A remarkable anniversary in the history of Lockheed Martin’s F-16 programme will be marked on 20 January, exactly 50 years after a prototype of the lightweight fighter got airborne for the first time.
Our recently published extensive report into the milestone tells the story behind General Dynamics test pilot Phil Oestricher’s unscheduled outing from Edwards AFB in the YF-16, the programme’s official first flight on 2 February 1974, and the single-engined type’s evolution into the world’s most widely-flown fighter. Click here to read the full article.
To coincide with the 50th anniversary event, this gallery of images highlights some of the additional notable events, unusual F-16 variants, and leading operators of the US airframer’s evergreen fighter, as it continues to enjoy production success for multiple customers.
Craig Hoyle joined Flight International in 2003, and has edited the now monthly title since 2015. He has reported on the UK, European and international military aviation sector for more than 25 years, and produces our annual World Air Forces directory.View full Profile
The long-stalled deal to provide Turkey with 40 Lockheed Martin F-16V fighters was approved by arms regulators, who simultaneously advanced a proposal to sell 40 F-35A stealth fighters to Greece – orders worth a gargantuan $31.6 billion to Lockheed.
Officially known as the Survivable Airborne Operations Center, the new aircraft will replace the Boeing E-4B Nightwatch jet capable of commanding the USA’s nuclear arsenal.
Saab’s Aeronautics business unit enjoyed a strong first-quarter performance, with highlights including a Gripen C sale to Hungary and the transfer of a first Saab 340-based airborne early warning aircraft to Poland.
