The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon
* Lockheed acquired General Dynamics, creator of the F-16, in March 1993.
The F-16 is over 20 years old but is still one of the best fighters in its class. This aircraft introduced features such as lightweight computers, "fly-by-wire" electronic controls and an arsenal of high-tech weapons.
The F-16 is used mainly to drop bombs but it can fight with unbridled fury when provoked. With its curved surfaces blending the fuselage and wing together, and its fly-by-wire electric flight control system, the F-16 ushered in a new era of fighter design. The radical shape had far better aerodynamics than earlier designs, making the F-16 far more agile for dogfighting. The radar of the F-16 is as versatile as the aircraft. With a flick of a switch the pilot can change from air-to-air operation to air-to-ground. When dogfighting, the radar automatically follows the enemy and gives the pilot a steering cue on the large head-up display in front of him.
More than 4,000 F-16s serve in the U.S., NATO, Asia, and Latin America. The F-16 pilots flew 13,500 combat sorties in Operation Desert Storm, more than any other aircraft.
