The NF-16D VISTA testbed aircraft incorporated a multi-axis
thrust vectoring (MATV) engine nozzle that provides for more active control of the aircraft in a
post-stall situation. As a result, the aircraft is
supermaneuverable, retaining
pitch and
yaw control at
angles of attack beyond which the traditional control surfaces cannot change attitude. The NF-16D VISTA is a Block 30 F-16D based on the airframe design of the
Israeli Air Force version, which incorporates a
dorsal fairing running the length of the fuselage aft of the canopy and a heavyweight landing gear derived from the Block 40
F-16C/D. The fairing houses most of the variable-stability equipment and test instrumentation. The heavyweight gear permits simulation of aircraft with higher landing sink rates than a standard F-16. The VISTA aircraft is operated by the
U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and maintained by
Calspan at
Edwards Air Force Base. It is regularly used in student curriculum sorties, special academic projects, and flight research. On May 2, Air Force Secretary
Frank Kendall III said he'd trust the AI with the ability to launch weapons. The Air Force is planning for more than 1,000 AI-controlled warplanes, the first of them to be operating by 2028. ==Specifications ==