This book starts with an overlap of the period from 1963 to 1975, described in final chapters of the "Inside History of the USAF Lightweight Fighters, 1900 to 1975". The next major portion of this book then describes the Transition Contract to "missionize" the General Dynamics YF-16 and Northrop YF-17 designs into a USAF Air Combat Fighter (ACF) and also to "navalize" both ACF designs for potential procurement as the USN Air Combat Fighter (NACF). The latter portion of this book describes the early F-16 Full Scale Development activities and then describes the numerous Block changes made to increase the capabilities of the production F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. In the concluding chapter is captured the very purpose for the development of "the fighter pilot's fighter" - the use of the F-16 in operations world-wide. The F-16 Fighting Falcon Multinational Weapon System became the cornerstone of the fighter inventories of over 25 free-world countries for the past forty years and remains in their future plans for a few decades. F-16C/D service life extensions and upgrades continue to be made.

This book starts with an overlap of the period from 1963 to 1975, described in final chapters of the “Inside History of the USAF Lightweight Fighters, 1900 to 1975”. The next major portion of this book then describes the Transition Contract to “missionize” the General Dynamics YF-16 and Northrop YF-17 designs into a USAF Air Combat Fighter (ACF) and also to “navalize” both ACF designs for potential procurement as the USN Air Combat Fighter (NACF). The latter portion of this book describes the early F-16 Full Scale Development activities and then describes the numerous Block changes made to increase the capabilities of the production F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. In the concluding chapter is captured the very purpose for the development of “the fighter pilot’s fighter” – the use of the F-16 in operations world-wide. The F-16 Fighting Falcon Multinational Weapon System became the cornerstone of the fighter inventories of over 25 free-world countries for the past forty years and remains in their future plans for a few decades. F-16C/D service life extensions and upgrades continue to be made.

Discusses the F-16 Fighting Falcon, its uses, engines, weapons, and future in the U.S. Air Force.

The F-16 has thick skin. At an age when other aircraft are entering the museum, the fighter-bomber from General Dynamics still packs a punch in international competitions against the so-called "fifth generation" aircraft. The first prototype aircraft flew for the first time in 1974 and the operational life of the last aircraft built without a doubt will continue beyond 2040. Meanwhile, the lightweight fighter optimized for current day missions will have become a formidable fighter-bomber, with more than 4,400 aircraft having been built over the years. This second volume on the F-16 deals with versions C and D, which are still active in twenty countries

Sleek, futuristic and deadly - the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon was born from the crucible of the air war over Vietnam and the need for cheaper, simpler, and more maneuverable fighter aircraft with which to combat the many thousands of Soviet-bloc supplied aircraft sold around the world.Back in the early 1970s the F-16 was the pinnacle of modern design, integrating a powerful turbofan engine, unrivaled maneuverability - thanks to its relaxed static stability and fly-by-wire system with computer control, not to mention astounding value-for-money for air forces around the globe.Today's F-16 Viper is light years away from the simple, lightweight point-defense fighter first envisaged, but it has evolved and matured into the finest and most exported fourth-generation combat aircraft around the world. Many would argue that the latest variants offer a real-world capability and value-for-money that makes it a wiser choice than its logical successor - the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.Whatever the future holds for the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, it has already entered the annals of aviation history, but the beauty is that this versatile machine doubtless has more pages yet to write. The Viper story is far from over.

This title explores the development and use of the popular F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet. Readers will follow the history of its origins and development. Chapters detail the aircraft's military and performance specifications as well as its features and advantages in the field, such as the shape of its fuselage, its ejection seat, its single turbofan engine, and its many powerful guns, missiles, and bombs. Readers will also learn about the F-16's use in Operation Desert Storm and other significant combat and peacekeeping missions. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. A&D Xtreme is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.