F-16A/B F-16A outfitted with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, AN/ALQ-131 ECM pod, and external fuel tanks.|alt=Aircraft carrying missiles on tips of wings during flight over ocean. Under each wing is a cylindrical external fuel tank with pointed nose F-16B The F-16A (single seat) and F-16B (two seat) were initially equipped with the
Westinghouse AN/APG-66 pulse-doppler radar,
Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200 turbofan, rated at 14,670lbf (64.9kN) and 23,830lbf (106.0kN) with afterburner. The USAF bought 375 F-16As and 125 F-16Bs, with delivery completed in March 1985.
F-16A/B Block 1/5/10 Early blocks (Block 1/5/10) featured relatively minor differences between each. Most were later upgraded to the Block 10 configuration in the early 1980s. There were 94 Block 1, 197 Block 5, and 312 Block 10 aircraft produced. Block 1 is the early production model with the
radome painted black. It was discovered that the Block 1 aircraft's black radome became an obvious visual identification cue at long range, so the color of the radome was changed to the low-visibility grey for Block 5 aircraft. During the operation of F-16 Block 1, it was discovered that rainwater could accumulate in certain spots within the
fuselage, so drainage holes were drilled in the forward fuselage and tail fin area for Block 5 aircraft. The Soviet Union significantly reduced the export of titanium during the late 1970s, so the manufacturers of the F-16 used aluminum instead wherever practical. New methods were also used: the corrugated aluminum is bolted to the epoxy surface for Block 10 aircraft, replacing the old method of
aluminum honeycomb being glued to the epoxy surface used in earlier aircraft. The breakdown is as follows: 90 F-16A Block 1, 4 F-16B Block 1, 100 F-16A Block 5, 97 F-16B Block 5, 300 F-16A Block 10, and 12 F-16B Block 10. It is unclear how many of each type were produced, but these figures are generally reasonable. As mentioned above, 375 A-types and 125 B-types were delivered to the U.S. Air Force, and the remaining aircraft were exported.
F-16A/B Block 15 The first major change in the F-16, the Block 15 aircraft featured larger horizontal stabilators, the addition of two
hardpoints to the inlet chin, an improved
AN/APG-66(V)2 radar, an extra aerial refueling light located on the vertical stabilizer, and increased capacity for the underwing hardpoints. The Block 15 also gained the
Have Quick II secure
UHF radio. To counter the additional weight of the new hardpoints, the horizontal stabilizers were enlarged by 30%. Furthermore, the lower UHF/IFF antenna, the lower threat warning antenna, the total air temperature probe and two ambient air sense ports, originally located on the inlet chin, were relocated due to the placement of the new hardpoints. The Block 15 is the most numerous variant of the F-16, with 983 produced. Nine hundred F-16A Block 15s and eighty-three F-16B Block 15s were produced and rolled out, the last of which was delivered to the Royal Thai Air Force in 1996.
F-16A/B Block 20 According to some sources, the F-16A/B variants for the
Republic of China Air Force are designated F-16AM Block 20 and F-16BM Block 20. Other sources refer to them simply as F-16A/B Block 20 without reference to the "M" designation for Mid-Life Update. Block 20 added some F-16C/D block 50/52 capabilities: improved
AN/APG-66(V)3 radar with added CW mode to guide two types of BVR missiles – AIM-7M Sparrow missiles and AIM-120 AMRAAM, carriage of
AGM-84 Harpoon missiles, as well as the
LANTIRN navigation and targeting pod. The Block 20 computers are significantly improved in comparison to that of the earlier versions that later integrated into post 1997 Block 50/52, and also getting color MFD. The
Republic of China (
Taiwan) received 150 F-16A/B Block 20 aircraft. Some sources refer to the F-16 Mid-Life Update as Block 20, but the Block 20 designation was specifically used for new-production jets with upgraded jets being referred to as MLU or
Block 15 MLU. The breakdown is 100 F-16A Block 20 and 50 F-16B Block 20, but 10 A-models have been lost during missions. At one point, 14 aircraft were sent to the US mainland for training.
F-16C/D F-16D F-16C (single seat) and F-16D (two seat). The final number of aircraft built and used by the US Air Force were 209 F-16C Block 25, 200 F-16C Block 30, 100 F-16C Block 32, 200 F-16C Block 40, 115 F-16C Block 42, 35 F-16D Block 25, 200 F-16D Block 30, 133 F-16D Block 32, 200 F-16D Block 40, and 100 F-16D Block 42. At this stage, the A/B models were retired and either exported, scrapped for parts, or mothballed and sent to storage facilities. Currently, with the introduction of the F-22 stealth fighter and the mass production of the F-35, the C/D models are being rapidly retired, and the current (2024) fleet remaining in the U.S. Air Force and National Guard consists of 123 F-16C Block 25, 200 F-16C Block 30, 100 F-16C Block 32, 200 F-16C Block 40, 115 F-16C Block 42, 37 F-16D Block 40, and 100 F-16D Block 42.
F-16C/D Block 25 The Block 25 F-16C first flew in June 1984 and entered USAF service in September. The aircraft version is fitted with the Westinghouse
AN/APG-68 radar and has improved precision night-attack capability. Block 25 introduced a very substantial improvement in cockpit avionics, including improved
fire-control and stores management computers, an Up-Front Controls (UFC) integrated data control panel, data-transfer equipment,
multifunction displays,
radar altimeter, and many other changes. Block 25s were first delivered with the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200 engine and later upgraded to the
Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220E. With 209 Block 25 C-models and 35 D-models delivered, today the USAF's
Air National Guard and
Air Education and Training Command are the only remaining users of this variant. One F-16C, nicknamed the "Lethal Lady", had flown over 7,000 hours by April 2008.
F-16C/D Block 30/32 F-16 Block 30 aircraft fly in formation over South Korea, 2008 This was the first block of F-16s affected by the Alternative Fighter Engine project under which aircraft were fitted with the traditional Pratt & Whitney engines or, for the first time, the
General Electric F110-GE-100. From this point on, blocks ending in "0" (e.g., Block 30) are powered by GE, and blocks ending in "2" (e.g., Block 32) are fitted with
Pratt & Whitney engines. The first Block 30 F-16 entered service in 1987. Major differences include the carriage of the
AGM-45 Shrike,
AGM-88 HARM, and the
AIM-120 missiles, which entered service in September 1991. From Block 30D, aircraft were fitted with larger engine air intakes (called a Modular Common Inlet Duct) for the increased-thrust GE engine. Since the Block 32 retained the Pratt and Whitney F100 engine, the smaller (normal shock inlet) was retained for those aircraft. 200 F-16C Block 30, 200 F-16D Block 30, 100 F-16C Block 32, and 133 F-16D Block 32 were built. Of these, only the early Block 30s were exported to six countries. The Block 32H/J aircraft assigned to the USAF
Thunderbird flight demonstration squadron were built in 1986 and 1987 and are some of the oldest operational F-16s in the Air Force. The Air National Guard procured many upgrades for their fleet of aging block 32s including the addition of improved
inertial guidance systems, improved
electronic warfare suite (
AN/ALQ-213), and upgrades to carry the
Northrop Grumman LITENING targeting pod. The standard Inertial Navigation Unit (INU) was first changed to a
ring laser gyro, and later upgraded again to an Embedded GPS/INS (EGI) system which combines a
Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver with an
Inertial navigation system (INS). The EGI provided the capability to use
Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and other
GPS-aided munitions (see Block 50 list below). This capability, in combination with the LITENING targeting pod, greatly enhanced the capabilities of this aircraft. The sum of these modifications to the baseline Block 30 is commonly known as the F-16C++ (pronounced "plus plus") version.
F-16C/D Block 40/42 Entering service in 1988, the Block 40/42 is the improved all-day/all-weather strike variant equipped with
LANTIRN pod; also unofficially designated the F-16CG/DG, the night capability gave rise to the name "Night Falcons". This block features strengthened undercarriage for LANTIRN pods, an improved radar, and a GPS receiver. From 2002, the Block 40/42 increased the weapon range available to the aircraft including JDAM,
AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW),
Wind-Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD) and the (Enhanced)
EGBU-27 Paveway "bunker-buster". Also incorporated in this block was the addition of cockpit lighting systems compatible with
Aviator's Night Vision Imaging System (ANVIS)
equipment. The USAF's Time Compliance Technical Order (TCTO) that added the
night vision (NVIS)-compatible systems was completed in 2004. 200 F-16C Block 40, 200 F-16D Block 40, 115 F-16C Block 42, and 100 F-16D Block 42 were built. All served with the United States Air Force, but were later exported after being replaced by their successors.
F-16C/D Block 50/52 Originally deployed with the United States Air Force, they were upgraded and sent to Iraq as they became obsolete. The first Block 50 F-16 was delivered in late 1991; the aircraft is equipped with improved GPS/INS, and can carry an additional selection of advanced missiles on its 9 hardpoints: the AGM-88 HARM missile, JDAM, JSOW and WCMD.
F-16C/D Block 50/52 Plus F-16C Block 52+ of the
No. 5 Squadron with
Conformal fuel tanks. This was an export model and never entered service with the US Air Force; all aircraft were shipped to various countries for delivery upon completion. This variant's main differences are the addition of support for
conformal fuel tanks (CFTs), a dorsal spine compartment, the
APG-68(V9) radar, an On-Board Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS), and a
JHMCS helmet. Also, the engine difference is the same as the 50/52. Block 50 using
F110-GE-129, while Block 52 uses
F100-PW-229. The CFTs are mounted above the wing, on both sides of the fuselage and are easily removable. They provide 440 US gallons (1,665 L) or approximately of additional fuel, allowing increased range or time on station and free up hardpoints for weapons instead of underwing fuel tanks. All two-seat "Plus" aircraft have the enlarged avionics dorsal spine compartment which is located behind the cockpit and extends to the tail. It adds 30 cu ft (850 L) to the airframe for more avionics with only small increases in weight and drag. F-16C Block 52+, 2006 Poland took delivery of its first F-16C Block 52+ aircraft on 15 September 2006. The "Poland Peace Sky program" includes 36 F-16Cs and 12 F-16Ds. All 48 aircraft were delivered in 2008. The
Hellenic Air Force took delivery of its first F-16C Block 52+ aircraft on 2 May 2003. The Hellenic Air Force is the first Air Force in the world to operate this F-16 type. The total Greek order was 60 F-16C/D. The Israeli F-16I and its Singapore equivalent variant are based on the block 52+ aircraft. In March 2010, it was announced that the
Egyptian Air Force would purchase 20 Block 52 aircraft (16 F-16Cs and 4 F-16Ds), the first of which arrived for testing in April 2012. Under the PEACE ONYX III CCIP program, 165 of
Turkish Air Force's F-16s have been upgraded to Block 50+ standards by
Turkish Aerospace Industries. The
Pakistan Air Force bought 12 F-16C and 6 F-16D Block 52+ fighters.
F-16E/F F-16E (single seat) and F-16F (two seat). Originally, the single-seat version of the
General Dynamics F-16XL was to have been designated
F-16E, with the twin-seat variant designated
F-16F. This was sidelined by the Air Force's selection of the competing
F-15E Strike Eagle in the Enhanced Tactical Fighter fly-off in 1984. The 'Block 60' designation had also previously been set aside in 1989 for the A-16, but this model was dropped. The F-16E/F designation now belongs to a version developed especially for the
United Arab Emirates Air Force, and is sometimes unofficially called the "Desert Falcon".
F-16E/F Block 60 F-16 Block 60 taking off from the
Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth, TX (
NAS Fort Worth JRB). The Block 60 was designed for the
United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF). Based on the F-16C/D Block 50/52, it features improved radar, avionics and conformal fuel tanks. At one time, this version was incorrectly thought to have been designated "F-16U". A major difference from previous blocks is the
Northrop Grumman AN/APG-80 Active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, which gives the airplane the capability to simultaneously track and destroy ground and air threats. The Block 60's
General Electric F110-GE-132 engine is a development of the −129 model and is rated at 32,500lbf (144kN). The
Electronic Warfare system is supposed to be quite advanced and includes the Northrop Grumman Falcon Edge Integrated Electronic Warfare Suite
RWR together with the
AN/ALQ-165 Self-Protection Jammer. Falcon Edge, which was developed by Northrop Grumman specifically for the Block 60, is capable of showing not only the bearing of any threat but also the range. The Block 60 allows the carriage of all Block50/52-compatible weaponry as well as
AIM-132 Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) and the
AGM-84E Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM). The conformal fuel tanks provide an additional 450US gallon (2,045L) of fuel, allowing increased range or time on station. This has the added benefit of freeing up hardpoints for weapons that otherwise would have been occupied by underwing fuel tanks. The Block 60 retains a
MIL-STD-1553 data bus to support certain legacy systems, but also features a
MIL-STD-1773 fiber-optic data bus which offers a 1,000 times increase in data-handling capability. UAE funded the entire $3 billion Block 60 development costs, and in exchange will receive royalties if any of the Block 60 aircraft are sold to other nations. According to press reports quoted by
Flight International, this is "the first time the US has sold a better aircraft [F-16] overseas than its own forces fly". Like the
F-35, the Block 60 F-16 has a built in FLIR/IRST/laser targeting system rather than using a dedicated pod that would occupy a hardpoint, increase drag and RCS. In 2014 the UAE requested an upgrade to Block 61, along with the purchase of 30 more aircraft at that level. However, the UAE cancelled the order of buying and upgrading the F-16E/F Block 61.
F-16V Viper On 15 February 2012, Lockheed Martin unveiled a new version of their F-16 at the 2012 Singapore Airshow. The F-16V will feature enhancements including an
AN/APG-83 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, an upgraded mission computer and architecture, and improvements to the cockpit – all capabilities identified by the U.S. Air Force and several international customers for future improvements. The new variant is dubbed the "Viper", which is intended to better operate with fifth-generation fighters, and should not be confused with Lockheed's F-16IN Block 70/72 "Super Viper", which was offered to India for the
Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft competition and showcased at the 2009
Aero India Air Show. "The new F-16V will become the new F-16 baseline," said George Standridge, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics' vice president of business development. On 16 October 2015, the F-16V flew for the first time with an APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar AESA, a new Center Pedestal Display, a modernized mission computer, Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System, and many other upgrades. This can be fitted on new production F-16s or retrofitted on existing ones. The first of these were for Republic of China Air Force (
Taiwan) F-16A/B Block 20s. The upgrade of its 144 aircraft fleet started in January 2017 and was completed in February of 2024. In 2019, Taiwan and the United States signed an deal that would deliver 66 new-build Block 70 aircraft.
F-16 Block 70/72 ;
Royal Bahraini Air Force In September 2017, the U.S. Department of State approved a Foreign Military Sale to Bahrain for 19 new-build F-16V and upgrade its 20 existing F-16C/D Block 40 to F-16V standard. In June 2018,
Bahrain finalized its order for 16 new-build F-16V. ;
Hellenic Air Force In October 2017, the U.S. approved the sale of 123 upgrade kits to
Greece to bring their existing F-16C and D fighters up to the new F-16 Block 72 standard. On 28 April 2018, Greece decided to upgrade 84 aircraft. ;
Slovak Air Force In April 2018, the U.s. Department of State approved a Foreign Military Sale to
Slovakia for 14 new F-16Vs, pending approval from U.S. Congress. The Defence Ministry of Slovakia announced on 11 July 2018 that it intends to purchase 14 F-16 Block 70 aircraft from Lockheed Martin to replace its aging fleet of Mikoyan MiG-29s. The package, which includes armament and training, is worth €1.58 billion ($1.8 billion), and is Slovakia's largest military purchase in modern history. Defence Minister
Peter Gajdoš signed the contract with Lockheed Martin representative Ana Wugofski in a press conference at the capital Bratislava on 12 December 2018. after the government approved the purchase. The first completed jet was unveiled by the manufacturer on 7 September 2023, and first two aircraft were delivered to Slovakia on 22 July 2024. ;
Bulgarian Air Force In December 2018,
Bulgaria chose sixteen F-16 C/D Block 70/72 as replacements for MiG-29s. On 10 July 2019, Bulgaria approved the purchase of eight F-16 C/D Block 70/72 for $1.25 billion (~$ in ). On 4 November 2022, the Bulgarian parliament approved the purchase of 8 more F-16 C/D Block 70/72 for $1.3 billion. ;
Republic of China Air Force (
Taiwan) On 27 February 2019, Taiwan requested to buy 66 new F-16 Block 70/72 airframes for an approximate $13 billion (~$ in ) as replacement for their aging
Mirage 2000 and
F-5 fighters. On 16 August 2019, the U.S. Department of Statesubmitted the package to Congress, total package worth $8 billion (~$ in ) for 66 F-16 Block 70 and other spare parts. On 13 December 2019, the US and
Taiwan finalized the F-16V order. On 14 August 2020, Taiwan formally signed an agreement to buy 66 F-16V jets built by Lockheed Martin. ;
Royal Moroccan Air Force On 25 March 2019, the
U.S. Department of Defense announced approvals for two sets of foreign military sales of F-16V hardware to
Morocco; one for upgrading its existing 23 F-16s to the F-16V configuration, valued at $985.2 million; and the second for a batch of 25 new Block 72 airframes, 29 new engines, a package of precision-guided munitions, and training valued at $3.787 billion. ;
Royal Jordanian Air Force On 3 March 2020, It was announced that instead of upgrading,
Royal Jordanian Air Force is now looking to buy the latest
F-16 Block 70/72 model to replace its current fleet of older F-16s. As early as September 2017, the
Royal Jordanian Air Force was working with the
U.S. Air Force Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), based at
Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, to begin the Viper Block-70 operational upgrade program. This study is still under way, but it is unclear whether, and when, it will apply where necessary congressional approvals are needed to sell these possibilities to Jordan. ;
Turkish Air Force On 30 September 2021, Turkey sent a formal request to the United States to purchase 40 new
F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft and nearly 80 kits to modernize its
F-16C/D fighters to
F-16 Block 70/72 variant. Turkey later cancelled the upgrade kits from the deal and decided to modernize F-16s locally. ;Other In May 2021, the U.S. Air Force had awarded a $14 billion (~$ in ) contract to Lockheed Martin to build new 128 Block 70/72 F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets on behalf of Bahrain, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Taiwan, Morocco and Jordan through 2026. ==Major modification variants==