Pakistan F-16 Discussions 2

[SQ8]

History will show the F-16 to probably be the most successful manned jet fighter made... a combination of capability, maintainability, and cost.

It'll be in tough competition with the MiG-21 for that honor. It's not numbers alone, it's the platform taken as a whole.

They'll be flying probably well into 2030's and maybe beyond. Kind of like the B-52 with a service life of 60+ years. That's like seeing Sopwith Camels fighting in the Vietnam war.

Had political considerations not come into the selection for the F-XX project.. it would have lived on even further in the guise of a XL as the E model.

 

[rockstarIN]

History will show the F-16 to probably be the most successful manned jet fighter made... a combination of capability, maintainability, and cost.

It'll be in tough competition with the MiG-21 for that honor. It's not numbers alone, it's the platform taken as a whole.

They'll be flying probably well into 2030's and maybe beyond. Kind of like the B-52 with a service life of 60+ years. That's like seeing Sopwith Camels fighting in the Vietnam war.

After Mig-21, Soviets hardly went for single engined planes and the Migs were never upgraded like F-16s..

 

[SQ8]

After Mig-21, Soviets hardly went for single engined planes and the Migs were never upgraded like F-16s..

?? expected a more knowledgeable broad sweep by you.
Have you forgotten the numerous Mig-23's and 27's.. or the fitter series..??


The mig-21.. from its original guise as the day short range C model..

To the IAF Bison

Still based on the original airframe like the F-16.. yet very different from its base point.

So that statement does not hold valid in the context you seem to be implying.

 

[Windjammer]

After Mig-21, Soviets hardly went for single engined planes and the Migs were never upgraded like F-16s..

Actually the MiG-23/27 and the likes of SU-17/22 are all single engined machines and the Lancer/Bison designate are major upgrades of the MiG-21 series.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

will the USAF still be flying them in 2030s? I'm not sure.

over a period of time, F-35 will be mass inducted. Maybe not all Falcons will be phased out by 2030, but i'm sure there roll will diminish as far as USAF is concerned.

 

[SBD-3]

Iraq's Requirements:
*-120 sets of JHMCS
*-20 CFTs
*-24 PW F-100PW-229 or GE F110GE-129 High performance engines
*-120 LAU 129/A Rail Launchers
*-24 AN/APG 68 (V)9 Radar Sets
*-19 M61 Vulcan Cannons and 40000 rounds
*-100 AIM-9L/M-8/9 Sidewinder Missiles
*-150 AIM-7M F1-11 Sparrow Missiles (Why not AMRAAMs?)
*-50 AGM-65G/D/H/K Mavrick Missiles with LAU-117 launchers
*-200 500lb GBU-12 LGBs
*-50 each of 2000lb GBU-10 and GBU-24 LGBs
*-230 MK84 2000lb GPBs and 800 MK82 500lb GPBs
*-20 each of AN\AAQ-33 Sniper and AN\AAQ-28 litening pods.
*-4 F-9120 Advanced Recon System or DB-110 Recon pods.
*-22 AN\ALQ211 AIDEWS or ACES including AN/ALQ-187 EWS plus AN/ALR-92 RWR
*-22 AN\ALE-47 Electronic Countermeasures dispensing systems

 

[rockstarIN]

?? expected a more knowledgeable broad sweep by you.
Have you forgotten the numerous Mig-23's and 27's.. or the fitter series..??


The mig-21.. from its original guise as the day short range C model..

To the IAF Bison

Still based on the original airframe like the F-16.. yet very different from its base point.

So that statement does not hold valid in the context you seem to be implying.

Opps..I did not mean they did not go for single engine at all. Ans Migs were upgraded but not at the 'level' of F-16s. Thats what I Meant..

 

[SQ8]

Opps..I did not mean they did not go for single engine at all. Ans Migs were upgraded but not at the 'level' of F-16s. Thats what I Meant..

The migs could not be upgraded to the level of F-16's as they are almost 25 years apart in design..
but the relative "block 60" of the mig-21 is what the IAF operates or the 21-98 offered by Russia.

 

[BATMAN]

will the USAF still be flying them in 2030s? I'm not sure.

over a period of time, F-35 will be mass inducted. Maybe not all Falcons will be phased out by 2030, but i'm sure there roll will diminish as far as USAF is concerned.

IMO.. US is slowly shifting towards UAV and in 2030 i don't expect any sort of manned fighter jets in US inventory.

 

[rockstarIN]

IMO.. US is slowly shifting towards UAV and in 2030 i don't expect any sort of manned fighter jets in US inventory.

More nations are getting the capability of Satellite kills, communication/control with the unmanned jets will be difficult IMO not to mention the jamming capabilities.

 

[Pfpilot]

IMO.. US is slowly shifting towards UAV and in 2030 i don't expect any sort of manned fighter jets in US inventory.

I don't see that happening simply because the US faces no real foe...the delay in the f-35 is analogous to a wider US movement towards a slower process of induction of newer machines, whether they maybe in the navy, air force, or army. Without the sense of urgency that comes with impending nuclear disaster, the Americans have no real need to fast track UAV development.
It is almost 2012 and we haven't even seen a full squadron brought up of f-35s...assuming they are available in large numbers by 2020, it is highly unlikely the USAF and USN will replace these ultra expensive jets within the decade.

 

[SQ8]

Alright folks.. lets return to the F-16..
There was a rumor about a buy of "golden" F-16's...by the USAF as a fallback till the F-35 came of age.

 

[rockstarIN]

Alright folks.. lets return to the F-16..
There was a rumor about a buy of "golden" F-16's...by the USAF as a fallback till the F-35 came of age.

We are talking now 'post f-16', who knows in future there will be unmanned f-16s?

 

[SQ8]

We are talking now 'post f-16', who knows in future there will be unmanned f-16s?

With over 200 excess airframes currently available that are NOT being converted to drones..
Who knows.

 

[Sapper]

We are talking now 'post f-16', who knows in future there will be unmanned f-16s?

Well... There arleady is an unmanned F-16, called QF-16 target drone. Look it up.

Regards,
Sapper