VALUABLE ‘VIPER’

The F-16C/D is the Swiss Army knife of the USAF, fulfilling a number of roles and looking set to remain in service until around 2050 on current estimates.

An F-16C Block 30 of the 187th Fighter Wing, Alabama ANG.
Ugo Crispioni
F-16CMs of the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base, Japan.
Jim Haseltine

THE F-16C/D FIGHTING Falcon is where the US Air Force finds its ‘combat mass’. This versatile, agile, lightweight fighter fills some niche roles such as suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) and today comprises 50 per cent of the USAF fighter fleet.

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