Developed by the American defense and aerospace company Lockheed Martin and one of the most famous fighter jets in history, F 16 50 years have been completed.
On this occasion, the aircraft was displayed at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) in Fairford, Gloucestershire, and a flypast was also demonstrated.
50 years ago the prototype YF-16 made its first flight, later paving the way for the F-16’s role in modern air defense.
Today, the F-16 aircraft, also known as the ‘Fighting Falcon’, is an important component of the fighter fleet of NATO and allied countries and its operations are spread across 25 countries.
Some F-16 aircraft in the world is always in flight.
The first flight of the F-16 in 1974 was premature as pilot Phil Ostrecker, who intended to perform a high-speed ground taxi test, was forced to take off due to the aircraft’s unpredictable speed.
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Since that unplanned flight, more than 4,600 F-16s have been produced, with a total of 19.5 million flight hours.
The F-16 is an important part of NATO’s European operations, which includes more than 700 aircraft.
The F-16 is being phased out in some US and NATO air forces and replaced by another Lockheed F-35.
According to Lockheed Martin’s Orlando Sanchez Jr.: ‘The F-16 fighter jet is special because it was designed from the ground up to be versatile.
‘Over 50 years it has proven that it can adapt to the needs of different countries and build strong partnerships.’
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2024-07-22 17:25:53
