Commentary
The F-16 is the most successful post-World War II fighter by a large margin, and even over 40 years after the first F-16 squadron became operational, it is still one of the most capable multi-role fighters in the world. And when you factor in that the F-16 can fly more missions per day, is far less costly to fly, and is far more reliable than an F-35, there are still numerous scenarios in which the F-16 can put more ordnance on target for far less cost than an F-35 over any given time period.
Aggressive modernizations and upgrades have ensured that the F-16 remains a very important multi-role fighter for the United States and the other 24 countries that fly it. Indeed,
over 2,800 F-16s are still operating, with more
being ordered every year. But its success as a multi-role fighter has led many to forget it was initially designed as an air superiority fighter that was superior to the F-15 in aerial dogfighting using guns and infrared guided/heat-seeking missiles. However, the U.S. Air Force strongly believed that future air-to-air combat would be dominated by beyond-visual range (BVR) engagements using long-range radar-guided missiles in which the F-15’s bigger, more powerful radar would prove decisive.
Still, it must be noted that since the decision to go with F-15 as the Air Force’s primary air superiority fighter, the F-15 has dominated its opponents,
racking up over 100 victories versus zero losses. However, it should also be noted that, as could have been predicted, the vast majority of these victories were earned while the F-15 was engaged in WVR combat and while being supported by U.S. AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System).
Given that WVR combat dominated, one could argue that F-16s being flown by U.S. Air Force pilots who trained exclusively for air-to-air combat, as was the case with F-15 pilots, would likewise have vastly overmatched their opponents in training and flying skills and would have racked up the exact same number of kills versus zero losses. Further, with a cost per flying hour
roughly half that of the F-15, they could have achieved those kills for a whole lot less.
But that was then, and this is now. Surely, air-to-air combat in 2025 and beyond will favor the planes with bigger, more powerful radars and it will be BVR combat that is the norm, not WVR. Further, making it tougher on the F-16, both China and Russia are fielding Generation 5 stealth fighters. Is going up against such opponents a bridge too far for even the most modern
Gen 4.5 Block 80 F-16 fighter?
The answer to that question depends on quite a few factors and a number of assumptions.
One of the big assumptions surround the efficacy of stealth is that a stealth fighter can use its radar and other sensors to detect and target other aircraft while it itself remains unseen. If it cannot confidently do so, much of its stealth advantages is eliminated as Gen 4.5 aircraft like the F-16 are very good at tracking radar signals. Also, even if a stealthy aircraft can target other aircraft while remaining undetected, its missiles need to have a high probability of killing the target they are locked on to.
Missile effectiveness is particularly important for stealth aircraft, as being forced to carry their missiles internally to maintain their stealth, they typically carry less missiles than a non-stealth fighter of similar weight. For example, an F-35 configured for stealth and weighing nearly 70,000 lbs. at takeoff can carry four air-to-air missiles, whereas an F-16 at about half that weight can carry six air-to-air missiles. And an F-15EX weighing about as much as an F-22 can carry 12 missiles, versus the stealthy F-22’s eight missiles.
Finally, when launching missiles at a blip on a radar screen, a fighter pilot must be 100 percent confident that it is an enemy, and not a friend or neutral. While this may seem simple, it has been a major issue and it is one of the reasons the F-15’s 100-plus victories almost all took place at within sufficient visual range as to get a positive ID.
However, if we make the big assumption that BVR and stealth work together as advertised, and the BVR missiles have a high per shot kill probability, it is clear that an F-16 going solo against a stealth fighter like China’s 60,000 lb. J-35A would be at a grave disadvantage.
But F-16s with pilots trained in tactics designed to mitigate as much as possible stealth fighter advantages, working in concert with AWACS and other advanced fighters such as the F-15EX, the F-22, and even the F-35, could be used in a variety of ways. For example, Gen 5 fighters like the F-22 and the F-35 operating well in front of the F-16s can target enemy fighters using the F-16’s missiles to attack them via technology like the cooperative engagement capability.
AWACS with radars capable of spotting stealth aircraft can direct missiles close enough to enemy fighters for the missiles’ own radar to get a solid lock on those fighters.
Ground-based and ship-based radars capable of detecting stealth aircraft can also help F-16s counter and defend against stealthy aircraft. And while as of today only a few F-16s sport
Infrared Search and Track (IRST) sensors capable of tracking stealthy aircraft at BVR ranges, such
IRST systems can track stealth aircraft.
Finally, there will still undoubtedly be cases were F-16s end up in WVR dogfights where pilots who have been able to do more training due to the F-16’s relatively low cost per flying hour and superior reliability will have an advantage over pilots flying BVR-oriented fighters.
All this adds up to the F-16 being a highly relevant and important fighter on the modern battlefield for many years to come.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
