us media: the era of f-16 fighter jets is coming to an end
2024-09-09
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reference news reported on september 8on september 6, the website of the u.s. bimonthly magazine national interest published an article titled "the era of the f-16 fighter is coming to an end," written by geopolitical analyst brandon weichert. excerpts are as follows:
the united states air force has a remarkable aircraft in its arsenal that has served the country for decades and continues to prove itself as a useful weapons platform. countries around the world love this aircraft. i'm not talking about the fifth-generation f-35 lightning ii or the f-22 raptor, but the ubiquitous f-16. since it first entered service in august 1978, multiple variants of this fighter have undergone various advanced upgrades and are scattered across the skies of our pale blue planet.
but mainly due to the emergence of fifth-generation fighters, the era of the f-16 as king is coming to an end. indeed, the f-16's life expectancy has exceeded its designers' original plans, mainly due to the technical complexity and cost overruns of the f-35 and f-22 programs.
however, even if this excellent aircraft is improved in the near future, it will not be enough to compete with the world's fifth-generation fighters and some other aircraft.
that’s why so many f-16 pilots across the country are joining the f-35 training program at luke air force base in arizona. many pilots who have been flying f-16s since the beginning of their careers are asking or being asked to give up their beloved aircraft and learn to fly the f-35, which will be in service for many years longer than the f-16.
this gradual shift will become more common in the coming years as the f-16 reaches the limits of its upgrade possibilities.
indeed, the air force plans to keep these aircraft flying into the 2040s. the same is true for the f-15 and f-18. but as the air force's workhorse? no. the f-16s are currently undergoing a major overhaul. after all, it's been nearly 50 years since they first flew.
the air force plans to make up to 22 improvements to the f-16 block 40 and f-16 block 50 aircraft. these upgrades are being carried out in parallel with a service life extension program to "extend the fatigue life of the airframe from 8,000 hours to 12,000 hours."
the f-16 is undoubtedly one of the greatest fighters the u.s. air force has ever produced, due to its longevity, ease of flying, and versatility in combat. its outstanding combat record reflects its superior performance.
but it is still a fourth-generation fighter in a world of fifth-generation fighters.
more importantly, fifth-generation fighters are built to counter far more advanced air defenses than the f-16 was built to do. with so many f-16s, the air force can't afford to retire them all together. upgrading makes sense. but there are limits to what can be upgraded, and version 1.5 of the aircraft's operating system is still closer to its original version than version 2.0.
the united states' f-16 is an iconic warplane that has reached the limits of what it can do in the face of a modern and evolving threat environment. it is very likely that the upgrades made to the f-16 will not keep pace with the evolving threat landscape.
a better way to use the money would be to invest in more powerful drone capabilities, build directed energy weapons, and eventually create offensive and defensive hypersonic weapons for the air force.
the future is here, and the united states is not ready. strengthening old platforms like the f-16 will not work, and continuing to expand the model of manned fighter aircraft is not enough. we must do more and be more innovative than our enemies. time is not on america's side. (compiled by li sha)
