The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, daytime Visual Flight Rules (VFR) fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft.

The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as a lightweight, daytime Visual Flight Rules (VFR) fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft. The Falcon's versatility is a paramount reason it has proven a success on the export market, having been selected to serve in the air forces of 25 nations. The F-16 is the largest Western jet fighter program with over 4,400 aircraft built since production was approved in 1976. Though no longer being purchased by the U.S. Air Force, advanced versions are still being built for export customers. In 1993, General Dynamics sold its aircraft manufacturing business to the Lockheed Corporation, which in turn became part of Lockheed Martin after a 1995 merger with Martin Marietta.

The Fighting Falcon is a dogfighter with numerous innovations including a frameless, bubble canopy for better visibility, side-mounted control stick to ease control while under high g-forces, and reclined seat to reduce the effect of g-forces on the pilot. The F-16 has an internal M61 Vulcan cannon and has 11 hardpoints for mounting various missiles, bombs and pods. It was also the first fighter aircraft deliberately built to sustain 9-g turns. It has a thrust-to-weight ratio greater than one, providing power to climb and accelerate vertically — if necessary. Although the F-16's official name is "Fighting Falcon", it is known to its pilots as the "Viper", due to it resembling a cobra snake and after the Battlestar Galactica starfighter. It is used by the Thunderbirds air demonstration team.

The F-16 is scheduled to remain in service with the U.S. Air Force until 2025. The planned replacement is the F-35 Lightning II, which will gradually begin replacing a number of multirole aircraft among the air arms of the program's member nations.

In this recent article by Bjørnar Bolsøy on F-16.net, we have words from LM that the stealthy pylons are unfunded. Development of a stealthy air-to-air pylon has been brought up from time to time. This would allow for reduced signatures ... ... be an ideal under-wing munition for a future LAAR, agreed. FWIW, feel free to 'Vote' on your preliminary LAAR choice (or none please), over on my post at F-16.net, in the "Military Aviation: Air power" forum. 9/17/2009 1:11 AM CDT ... Pentagon presses UTX to lower F-35 engine costs -- Reuters Senators scrap money for second F-35 engine -- The Hill F35 jet raises tensions with US over technology sharing -- The Telegraph Flight Schedules F-35 2008/ 10 -- F-16.net ... Eric Palmer of F-16.net, writing in his own blog, looks at this bizarre discrepancy: Without some kind of worthwhile tactical fighter to fly off of the carrier deck for the next 30 years, the USN is going to look awful silly if things ... Eric Palmer of F-16.net, writing in his own blog, looks at this bizarre discrepancy: Without some kind of worthwhile tactical fighter to fly off of the carrier deck for the next 30 [...] ... Dubai Airshow 2009, Desert Falcon blk 60 - F-16.net. I just called in Dubai Airshow and they told me clearly that " its for aviation belonging proffessionals only, No general public allowed ", its not fair. ... (Ignore the comments from the f-16.net F-35 fans, who have a hard time with words of more than two syllables.) According to the paper, the ITAE researchers had found materials that solved the dominant problem in the Sukhoi design: ... DANFS · dedefensa.org · Defence Management · Defence Today (Strike Publications) · DTI, Defense Technology International · DVIDS · f-16.net · Flight Global · Jet Careers · Kevin PM · Malcolm Turnbull · Milblogging.com ... Le chroniqueur E.L. Palmer, basé en Australie, très actif dans la guérilla anti-JSF, a édité deux articles sur le sujet; l'un le 6 août 2009 sur F-16.net («U.K. may drop the STOVL F-35 for carrier variant»), l'autre le 7 août 2009 sur ... DANFS · dedefensa.org · Defence Management · Defence Today (Strike Publications) · DTI, Defense Technology International · DVIDS · f-16.net · Flight Global · Jet Careers · Kevin PM · Malcolm Turnbull · Milblogging.com ...