F-16 Cockpit

The F-16 cockpit is your home and office in Falcon 4. In order to be an effective pilot, it is essential to familiarize yourself with the general layout of the cockpit, and to learn what each switch and dial does. The majority of the cockpit is realistically modeled in Falcon 4, which makes it easy for new pilots to be overwhelmed. This page is intended to familiarize the new pilot with the cockpit, and to serve as a guide for further study. It will act as a "master iPage" weight loss pills containing links to other pages about specific pencil skirt instruments and portions of the panel.

Romania To Buy 12 Second-Hand F-16 Jet Fighter Aircraft From Portugal

  Romania plans to procure 12 used F-16 jet fighter aircraft from Portugal in a five year contract worth $600 million.

      Corneliu Dobritoiu, Romanian Defense Minister, said, “We shall come up with a decision draft within CSAT. We are competing, with the Bulgarians. Referring to the acquisition, I assure you, all Romania's citizens and the EU partners included, that Romania observes absolutely all EU directives for this acquisition, to the letter”.

      The European Commission has demanded that the aircraft be bought within an intergovernmental agreement with the military technique in use.

      Earlier in August, Dobritoiu said that Romania could buy F-16s from Portugal after experts evaluated their technical state. The aircraft were found to be in “a very good” condition.

Boeing Sees Promise in F-16-to-Drone Conversion Market

Boeing sees its work turning F-16 fighters into pilotless target drones as an avenue to boost its presence in the United States and international Falcon support and upgrade market.
Company officials see global F-16 upgrades being a billion-dollar business, particularly as the U.S. Air Force prepares to extend the life and upgrade more than 300 jets in the coming years.
The move shows one way the company is looking to diversify their support business beyond Boeing-built aircraft, particularly as military budgets shrink and fewer fighter procurement programs are on the horizon.
“We’re taking a look at the install base of airplanes that are out there,” Tony Parasida, the president of Boeing’s Global Services and Support business, said during an Aug. 29 meeting with reporters in St. Louis.

The F-16, which was built by General Dynamics and now Lockheed Martin, is at the forefront of planes Boeing wants to support. Boeing officials say the company’s recent work modifying F-16s into pilotless flying targets helps position it well for other types of work on the aircraft.

USAF details F-16 life extension programme

The US Air Force is hoping to upgrade some 300 Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds as a stopgap measure until the Lockheed F-35 Joint Strike Fighter comes online.
The aircraft, which are drawn from the USAF's fleet of Block 40, 42, 50 and 52 machines, will undergo a structural service life extension programme (SLEP) and a combat avionics programmed extension suite (CAPES) upgrade. The modifications will greatly boost the venerable warplane's capabilities.
"It provides a very significant capability to the F-16 platform that puts it on par, I do believe, with some of the other platforms that have AESA [active electronically scanned array radars] today," says Col Mark Mol, programme manager at the USAF's F-16 System Programme Office at Hill AFB, Utah.
The CAPES programme involves both hardware and software modifications, Mol says. The F-16 will receive a new AESA radar, a new Terma ALQ-213 electronic warfare system, an integrated broadcast system (IBS) and a center display unit (CDU). There will also be a new operational flight programme to tie those new systems together with the aircraft's existing avionics. The software will be one of the biggest challenges, Mol says.
The USAF will buy 300 new AESA radars as part of the upgrade, but the service has not yet determined if it will buy the Northrop Grumman Scalable Agile Beam Radar or Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar. The

Turkish F-16C/D Fighter Jets During Anatolian Eagle 2012

Egypt to Spend up to $3.2B Adding to F-16C/D Fleet

The Egyptian government wants to buy another 24 F-16C/D Block 50/52 aircraft, associated parts, weapons, and equipment to modernize its air force. The October 2009 request, made through the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) to Congress, could be worth as much as $3.2 billion to Lockheed Martin and the other contractors involved. The formal request came a few months after the Obama administration conveyed its support for Egypt’s long-standing request to buy the Block 50/52 aircraft.

U.S. Offers Grants Additional F-16 Aircraft

If the grant is targeted to form three skadron the F-16, then with 10 F-16 aircraft currently to 24 aircraft owned plus grants that have been agreed then there is still a shortage of 14 aircraft. That's a total of 14 aircraft, which is expected in addition offer the following grants from the U.S



Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said his return spell grants the U.S. F-16 combat aircraft currently Associate Sekjen Ministry of Defence Marshal TNI Eris Herryanto visit to the country last week.

"They (the U.S.) grant another positive to add," said Menhan to journalists at Kemhan Office, Jakarta, Wednesday.

Shipping 24 F-16 aircraft that was previously outworn planned to hibah to Indonesia, until now no terealisasikan.

Purnomo said the U.S. government's bid to be heard again. If approved, it will be very influential on aerospace power increase as the number of combat skadron TNI Air Force can take up to three times more than the present.

"Grants will accelerate the achievement of minimum principal strength program (minimum essential force / MEF) TNI," he said.

F-16 fleet will soon again 54 aircraft operational

 Thursday afternoon, a Belgian F-16 crashed near the airbase Kleine-Brogel in Limburg after a collision with a bird. This incident did not disrupt overseas extent the organization of the army air unit so far since "cocooning" is coming to replace it. This was said Major General Claude Van De Voorde Friday.

    The fleet of F-16 of the Belgian army no longer than 53 aircraft on Friday after the plane crash yesterday.

    Ten collisions with birds (bird strike) are identified each year by the Belgian army, usually without gravity.

Taiwan Seeking Fewer F-16s From U.S

Taiwan plans to slash the number of advanced fighter jets it has been seeking from the U.S. from 66 to 24, apparently due to budget constraints, reports said Aug. 13.
Taipei applied in 2007 to buy 66 F-16 C/D fighters, which have better radar and more powerful weapons systems than its current F-16 A/Bs, in response to China’s perceived military threat.
Washington in September last year said it had agreed to upgrade Taiwan’s F-16 A/B fleet in a $5.85 billion deal, but it held off on the sale of new jets.
President Ma Ying-jeou has repeatedly urged Washington to reconsider selling new jets to Taiwan.
Local media reported Aug. 13 that Taiwan had renewed the call during the just-concluded “Monterey talks” in the U.S., the highest-level annual meeting between U.S. and Taiwanese military officers.
“But the number of desired F-16 C/Ds has fallen to 24, down from 66 when the Taiwanese delegates put forth the proposal,” the Taipei-based China Times quoted an “authoritative military source” as saying.
The defense ministry dismissed the report. The Liberty Times, another Chinese-language broadsheet, ran a similar story.

U.S. F-16 Fighter Crashes in Pacific near Kuril Islands

A U.S. F-16 Falcon fighter crashed on Sunday into the Pacific Ocean near Russia’s Kuril Islands, a spokesman for the Russian Border Guard Service in the Far East said.
“The Kamchatsky territorial naval rescue center reported at 8:30 p.m. local time [8:30 a.m. GMT] that an aircraft was in distress over the Pacific Ocean near northern Kurils,” the spokesman said.
It turned out later, he said, that the aircraft was a U.S. Air Force F-16 Falcon fighter.
“The pilot ejected before the crash and was later rescued by a Japanese vessel, the Hokko Maru,” he added.

Taiwan signs F-16 A/Bs upgrade deal with U.S

Taiwan has recently signed a proposal by the United States to retrofit the country's aging F-16 A/B jet fighters to seal the arms sales deal, Taiwan's Air Force said Monday.
"It (the letter of acceptance) has been signed," Lt. Gen. Wu Wan-chiao, director of Air Force Command's Department of Political Warfare, told CNA in a telephone interview.
"The United States will now begin selecting the contractor (of the upgrade program)," Wu said.
The proposal, sent to Taipei by Washington in early May, contained listed prices totaling some US$3.8 billion that were in line with the budget approved by Taiwan's Cabinet, military officials have said.

Iran Gets An F-16

 Iran has apparently received an American F-16 fighter from Venezuela. The mercurial and anti-American president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, has, for the last six years, been threatening to sell some of his F-16s to Iran. Finally sending one to Iran was apparently an effort to help Iran prepare its defenses against an air raid by Israeli F-16Is. This Venezuelan gesture is not likely to help much as the Venezuelan F-16s are much older models while the current Israeli F-16s are the most modern model available.
The Venezuelan F-16s were received in 1983 and 1984. They are F-16A/B Block 15. F-16s currently in service with the US Air Force are F-16C/D Block 50s, with the even more advanced F-16E/F Block 60 being built for the UAE. The Venezuelan F-16s in question are over 25 years old. For the F-16, that is very old indeed. These aircraft are not equipped with the latest radars, air-to-air missiles, or jammers. And, in the 13 years since Chavez took power, they have not been getting much in the way of logistics thanks to the freeze in relations with the United States. Upsetting the country which makes the spare parts for your combat aircraft is not a good idea.
The Israeli F-16I is a 24 ton, two seat fighter-bomber, and is probably the most capable F-16 model in service. It's basically a modified version of the F-16C/D Block 50/52, equipped with a more advanced radar (the APG-68(X)) and the ability to carry Israeli weapons like the Python 4 air-to-air missile and the Popeye 2 air-to-surface missile. Costing $45 million each, the F-16I has an excellent navigation system, which allows it to fly on the deck (a hundred meters above the ground), without working the pilot to death. The aircraft can do this at night or in any weather. The F-16I can carry enough fuel to hit targets 1,600 kilometers away (meaning Iran is within range). The aircraft uses the latest short and long range air-to-air missiles, as well as smart bombs. Electronic countermeasures are carried, as is a powerful computer system, which records the details of each sortie in great detail. This is a big help for training. The F-16I is basically optimized to deliver smart bombs anywhere, despite dense air defenses. This further increases Israeli military power versus its neighbors. Israel has received 102 new F-16I fighter-bombers in the last eight years and upgraded another 125 older F-16s to the F-16I standard.

Northrop Grumman to Supply Airborne Fire Control Radars to Thailand, Iraq and Oman for F-16s

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has received an $87.8 million foreign military sales (FMS) contract to provide the APG-68(V)9 airborne fire control radar to Thailand, Iraq and Oman for use on F-16 fighter aircraft.

The company will deliver six radar systems to the Royal Thai Air Force, 22 radar systems to the Iraqi air force and 15 radar systems to the Royal Air Force of Oman, for a total of 43 systems. Deliveries are expected to be completed by March 2015. The FMS contract is managed by the Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

"Selection of the APG-68(V)9 Fire Control Radar by Thailand, Oman and Iraq reaffirms its value and baseline position for all new F-16 production and F-16 avionics upgrades," said Tim Winter, Northrop Grumman's vice president for Global Systems Solutions. "The APG-68(V)9 radar's operational performance, affordable acquisition cost, low sustainment cost and immediate availability has led 12 nations to procure almost 750 systems so far."

The APG-68(V)9 enables engagement of air-to-air and air-to-surface threats with greater accuracy and at greater ranges than legacy F-16 fire control radars. The radar provides autonomous, all-environment, precision air-to-surface targeting with a high-resolution synthetic aperture radar ground mapping mode.

Northrop Grumman has been developing, integrating and producing F-16 fire control radars for 36 years. This includes three variants of the APG-66; eight variants of the APG-68; the APG-80 Airborne Electronically Scanned Array (AESA), developed specifically for the F-16 Block 60; and the newly introduced Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) AESA. The company's long heritage in fire control radars also includes fire control radars for the B-1, F-22 and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The contract is in line with U.S. defense policy of enabling the Iraqi air force to assume sovereign air defense duties, and also supports foreign relations with partners Thailand and Oman.

World's best jet fighters

1. F/A-22 Raptor

 The F/A-22 Raptor is a fifth generation stealth fighter aircraft, which entered the United States Air Force as the F-22A. Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Boeing Integrated Defense Systems Engine Specifications: Two Pratt & Whitney F-119-PW-100 Turbofan engines with afterburners and two-dimensional thrust-vectoring nozzles. Each Engine is in the 35,000-lb-thrust class. Maximum Speed: Mach 2.42 at high altitude Cruise Speed: Mach 1.72.  This pilot only aircraft can carry six radar-guided AIM-120C advanced medium-range A2A missiles in its main weapon bay, two heat-seeking AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range A2A missiles in side weapons bay, one M61A2 20 mm multi-barrel cannon. With this much onboard, the plane still manages to carry four external stations with additional arsenal.

2. B2 Spirit

 The B2 Spirit is a multi-role stealth bomber which is capable to drop conventional and nuclear weapons. The development of this aircraft can be seen as a milestone in the bomber modernization program of the U.S. Department of Defense. Manufacturer: Northrop Corporation and Northrop Grumman. Engine Specifications: Four General Electric F118-GE-100 non-afterburning turbofans each providing it with 19,000 lb thrust. Maximum Speed: Mach 0.92.  The B-2 provides the versatility inherent in manned bombers. The aircraft comes with unique 'stealth' characteristics that give it the ability to hide itself from enemy's most sophisticated defenses enabling it to attack right from the enemy's prime locations. The B-2 can carry a crew of 2-3 soldiers along with up to 80,000 lb payload including 16 B61/b83 nuclear bombs, 80 Mk82 1,000 lb bombs or 16 Mk84 2,000 lb bombs, 36 M117 750 lb fire bombs, 36 cluster bombs, or 80 Mk36 1,000 lb sea mines.

3. Su-47

 The Sukhoi Su-47 was also called as S-37 and S-32 during initial development. The aircraft has been fully developed but till now it has not entered service. Manufacturer: SukhoiEngine Specifications: Two Aviadvigatel D-30F6 afterburning turbofans. The company plans to incorporate two Saturn / Lyulka AL-37FU afterburning Turbofans in it. Maximum Speed: Mach 2.09 at high altitude Maximum Cruise Speed: Mach 1.17. This pilot only aircraft can carry one 30mm GSh-30 cannon, R-27/AA-10 Alamo A2A missile, and R-73/AA-11 Archer A2A missile.

 

4. MiG-35

 The Milkoyan MiG-35 is a mature development of MiG-29M. The aircraft has also been fully developed and is on offer; however it still has not entered service. Manufacturer: MilkoyanEngine Specifications: Two Lyulka AL-41F vectored-thrust afterburning turbofans, 39,340 lb thrust each. Maximum Speed at high altitude: Mach 2.05 Maximum Cruise Speed: Mach 1.02.  One 30 mm GSh-30-1 cannon with 150 rounds, eight weapons pylons for R-27, R-60, R-73, R-77, TV and Laser-Guided Air to Ground missiles and bombs. In addition, the aircraft can also carry up to 2,000 lb of bombs.

5. F-117A Nighthawk

 The F-117A Nighthawk is the world's first operational aircraft designed to exploit low-observable stealth technology. Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin Engine Specifications: Two General Electric F404-F1D2 turbofans which offer 10,600 lbf each. Maximum Speed: Mach 0.92. The single-seat F-117A provides exceptional combat capabilities. It is designed to carry 2 internal weapons bays with one hardpoint each, which can further carry BLU-109 hardened penetrator bombs, GBU-10 Paveway II, GBU-12 Paveway II and GBU-27 Paveway III laser-guided bombs and JDAM inertially aided munition

6. F-35 Lightning II

 The F-35 Lightning II is a single-seat, single-engine military strike fighter. Its multi-role capabilities enable it to perform close air support, tactical bombings and air-to-air combat. Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems. Engine Specifications: One Pratt & Whitney F135 afterburning turbofan that offers 28,000 lbf as dry thrust and 43,000 lbf with afterburner support. Maximum Speed: Mach 1.8.  The F-35 Lightning II is designed to carry 1 GAU-12/U 25 mm cannon, up to four AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-9X Sidewinder or AIM-132 ASRAAM internally or two air-to-air and two air-to-ground weapons. The aircraft is detectable by Radar so it can also carry many more missiles, bombs and even fuel tanks.

7. F-16 Fighting Falcon

 This is a multirole jet fighter designed for the United States Air Force. The aircraft was also successful in the export market and is serving 24 countries. Manufacturer: General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin Engine Specifications: One Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 afterburning turbofan which offers 14,590 lbf as dry thrust and 23,770 lbf with afterburner support. Maximum Speed: Mach 2. This single-seat aircraft can carry one 20 mm M61 Vulcan gatling gun with 511 rounds, 2.75-inch rockets, six AIM-9 Sidewinder or six AIM-120 AMRAAM or six Python-4 air-to-air missiles, six AGM-65 Maverick or four AGM-88 HARM air-to-ground missiles, four AGM-119 Penguin anti-ship missiles. Apart from this it can carry a huge arsenal of bombs that include B61 nuclear bomb. 

8. JF-17 Thunder

 The Joint Fighter-17 Thunder is also called as Fighter China-1 Fierce DragonIIII in China. It is a single-seat multirole fighter aircraft co-developed by Pakistan and China. Manufacturer:Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex. Engine Specifications: One Russian-made RD-93 turbofan that offers 18,277 lbf. Maximum Speed: Mach 1.8.  The JF-17 Thunder carries one internal GSh-23-2 twin-barrel 23 mm cannon, Short (PL-9C/AIM-9M/Magic 2) and beyond-visual-range missiles (SD-10/Aspide), laser guided bombs, other guided munitions and targeting pod can also be carried for precision strike missions.

 

9. Eurofighter 2000 Typhoon

 The Eurofighter 2000 Typhoon is a single-seat, twin-engine, agile combat aircraft which will be used in the air-to-air, air-to-ground and tactical reconnaissance roles. Manufacturer:Eurofighter GmbH Engine Specifications: Two Eurojet EJ200 afterburning turbofans with offer 13,500 lbf as dry thrust and 20,250 lbf with afterburner support. Maximum speed at high altitude: Mach 2.25 Maximum cruise speed: Mach 1.2.  This jet fighter is designed to carry one 27 mm Mauser BK-27 cannon, AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-132 ASRAAM, AIM-120 AMRAAM and IRIS-T air-to-air missiles, AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-88 HARM, ALARMs, Storm Shadow, Brimstone, Taurus and Penguin air-to-ground missiles, bombs and LITENING pod laser designator.

10. Su-37 Terminator

 The Su-37 is Russia's reply to today's advanced jet fighters. The Su-37 can be considered as the best air dominance fighter in the Eastern hemisphere. The Su-37 is a single-seat, all-weather fighter and ground attack aircraft. Manufacturer: Sukhoi Engine Specifications: Two Lyulka AL-37FU turbofans each delivering 32,000 lbf. Maximum Speed: Mach 2.09.  The Sukhoi Su-37 can carry one 30 mm GSh-30 cannon with 150 rounds and twelve wing and fuselage stations for up to 18,080 lb of ordnance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pakistan gets new fighter planes F-16 from US

With an eye to India, Pakistan Monday received the last of 18 F-16 fighter jets from the US.

The Dawn reports the primary consideration for purchasing the new aircraft was to improve the fighting capability of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) vis-à-vis the Indian Air Force.

The last F-16D Block 52 aircraft as well as the first two of the upgraded fighter jets have arrived in the country.

The fighter aircraft is equipped with state-of-the-art avionics suite and latest weapons with night precision attack capability.

"One F-16D Block 52 and two F-16 Block 15 MLU (Mid Life Upgrade) aircraft arrived today from the US at PAF Base Shahbaz (Jacobabad)," PAF said in a statement.

"The arrival of last F-16D Block 52 aircraft marked the completion of delivery of 18 aircraft of this category. The other two F-16 Block 15 aircraft ... were earlier sent to USA for Mid Life Upgrade," it further said.

The F-16 programme included purchase of 18 new jets, upgrade of 35 older aircraft and those purchased from the US under Excess Defence Articles (EDA) programme, and procurement of munitions.

The F-16 aircraft sale to Pakistan was announced in 2005.

WikiLeaks expose of leaked US diplomatic cables show that the deal was meant to assuage Pakistan's fears of an "existential threat it perceived from India".

The diplomatic cables suggest that the purpose of the sale was to divert Pakistan's attention from "the nuclear option", and give it "time and space to employ a conventional reaction" in the event of a conflict with India.

F-16 Crashes at Utah Test and Training Range

An Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon, Assigned to the 388th Fighter Wing, crashed at the Utah Test and Training Range at Approximately 8:35 am May 4.

At the time of the accident, There Was one person on board. The pilot successfully and is Being Ejected Evaluated by medical staff.

Emergency response teams from here are Responding to the accident.

Pakistan receives final batch of F-16 aircraft from US

Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has received the final batch of three F-16 D Block 52 aircrafts from the US at Shahbaz Air Force Base, Pakistan, as part of a $2.7bn US foreign military sale (FMS) signed in December 2006.
Pakistan has received two F-16 Block 15 mid life upgrade (MLU) and one F-16 D Block 52 aircraft, which includes day-night, all-weather and precision-attack capabilities.
The delivery comes at a time when military aid for Pakistan has been almost completely halted by the US in the wake of a series of crises affecting the bilateral relationship between the two nations.
The final batch for PAF includes 12 F-16C and six F-16D block 52 aircrafts equipped with Night Precision Attack capability. Lockheed Martin was the prime contractor.
The compact multirole, single-engine Lockheed Martin-built F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft has a high level of manoeuvrability, a top speed of 2,124km/h, and is capable of detecting planes flying at very low altitudes.
The F-16 block 52 aircraft is equipped with AMRAAM and Sidewinder missiles as well as the Sniper targeting pod, which provides additional fuel and payload capacity, improved avionics and sensors and colour cockpit displays with enhanced pilot / vehicle interfaces.
The AN/APG-68 radar-equipped F-16 with wind-corrected munitions dispenser infrared navigation provides the pilot with separate air-to-air and air-to-ground modes, including long-range, all-aspect detection and tracking, simultaneous multiple-target tracking and high-resolution ground mapping.
The jets are widely deployed by the air forces of Israel, Egypt, Iraq, New Zealand, South Korea, Chile, Poland, UAE, Bahrain, Greece and Singapore.
The US is also working with the PAF to update 45 F-16s from its existing fighter fleet through the US foreign military financing security assistance programme.
The aircraft are currently undergoing mid-life upgrades and deliveries are scheduled to take place throughout 2012 and 2013.

Pakistan to Exercise Options for More F-16s

Pakistan is in the final stages of exercising an option to buy 18 more F-16 Block 52+ fighters, which would double its fleet of the Fighting Falcon's advanced variant, said Haris Khan of the Pakistan Military Consortium think tank.
Deliveries of the 18 "Peace Drive I" planes, currently Pakistan's most capable aircraft, were completed in December under a 2006 contract. The contract, including the 18-plane option, was then valued at $3 billion.
A planned upgrade to F-16A/B Block 15 aircraft will bring them up to the Block 40 standard as well. They are currently being put through the Falcon STAR (Structural Augmentation Roadmap) program, and undergoing Mid-Life Update (MLU) at the hands of Turkish Aerospace Industries in Turkey.
In 2006, the value of 60 MLU kits was quoted as $1.3 billion. The upgrade was approved for 45 Block 15s, and now has been curtailed at 35 planes, Khan said.
The reason for this is uncertain.

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) To Develop New Indigenous Modernization Kits and Mission Computers For F-16s

Turkey’s military aircraft giant Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is set to develop new indigenous modernization kits and mission computers.
Upgrades will be applicable to all the F-16 Block 40 fighters of the Peace Onyx III and Block 50 fighters of the Peace Onyx IV programs, as well as the Block 30s that were acquired earlier. TAI plans to market the upgrades for export to other countries.

Previous news about TAI and Aselsan’s joint attempts to produce indigenous mission computers have been clarified by TAI insiders. Latest reports indicate that the companies have finalized their technical consultations with the MOD and industrial suppliers as of the end of January and the project has been given green light in order to equip Turkey’s vast fleet of F-16s with newly developed indigenous sensors and weapons such as Aselpod navigation and targeting system, various missiles and high-precision munitions produced and/or currently under development in Turkey.

 Project aims to upgrade all of Turkish Air Force (TurAF) F-16s with indigenous mission computers, software and avionics in order to pave the way for the installation of an Aselsan-developed AESA radar by 2015.
Hardware for the avionics upgrade will be exclusively manufactured by Aselsan, while TAI will tackle the development of millions of lines of highly specialized software. Upgrades will be performed by the same team that performed C-130 modernization and software team mostly consists of experienced engineers who have worked on the Anka UAV development program. Upgraded aircraft will look somewhat similar to existing Peace Onyx exterior configurations, except with specific EW-E/O sensor additions and pylons capable of launching ’Made in Turkey’ guided munitions.

Integration of indigenous systems on aircraft of Lockheed Martin origin is known to be a difficult undertaking. TAI and Aselsan’s take on the project and F-16s “nationalization” at the Block 50 level is expected to offer Turkey a wide window of export and ‘transfer of technology’ (TOT) opportunities thanks to the F-16s widespread popularity around the world.
Turkey will be able to sell these countries comprehensive modernization packages like the CCIP, individual sensors and weapon systems like targeting pods and missiles, as well as “nationalization” opportunities with direct TOT.
Turkey’s ‘special status’ with the F-16 comes from its existing place among the world’s top three users of the aircraft, previous manufacturing and export experience with the Falcon (to Egypt), as well as Turkey’s long-standing partnership and commitment in the F-35 JSF program.
Some Turkish defence analysts suggest that Turkey’s newfound ability to nationalize the F-16 is simply a means for compensating the country for not being given F-35 source codes, despite the longstanding NATO member’s commitment for an initial batch of over 100 F-35s.

Pakistan Keen To Purchase F-16 Fleet From Norway

 Pakistan and Norway on Monday expressed keenness to further strengthen and broaden bilateral ties and work together to fight against the war on terror and promote peace and stability in the region.


At a meeting held between Minister for Defence, Ch. Ahmed Mukhtar, and the visiting Norwegian Defence Minister, Ms. Grete Faremo an agreement was reached to further bilateral ties with the aim to promote peace and stability in the region.

Ch. Ahmed Mukhtar said both countries needed to enhance collaboration in the field of defence production and proposed to undertake joint ventures especially in ship building and sea boats manufacturing sectors. The Minister also conveyed that Pakistan was keen to purchase F-16 aircraft fleet which was reportedly being replaced by Norway with F-35 Lightning-II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).