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Can't help but remember that John Boyd and the Fighter mafia didn't even want a radar in the F-16.

The F-16 is such an impressive aircraft and its use around the world, is a testament to its effectiveness and affordability. Bravo, Tog. 🍻

The F-16 has been my favorite since I was a kid. Glad to see the modernization efforts continue to keep it relevant.

While the APG-83 is a huge upgrade for the older F-16, it's getting a little old itself. It's based on Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) based transmitter circuits (MMICs.) Newer AESA radars are based on Gallium Nitride (GaN) MMICs. The USAF is developing the APG-85 for newer F-35s. They should build an F-16 upgrade radar based on that.

The viper is a very good aircraft. It's light ,maneuverable ,fast and really was the backbone of the air force. They need to keep and upgrade a bunch of them

Greece is allready upgrading 84 F-16's to Viper and 30 more to 52+ advance..All glass cockpit and AESA radar are standard plus many many other upgrades.They will be a force to recon allongside F-35's and rafale upgraded to F4.

Dude your videos are so much better and easier to watch and listen to than other aviation channels. Great channel and real talent, keep it up sir!

I have a date with an F-16 this weekend… woohoo 🥳 taking my 7 year old great nephew to his first air show ✈️

A beautiful jet, and my hat goes off to you Juan. Take care buddy!

A Superior report!! ...WHAT an Major change of the f-16s of the past..... Now it is like "F"-16!!!

We all need to tell Congress that there's no excuse for not funding our military to have the absolute best of equipment.

I mean the radar was it only weakness for its weight class, its pretty much unbeatable now

AN/APG-83 Sabr has GaAs T/R are less powerfull emission than GaN T/R so not state of art tech. Also Sabr Radar is replacement radar of current MESA (Mechanical Scan Array) Radars and has a current Air Cooling System. AN/APG-85 (F-35's next gen Radar) has more modern architecture with GaN and Liquid Cooling System.

Currently, Now, the US military is developing 5 or 6 new kinds of very long range air to air missiles, while a couple of the newer missiles are to be shorter so more can be carried. Apparently, the ability to detect at very long ranges has gotten cheaper and now the ability to also strike at those ranges is being created. In this case, those ranges are in excess of, one hundred miles. Not much of a dog fight.

I honestly think the F-16 is the greatest fighter ever made and will hold that trophy in my mind until I see otherwise. It’s just so awesome. Light, agile, fast, powerful, great weapon access, not overly expensive, integrated well throughout all western and NATO allies just to name a few. Obviously the F-22 is a far superior stealth dog fighter, the F-35 is far better at stealth and tech integration across ground and air support with ground strike, air support, and even air to air dogfighting, and the F-15 even has some better capabilities depending on which variant. But the F-16 is just an all around outstanding and impressive craft that is going to be able to do the job most of the time. These new block upgrades with everything from fuel, computers, weapons, etc means that we’ll be seeing this craft accomplish both defense and offensive sorties for years to come. Plus, can we all agree that the jet is just sexy as all hell? I know it’s not the F-22, but for the time it was released and for the cost, the craft still makes me fall in love all over again every time I see it in action.

First platform as an aircraft maintainer was this one.

now they need to swap in the F135-PW-100

The new Vipers just recently started rolling off the translocated production line in my hometown of Greenville, SC.

My dad flew this and still has his flight suit (Darkish-green) he is a aerospace engineer

Was my favorite fighter as a kid. I am 73 now...

Congratulations for NEW RADAR 8:04

I'd love to see a block 80 iteration of the Viper being taken on strength by the USAF. One that incorporates CFTs, a somewhat improved engine (variable cycle?), an internal IRST (similar to the block 60 Desert Falcon for the UAE-AF) and if at all possible a cockpit very similar to the F-35 and if useful the divertless supersonic intake tested earlier on the F-16 by LM. The potential advantages might be: - a cheaper to operate platform that sits between Lead in Fighter Training and to 5th gen fighters, - also capable of performing QRA at home and air policing missions abroad (Iceland, Baltic countries), aggressor training, currency training, training JTACS or deployments in lower intensity conflicts and as the mount for the Thunderbirds for years to come, - thus saving F-35 air frames and reducing overall USAF operating costs, - while also keeping the F-16 relevant for potential customers that either cannot afford the F-35 or who aren't eligible for Foreign Sales approval by Congress. I realize that such a configuration may not be well suited for operations in the Asia-Pacific theatre (though South-Korea and the Japanese homeland might be exceptions), but who knows if the reasons above are worth considering. To me the F-16 is the pinnacle of fighter design purely due to esthetics (it looks like a crossover between a shark and an Italian sports car). I don't want to bash the F-35, but as far as looks are concerned I think there's a reason why the Lightning II is affectionately known as "Fat Amy" among pilots. I know, looks are deceiving. Amy has a few tricks up het sleeves the Viper can only dream of. I guess that's why I'd love to see the Viper nearing the gap, so I can feast my eyes on its sleek and aerodynamic line a while longer.

If European F-16's get the upgrade package too. Then the new radar (with its new 90 mile range) and computer combined with Meteor missiles and their 80+ mile intercept range. Will make the upgraded F-16's one of the deadliest Beyond-visual-Range air to air interceptor currently flying. The only thing that differentiate the upgraded F-16's with the Vipers. Is the lack of conformal fuel tanks giving the Viper 30% greater range than current block F-16's.

Just found out that F-16 had three operating modes, Mode 1, Mode 2 and Mode 3. Mode 3 is only used for war and all modes sit behind a code you have to enter to turn on those functionalities. All F-16 only turn on Mode 2 functionalities as to prevent enemies from gathering electronic data on the full functionality of the radar in mode 3.

I would recommend making a video on Turkish F-16 AESA Retrofit Program, aka Ozgur & integration of Turkish made Weapons into the aircraft

It's good to hear the radar and missile upgrades. You can arm a Cessna 150 with a great missile and great radar and win battles.

I would love to see a video for the hal tejas LCF family. I think to compare them with F20, Grippen and F16 it would be nice idea. Of course tejas is a cheeper jet, but I don't have an idea advantages and disadvantages in different missions compared the other mentioned fighter.

Block 70 Vipers in the hands of USAF pilots? That would be sh** hot.

Pretty soon F-35s will be a stealth AWACs that can aim for almost all our 4th gen fighters if we keep upgrading radars and giving aircraft data link upgrades too. I wonder how well it will work.

I remember being impressed by the "future block 40". I'm old.

Valuable content.😍🤩

A very valuable content.😍🤩

The F-16 can manuever so sharply that it pushes the limits of the human body. Where do we go from here ?

It just looks super cool like a Lamborghini with a muscle car hoop scoop just pure bad ass

@John Simpson hit the nail on the head. Boyd and his acolytes designed a "gunfighter". USAF leadership arguably saw "greater" potential in the aircraft and bought the aircraft. IMHO Boyd and The Fighter Mafia could not have foreseen the advances in propulsion and weapons systems technology we've witnessed in the last 40 years. That said, and that the F-16 is second to only to the F-4 and Mig 23 in jet fighter production volume of all time, speaks volumes to the brilliant design of the F-16. Advances in weapons avionics tech, both capabilites and weight savings have yielded opportunity to sustain this most brilliant of all fighter aircraft of the jet age in service and has me rejoicing. I've loved this plane since 14 years old watching the LWF comeptition between the YF-16 and YF-17 in the early 70's, I picking the F-16 as winner if only cuz I thought it looks GREAAAT! As a tax payer and self-admitted life time unabassed fan of the F-16. I'd argue USAF should by more "new" airframes with current advance avionics as cost effective balance to the expensive F-35 fleet.

Remember the AIR FORCE generals didn't want origionall want the F16 , and have tried multiple times tried to get rid of them . They did this originally with the F 4 then tried to claim the started the F4 series . Airforce Generals

I cannot understand why the USA doesn't sell them off then get the latest F16

It’s hard to beat the F-16 in terms of the combination of performance, capability, versatility, availability, and operating costs. The only thing that they really lack is stealth. But if you have some F-35s or stealthy UCAVs then the F-16s can continue to survive and be useful. F-16s would be so helpful to Ukraine right now. They would smoke the Russian Air Force.

I dig the F16 more than the F15 or F18. Its like a little fast sports car or a little rabid dog going nuts! I said they should update this thing again itd be so dangerous!!!

The F-16’s with “less than currant equipment” are National Guard. NOT Airforce.

Another fine episode. I was wondering...with all the upgrades, new tech, added capabilities & increasing ability to detect enemy aircraft at further distances B4 it can detect the F-16 electronically or visually, would these factors bump up this 4th Gen rating to a possible 4.5 Gen fighter aircraft? Any feedback? Thanks.

Alright, Nezar just watched F18 Harve. Great stuff. How do I get out of Bernino or what ever it’s called.

They should also install an all-glass cockpit for US F-16s. Gauges are already too obsolete even for 4th gen fighters.

Every country's dream f16

Lockheed needs to increase production of many systems. After so many mergers the US is too slow to manufacture weapons that are needed now not in 10 years. Taiwan is waiting on tens on billions in weaponry but US contractors seem to be unable to fill contracts. Even if the US ordered Block 70s today they wouldn't get any for years. Thats how slow it is.

Two / slash. / two !!!

Aren't they retiring these ? I saw a video shot of Davis Monthan & there were hundreds of F-16 aircraft sitting there.

Still a beauty.

Quick question: does the f-15ex have an asea radar? I've read some sources that say they do and some that say they don't.

Didn't the vipers already have link 16?

US exporting fighter aircraft to other countries that are more advanced than own aircraft is soo 2020. 😂

FALCON!!!

does the USAF plan to field the block 70 or is it for export only?

hey whats the source for that video with 8 f16s on a foggy runway?

Could block 70 F-16's he considered 4.5 gen fighters?

F16 great at air shows

Greece upgrades 84 to viper

Anyone know if they are going to equip the F-15s with this upgraded radar stuff?

its not a viper its a fighting falcon lol

Easily to maintain must be a bid lie. Ain't the maintenance really high on it. Now easy maintenance and cost might not be same thing. But in my world it means more maintenance

Eyy Lez gooo Philippine

Activily scan !

😮more lethal then viper Aesa GaN Program block 70/72❓

V means 5 not Viper...

no point upgrading all of them, even 500 is good enough

Falcon

Millions more

Need to replace our old ones for the new block and send older ones to Ukraine

They resisted this upgrade for too long, because they didn't want to admit that the F-35 is essentially a strike aircraft , sort of the F-105 of the 21th century and that the F-16 could not be replaced entirely.

It's too bad we can't or won't by some new block 70 Vipers to replace older Air Force models. Use the older Air Force models as replacements for national guard F-16s then give Ukraine the old national guard F-16s. They wouldn't be getting there anytime soon but they would be getting them. But what do I know 🤷‍♂️

Yes, please do send the latest radar with the F-16s given to Ukraine.

I love my Sweet 16 ..... Her name is Charlene.....

sweet sixteen 😅

My gosh, if you follow any news or events regarding the F-16 series, you’ll know this video is about 4 years behind the times…. Geez

Here is a plane that needs thrust vectoring. it's a plane that can take 9 Gs. Thrust vectoring would make it a very hard plane to dogfight with. It would do better than the F22's maneuvers, just because of the G differences. Why is this not done for this plane? Cheap easy repaired plane. MOIRE FOR THE BUCK.

I think Russia was the first to develop the Phased Array Radar for military jets. It took the U.S. a lengthy time to duplicate the technology, darn it. Yet I wonder if the F-16 fuselage gun can be adapted to shoot 20 mm paintballs. 😶

F16 is a good jet but I like the gripen and gripenE more

Call to glory in Ukraine!

No F-16 updates the USAF should purchase F-35A and some F-35B and use the STOVL capability aircraft to it advantage. Much like the RAF used the Harrier GR1 in Germany during the1970s dispersing the Harrier's to off airfields and on to roads systems around Europe if the shiitt hits the fan.

Range is incorrect. Your info is too low.

Against a 5th gen fighter this aircraft and the F-16V are sitting ducks, updating the older F-16 in this era is like putting lipstick on a pig. Ok for Iraq and Afghanistan type operations and maybe against Russia but against an upcoming China I have serious doubts about their capabilities. One just has to look at current war games results to realise 4 and 4.5 gen aircraft are not even in the game, constantly on the losing side. Put the money spent on these updates on new F-35A and F-35B

I'd give the Ukrainians these older updated F-16s and hundreds of JASSM-ER and say go for it, take out the electrical grid of Moscow just so I can watch it on TV. TV is getting boring lately.

Get the F-16's to Ukraine,that is so much more important than whatever version of F-16's the USAF gets. No one attacks the USAF,F-35's are so much superior. Let's get a hundred Ukrainian pilots trained within 4 ,months and have 100 F-16's ready for them, more important than USAF procurement.

The F16 was THE LAST good fighter produced in the USA, but it is outdated now and with nothing to fill the gap. Yes, the F35 is time and money wasted and not combat worthy, too dependent to different data feeders and way to maintenance intensive, it is a fighter incapable of doing a job by itself!

We have over a thousand of these, we need to send 200 of them to ukraine to help them get air superiority.

If this isnt in warthunder, i do not care about this video.. jk lol

Remember a vote for trump is a vote for Putin

Too bad Great Britain didn't buy this Jet.

Oh my God maybe Ukraine can win the war with 35 year old airplanes!!! Ha ha ha ha.... DREAM!!

Send in russia 🤣🤣🤣