F-16 FIGHTING FALCON The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, the first of the US Air Force multi-role fighter aircraft, is the world's most prolific fighter with more than 2000 in service with the USAF and 2000 operational with 19 other countries. The F-16 and the F-15 Eagle were the world's first aircraft able to withstand higher G forces than the pilots. The Fighting Falcon entered service in 1979. Current orders include Bahrain (10), Greece (50), Israel (50), Egypt (24), New Zealand (28), United Arab Emirates (80), Singapore (20) and South Korea (20). Israel plans to procure 110 F-16I aircraft to enter service from 2003. These aircraft will have Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 engines, Elbit avionics, Elisra electronic warfare systems and Rafael weapons and sensors, including Litening II laser target designator pods. Italy is to lease 34 aircraft until Eurofighter enters service and Hungary will acquire 24 ex-USAF fighters. COCKPIT Advanced equipment being fitted on the current build of the F-16 includes Honeywell colour flat panel liquid crystal multi-function displays, Digital Terrain System, Modular Mission Computer, colour video camera to record the pilot's view of the head-up display (HUD), a colour triple-deck video recorder and an enhanced programmable display generator. Under the USAF Project Sure Strike, the F-16 is being equipped with an improved data modem (IDM) which automatically provides target data to the HUD using data transmitted by a ground observer. A follow-on programme, Project Gold Strike integrates an upgraded IDM for the transmission of images to and from a range of sources including ground units and unmanned aircraft. The system can transmit images from the LANTIRN targeting pod and display video imagery to the cockpit. WEAPONS The aircraft has nine hardpoints for weapons payloads - one at each wing tip, three under each wing and one centreline under the fuselage. The ordnance is launched from Raytheon LAU-88 launchers, MAU-12 and Orgen bomb ejector racks. The port wing is fitted with a 20 mm General Electric M61A1 multi-barrel cannon and the gunsight is interfaced to the cockpit HUD. Air-to-air missiles which have been carried on the F-16 include the Lockheed Martin/Raytheon Sidewinder, Raytheon AMRAAM, Raytheon Sparrow, Matra BAe Dynamics (UK) Skyflash and ASRAAM, and the R550 Magic 2 from Matra BAe Dynamics (France). Air-to-surface missiles carried on the F-16 include Maverick, HARM and Shrike missiles, manufactured by Raytheon, and anti-ship missiles include Boeing Harpoon and Kongsberg Penguin. The F-16 carries the Lockheed Martin LANTIRN infra-red navigation and targeting system. This is used in conjunction with a BAE Systems holographic display. Block 50/52 aircraft are being equipped with the HARM Targeting System, AN/ASQ-213 from Raytheon. The first guided launch of the new Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) was successfully carried out from an F-16 and the F-16 was the first USAF aircraft to be fitted with the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) in April 2000. COUNTERMEASURES Current Block 50 F-16 aircraft for the USA are equipped with the Lockheed Martin superheterodyne AN/ALR-56M Radar Warning Receiver. The F-16 is also compatible with a range of jammers and electronic countermeasures equipment including Northrop Grumman AN/ALQ-131, Raytheon AN/ALQ-184, Elisra SPS 3000 and Elta EL/L-8240 and the Northrop Grumman .ALQ-165 self-protection suite. Lockheed Martin ALE-40 and ALE-47 chaff and infrared flare dispenser systems are installed in an internal flush mount. ALE-40 is pilot-controlled but the ALE-47 currently being installed in Block 50 can be operated in fully-, semi-automatic or manual mode. RADAR. The Northrop Grumman AN/APG-68 radar provides 25 separate air-to-air and air-to-ground modes including long range all-aspect detection and tracking, simultaneous multiple target tracking, and high resolution ground mapping. The planar antenna array is installed in the nose of the aircraft. NAVIGATION AND COMMUNICATIONS The F-16 was the first operational US aircraft to receive GPS (Global Positioning System). The aircraft has an inertial navigation system, either a Litton LN-39, LN-93 ring laser gyroscope or Honeywell H-423. Other navigation equipment includes a BAE SYSTEMS Terprom digital terrain navigation system, Gould AN/APN-232 radar altimeter, Rockwell Collins AN/ARN-118 tactical air navigation system (Tacan) and Rockwell Collins AN/ARN-108 instrument landing system. The communications systems include the Raytheon UHF AN/ARC-164 receiver/transmitter and Rockwell Collins VHF AM/FM AN/ARC-186 together with Identification Friend or Foe and encryption/secure communications systems. ENGINE. The aircraft is powered by a single engine, the General Electric F110-GE-129 or Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-229. The fuel supply is equipped with an inert gas anti-fire system. An in-flight refuelling probe is installed in the top of the fuselage