Pakistan F-16 Discussions 2

[Pakistani Fighter]

2048 and beyond.

 

[LKJ86]

F-16 at Spangdahlem first in Europe to hit 10,000 flight hours

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An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, is given a water salute on Thursday, April 23, 2020, after completing 10,000 flight hours. The F-16 was the first in Europe, and only the second in the U.S. Air Force's inventory, to cross the 10,000 flight-hour mark.

JENNIFER H. SVAN | STARS AND STRIPESPublished: April 24, 2020

An F-16 combat jet at Spangdahlem Air Base achieved a landmark 10,000 flight hours on Thursday, nearly 27 years after it rolled off the production line and began flying for the 52nd Fighter Wing.

The aircraft – Tail No. 343 – is the first Block 50 Fighting Falcon in Europe and only the second F-16 in the U.S. Air Force’s inventory to reach the historic milestone, something maintainers hailed as a testament to its durability and their dedicated labor.

An F-16 at Misawa Air Base in northern Japan hit the mark a year ago, but that jet was delivered a year earlier than Spangdahlem’s, maintainers said. It also took 26 years and 11 months to reach 10,000 hours – two months longer than No. 343.

“It takes a lot of work and a lot of diligence and a lot of very thorough inspections to keep (the aircraft) safe and ready to fly,” said Senior Master Sgt. Andrew Yates of the 480th Aircraft Maintenance Unit at Spangdahlem.

“The plane’s been flying since before about 75% of the people in this building were even born – definitely before any of us even joined the military,” he said.

Both are true for 1st Lt. Christina Nunley, 25, the assistant officer in charge for the 480th AMU.

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U.S. Air Force Col. Jason Hokaj, 52nd Fighter Wing vice commander, prepares for takeoff in aircraft 343, an F-16 Fighting Falcon, at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, April 23, 2020. Later that day, Hokaj's aircraft passed the 10,000 flight hours milestone.
KYLE COPE/U.S. AIR FORCE

“This aircraft has been at Spangdahlem longer than I have been alive,” she said. “Obviously, there are struggles that come with having an older aircraft, but the history behind it is a huge motivating factor and it’s something that we take a lot of pride in.”

Chief Master Sgt. Chris Yager, 45, is part of that history. His first assignment out of tech school in 1997 was at Spangdahlem, where he worked on the jet and saw it reach 2,000 flight hours.

Back then, “there were those old crusty guys that were out there training me how to work on aircraft and sometimes I wondered why they were training me the way they were,” said Yager, the 52nd Maintenance Group superintendent.

With Thursday’s milestone, Yager said he sees “the fruits of that labor.”

Keeping No. 343 airworthy involved about 190,000 hours of work by ground crews, maintainers said. The F-16 on average requires 19 hours of maintenance for every hour of flying time – a figure that includes thorough inspections, refueling and basic maintenance such as changing tires and oil.

The wing’s vice commander, Col. Jason Hokaj, took the jet up Thursday afternoon for less than an hour to reached the milestone. Base firefighters hosed down the aircraft as it taxied down the flightline after landing.

“This is such an amazing event to be part of,” Hokaj said in a statement. “To think about the amount of hands and minds used to get here, to keep this machine flying, it’s a testament to the professionalism of the 52nd Maintenance Group.”



The Lockheed Martin Block 50 F-16s that the 480th Fighter Squadron flies were initially designed to last 8,000 flight hours, Yates said. But a series of upgrades has kept many of them going past that mark, he said.

Yager likened the F-16 to the Air Force’s Cold War-era B-52 bomber, which is still in service after more than 50 years.

“It was only designed for so many hours but it keeps going and going,” he said.

Lockheed Martin’s F-35A Lightning II is the planned replacement for the F-16 across the service, but due to delays in the program, the F-16s are expected to receive service-life extension upgrades to keep them airworthy until 2048 and beyond.

No. 343 was part of the 480th’s deployment for Operation Inherent Resolve to Iraq and Syria in 2016, when the squadron broke a record for number of munitions dropped by an F-16 unit within a six-month period.

“It’s just been a good, durable aircraft,” Yates said. “There’s a lot of superstition in the maintenance community – rubbing the bellies and certain things – but really, the biggest reason is … making sure all the required inspections for this aircraft are complied with.”

svan.jennifer@stripes.com
Twitter: @stripesktown

How many its parts have been replaced?

 

[ziaulislam]

How many its parts have been replaced?

pretty sure F!6 will be eligble for 12,000 hours within structural upgrades that would come at a fraction of cost.
i think USAF will extend the f16 till 2040 while other countries will operate for next 50 years since new f16s are still on order each having 12,000 hours from get go

 

[Falcon26]

However,

One thing that makes me curious, most probably because of my lack of understanding on the legalities involved in the CSF regards, Is USA really bound to pay CSF to PAK and that not doing so would actually have some problems for USA in the international arena ? They have halted CSF for a long time, Who is forcing them to pay CSF if that is the case ?

@Dazzler @Blacklight @dbc @Socra

I can think of only you people who might answer my question or maybe not because not everyone can !!

In short, I know the answer is not as simple as Afghan peace deal But my curiosity is whether is it like this “Eventually you should pay liable CSF funds to Pakistan, Otherwise”, What is after “Otherwise” ?

CSF conditions simply state that the pentagon and White House have to verify that Pakistan is cooperating positively. That’s all it takes.

 

[gangsta_rap]

CSF conditions simply state that the pentagon and White House have to verify that Pakistan is cooperating positively. That’s all it takes.

Where does congress fit into this?

 

[mingle]

everyone has the right to their own viewpoint....

Agree with You

 

[cloud4000]

One thing that makes me curious, most probably because of my lack of understanding on the legalities involved in the CSF regards, Is USA really bound to pay CSF to PAK and that not doing so would actually have some problems for USA in the international arena ? They have halted CSF for a long time, Who is forcing them to pay CSF if that is the case ?

No, US is not bound to pay Pakistan on CSF. Pakistan submits claims for CSF to US, who either accepts them or rejects them on an individual basis. I know the figure is between $6-$12 billion of claims depending on the source. As far as I know, there has been no legalities involved otherwise Pakistan would have done something by now.

 

[Falcon26]

Where does congress fit into this?

Congress authorizes the budget and all payments and their condition is that White House and Pentagon certify that Pakistan is in compliance.

 

[Trailer23]

Maybe not right now. But eventually..., 2 Years, 5 Years, 10 Years - whatever. Pakistan will be in a position to say, "What's in it for us?". It may not relate to the F-16, but it'll happen. Everyone knows it'll happen, the only question is..., when?

 

[Bilal Khan (Quwa)]

Maybe not right now. But eventually..., 2 Years, 5 Years, 10 Years - whatever. Pakistan will be in a position to say, "What's in it for us?". It may not relate to the F-16, but it'll happen. Everyone knows it'll happen, the only question is..., when?

This is assuming all of our decision makers actually think and care about national interest. Sorry to say this, but we Pakistanis are OK doing things 'because it's a job,' not because it's the cause/ideology.

 

[Blacklight]

This is assuming all of our decision makers actually think and care about national interest. Sorry to say this, but we Pakistanis are OK doing things 'because it's a job,' not because it's the cause/ideology.

Sometimes I think, we are the only people on the planet to have govts that work against us.

 

[StormBreaker]

This is assuming all of our decision makers actually think and care about national interest. Sorry to say this, but we Pakistanis are OK doing things 'because it's a job,' not because it's the cause/ideology.

That’s the root cause of unprofessional and non serious attitude bro.

 

[Blacklight]

View attachment 627215

@ghazi52 Meet your military twin

 

[StormBreaker]

@ghazi52 Meet your military twin

2 bots

 

[Bilal Khan (Quwa)]

Sometimes I think, we are the only people on the planet to have govts that work against us.

There are individuals like that, sure, but the 'group' as a whole just wants to get by to the next day. Folks are simply too tired, distraught, demoralized, etc to act beyond the bare minimum expected of them.