Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1493095
F-16C/D - Post-Lifting Enhancements The analytical effort undertaken by the DoD in recent years has shown that the USAF's potential in the MRCA department would be based mostly on the ffth generation aircraft (F-22A Raptor, F-35A Lightning II), but 4th generation MRCA with a relevant upgrade headroom would also play a key role here. In the case of the latter group, the statement refers to the brand-new F-15EX Eagle II jets, replacing some of the F-15C/D Eagles, and to an upgrade of the F-15E Strike Eagles. Congress is currently discussing the sense of investments regarding the used jets. Alternatively, a higher number of F-15EXs could be procured. The aforesaid statement also refers to service life extension regarding the F-16C/D Fighting Falcons of the late production series (Block 40/42/50/52). For the Viper, the lifetime proves the design's perfection. The lifecycle was assessed as 8,000 hours when the aforesaid lots were manufactured. In April 2017 it was certifed that the airframe life can be extended to 12,000 hours. Some experts argue that 16,000 or even 20,000 thousand hours may also be achieved. This is how a program aimed at the extension of service life, and modernization regarding 608 USAF F-16C/D jets was born. It is a grand project that would allow for maintaining the operational potential those jets offer for at least another 25 years. Given the scale, the whole program has been divided between a couple of maintenance facilities. 300 examples would be sent to the USAF Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill AB in Utah. Each airframe would undergo a 9-months long upgrade works. The frst four Vipers were returned to the user in 2018. Each of the F-16s is expected to undergo 22 modifcations and modernizations, within the framework of the SLEP program, regarding the avionics and airframe. The upgrades include a service life extension to 12,000 hours and implementing the Have Glass II paint coat. The information released suggests that many components of SLEP are derived from the F-16V, offered by Lockheed Martin as an export product. The upgrade includes the replacement of the radars, with the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-83 SABR, implementation of Link 16 communications, new onboard computers, or rearrangement of the cockpit layouts. The whole upgrade entails a price tag of USD 7 bn. and it would be implemented in stages. More importantly, the DoD capitalizes on the experience gathered during the F-16V upgrade program that is becoming an object of interest for numerous states operating the Viper. LIFTING F-16C/D FIGHTING FALCON The second F-16C came from Spangdahlem. Image Credit: Bydgoszcz International Airport. AVIATON