Born in the 1970s, the F-16 should be aging out. Instead, a sweeping Service Life Extension Program and F-35 technology have effectively rebuilt the jet for modern war. Structural upgrades and new systems push service life toward 12,000 hours, while an AESA radar lets pilots track dozens of targets at far greater ranges.
From 1970s Relic to Digital Fighter
The Air Force’s 1970s-era F-16 fighter received F-35 technology as part of a massive fleet-wide overhaul intended to improve targeting, attack precision, and computer systems enhancements to extend the fighter’s combat life all the way into the 2040s. It may be challenging to imagine that today’s Air Force F-16 dates back to the 1970s, a circumstance that might lead some to wonder how the combat aircraft has maintained its combat relevance and performance capacity in the dynamic threat environment of the 2020s.
With AESA, the F-16 incorporated an entirely new ability to find, detect, and track enemy threats at much greater ranges. The aim of the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) was to extend the flight time of F-16s from roughly six to seven thousand flight hours to 8,000 or more flight hours. The service’s confidence in the upgrades has led to a plan to have the F-16 fly all the way out to 12,000 hours.
The AESA radar, which Lockheed developers say can track up to 20 targets at once, is a massive upgrade over the F-16’s previous mechanically scanned radar. By virtue of its ability to track multiple targets, the AESA radar can scan a 360-degree sphere, including horizontal, vertical, and diagonal vectors.
New F-16 Cockpit
The F-16 has also received new cockpit avionics in recent years, including moving map displays, cockpit video, and digital graphics screens, as well as new target-tracking systems. Upgraded F-16s also use a high degree of increased onboard automation to free up pilot focus and workload. By automatically performing a range of critical procedural functions independently, a pilot is freed up to focus more intently on other mission-critical tasks.
Alongside the Air Force SLEP, Lockheed Martin has also been developing a new F-16V variant, which continues to inspire interest from allies around the globe. The F-16V also uses new computers and software, along with a high-definition cockpit display. The V model also adds a new data bus, an electronic warfare suite, a missile warning sensor, and a helmet-mounted cueing system.
New F-16 Targeting
The F-16V incorporates AESA and integrates a high-tech, next-generation targeting system called Infrared Search and Track (IRST). IRST, which is used extensively in F/A-18 Super Hornets, is a passive, long-range sensor that searches for and detects infrared emissions. Much like the AESA, the IRST can track multiple targets at once and operate in an electromagnetic warfare environment.
As a passive, long-range sensor able to provide air-to-air targeting, IRST introduces new combat variables for the F-16. In effect, while there are ultimately limits to how much an older aircraft can be upgraded, today’s F-16 is almost an entirely different airplane apart from keeping its basic airframe configuration.
