provide enough of an edge to make it worth paying over double the price for the same basic services.
Of course, Top Aces isn’t the only one to have made plans to acquire additional combat jets in preparation to meet the requirements of the U.S. Air Force contract.
Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC) and Draken have both purchased second-hand fleets of French-made Mirage F1s, while the latter company bought an additional number of ex-South African Cheetahs, a Mirage III derivative. TacAir bought a group of former Royal Jordanian Air Force F-5E Tiger II jets, which it then upgraded into its F-5AT Advanced Tiger configuration. Finally, Air USA is in the process of acquiring up to 46 soon-to-be-retired F/A-18A/B Hornets from the Royal Australian Air Force.
While it has been a long time coming, Top Aces’ acquisition of as many as 29 F-16s puts it in a unique position within the contractor adversary community, although there are potentially more second-hand Vipers out there that could also find commercial buyers. As it is, Top Aces is set to be the first private aggressor force in North America to receive supersonic, fourth-generation fighters, and we will be sure to report on the next developments for the company’s new jets.
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Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Mer 14 Avr 2021 - 22:43
L3Harris Technologies to Provide Next-Generation Electronic Warfare System for F-16 Multirole Fighter
MELBOURNE, Fla. — L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) has been awarded a contract from Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) 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.
Seamless integration with the F-16’s weapon systems, including the aircraft’s radar, enables Viper Shield to have broad application to Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft configurations. More than a dozen countries in the Middle East, Asia and Europe plan to fly the F-16 Block 70/72 variant.
“The L3Harris Viper Shield EW system enables the F-16 to continue to be one of the most effective combat aircraft in the world,” said Ed Zoiss, President, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris. “Our 30-year legacy on the F-16, coupled with the advanced technologies being developed for Viper Shield, provide our warfighters and international partners with unprecedented self-protection that helps to ensure mission success.”
L3Harris has delivered EW solutions for a wide variety of airborne platforms for more than 60 years, including strategic bombers, tactical fighters and rotary aircraft.
Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Jeu 15 Avr 2021 - 17:53
https://twitter.com/LockheedMartin/status/1382710305608859651 a écrit:
_________________ Le courage croît en osant et la peur en hésitant.
Adam Modérateur
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Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Ven 7 Mai 2021 - 16:46
TYLER ROGOWAY - The Drive a écrit:
The Definitive Answer On Why F-16s Carry AIM-120 AMRAAMs On Their Wingtip Rails
The answer to why the Viper flies with heavier AIM-120s on its wingtips and lighter AIM-9 Sidewinders under its wings may surprise you.
We recently posted a story about U.S. Air Force F-16Cs flying a long-range counter-air patrol mission into the South China Sea while fully armed with air-to-air missiles. The unusual weapons configuration, with five AIM-120 AMRAAMs on wingtip rails and underwing stores pylons and one AIM-9 Sidewinder underwing, as well, spurred a flurry of very familiar questions that I have gotten repeatedly for a decade: Why do F-16s carry AIM-120 AMRAAMs on their wingtip rails almost exclusively, instead of AIM-9 Sidewinders? I thought it was time to settle this once and for all with an answer straight from the F-16's manufacturer, Lockheed Martin.
The AIM-9 was carried on the Viper's wingtip rails for well over the first decade and a half of F-16 operations. After the AIM-120, introduced in the early 1990s, proliferated throughout the USAF's F-16 fleet, the Sidewinders largely moved onto the outer underwing stations. Even today, with the advanced AIM-9X and its high-off-boresight targeting ability, the Sidewinder is still largely mounted under the Viper's wings. Some have even mentioned this may impact the missile's ability to lock up targets far off the jet's centerline, but that doesn't seem to be a major concern for the USAF.
There have been various explanations given in forums and on social media for the near-omnipresence of the AIM-120s on the Viper's wingtip rails, even during training where air-to-air combat isn't the focus. These have included issues with the missiles themselves, as well as the idea that the AIM-120s act similar to winglets, offering the F-16 better efficiency when they are mounted. Another common explanation is that this configuration cuts down on wing flutter.
Prior to the AIM-120's entry into service, the Viper's wingtip rail was almost exclusively the domain of the AIM-9. Even with the introduction of the AIM-7 Sparrow to the F-16 ADF, air-to-air configured Vipers were still heavily laden with AIM-9s.
Wing flutter is defined as "a dynamic instability of a flight vehicle associated with the interaction of aerodynamic, elastic, and inertial forces (aeroelastic phenomena)." Flutter has airframe fatigue and even performance impacts in particular areas of the flight envelope and can be minor to catastrophic in nature. If you have ever seen an armed F-16 taxi by you in person, the AIM-120s on the wingtips certainly bounce around, almost to a comical degree.
With all this in mind, I asked Lockheed Martin directly about this for a definitive answer. Here is their response:
''The F-16 is able to carry different missiles on multiple stations at the same time, such as the AIM-120 and AIM-9. Because of that capability, the AIM-120 is positioned on the wingtip to reduce wing flutter, while still ensuring mission performance.''
So, the wing flutter explanation is indeed the right one. This would explain why most F-16s fly with AIM-120 captive training rounds, which weigh 335 pounds, just like their live counterparts, on their wingtips regardless of the training situation.
Some air arms that fly the F-16 are not cleared to purchase the active radar homing AIM-120, such as Iraq and Egypt. So, these aircraft are often seen flying with AIM-9s, which weigh about half as much as an AIM-120, on their wingtip rails, as the semi-active radar homing AIM-7 Sparrow that they are allowed to buy is not capable of being mounted there.
With over 4,600 F-16s delivered to air forces around the globe, roughly half of which are still flying, the F-16 has been studied incredibly closely over the decades and evolved accordingly. This includes insights into wing flutter, including with different stores configurations, and their impact on performance and airframe life. In fact, these studies continue to this very day:
Thomas 't-b0ne' Richter (@b0neyt on Twitter), who spent his career in the military flying Marine F/A-18s, before transitioning to the Michigan Air National Guard to fly F-16s, gave The War Zone a pilot's perspective on the issue:
''The AMRAAM is primarily a beyond-visual-range weapon, and would most likely be off-the-rails before entering the merge and turning with an adversary in a within-visual-range dogfight scenario. In which case, having the moment arm of a bit heavier (than an AIM-9) AIM-120 on the wingtips would affect performance.
Still, it was not anything I specifically recall making a big deal about in any tactics briefing. Going further with regard to the flying characteristics when carrying AIM-120s vs AIM-9 on the tips, the Viper is a beast, and in my opinion, if you're ripping the hell out of it in a BFM encounter, you're not noticing if the roll rate is so many degrees per second slower or faster, you are trusting your skill, and the jet, to maneuver to the control zone of the hostile for the kill.
But it really is more about wing flutter than anything else. Our loadout for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004 was all air-to-ground (laser-guided bombs and JDAM), yet look at our wingtips. Most certainly, the odds of an air-to-air encounter over Iraq were very low. The configuration was largely to keep the flutter in check and the remote air-to-air contingency capability was a bonus.''
Considering the USAF sees its newest F-16s—the last of which was delivered 16 years ago—flying for decades to come in upgraded form, as do many other air arms around the globe, getting the most out of the airframes and their life-extending structural enhancements will be key. Flying with AIM-120s on their wingtips appears to be part of this solution.
Beyond the existing fleets of F-16s, the fourth-generation fighters remain in remarkably high demand, with the relatively new South Carolina production line set to remain in good shape for years to come. With the acquisition of the F-15EX and a possible push for a far more affordable, lower-end aircraft than the F-35, it is not outside the realm of possibility that the U.S. Air Force could once again order more F-16s in their new standardized production configuration.
Regardless, at least we finally know now for certain why most F-16s spend most of their time in the air with 'Slammers' hanging off their wingtips.
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Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Mar 3 Aoû 2021 - 15:31
_________________ Les peuples ne meurent jamais de faim mais de honte.
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Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Lun 9 Aoû 2021 - 16:05
The best F-16
Compétiteur légitime du F-15E
sandboxx.us a écrit:
F-16XL: WHY AMERICA DIDN’T GET THE BEST F-16
For more than forty years, the F-16 Fighting Falcon has served as the backbone of the U.S. Air Force’s fighter fleet, but one year before the first F-16 entered service, the team behind its development had already developed a better F-16, in the F-16XL. The fighter was so capable, in fact, that it went from being nothing more than a technology demonstrator to serving as legitimate competition for the venerable F-15E in the Air Force’s Advanced Tactical Fighter program. Ultimately, it would lose out to the F-15E based on production cost and redundancy of systems, but many still contend that the F-16XL was actually the better platform.
While that assertion may be subject to debate, there’s little debate as to whether the F-16XL could have been one of the most capable 4th generation fighters on the planet.
Model 400 design team, starting left: Harry Hillaker, Andrew Lewis, Kenny Barnes, Jim Gordon
In 1977, some three years after the first F-16 took to the skies and one year before it would enter service, its designer began work on what would come to be called the F-16 SCAMP, or the Supersonic Cruise And Maneuver Prototype. The effort wasn’t about fielding another production fighter–General Dynamics had no intention of trying to sell SCAMP once it was complete. Instead, the entire premise behind the program was to quickly (and cheaply) field a platform they could use to test the concept behind supersonic cruising, or as we’ve come to call it today, “supercruising.”
While that may sound like a capability found only on Transformers or Harleys so expensive only lawyers can buy them, the idea behind supercruising was simple, even if its execution was complex. Modern fighters like the F-16 all come equipped with afterburners they can use to dramatically increase the amount of thrust their engine produces, but it comes at a serious cost. Using the afterburner to break the sound barrier and then sustain that speed depletes an aircraft’s fuel very quickly, but if a jet could kill the afterburner at supersonic speeds and still maintain them, it would mean covering more ground at high speed, while still having enough fuel left over for a fight and the return trip home.
“I remember flying in an F-16 in afterburner while supersonic over the Yellow Sea and looking down to see a fuel-flow rate of over 50,000 lbs per hour,” F-16 and F-35 pilot Justin “Hasard” Lee explained in a piece for Sandboxx News.
“To put that into perspective, that’s similar to a fire-hose operating fully open—and that’s just a single engine. A twin-engine jet such as the F-15 or F-22 can double that. The problem is, topped off, I could only carry 7,000 pounds of fuel which was enough for me to fly at that fuel-setting for less than 10 minutes.”
In order to accomplish their goal, the F-16 design would require a pretty thorough revamp. First, the wings were modified to incorporate a cranked-arrow wing shape, creating 25% more lift while allowing for effective control at both high and low speeds. Working in conjunction with NASA (and using the company’s own funds), engineer Harry Hillaker, the same man responsible for the original F-16 design, experimented repeatedly with slightly different iterations of the wings until they came to a version they referred to as Model 400.
This new wing design, which saw a 50-degree angle near the root of the wing for supersonic performance and a 70-degree angle where the wings extended for subsonic handling, offered more than double the surface area of the F-16’s wings. Incredibly, Hillaker and his team were able to manage that without any increase in drag on the airframe–thanks to more than 3,600 hours of wind tunnel testing.
This new design wasn’t necessarily practical, with all-moving wingtips and an all-moving vertical tail meant for control that performed poorly at low speeds. The wing design also didn’t allow for any hardpoints to mount bombs or missiles.
However, impractical as it may have been for a tactical fighter, the new wing design led to a significant increase in fuel range–and that increase could be further bolstered by leveraging the massive amount of internal space these new wings offered.
The F-16 SCAMP becomes the F-16XL
Citing the promising results of the F-16 SCAMP effort, the U.S. Air Force chose to buy into the idea of an even-more capable version of the F-16. They provided Hillaker with two early F-16 airframes for conversion into a SCAMP-like design they dubbed the F-16XL. Although this new jet would be largely based on the existing F-16, the changes were dramatic, including two fuselage sections added near the front and back of the aircraft, increasing its length by some 56 inches. The cranked-arrow wings that had proven so effective in SCAMP were also added, along with a new form of wing skin made using carbon fiber that saved some 600 pounds in the design.
Those massive wings, now fully realized, gave the F-16XL a nearly doubled fuel capacity, and the additional lift coupled with 633 square feet of underwing space to leverage allowed for the addition of an astonishing 27 hardpoints for ordnance. Remarkably, the F-16XL seemed to outperform its smaller predecessor in nearly every way, prompting the Air Force to take an interest in the idea of actually building this new iteration fighter.
An air to air left underside view of an F-16XL aircraft. The aircraft is armed with two wing tip mounted AIM-9 Sidewinder and four fuselage mounted AIM-7 Sparrow missiles along with 12 500-pound bombs. (WikiMedia Commons) “To say that Hillaker’s design team achieved its objectives is an understatement,” wrote F. Clifton Berry Jr. in 1983. Berry was an Air Force veteran and the editor-in-chief of Air Force Magazine at the time. As Berry pointed out, an F-16XL conducting an air-to-surface mission could carry twice the payload of the standard F-16 and still fly as much as 44% further–all without external fuel tanks and while carrying a full suite of air-to-air weapons (four AMRAAMs and two AIM-9 Sidewinders) for the fighter to defend itself. If you were to equip the F-16XL with the exact same payload as an F-16A on such a mission, the F-16XL could fly nearly twice as far as its predecessor.
But it wasn’t just about extended range and added payload. The F-16XL was capable of supersonic speeds at high or low altitudes, all while carrying its mighty payload, and had no trouble climbing quickly with bombs underwing. And even despite the added wing, fuel, and ordnance loads, the aircraft still somehow managed to fly 83 knots faster than the F-16 using military power at sea level, and more than 300 knots faster on afterburner at high altitudes, even while carrying a full bomb load.
“With the heavy bomb load aboard, the F-16XL is cleared for maneuvers up to +7.2 Gs, compared with 5.58 Gs in the F-16A,” Berry wrote. “This demonstrates how the designers were able to increase the aircraft weight while maintaining structural integrity and mission performance.”
All that time in the wind tunnel clearly paid off for the F-16XL design.
The F-16XL takes on the F-15E
General Dynamics ultimately built two prototype F-16XLs for testing, but as testing progressed, it was clear that this new iteration of the F-16 design was worth more than simply demonstrating technology. In search of a useful place to put the new jet’s capabilities, the Air Force decided to enter it into the Enhanced Tactical Fighter (ETF) competition, which aimed to field a capable replacement for the F-111 Aardvark.
“The F-16XL flight-test program has conclusively demonstrated that the XL performs as predicted. This performance level represents a significant increase in mission capability for USAF,” D. Randall Kent, Vice President and Program Director for the General Dynamics F-16XL program, said at the time.
“Coupling this with the affordability and low risk of the F-16XL presents USAF with a viable way to increase mission capability while simultaneously growing to a forty-wing TAC force structure.”
Soon, the ETF program changed names to the Dual-Role Fighter program–but despite the shift in titles, the goal was the same: To field an aircraft capable of penetrating deep into enemy airspace for interdiction missions without the need for fighter escorts. The F-16XL, with its significant fuel range, good performance, and hardpoints for 27 weapons, seemed like a perfect fit for the job… But it wasn’t the only aircraft competing for the contract. Standing between the F-16XL and operational service was another highly capable platform: The F-15E Strike Eagle.
Like the F-16XL, the Strike Eagle was a modified version of an existing fighter: The F-15 Eagle. The Eagle represented America’s top-of-the-line air superiority fighter, boasting an undefeated record in dogfights that holds to this very day. Unlike the F-16XL, however, the F-15E shared the vast majority of its design with the two-seater F-15D that was already in production.
There was no doubt that the F-16XL would likely be the more expensive option, thanks to its significant design departure from the F-16 it was based on. But it also offered a great deal of capability. Its massive wings made it more stable than the F-16 it was based on, while its wind-tunnel-tested design made all that wing area serve no detriment to the fighter’s handling.
“We climbed at more than 20,000 feet per minute, leaping from 4,000 to 27,000 feet in sixty-seven seconds. Jim eased the power back while turning into the supersonic corridor and getting cleared by Edwards Control to begin a supersonic run,” F. Clifton Berry wrote after riding in the F-16XL.
“Jim applied afterburner and the aircraft accelerated smoothly from Mach 0.95 through 1.0 and to 1.2 in seconds. Even with the heavy bomb load aboard, the aircraft went supersonic without a tremble. Handling characteristics at mach 1.2 with the heavy ordnance load were remarkably similar to those of the standard F-16 without bombs.”
The F-15E, on the other hand, offered only 15 hardpoints–which it’s important to note, is still a lot. The F-15E also delivered a higher top speed (Mach 2.5 versus 2.05) and a higher service ceiling at 60,000 feet (compared to the F-16XL’s 50,000). Most importantly, however, the F-15E leveraged not one, but two engines. Because these aircraft were intended to fly deep into enemy airspace without much support, the Air Force believed it was likely that these planes would see a great deal of anti-aircraft fire. Having two engines meant one could be damaged by enemy fire, but the aircraft could still limp home on the other.
The F-16XL may have been one of the most capable fighters to never make it into production
It was likely the perceived survivability of two engines, in conjunction with the lower cost of development, that saw the F-15E win the contract. But many within the Air Force saw the F-15E’s win as bittersweet. The Strike Eagle was indeed an incredibly capable platform, but the F-16XL’s fans felt as though the fighter wasn’t meant to compete with the Strike Eagle, so much as support it–much like the F-16 and F-15 support one another today. Like the YF-23 that lost to Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor, the F-16XL has since been remembered as an aircraft that might have been better than the jet we ultimately got… with concerns about dollars and cents making the decision, rather than maximum capability.
Of course, that may not be an entirely fair assessment. The F-16XL was indeed a capable aircraft, but the F-15E has since proven itself in combat time and time again. The Strike Eagle was clearly not a bad choice, but with the F-16XL’s incredible chops in mind, there could be little doubt that the Air Force would have been better off with both of these capable fighters in their stable… if only money truly were no object.
Instead of fighting alongside the Strike Eagle as many hoped, the F-16XL program found its way to NASA, where both prototypes participated in a number of aeronautical research projects. In fact, some of the tests conducted using the F-16XL would go on to play a role in developing the supercruise capability for America’s top-tier air superiority fighter of today, the F-22 Raptor.
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Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Sam 21 Aoû 2021 - 0:54
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – The U.S. Air Force plans to make a digital replica of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, in an effort to improve the sustainment and modernization of F-16s operating around the world.
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s F-16 Program Office is sponsoring the project through a new contract with Wichita State University’s National Institute of Aviation Research or NIAR, which will disassemble, and scan two F-16s – located at 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base – to create the ‘digital twin.’
The project is expected to last four years, and will collect data essential for future efforts to keep the F-16 fleet operational and effective. This effort lays the groundwork for a multitude of potential future efforts in F-16 digital engineering.
Part of the initiative includes creating an adjustable 3D model of the plane.
“Our goal is to create a full scale 3D model of the aircraft, with the exception of the engine,” said 1st Lt. Connor Crandall, Digital Twin Program Manager within the F-16 Program Office. “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.”
NIAR will also create 3D models of some of the larger systems on the aircraft such as the environmental control, hydraulic and fuel systems on the aircraft. Lockheed-Martin is also actively engaged in this digital engineering effort and excited about the possibilities.
“Using a proven platform like the F-16 to advance digital twin data models allows our team to demonstrate a further reduction in lifecycle cost for sustainability while also introducing additional capability through digital thread continuity,” says Aaron Martin, StarDrive program manager, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. “This project is indicative of how Lockheed Martin’s technology investments will allow us to make even faster progress on future programs.”
Upon completion of the project, the Air Force expects to save time and money on sustainment.
“Maintainers and engineers work diligently to deliver aircraft to the fight, and it costs a lot of time, money, and effort to break out an aircraft for updates and repairs,” said Capt. Jamee Boyer, an F-16 structural engineer. “It also costs money to develop a solution that doesn’t really work. With a 3D model, we can model different solutions in a virtual environment and see if they work, before having maintainers remove parts that may not need to be removed. Consequently, this would reduce maintenance workload, provide an innovative tool for engineers, and prevent aircraft being removed from the flying schedule.”
While not the focus of the project, the digital twin effort lays the foundation for the potential future use of augmented reality, and virtual reality training for F-16 aircrew members and maintainers.
“NIAR is eager to transition sustainment of the legacy F-16C into the 3D digital age,” said Dr. Melinda Laubach-Hock, NIAR F-16 Program Manager and Director of Sustainment. “Developing a virtual engineering environment that integrates structures and systems components will provide a virtual test bed for future modifications and other sustainment actions prior to physical implementation. Virtually testing prior to implementation will streamline the process, reduce airframe downtime, and increase mission readiness of this key military asset.”
Top leaders in the F-16 Program Office, NIAR, and Lockheed-Martin have already convened on multiple occasions to discuss the effort and the possibilities it can unlock for the future.
“As part of AFMC’s [Air Force Materiel Command’s] Digital Campaign we are modeling not only the structural portion of the F-16 but breaking new ground by also developing digital performance models of the hydraulic system, fuel system, and environmental control system," explained Col. Tim Bailey, F-16 System Program Manager. "This integrated digital engineering environment enables never-before possibilities for sustainment and modification through automation and much greater insight into the performance loads on our structure and systems during development. With the combined efforts of NIAR and Lockheed Martin we will push the boundaries of digital engineering across the USAF’s largest fleet.”
Leaders at Lockheed-Martin and NIAR expressed their excitement about the collaboration.
“We are proud to partner with the Air Force and NIAR to further digital engineering approaches for the F-16,” says Danya Trent, vice president, Lockheed Martin F-16 Program. “The use of advanced and emerging technologies across F-16 development, production and sustainment ensure the F-16 remains cost-effective, digitally connected and ready for any mission.”
“Wichita State’s partnership with the F-16 SPO and Lockheed Martin supports sustainment efforts for weapons systems, like the F-16C, that will immediately impact the preparedness of the warfighter," added Dr. John Tomblin, Senior Vice President for Industry and Defense at Wichita State University. "In addition, these programs provide applied learning opportunities for Wichita State graduate and undergraduate students, which, in turn, allows the military to grow its future workforce.”
Currently, the aircraft at AMARG are waiting to be disassembled for transport to Wichita. The move is expected to be completed by September 30, 2021.
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Sujet: Re: F-16 around the world Mer 25 Aoû 2021 - 16:34
Sam 22 Sep 2007 - 19:54
. “This project is indicative of how Lockheed Martin’s technology investments will allow us to make even faster progress on future programs.”