The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact, multirole fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the air forces of the United States and allied nations.

In an air combat role, the F-16's maneuverability and combat radius (distance it can fly to enter air combat, stay, fight and return) exceed that of all potential threat fighter aircraft. It can locate targets in all weather conditions and detect low flying aircraft in radar ground clutter. In an air-to-surface role, the F-16 can fly more than 500 miles (860 kilometers), deliver its weapons with superior accuracy, defend itself against enemy aircraft, and return to its starting point. An all-weather capability allows it to accurately deliver ordnance during non-visual bombing conditions.

The cockpit and its bubble canopy give the pilot unobstructed forward and upward vision, and greatly improved vision over the side and to the rear. The seat-back angle was expanded from the usual 13 degrees to 30 degrees, increasing pilot comfort and gravity force tolerance.

General Characteristics

Primary Function: Multirole fighter
Builder: General Dynamics Corp.
Power Plant: F-16A/B - one Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-200 turbofan engine with afterburner;
F-16C/D - one Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200/220 or General Electric F110-GE-100 turbofan engine with afterburner
Thrust: F-16A/B, 24,000 pounds (10,800 kilograms); F-16C/D, 27,000 pounds (12,150 kilograms)
Length: 49 feet, 5 inches (14.8 meters)
Height: 16 feet (4.8 meters)
Wingspan: 32 feet, 8 inches (9.8 meters)
Speed: 1,500 mph (Mach 2 at sea level)
Ceiling: Above 50,000 feet (15 kilometers)
Armament: One M-61A1 20mm multibarrel cannon with 500 rounds;
external stations can carry up to six AIM-9 infrared missiles, conventional air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions and electronic countermeasure pods
Crew: F-16A/C: one; F-16B/D: two
Date Deployed: January 1979