Just 29,000 pounds of ordnance screaming at twice the speed of sound. With new F-15s rolling off the assembly line, this fighter continues to savage the skies.
We spoke with Vincent Aiello about the need for a dogfighter, the war in Ukraine, and why you might get away with quoting “Top Gun” at the real flight school.
The F-16 "Fighting Falcon" (known as "Viper" to its operators) is a single-engine multirole fighter. It was initially designed and produced by General Dynamics up until 1993 when the company sold the Fort Worth production line to Lockheed Martin. More than 4,500 F-16s have been produced and more than 2,800 aircraft remain in operation with 25 nations, making the type among the most prolific fighter families in the post-World War II period.