206-653: A large number of variants of the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon have been produced by General Dynamics , Lockheed Martin , and various licensed manufacturers. The details of the F-16 variants, along with major modification programs and derivative designs significantly influenced by the F-16, are described below. Two single-seat YF-16 prototypes were built for the Light Weight Fighter (LWF) competition. The first YF-16
412-529: A MIL-STD-1773 fiber-optic data bus which offers a 1,000 times increase in data-handling capability. UAE funded the entire $ 3 billion Block 60 development costs, and in exchange will receive royalties if any of the Block 60 aircraft are sold to other nations. According to press reports quoted by Flight International , this is "the first time the US has sold a better aircraft [F-16] overseas than its own forces fly". Like
618-506: A province . Taipei became the permanent capital in 1893. Liu's efforts to increase revenues on Taiwan's produce were hampered by foreign pressure not to increase levies. A land reform was implemented, increasing revenue which still fell short of expectation. Modern technologies such as electric lighting, a railway, telegraph lines, steamship service, and industrial machinery were introduced under Liu's governance, but several of these projects had mixed results. A campaign to formally subjugate
824-557: A 30% greater air-to-air detection range and a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mode for high-resolution mapping and target detection-recognition. In August 2004, Northrop Grumman was contracted to upgrade the APG-68 radars of Block 40/42/50/52 aircraft to the (V)10 standard, providing all-weather autonomous detection and targeting for Global Positioning System (GPS)-aided precision weapons, SAR mapping, and terrain-following radar (TF) modes, as well as interleaving of all modes. The F-16E/F
1030-464: A Foreign Military Sale to Slovakia for 14 new F-16Vs, pending approval from U.S. Congress. The Defence Ministry of Slovakia announced on 11 July 2018 that it intends to purchase 14 F-16 Block 70 aircraft from Lockheed Martin to replace its aging fleet of Mikoyan MiG-29s. The package, which includes armament and training, is worth €1.58 billion ($ 1.8 billion), and is Slovakia's largest military purchase in modern history. Defence Minister Peter Gajdoš signed
1236-667: A Japanese expedition was sent to survey Taiwan. After being attacked by the Indigenous people, they took some prisoners and returned home. In 1616, a Japanese fleet of 13 ships were sent to Taiwan. Due to a storm, only one ship made it there and is presumed to have returned to Japan. In 1624, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) established Fort Zeelandia on the coastal islet of Tayouan (in modern Tainan ). The lowland areas were occupied by 11 Indigenous chiefdoms , some of which fell under Dutch control, including
1442-402: A NACA 64A-204 airfoil was selected; the camber is adjusted by leading-edge and trailing edge flaperons linked to a digital flight control system regulating the flight envelope . The F-16 has a moderate wing loading, reduced by fuselage lift. The vortex lift effect is increased by leading-edge extensions, known as strakes. Strakes act as additional short-span, triangular wings running from
1648-492: A Republic, and to distribute land equally among the people." Revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen proposed the name Chunghwa Minkuo as the assumed name of the new country when the revolution succeeded. During the 1950s and 1960s, after the ROC government had withdrawn to Taiwan, it was commonly referred to as "Nationalist China" (or " Free China ") to differentiate it from "communist China" (or " Red China "). Over subsequent decades,
1854-470: A competitor to Northrop Grumman's AN/APG-68 and AN/APG-80 for the F-16. On 28 February 2020, Northrop Grumman received an order from USAF to extend the service lives of their F-16s to at least 2048 with AN/APG-83 as part of the service-life extension program (SLEP). The initial powerplant selected for the single-engined F-16 was the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200 afterburning turbofan , a modified version of
2060-460: A deal totaling $ 4.5 billion . F-16s were also used in their ground-attack role for strikes against targets in Lebanon. IAF F-16s participated in the 2006 Lebanon War and the 2008–09 Gaza War . During and after the 2006 Lebanon war, IAF F-16s shot down Iranian -made UAVs launched by Hezbollah , using Rafael Python 5 air-to-air missiles. On 10 February 2018, an Israeli Air Force F-16I
2266-526: A democracy. Chiang Ching-kuo , Chiang Kai-shek's son, served as premier from 1972 and rose to the presidency in 1978. He sought to move more authority to " bensheng ren " (residents of Taiwan before Japan's surrender and their descendants). Pro-democracy activists Tangwai emerged as the opposition. In 1979, the Kaohsiung Incident took place in Kaohsiung on Human Rights Day . Although
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#17327757122322472-633: A fixed-price upgrade package for foreign users. CAPES was not included in the Pentagon's 2015 budget request. The USAF said that the upgrade package will still be offered to Taiwan's Republic of China Air Force , and Lockheed said that some common elements with the F-35 will keep the radar's unit costs down. In 2014, the USAF issued a RFI to SLEP 300 F-16 C/Ds. To make more room for assembly of its newer F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft, Lockheed Martin moved
2678-600: A formal request to the United States to purchase 40 new F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft and nearly 80 kits to modernize its F-16C/D fighters to F-16 Block 70/72 variant. Other In May 2021, the U.S. Air Force had awarded a $ 14 billion (~$ 15.5 billion in 2023) contract to Lockheed Martin to build new 128 Block 70/72 F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets on behalf of Bahrain, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Taiwan, Morocco and Jordan through 2026. General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon
2884-650: A good proportion of islanders and re-privatizing businesses. After the end of World War II, the Chinese Civil War resumed. A series of Chinese Communist offensives in 1949 led to the capture of its capital Nanjing on 23 April and the subsequent defeat of the Nationalists on the mainland. The Communists founded the People's Republic of China on 1 October. On 7 December 1949, Chiang Kai-Shek evacuated his Nationalist government to Taiwan and made Taipei
3090-452: A good turn rate, acceleration, and range, and optimized for combat at speeds of Mach 0.6–1.6 and altitudes of 30,000–40,000 feet (9,100–12,000 m). This was the region where USAF studies predicted most future air combat would occur. The anticipated average flyaway cost of a production version was $ 3 million . This production plan was hypothetical as the USAF had no firm plans to procure the winner. Five companies responded, and in 1972,
3296-403: A high AOA inducing a stall. The limiters also prevent maneuvers that would exert more than a 9- g load. Flight testing revealed that "assaulting" multiple limiters at high AOA and low speed can result in an AOA far exceeding the 25° limit, colloquially referred to as "departing"; this causes a deep stall; a near-freefall at 50° to 60° AOA, either upright or inverted. While at a very high AOA,
3502-529: A high-PRF pulse-Doppler track mode to provide Interrupted Continuous Wave guidance for semi-active radar homing (SARH) missiles like the AIM-7 Sparrow. Block 50/52 F-16s initially used the more reliable APG-68(V)5 which has a programmable signal processor employing Very High Speed Integrated Circuit (VHSIC) technology. The Advanced Block 50/52 (or 50+/52+) is equipped with the APG-68(V)9 radar, with
3708-676: A larger nose radome was fitted for the AN/APG-66 radar, wing area was increased from 280 to 300 sq ft (26 to 28 m ), the tailfin height was decreased, the ventral fins were enlarged, two more stores stations were added, and a single door replaced the original nosewheel double doors. The F-16's weight was increased by 25% over the YF-16 by these modifications. The FSD F-16s were manufactured by General Dynamics in Fort Worth, Texas , at United States Air Force Plant 4 in late 1975;
3914-549: A maximum thrust of 32,500 lbf (145 kN), the highest thrust engine developed for the F-16. The F-16 is being used by the active-duty USAF, Air Force Reserve , and Air National Guard units, the USAF aerial demonstration team, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds , and as an adversary-aggressor aircraft by the United States Navy at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center . The U.S. Air Force, including
4120-432: A medium PRF for heavy clutter environments. It has four operating frequencies within the X band, and provides four air-to-air and seven air-to-ground operating modes for combat, even at night or in bad weather. The Block 15's APG-66(V)2 model added more powerful signal processing , higher output power, improved reliability, and increased range in cluttered or jamming environments. The Mid-Life Update (MLU) program introduced
4326-634: A member of the United Nations after UN members voted in 1971 to recognize the PRC instead. The ROC maintained its claim of being the sole legitimate representative of China and its territory until 1991, when it ceased to regard the Chinese Communist Party as a rebellious group and acknowledged its control over mainland China. Taiwan is claimed by the PRC, which refuses to establish diplomatic relations with countries that recognise
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#17327757122324532-951: A name for the island, or the part of it closest to Penghu . Elsewhere, the name was used for the Ryukyu Islands in general or Okinawa specifically; the name Ryūkyū is the Japanese form of Liúqiú . The name also appears in the Book of Sui (636) and other early works, but scholars cannot agree on whether these references are to the Ryukyus, Taiwan or even Luzon . The name Formosa ( 福爾摩沙 ) dates from 1542, when Portuguese sailors noted it on their maps as Ilha Formosa ( Portuguese for " beautiful island "). The name Formosa eventually "replaced all others in European literature" and remained in common use among English speakers into
4738-736: A new model, APG-66(V)2A, which features higher speed and more memory. The AN/APG-68 , an evolution of the APG-66, was introduced with the F-16C/D Block 25. The APG-68 has greater range and resolution, as well as 25 operating modes, including ground-mapping, Doppler beam-sharpening, ground moving target indication , sea target, and track while scan (TWS) for up to 10 targets. The Block 40/42's APG-68(V)1 model added full compatibility with Lockheed Martin Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) pods, and
4944-408: A new version of their F-16 at the 2012 Singapore Airshow. The F-16V will feature enhancements including an AN/APG-83 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, an upgraded mission computer and architecture, and improvements to the cockpit – all capabilities identified by the U.S. Air Force and several international customers for future improvements. The new variant is dubbed the "Viper", which
5150-424: A non-state basis. Domestically, the major political contention is between parties favoring eventual Chinese unification and promoting a pan-Chinese identity, contrasted with those aspiring to formal international recognition and promoting a Taiwanese identity ; in the 21st century, both sides have moderated their positions to broaden their appeal. In his Daoyi Zhilüe (1349), Wang Dayuan used " Liuqiu " as
5356-562: A production line for the KF-16 program, producing 140 Block 52s from the mid-1990s to mid-2000s (decade). If India had selected the F-16IN for its Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft procurement, a sixth F-16 production line would have been built in India. In May 2013, Lockheed Martin stated there were currently enough orders to keep producing the F-16 until 2017. One change made during production
5562-602: A pure fighter, but multirole , and Schlesinger made it clear that any ACF order would be in addition to the F-15, which extinguished opposition to the LWF. ACF also raised the stakes for GD and Northrop because it brought in competitors intent on securing what was touted at the time as "the arms deal of the century". These were Dassault-Breguet's proposed Mirage F1M-53 , the Anglo-French SEPECAT Jaguar , and
5768-522: A rebellion" (三年一反、五年一亂), primarily in reference to the period between 1820 and 1850. Many officials stationed in Taiwan called for an active colonization policy over the 19th century. In 1788, Taiwan Prefect Yang Tingli supported the efforts of a settler named Wu Sha to claim land held by the Kavalan people . In 1797, Wu Sha was able to recruit settlers with financial support from the local government but
5974-571: A single digital display. In 2013, sequestration budget cuts cast doubt on the USAF's ability to complete the Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES), a part of secondary programs such as Taiwan's F-16 upgrade. Air Combat Command 's General Mike Hostage stated that if he only had money for a service life extension program (SLEP) or CAPES, he would fund SLEP to keep the aircraft flying. Lockheed Martin responded to talk of CAPES cancellation with
6180-596: A single turbofan engine, an internal M61 Vulcan cannon and 11 hardpoints . Although officially named "Fighting Falcon", the aircraft is commonly known by the nickname "Viper". In addition to active duty in the U.S. Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command , and Air National Guard units, the aircraft is also used by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team, the US Air Combat Command F-16 Viper Demonstration Team, and as an adversary/aggressor aircraft by
6386-593: A surplus of $ 46.5 million. Along with Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea, Taiwan became known as one of the Four Asian Tigers . Because of the Cold War, most Western nations and the United Nations regarded the ROC as the sole legitimate government of China until the 1970s. Eventually, especially after Taiwan's expulsion from the United Nations , most nations switched diplomatic recognition to
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon variants - Misplaced Pages Continue
6592-512: A two-year grace period, which few saw as feasible. Estimates say around 4,000 to 6,000 departed before the expiration of the grace period, and 200,000 to 300,000 followed during the subsequent disorder. On 25 May 1895, a group of pro-Qing high officials proclaimed the Republic of Formosa to resist impending Japanese rule. Japanese forces entered the capital at Tainan and quelled this resistance on 21 October 1895. About 6,000 inhabitants died in
6798-512: A version developed especially for the United Arab Emirates Air Force , and is sometimes unofficially called the "Desert Falcon". The Block 60 was designed for the United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF). Based on the F-16C/D Block 50/52, it features improved radar, avionics and conformal fuel tanks. At one time, this version was incorrectly thought to have been designated "F-16U". A major difference from previous blocks
7004-457: A way as to produce the desired result without inducing control loss. The FLCC conducts thousands of measurements per second on the aircraft's flight attitude to automatically counter deviations from the pilot-set flight path. The FLCC further incorporates limiters governing movement in the three main axes based on attitude, airspeed, and angle of attack (AOA)/ g ; these prevent control surfaces from inducing instability such as slips or skids , or
7210-484: A weapons mix. More recent versions support the AIM-120 AMRAAM , and US aircraft often mount that missile on their wingtips to reduce wing flutter . The aircraft can carry various other AAMs, a wide variety of air-to-ground missiles, rockets or bombs; electronic countermeasures (ECM), navigation, targeting or weapons pods ; and fuel tanks on 9 hardpoints – six under the wings, two on wingtips, and one under
7416-553: Is 100 F-16A Block 20 and 50 F-16B Block 20, but 10 A-models have been lost during missions. At one point, 14 aircraft were sent to the US mainland for training. F-16C (single seat) and F-16D (two seat). The final number of aircraft built and used by the US Air Force were 209 F-16C Block 25, 200 F-16C Block 30, 100 F-16C Block 32, 200 F-16C Block 40, 115 F-16C Block 42, 35 F-16D Block 25, 200 F-16D Block 30, 133 F-16D Block 32, 200 F-16D Block 40, and 100 F-16D Block 42. At this stage,
7622-510: Is among the most densely populated countries . Taiwan has been settled for at least 25,000 years. Ancestors of Taiwanese indigenous peoples settled the island around 6,000 years ago. In the 17th century, large-scale Han Chinese immigration began under a Dutch colony and continued under the Kingdom of Tungning , the first predominantly Han Chinese state in Taiwanese history . The island
7828-545: Is an American single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter , it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft with over 4,600 built since 1976. Although no longer purchased by the U.S. Air Force, improved versions are being built for export. In 1993, General Dynamics sold its aircraft manufacturing business to
8034-466: Is an obstruction to a pilot's forward vision. The F-16's ACES II zero/zero ejection seat is reclined at an unusual tilt-back angle of 30°; most fighters have a tilted seat at 13–15°. The tilted seat can accommodate taller pilots and increases g -force tolerance; however, it has been associated with reports of neck aches, possibly caused by incorrect headrest usage. Subsequent U.S. fighters have adopted more modest tilt-back angles of 20°. Because of
8240-460: Is built with about 80% aviation-grade aluminum alloys , 8% steel, 3% composites, and 1.5% titanium . The leading-edge flaps, stabilators, and ventral fins make use of bonded aluminum honeycomb structures and graphite epoxy lamination coatings . The number of lubrication points, fuel line connections, and replaceable modules is significantly less than in preceding fighters; 80% of the access panels can be accessed without stands. The air intake
8446-541: Is expected to complete by 2023. In 2019, Taiwan and the United States signed an $ 8 billion deal that would deliver 66 new-build Block 70 aircraft. Royal Bahraini Air Force In September 2017, the US State Department approved a Foreign Military Sale to Bahrain for 19 new-build F-16V and upgrade its 20 existing F-16C/D Block 40 to F-16V standard. In June 2018, Bahrain finalized its order for 16 new-build F-16V. Hellenic Air Force In October 2017,
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon variants - Misplaced Pages Continue
8652-470: Is expected to gradually begin replacing several multirole aircraft among the program's member nations. However, owing to delays in the F-35 program, all USAF F-16s will receive service life extension upgrades. In 2022, it was announced the USAF would continue to operate the F-16 for another two decades. The F-16's first air-to-air combat success was achieved by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) over
8858-503: Is fitted with the Westinghouse AN/APG-68 radar and has improved precision night-attack capability. Block 25 introduced a very substantial improvement in cockpit avionics, including improved fire-control and stores management computers, an Up-Front Controls (UFC) integrated data control panel, data-transfer equipment, multifunction displays , radar altimeter , and many other changes. Block 25s were first delivered with
9064-582: Is intended to better operate with fifth-generation fighters, and should not be confused with Lockheed's F-16IN Block 70/72 "Super Viper", which was offered to India for the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft competition and showcased at the 2009 Aero India Air Show. "The new F-16V will become the new F-16 baseline," said George Standridge, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics' vice president of business development. On 16 October 2015,
9270-531: Is outfitted with Northrop Grumman's AN/APG-80 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Northrop Grumman developed the latest AESA radar upgrade for the F-16 (selected for USAF and Taiwan's Republic of China Air Force F-16 upgrades), named the AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR). In July 2007, Raytheon announced that it was developing a Next Generation Radar (RANGR) based on its earlier AN/APG-79 AESA radar as
9476-417: Is the 21st-largest in the world by nominal GDP and the 20th-largest by PPP measures, with a focus on steel, machinery, electronics, and chemicals manufacturing. Taiwan is a developed country . It is ranked highly in terms of civil liberties , healthcare , and human development . The political status of Taiwan is contentious. Despite being a founding member, the ROC no longer represents China as
9682-494: Is the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-80 Active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, which gives the airplane the capability to simultaneously track and destroy ground and air threats. The Block 60's General Electric F110 -GE-132 engine is a development of the −129 model and is rated at 32,500 lbf (144 kN). The Electronic Warfare system is supposed to be quite advanced and includes
9888-514: Is the "Republic of China". Shortly after the ROC's establishment in 1912, while it was still located on the Chinese mainland, the government used the short form "China" ( Zhōngguó , 中國 ) to refer to itself, derived from zhōng ("central" or "middle") and guó ("state, nation-state"). The term developed under the Zhou dynasty in reference to its royal demesne , and was then applied to
10094-836: Is the first Air Force in the world to operate this F-16 type. The total Greek order was 60 F-16C/D. The Israeli F-16I and its Singapore equivalent variant are based on the block 52+ aircraft. In March 2010, it was announced that the Egyptian Air Force would purchase 20 Block 52 aircraft (16 F-16Cs and 4 F-16Ds), the first of which arrived for testing in April 2012. Under the PEACE ONYX III CCIP program, 165 of Turkish Air Force 's F-16s have been upgraded to Block 50+ standards by Turkish Aerospace Industries . The Pakistan Air Force bought 12 F-16C and 6 F-16D Block 52+. F-16E (single seat) and F-16F (two seat). Originally,
10300-435: Is the same as the 50/52. Block 50 using F110-GE-129 , while Block 52 uses F100-PW-229 . The CFTs are mounted above the wing, on both sides of the fuselage and are easily removable. They provide 440 US gallons (1,665 L) or approximately 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg) of additional fuel, allowing increased range or time on station and free up hardpoints for weapons instead of underwing fuel tanks. All two-seat "Plus" aircraft have
10506-636: The 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks , but Flight 93 was prematurely brought down by the hijackers after passengers attacked the cockpit, so the F-16s were retasked to patrol the local airspace and later escorted Air Force One back to Washington. The F-16 had been scheduled to remain in service with the U.S. Air Force until 2025. Its replacement is planned to be the F-35A variant of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II , which
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#173277571223210712-512: The AGM-84E Standoff Land Attack Missile (SLAM). The conformal fuel tanks provide an additional 450 US gallon (2,045 L) of fuel, allowing increased range or time on station. This has the added benefit of freeing up hardpoints for weapons that otherwise would have been occupied by underwing fuel tanks. The Block 60 retains a MIL-STD-1553 data bus to support certain legacy systems, but also features
10918-534: The AIM-9X . The F-16A/B was originally equipped with the Westinghouse AN/APG-66 fire-control radar . Its slotted planar array antenna was designed to be compact to fit into the F-16's relatively small nose. In uplook mode, the APG-66 uses a low pulse-repetition frequency (PRF) for medium- and high-altitude target detection in a low- clutter environment, and in look-down/shoot-down employs
11124-473: The Bekaa Valley on 28 April 1981, against a Syrian Mi-8 helicopter, which was downed with cannon fire. On 7 June 1981, eight Israeli F-16s, escorted by six F-15s, executed Operation Opera , their first employment in a significant air-to-ground operation. This raid severely damaged Osirak , an Iraqi nuclear reactor under construction near Baghdad , to prevent the regime of Saddam Hussein from using
11330-634: The F-35 , the Block 60 F-16 has a built in FLIR/IRST/laser targeting system rather than using a dedicated pod that would occupy a hardpoint, increase drag and RCS. In 2014 the UAE requested an upgrade to Block 61, along with the purchase of 30 more aircraft at that level. However, the UAE cancelled the order of buying and upgrading the F-16E/F Block 61. On 15 February 2012, Lockheed Martin unveiled
11536-616: The Fighter Mafia , and in 1969, they secured Department of Defense funding for General Dynamics and Northrop to study design concepts based on the theory. Air Force F-X proponents were opposed to the concept because they perceived it as a threat to the F-15 program, but the USAF's leadership understood that its budget would not allow it to purchase enough F-15 aircraft to satisfy all of its missions. The Advanced Day Fighter concept, renamed F-XX , gained civilian political support under
11742-485: The Formosa Air Battle was fought between American carriers and Japanese forces in Taiwan. Over 200,000 of Taiwanese served in the Japanese military , with over 30,000 casualties. Over 2,000 women, euphemistically called " comfort women ", were forced into sexual slavery for Imperial Japanese troops. After Japan's surrender , most Japanese residents were expelled . While Taiwan was under Japanese rule,
11948-528: The Kingdom of Middag . When the Dutch arrived, southwestern Taiwan was already frequented by a mostly transient Chinese population numbering close to 1,500. The VOC encouraged Chinese farmers to immigrate and work the lands under Dutch control and by the 1660s, some 30,000 to 50,000 Chinese were living on the island. Most of the farmers cultivated rice for local consumption and sugar for export while some immigrants engaged in deer hunting for export. In 1626,
12154-629: The LANTIRN navigation and targeting pod. The Block 20 computers are significantly improved in comparison to that of the earlier versions that later integrated into post 1997 Block 50/52, and also getting color MFD. The Republic of China ( Taiwan ) received 150 F-16A/B Block 20 aircraft. Some sources refer to the F-16 Mid-Life Update as Block 20, but the Block 20 designation was specifically used for new-production jets with upgraded jets being referred to as MLU or Block 15 MLU .The breakdown
12360-645: The Lockheed Corporation , which became part of Lockheed Martin after a 1995 merger with Martin Marietta . The F-16's key features include a frameless bubble canopy for enhanced cockpit visibility, a side-mounted control stick to ease control while maneuvering, an ejection seat reclined 30 degrees from vertical to reduce the effect of g-forces on the pilot, and the first use of a relaxed static stability / fly-by-wire flight control system that helps to make it an agile aircraft. The fighter has
12566-551: The Northrop Grumman LITENING targeting pod. The standard Inertial Navigation Unit (INU) was first changed to a ring laser gyro , and later upgraded again to an Embedded GPS/INS (EGI) system which combines a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver with an Inertial navigation system (INS). The EGI provided the capability to use Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and other GPS -aided munitions (see Block 50 list below). This capability, in combination with
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#173277571223212772-773: The Paris Air Show . This was split among the European Participation Air Forces (EPAF) as 116 for Belgium, 58 for Denmark, 102 for the Netherlands, and 72 for Norway. Two European production lines, one in the Netherlands at Fokker 's Schiphol-Oost facility and the other at SABCA's Gosselies plant in Belgium, would produce 184 and 164 units respectively. Norway's Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk and Denmark's Terma A/S also manufactured parts and subassemblies for EPAF aircraft. European co-production
12978-486: The Philippines were launched from Taiwan. The Imperial Japanese Navy operated heavily from Taiwanese ports, and its think tank " South Strike Group " was based at Taihoku Imperial University . Military bases and industrial centers, such as Kaohsiung and Keelung , became targets of heavy Allied bombings , which destroyed many of the factories, dams, and transport facilities built by the Japanese. In October 1944,
13184-583: The Plains Indigenous peoples rarely rebelled against the government and the mountain Indigenous peoples were left to their own devices until the last 20 years of Qing rule. Most of the more than 100 rebellions during the Qing period, such as the Lin Shuangwen rebellion , were caused by Han settlers. Their frequency was evoked by the common saying "every three years an uprising, every five years
13390-583: The Republic of China ( ROC ), is a country in East Asia . The main island of Taiwan , also known as Formosa , lies between the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean , with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south. It has an area of 35,808 square kilometres (13,826 square miles), with mountain ranges dominating
13596-425: The Republic of China was founded on mainland China on 1 January 1912 following the Xinhai Revolution of 1911. Central authority waxed and waned in response to warlordism (1915–28), Japanese invasion (1937–45), and the Chinese Civil War (1927–49), with central authority strongest during the Nanjing decade (1927–37), when most of China came under the control of the Kuomintang (KMT). During World War II ,
13802-459: The Royal Jordanian Air Force was working with the U.S. Air Force Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), based at Wright Patterson Air Force Base , Ohio, to begin the Viper Block-70 operational upgrade program. This study is still under way, but it is unclear whether, and when, it will apply where necessary congressional approvals are needed to sell these possibilities to Jordan. Turkish Air Force On 30 September 2021, Turkey sent
14008-452: The Ryukyu Islands 30,000 years ago. Slash-and-burn agriculture practices started at least 11,000 years ago. Stone tools of the Changbin culture have been found in Taitung and Eluanbi . Archaeological remains suggest they were initially hunter-gatherers that slowly shifted to intensive fishing. The distinct Wangxing culture , found in Miaoli County , were initially gatherers who shifted to hunting. Around 6,000 years ago, Taiwan
14214-420: The Spanish Empire occupied northern Taiwan as a trading base, first at Keelung and in 1628 building Fort Santo Domingo at Tamsui . This colony lasted until 1642, when the last Spanish fortress fell to Dutch forces. The Dutch then marched south, subduing hundreds of villages in the western plains. Following the fall of the Ming dynasty in Beijing in 1644, Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong) pledged allegiance to
14420-412: The Tail Choppers and Griffin squadrons using mostly AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, shot down four Afghan Su-22s , two MiG-23s , one Su-25 , and one An-26 . Most of these kills were by missiles, but at least one, a Su-22, was destroyed by cannon fire. One F-16 was lost in these battles. The downed F-16 was likely hit accidentally by the other F-16. Republic of China Taiwan , officially
14626-478: The Taiwan Area , and Taiwan underwent a process of localization in which Taiwanese culture and history were promoted over a pan-China viewpoint while assimilationist policies were replaced with support for multiculturalism . In 1996, Lee was re-elected in the first direct presidential election . During Lee's administration, both he and his party were involved in corruption controversies that came to be known as " black gold " politics. Chen Shui-bian of
14832-483: The United States Navy . The F-16 has also been procured by the air forces of 25 other nations. As of 2024, it is the world's most common fixed-wing aircraft in military service, with 2,145 F-16s operational. US Vietnam War experience showed the need for air superiority fighters and better air-to-air training for fighter pilots. Based on his experience in the Korean War and as a fighter tactics instructor in
15038-473: The Westinghouse AN/APG-66 pulse-doppler radar , Pratt & Whitney F100 -PW-200 turbofan, rated at 14,670 lbf (64.9 kN) and 23,830 lbf (106.0 kN) with afterburner. The USAF bought 375 F-16As and 125 F-16Bs, with delivery completed in March 1985. Early blocks (Block 1/5/10) featured relatively minor differences between each. Most were later upgraded to the Block 10 configuration in
15244-475: The White Terror , as the period is known, 140,000 people were imprisoned or executed for being perceived as anti-KMT or pro-Communist. Many citizens were arrested, tortured, imprisoned or executed for their real or perceived link to the Chinese Communist Party. Since these people were mainly from the intellectual and social elite, an entire generation of political and social leaders was destroyed. Following
15450-554: The Yongli Emperor and attacked the Qing dynasty along the southeastern coast of China. In 1661, under increasing Qing pressure, he moved his forces from his base in Xiamen to Taiwan, expelling the Dutch the following year. The Dutch retook the northern fortress at Keelung in 1664, but left the island in 1668 in the face of indigenous resistance. The Zheng regime, known as the Kingdom of Tungning , proclaimed its loyalty to
15656-477: The Zhu Yigui settler rebellion in 1722, separation of aboriginals and settlers became official policy via 54 stelae used to mark the frontier boundary. The markings were changed four times over the latter half of the 18th century due to continued settler encroachment. Two aboriginal affairs sub-prefects, one for the north and one for the south, were appointed in 1766. During the 200 years of Qing rule in Taiwan,
15862-451: The temporary capital of the ROC. Some 2 million people, mainly soldiers, members of the ruling Kuomintang and intellectual and business elites, were evacuated to Taiwan, adding to the earlier population of approximately six million. These people and their descendants became known in Taiwan as " waisheng ren " ( 外省人 ). The ROC government took to Taipei many national treasures and much of China's gold and foreign currency reserves. Most of
16068-780: The wing root (the junction with the fuselage) to a point further forward on the fuselage. Blended into the fuselage and along the wing root, the strake generates a high-speed vortex that remains attached to the top of the wing as the angle of attack increases, generating additional lift and allowing greater angles of attack without stalling. Strakes allow a smaller, lower- aspect-ratio wing, which increases roll rates and directional stability while decreasing weight. Deeper wing roots also increase structural strength and internal fuel volume. Early F-16s could be armed with up to six AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking short-range air-to-air missiles (AAM) by employing rail launchers on each wingtip, as well as radar-guided AIM-7 Sparrow medium-range AAMs in
16274-415: The " vortex lift " phenomenon could be harnessed by highly swept wing configurations to reach higher angles of attack , using leading edge vortex flow off a slender lifting surface. As the F-16 was being optimized for high combat agility, GD's designers chose a slender cropped-delta wing with a leading-edge sweep of 40° and a straight trailing edge. To improve maneuverability, a variable-camber wing with
16480-510: The "-220" engines on Block 25 and later aircraft were upgraded from 1997 onwards to the "-220E" standard, which enhanced reliability and maintainability; unscheduled engine removals were reduced by 35%. The F100-PW-220/220E was the result of the USAF's Alternate Fighter Engine (AFE) program (colloquially known as "the Great Engine War"), which also saw the entry of General Electric as an F-16 engine provider. Its F110-GE-100 turbofan
16686-564: The 1943 Cairo Declaration specified that Formosa and the Pescadores be returned by Japan to the ROC; the terms were later repeated in the 1945 Potsdam Declaration that Japan agreed to carry out in its instrument of surrender . On 25 October 1945 , Japan surrendered Taiwan to the ROC, and in the Treaty of San Francisco , Japan formally renounced their claims to the islands, though without specifying to whom they were surrendered. In
16892-549: The 1950s and were defeated by Communists in 1961 . Since losing control of mainland China, the Kuomintang continued to claim sovereignty over 'all of China', which it defined to include mainland China (including Tibet), Taiwan (including Penghu), Outer Mongolia , and other minor territories . Martial law , declared on Taiwan in May 1949, continued to be in effect until 1987, and was used to suppress political opposition. During
17098-401: The 20th century. In 1603, a Chinese expedition fleet anchored at a place in Taiwan called Dayuan, a variant of "Taiwan". In the early 17th century, the Dutch East India Company established a commercial post at Fort Zeelandia (modern-day Anping ) on a coastal sandbar called "Tayouan", after their ethnonym for a nearby Taiwanese aboriginal tribe, possibly Taivoan people . This name
17304-487: The 29,588 lbf (131.61 kN) F110-GE-129 on the Block 50 and 29,160 lbf (129.7 kN) F100-PW-229 on the Block 52. F-16s began flying with these IPE engines in the early 1990s. Altogether, of the 1,446 F-16C/Ds ordered by the USAF, 556 were fitted with F100-series engines and 890 with F110s. The United Arab Emirates' Block 60 is powered by the General Electric F110-GE-132 turbofan with
17510-851: The A/B models were retired and either exported, scrapped for parts, or mothballed and sent to storage facilities. Currently, with the introduction of the F-22 stealth fighter and the mass production of the F-35, the C/D models are being rapidly retired, and the current (2024) fleet remaining in the U.S. Air Force and National Guard consists of 123 F-16C Block 25, 200 F-16C Block 30, 100 F-16C Block 32, 200 F-16C Block 40, 115 F-16C Block 42, 37 F-16D Block 40, and 100 F-16D Block 42. The Block 25 F-16C first flew in June 1984 and entered USAF service in September. The aircraft version
17716-981: The Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard, flew the F-16 in combat during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and in the Balkans later in the 1990s. F-16s also patrolled the no-fly zones in Iraq during Operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch and served during the War in Afghanistan and the War in Iraq from 2001 and 2003 respectively. In 2011, Air Force F-16s took part in the intervention in Libya . On 11 September 2001, two unarmed F-16s were launched in an attempt to ram and down United Airlines Flight 93 before it reached Washington D.C. during
17922-501: The Air Force ordered eight full-scale development (FSD) F-16s – six single-seat F-16A and a pair of two-seat F-16B – for test and evaluation. The first FSD F-16A flew on 8 December 1976 and the first FSD F-16B on 8 August 1977. Over the years, these aircraft have been used as test demonstrators for a variety of research, development and modification study programs. The F-16A (single seat) and F-16B (two seat) were initially equipped with
18128-563: The Air Staff selected General Dynamics' Model 401 and Northrop's P-600 for the follow-on prototype development and testing phase. GD and Northrop were awarded contracts worth $ 37.9 million and $ 39.8 million to produce the YF-16 and YF-17 , respectively, with the first flights of both prototypes planned for early 1974. To overcome resistance in the Air Force hierarchy, the Fighter Mafia and other LWF proponents successfully advocated
18334-767: The DPP was elected as the first non-KMT president in 2000 . However, Chen lacked legislative majority. The opposition KMT developed the Pan-Blue Coalition with other parties, mustering a slim majority over the DPP-led Pan-Green Coalition . Polarized politics emerged in Taiwan with the Pan-Blue preference for eventual Chinese unification , while the Pan-Green prefers Taiwanese independence . Chen's reference to " One Country on Each Side " of
18540-401: The F-15's F100-PW-100, rated at 23,830 lbf (106.0 kN) thrust. During testing, the engine was found to be prone to compressor stalls and "rollbacks", wherein the engine's thrust would spontaneously reduce to idle. Until resolved, the Air Force ordered F-16s to be operated within " dead-stick landing " distance of its bases. It was the standard F-16 engine through the Block 25, except for
18746-413: The F-16 gains positive stability because of aerodynamic changes. To counter the tendency to depart from controlled flight and avoid the need for constant trim inputs by the pilot, the F-16 has a quadruplex (four-channel) fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control system (FLCS). The flight control computer (FLCC) accepts pilot input from the stick and rudder controls and manipulates the control surfaces in such
18952-513: The F-16 in three stages. The MSIP process permitted the quick introduction of new capabilities, at lower costs and with reduced risks compared to traditional independent upgrade programs. In 2012, the USAF had allocated $ 2.8 billion (~$ 3.67 billion in 2023) to upgrade 350 F-16s while waiting for the F-35 to enter service. One key upgrade has been an auto-GCAS ( Ground collision avoidance system ) to reduce instances of controlled flight into terrain . Onboard power and cooling capacities limit
19158-614: The F-16 production from Fort Worth, Texas to its plant in Greenville, South Carolina . Lockheed delivered the last F-16 from Fort Worth to the Iraqi Air Force on 14 November 2017, ending 40 years of F-16 production there. The company resumed production in 2019, though engineering and modernization work will remain in Fort Worth. A gap in orders made it possible to stop production during the move; after completing orders for
19364-426: The F-16's cockpit is the exceptional field of view. The single-piece, bird-proof polycarbonate bubble canopy provides 360° all-round visibility, with a 40° look-down angle over the side of the aircraft, and 15° down over the nose (compared to the common 12–13° of preceding aircraft); the pilot's seat is elevated for this purpose. Additionally, the F-16's canopy omits the forward bow frame found on many fighters, which
19570-529: The F-16A/B had monochrome cathode-ray tube (CRT) displays; replaced by color liquid-crystal displays on the Block 50/52. The Mid-Life Update (MLU) introduced compatibility with night-vision goggles (NVG). The Boeing Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) is available from Block 40 onwards for targeting based on where the pilot's head faces, unrestricted by the HUD, using high- off-boresight missiles like
19776-509: The F-16V configuration, valued at $ 985.2 million; and the second for a batch of 25 new Block 72 airframes, 29 new engines, a package of precision-guided munitions, and training valued at $ 3.787 billion. Royal Jordanian Air Force On 3 March 2020, It was announced that instead of upgrading, Royal Jordanian Air Force is now looking to buy the latest F-16 Block 70/72 model to replace its current fleet of older F-16s. As early as September 2017,
19982-497: The F-16V flew for the first time with an APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar AESA, a new Center Pedestal Display, a modernized mission computer, Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System, and many other upgrades. This can be fitted on new production F-16s or retrofitted on existing ones. The first of these were for Republic of China Air Force ( Taiwan ) F-16A/B Block 20s. The upgrade of its 144 aircraft fleet started in January 2017 and
20188-454: The FSD aircraft demonstrated a real concern. In response, the area of each horizontal stabilizer was increased by 25% on the Block 15 aircraft in 1981 and later retrofitted to earlier aircraft. In addition, a manual override switch to disable the horizontal stabilizer flight limiter was prominently placed on the control console, allowing the pilot to regain control of the horizontal stabilizers (which
20394-497: The Indigenous peoples ended with the loss of a third of the army after fierce resistance from the Mkgogan and Msbtunux peoples. Liu resigned in 1891 due to criticism of these costly projects. By the end of the Qing period, the western plains were fully developed as farmland with about 2.5 million Chinese settlers. The mountainous areas were still largely autonomous under the control of Indigenous peoples. Indigenous land loss under
20600-570: The LITENING targeting pod, greatly enhanced the capabilities of this aircraft. The sum of these modifications to the baseline Block 30 is commonly known as the F-16C++ (pronounced "plus plus") version. Entering service in 1988, the Block 40/42 is the improved all-day/all-weather strike variant equipped with LANTIRN pod; also unofficially designated the F-16CG/DG, the night capability gave rise to
20806-518: The LWF. The four NATO allies had formed the Multinational Fighter Program Group (MFPG) and pressed for a U.S. decision by December 1974; thus, the USAF accelerated testing. To reflect this serious intent to procure a new fighter-bomber, the LWF program was rolled into a new Air Combat Fighter (ACF) competition in an announcement by U.S. Secretary of Defense James R. Schlesinger in April 1974. The ACF would not be
21012-844: The Legislative Yuan and prevented the ratification of the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement in what became known as the Sunflower Student Movement . The movement gave rise to youth-based third parties such as the New Power Party , and is viewed to have contributed to the DPP's victories in the 2016 presidential and legislative elections , the latter of which resulted in the first DPP legislative majority in Taiwanese history. In January 2024, William Lai Ching-te of
21218-479: The Musha Incident of 1930. Intellectuals and laborers who participated in left-wing movements were also arrested and massacred (e.g. Chiang Wei-shui and Masanosuke Watanabe ). Around 1935, the Japanese began an island-wide assimilation project . Chinese-language newspapers and curriculums were abolished. Taiwanese music and theater were outlawed. A national Shinto religion was promoted in parallel with
21424-669: The Northrop Grumman Falcon Edge Integrated Electronic Warfare Suite RWR together with the AN/ALQ-165 Self-Protection Jammer. Falcon Edge, which was developed by Northrop Grumman specifically for the Block 60, is capable of showing not only the bearing of any threat but also the range. The Block 60 allows the carriage of all Block 50/52-compatible weaponry as well as AIM-132 Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) and
21630-501: The PRC under a policy of " mutual non-denial ". Under Ma, Taiwan and China opened up direct flights and cargo shipments. The PRC government even made the atypical decision to not demand that Taiwan be barred from the annual World Health Assembly . Ma also made an official apology for the White Terror. However, closer economic ties with China raised concerns about its political consequences. In 2014, university students occupied
21836-406: The PRC. Until the 1970s, the ROC government was regarded by Western critics as undemocratic for upholding martial law, severely repressing any political opposition, and controlling the media. The KMT did not allow the creation of new parties and competitive democratic elections did not exist. From the late 1970s to the 1990s, Taiwan underwent political and social reforms that transformed it into
22042-503: The Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200 engine and later upgraded to the Pratt & Whitney F100 -PW-220E. With 209 Block 25 C-models and 35 D-models delivered, today the USAF's Air National Guard and Air Education and Training Command are the only remaining users of this variant. One F-16C, nicknamed the "Lethal Lady", had flown over 7,000 hours by April 2008.The 209 F-16C blocks and 35 F-16D blocks that were manufactured were also deployed to
22248-494: The Qing administration into acculturated aborigines who had adopted Han culture and non-acculturated aborigines who had not. The Qing did little to administer or subjugate them. When Taiwan was annexed, there were 46 aboriginal villages under its control, likely inherited from the Kingdom of Tungning. During the early Qianlong period there were 93 acculturated villages and 61 non-acculturated villages that paid taxes. In response to
22454-528: The Qing occurred at a relatively slow pace due to the absence of state-sponsored land deprivation for the majority of Qing rule. Following the Qing defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895), Taiwan, its associated islands, and the Penghu archipelago were ceded to Japan by the Treaty of Shimonoseki . Inhabitants wishing to remain Qing subjects had to move to mainland China within
22660-455: The ROC. Taiwan maintains official diplomatic relations with 11 out of 193 UN member states and the Holy See . Many others maintain unofficial diplomatic ties through representative offices and institutions that function as de facto embassies and consulates . International organizations in which the PRC participates either refuse to grant membership to Taiwan or allow it to participate on
22866-593: The Republic of China has become commonly known as "Taiwan", after the main island. To avoid confusion, the ROC government in Taiwan began to put "Taiwan" next to its official name in 2005. In ROC government publications, the name is written as "Republic of China (Taiwan)", "Republic of China/Taiwan", or sometimes "Taiwan (ROC)". "Taiwan Area" was defined to mean the island of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and other territory under ROC's effective control, in contrast to "Mainland Area" which refers to ROC territory outside
23072-868: The South China Sea . The ROC also briefly retained control of the entirety of Hainan , parts of Zhejiang ( Chekiang )—specifically the Dachen Islands and Yijiangshan Islands —and portions of Tibet , Qinghai , Xinjiang and Yunnan . The Communists captured Hainan in 1950, captured the Dachen Islands and Yijiangshan Islands during the First Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1955 and defeated the ROC revolts in Northwest China in 1958. ROC forces entered Burma and Thailand in
23278-572: The Taiwan Area and under Chinese Communist control. The Republic of China participates in most international forums and organizations under the name " Chinese Taipei " as a compromise with the People's Republic of China (PRC). For instance, it is the name under which it has participated in the Olympic Games as well as the APEC . "Taiwan authorities" is sometimes used by the PRC to refer to
23484-605: The Taiwan Strait undercut cross-Strait relations in 2002. He pushed for the first national referendum on cross-Strait relations, and called for an end to the National Unification Council . State-run companies began dropping "China" references in their names and including "Taiwan". In 2008, referendums asked whether Taiwan should join the UN. This act alienated moderate constituents who supported
23690-464: The U.S. Air Force, and the remaining aircraft were exported. The first major change in the F-16, the Block 15 aircraft featured larger horizontal stabilators, the addition of two hardpoints to the chin inlet, an improved AN/APG-66 (V)2 radar, and increased capacity for the underwing hardpoints. The Block 15 also gained the Have Quick II secure UHF radio. To counter the additional weight of
23896-464: The U.S. that if the USAF ordered the LWF winner, they would consider ordering it as well. The USAF also needed to replace its F-105 Thunderchief and F-4 Phantom II fighter-bombers. The U.S. Congress sought greater commonality in fighter procurements by the Air Force and Navy, and in August 1974 redirected Navy funds to a new Navy Air Combat Fighter program that would be a naval fighter-bomber variant of
24102-609: The US State Department submitted the package to Congress, total package worth $ 8 billion (~$ 9.4 billion in 2023) for 66 F-16 Block 70 and other spare parts. On 13 December 2019, the US and Taiwan finalized the F-16V order. On 14 August 2020, Taiwan formally signed an agreement to buy 66 F-16V jets built by Lockheed Martin. Royal Moroccan Air Force On 25 March 2019, the US Department of Defense announced approvals for two sets of foreign military sales of F-16V hardware to Morocco ; one for upgrading its existing 23 F-16s to
24308-400: The US approved the sale of 123 upgrade kits to Greece to bring their existing F-16C and D fighters up to the new F-16 Block 72 standard. On 28 April 2018, Greece decided to upgrade 84 aircraft. Republic of Korea Air Force South Korea also plans to upgrade 134 of its F-16C/D fleet to F-16V standard by November 2025. Slovak Air Force In April 2018, the US State Department approved
24514-742: The United States Air Force, they were upgraded and sent to Iraq as they became obsolete. The first Block 50 F-16 was delivered in late 1991; the aircraft is equipped with improved GPS/INS, and can carry an additional selection of advanced missiles: the AGM-88 HARM missile, JDAM, JSOW and WCMD. Block 50 aircraft are powered by the F110-GE-129 while the Block 52 jets use the F100-PW-229 . Iraq was supplied 36 Block 50/52 jets, 24 single-seat and 12 twin-seat, that are also known by
24720-583: The YF-16 – unlike the YF-17 – was its use of the Pratt & Whitney F100 turbofan engine, the same powerplant used by the F-15; such commonality would lower the cost of engines for both programs. Secretary McLucas announced that the USAF planned to order at least 650, possibly up to 1,400 production F-16s. In the Navy Air Combat Fighter competition, on 2 May 1975, the Navy selected the YF-17 as
24926-480: The addition of cockpit lighting systems compatible with Aviator's Night Vision Imaging System (ANVIS) equipment . The USAF's Time Compliance Technical Order (TCTO) that added the night vision (NVIS)-compatible systems was completed in 2004. 200 F-16C Block 40, 200 F-16D Block 40, 115 F-16C Block 42, and 100 F-16D Block 42 were built. All served with the United States Air Force, but were later exported after being replaced by their successors. Originally deployed with
25132-454: The aircraft during high- g combat maneuvers, various switches and function controls were moved to centralized hands on throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) controls upon both the controllers and the throttle. Hand pressure on the side-stick controller is transmitted by electrical signals via the FBW system to adjust various flight control surfaces to maneuver the F-16. Originally, the side-stick controller
25338-436: The aircraft to return to straight and level flight attitude if the pilot releases the controls. This reduces maneuverability as the inherent stability has to be overcome and increases a form of drag known as trim drag . Aircraft with relaxed stability are designed to be able to augment their stability characteristics while maneuvering to increase lift and reduce drag, thus greatly increasing their maneuverability. At Mach 1 ,
25544-431: The aircraft's attitude is stable but control surfaces are ineffective. The pitch limiter locks the stabilators at an extreme pitch-up or pitch-down attempting to recover . This can be overridden so the pilot can "rock" the nose via pitch control to recover. Unlike the YF-17, which had hydromechanical controls serving as a backup to the FBW, General Dynamics took the innovative step of eliminating mechanical linkages from
25750-403: The aircraft's mission changed from solely air-to-air combat to multirole operations. Changes in operational use and additional systems have increased weight, necessitating multiple structural strengthening programs. The F-16 has a cropped- delta wing incorporating wing-fuselage blending and forebody vortex -control strakes ; a fixed-geometry, underslung air intake (with splitter plate ) to
25956-575: The area around Luoyi (present-day Luoyang ) during the Eastern Zhou and later to China's Central Plain , before being used as an occasional synonym for the state during the Qing era. The name of the republic had stemmed from the party manifesto of the Tongmenghui in 1905, which says the four goals of the Chinese revolution was "to expel the Manchu rulers, to revive Chunghwa , to establish
26162-504: The basis for what would become the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet . The U.S. Air Force initially ordered 15 full-scale development (FSD) aircraft (11 single-seat and four two-seat models) for its flight test program which was reduced to eight (six F-16A single-seaters and two F-16B two-seaters). The YF-16 design was altered for the production F-16. The fuselage was lengthened by 10.6 in (0.269 m),
26368-496: The capital. The Qing government generally tried to restrict migration to Taiwan throughout the duration of its administration because it believed that Taiwan could not sustain too large a population without leading to conflict. After the defeat of the Kingdom of Tungning, most of its population in Taiwan was sent back to the mainland, leaving the official population count at only 50,000, including 10,000 troops. Despite official restrictions, officials in Taiwan solicited settlers from
26574-619: The carriage of the AGM-45 Shrike , AGM-88 HARM , and the AIM-120 missiles, which entered service in September 1991. From Block 30D, aircraft were fitted with larger engine air intakes (called a Modular Common Inlet Duct) for the increased-thrust GE engine. Since the Block 32 retained the Pratt and Whitney F-100 engine, the smaller (normal shock inlet) was retained for those aircraft. 200 F-16C Block 30, 200 F-16D Block 30, 100 F-16C Block 32, and 133 F-16D Block 32 were built. Of these, only
26780-520: The colonization of the area but were ignored. The Qing took on a more active colonization policy after 1874 when Japan invaded Indigenous territory in southern Taiwan and the Qing government was forced to pay an indemnity for them to leave. The administration of Taiwan was expanded with new prefectures, sub-prefectures, and counties. Mountain roads were constructed to make inner Taiwan more accessible. Restrictions on entering Taiwan were ended in 1875 and agencies for recruiting settlers were established on
26986-463: The contract with Lockheed Martin representative Ana Wugofski in a press conference at the capital Bratislava on 12 December 2018. after the government approved the purchase. The first completed jet was unveiled by the manufacturer on 7 September 2023, and first two aircraft were delivered to Slovakia on 22 July 2024. Bulgarian Air Force In December 2018, Bulgaria chose sixteen F-16Vs as replacements for MiG-29s. On 10 July 2019, Bulgaria approved
27192-420: The control stick and rudder pedals to the flight control surfaces . The F-16 is entirely reliant on its electrical systems to relay flight commands, instead of traditional mechanically linked controls, leading to the early moniker of "the electric jet" and aphorisms among pilots such as "You don't fly an F-16; it flies you." The quadruplex design permits " graceful degradation " in flight control response in that
27398-471: The designation F-16IQ. This was an export model and never entered service with the US Air Force; all aircraft were shipped to various countries for delivery upon completion. This variant's main differences are the addition of support for conformal fuel tanks (CFTs), a dorsal spine compartment, the APG-68 (V9) radar, an On-Board Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS), and a JHMCS helmet . Also, the engine difference
27604-625: The development of textile, food, and other labor-intensive industries. As the Chinese Civil War continued, the government built up military fortifications throughout Taiwan. Veterans built the Central Cross-Island Highway through the Taroko Gorge in the 1950s. During the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1958, Nike Hercules missiles were added to the formation of missile batteries throughout
27810-439: The early 1960s, Colonel John Boyd with mathematician Thomas Christie developed the energy–maneuverability theory to model a fighter aircraft's performance in combat. Boyd's work called for a small, lightweight aircraft that could maneuver with the minimum possible energy loss and which also incorporated an increased thrust-to-weight ratio . In the late 1960s, Boyd gathered a group of like-minded innovators who became known as
28016-406: The early 1980s. There were 94 Block 1, 197 Block 5, and 312 Block 10 aircraft produced. Block 1 is the early production model with the radome painted black. It was discovered that the Block 1 aircraft's black radome became an obvious visual identification cue at long range, so the color of the radome was changed to the low-visibility grey for Block 5 aircraft. During the operation of F-16 Block 1, it
28222-520: The early Block 30s were exported to six countries. The Block 32H/J aircraft assigned to the USAF Thunderbird flight demonstration squadron were built in 1986 and 1987 and are some of the oldest operational F-16s in the Air Force. The Air National Guard procured many upgrades for their fleet of aging block 32s including the addition of improved inertial guidance systems , improved electronic warfare suite ( AN/ALQ-213 ), and upgrades to carry
28428-399: The eastern two-thirds and plains in the western third, where its highly urbanized population is concentrated. The combined territories under ROC control consist of 168 islands in total covering 36,193 square kilometres (13,974 square miles). The largest metropolitan area is formed by Taipei (the capital), New Taipei City , and Keelung . With around 23.9 million inhabitants, Taiwan
28634-515: The enlarged avionics dorsal spine compartment which is located behind the cockpit and extends to the tail. It adds 30 cu ft (850 L) to the airframe for more avionics with only small increases in weight and drag. Poland took delivery of its first F-16C Block 52+ aircraft on 15 September 2006. The "Poland Peace Sky program" includes 36 F-16Cs and 12 F-16Ds. All 48 aircraft were delivered in 2008. The Hellenic Air Force took delivery of its first F-16C Block 52+ aircraft on 2 May 2003. The Hellenic Air Force
28840-455: The epoxy surface for Block 10 aircraft, replacing the old method of aluminum honeycomb being glued to the epoxy surface used in earlier aircraft. The breakdown is as follows: 90 F-16A Block 1, 4 F-16B Block 1, 100 F-16A Block 5, 97 F-16B Block 5, 300 F-16A Block 10, and 12 F-16B Block 10. It is unclear how many of each type were produced, but these figures are generally reasonable. As mentioned above, 375 A-types and 125 B-types were delivered to
29046-919: The eruption of the Korean War , US President Harry S. Truman dispatched the United States Seventh Fleet into the Taiwan Strait to prevent hostilities between the ROC and the PRC. The United States also passed the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty and the Formosa Resolution of 1955 , granting substantial foreign aid to the KMT regime between 1951 and 1965. The US foreign aid stabilized prices in Taiwan by 1952. The KMT government instituted many laws and land reforms that it had never effectively enacted on mainland China. Economic development
29252-520: The expropriation of businesses into government-operated monopolies, and the hyperinflation of 1945–1949. The shooting of a civilian on 28 February 1947 triggered island-wide unrest, which was suppressed with military force in what is now called the February 28 Incident . Mainstream estimates of the number killed range from 18,000 to 30,000. Chen was later replaced by Wei Tao-ming , who made an effort to undo previous mismanagement by re-appointing
29458-460: The first F-16A rolled out on 20 October 1976 and first flew on 8 December. The initial two-seat model achieved its first flight on 8 August 1977. The initial production-standard F-16A flew for the first time on 7 August 1978 and its delivery was accepted by the USAF on 6 January 1979. The aircraft entered USAF operational service with the 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron , 388th Tactical Fighter Wing , at Hill AFB in Utah, on 1 October 1980. The F-16
29664-441: The first aircraft were delivered to the Royal Norwegian Air Force by Fokker and to the Royal Danish Air Force by SABCA. During the late 1980s and 1990s, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) produced 232 Block 30/40/50 F-16s on a production line in Ankara under license for the Turkish Air Force . TAI also produced 46 Block 40s for Egypt in the mid-1990s and 30 Block 50s from 2010 onwards. Korean Aerospace Industries opened
29870-426: The first use of a relaxed static stability / fly-by-wire (RSS/FBW) flight control system, to achieve enhanced maneuver performance. Highly agile, the F-16 was the first fighter aircraft purpose-built to pull 9- g maneuvers and can reach a maximum speed of over Mach 2. Innovations include a frameless bubble canopy for better visibility, a side-mounted control stick, and a reclined seat to reduce g-force effects on
30076-408: The flight limiters otherwise lock in place) and recover. Besides reducing the risk of deep stalls, the larger horizontal tail also improved stability and permitted faster takeoff rotation. In the 1980s, the Multinational Staged Improvement Program (MSIP) was conducted to evolve the F-16's capabilities, mitigate risks during technology development, and ensure the aircraft's worth. The program upgraded
30282-486: The flight of the ROC central government to Taiwan in 1949. The effective jurisdiction of the ROC has since been limited to Taiwan, Penghu , and smaller islands. The early 1960s saw rapid economic growth and industrialization called the " Taiwan Miracle ". In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the ROC transitioned from a one-party state under martial law to a multi-party democracy , with democratically elected presidents beginning in 1996 . Taiwan's export-oriented economy
30488-486: The front lines. This was the first block of F-16s affected by the Alternative Fighter Engine project under which aircraft were fitted with the traditional Pratt & Whitney engines or, for the first time, the General Electric F110 -GE-100. From this point on, blocks ending in "0" (e.g., Block 30) are powered by GE, and blocks ending in "2" (e.g., Block 32) are fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines. The first Block 30 F-16 entered service in 1987. Major differences include
30694-517: The fuselage. Two other locations under the fuselage are available for sensor or radar pods. The F-16 carries a 20 mm (0.79 in) M61A1 Vulcan cannon , which is mounted inside the fuselage to the left of the cockpit. The F-16 is the first production fighter aircraft intentionally designed to be slightly aerodynamically unstable, also known as relaxed static stability (RSS), to both reduce drag and improve maneuverability. Most aircraft are designed to have positive static stability, which induces
30900-406: The gold was used to pay soldiers' salaries, with some used to issue the New Taiwan dollar , part of a price stabilization program to slow inflation in Taiwan. After losing control of mainland China in 1949, the ROC retained control of Taiwan and Penghu ( Taiwan, ROC ), parts of Fujian ( Fujian, ROC )—specifically Kinmen, Wuqiu (now part of Kinmen) and the Matsu Islands and two major islands in
31106-399: The government in Taiwan. Taiwan was joined to the Asian mainland in the Late Pleistocene , until sea levels rose about 10,000 years ago. Human remains and Paleolithic artifacts dated 20,000 to 30,000 years ago have been found. Study of the human remains suggested they were Australo-Papuan people similar to Negrito populations in the Philippines. Paleolithic Taiwanese likely settled
31312-403: The ground, and the aircraft then began to veer off the runway. The test pilot, Phil Oestricher , decided to lift off to avoid a potential crash, safely landing six minutes later. The slight damage was quickly repaired and the official first flight occurred on time. The YF-16's first supersonic flight was accomplished on 5 February 1974, and the second YF-16 prototype first flew on 9 May 1974. This
31518-445: The idea of complementary fighters in a high-cost/low-cost force mix. The "high/low mix" would allow the USAF to be able to afford sufficient fighters for its overall fighter force structure requirements. The mix gained broad acceptance by the time of the prototypes' fly-off, defining the relationship between the LWF and the F-15. The YF-16 was developed by a team of General Dynamics engineers led by Robert H. Widmer . The first YF-16
31724-412: The initial fighting and some 14,000 died in the first year of Japanese rule. Another 12,000 "bandit-rebels" were killed from 1898 to 1902. Subsequent rebellions against the Japanese (the Beipu uprising of 1907, the Tapani incident of 1915, and the Musha incident of 1930) were unsuccessful but demonstrated opposition to Japanese rule. The colonial period was instrumental to the industrialization of
31930-416: The island's most important trading center and served as its capital until 1887. Use of the current Chinese name ( 臺灣 / 台灣 ) became official as early as 1684 during the Qing dynasty with the establishment of Taiwan Prefecture centered in modern-day Tainan . Through its rapid development the entire Taiwanese mainland eventually became known as "Taiwan". The official name of the country in English
32136-434: The island, with its expansion of railways and other transport networks, the building of an extensive sanitation system, the establishment of a formal education system , and an end to the practice of headhunting . The resources of Taiwan were used to aid the development of Japan. The production of cash crops such as sugar greatly increased, and large areas were therefore diverted from the production of rice. By 1939, Taiwan
32342-420: The island. During the 1960s and 1970s, the ROC maintained an authoritarian, single-party government under the Kuomintang's Dang Guo system while its economy became industrialized and technology-oriented. This rapid economic growth, known as the Taiwan Miracle , occurred following a strategy of prioritizing agriculture, light industries, and heavy industries, in that order. Export-oriented industrialization
32548-430: The last Iraqi purchase, the company was negotiating an F-16 sale to Bahrain that would be produced in Greenville. This contract was signed in June 2018, and the first planes rolled off the Greenville line in 2023. The F-16 is a single-engine, highly maneuverable, supersonic, multirole tactical fighter aircraft. It is much smaller and lighter than its predecessors but uses advanced aerodynamics and avionics, including
32754-420: The loss of one channel renders the FLCS a "triplex" system. The FLCC began as an analog system on the A/B variants but has been supplanted by a digital computer system beginning with the F-16C/D Block 40. The F-16's controls suffered from a sensitivity to static electricity or electrostatic discharge (ESD) and lightning . Up to 70–80% of the C/D models' electronics were vulnerable to ESD. A key feature of
32960-573: The loss was due to pilot error since the IAF determined the air crew did not adequately defend themselves. On 16 July 2024, the last single-seat F-16C Barak-1 (‘Lightning’ in Hebrew) were retired; the Israeli Air Force continue to use the F-16D Brakeet and F-16I Sufa two-seat variants. During the Soviet–Afghan War , PAF F-16As shot down between 20 and 30 Soviet and Afghan warplanes ; the political situation however resulted in PAF officially recognizing only 9 kills which were made inside Pakistani airspace. From May 1986 to January 1989, PAF F-16s from
33166-402: The main island of Taiwan. After Chiang Ching-kuo's death in 1988, Lee Teng-hui became the first president of the ROC born in Taiwan. Lee's administration oversaw a period of democratization in which the Temporary Provisions against the Communist Rebellion were abolished and the Additional Articles of the Constitution were introduced. Congressional representation was allocated to only
33372-406: The mainland, but efforts to promote settlement ended soon after. In 1884, Keelung in northern Taiwan was occupied during the Sino-French War but the French forces failed to advance any further inland while their victory at Penghu in 1885 resulted in disease and retreat soon afterward as the war ended. Colonization efforts were renewed under Liu Mingchuan . In 1887, Taiwan's status was upgraded to
33578-612: The mainland, causing tens of thousands of annual arrivals by 1711. A permit system was officially recorded in 1712, but it likely existed as early as 1684; its restrictions included only allowing those to enter who had property on the mainland, family in Taiwan, and who were not accompanied by wives or children. Many of the male migrants married local Indigenous women. Over the 18th century, restrictions were relaxed. In 1732, families were allowed to move to Taiwan. By 1811, there were more than two million Han settlers in Taiwan, and profitable sugar and rice production industries provided exports to
33784-453: The mainland. In 1875, restrictions on entering Taiwan were repealed. Three counties nominally covered the entire western plains, but actual control was restricted to a smaller area. A government permit was required for settlers to go beyond the Dajia River . Qing administration expanded across the western plains area over the 18th century due to continued illegal crossings and settlement. The Taiwanese Indigenous peoples were categorized by
33990-402: The name "Night Falcons". This block features strengthened undercarriage for LANTIRN pods, an improved radar, and a GPS receiver. From 2002, the Block 40/42 increased the weapon range available to the aircraft including JDAM, AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW), Wind-Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD) and the (Enhanced) EGBU-27 Paveway "bunker-buster". Also incorporated in this block was
34196-636: The new hardpoints, the horizontal stabilizers were enlarged by 30%. Block 15 is the most numerous variant of the F-16, with 983 produced. Of the 900 F-16A Block 15s and 83 F-16B Block 15s produced and rolled out, the last of which was delivered to the Royal Thai Air Force in 1996. The F-16A/B variants for the Republic of China Air Force are locally designated F-16AM Block 20 and F-16BM Block 20. Block 20 added some F-16C/D block 50/52 capabilities: improved AN/APG-66 (V)3 radar with added CW mode to guide two types of BVR missiles – AIM-7M Sparrow missiles and AIM-120 AMRAAM, carriage of AGM-84 Harpoon missiles, as well as
34402-417: The newly built Block 15s with the Operational Capability Upgrade (OCU). The OCU introduced the 23,770 lbf (105.7 kN) F100-PW-220, later installed on Block 32 and 42 aircraft: the main advance being a Digital Electronic Engine Control (DEEC) unit, which improved reliability and reduced stall occurrence. Beginning production in 1988, the "-220" also supplanted the F-15's "-100", for commonality. Many of
34608-438: The next and was the unanimous choice of those pilots that flew both aircraft. On 13 January 1975, Secretary of the Air Force John L. McLucas announced the YF-16 as the winner of the ACF competition. The chief reasons given by the secretary were the YF-16's lower operating costs, greater range, and maneuver performance that was "significantly better" than that of the YF-17, especially at supersonic speeds. Another advantage of
34814-480: The overthrown Ming, but ruled independently. However, Zheng Jing 's return to China to participate in the Revolt of the Three Feudatories paved the way for the Qing invasion and occupation of Taiwan in 1683. Following the defeat of Koxinga 's grandson by an armada led by Admiral Shi Lang in 1683, the Qing dynasty formally annexed Taiwan in May 1684, making it a prefecture of Fujian province while retaining its administrative seat (now Tainan) under Koxinga as
35020-488: The pilot without obstructing the view; being able to keep their head "out of the cockpit" improves the pilot's situation awareness . Further flight and systems information are displayed on multi-function displays (MFD). The left-hand MFD is the primary flight display (PFD), typically showing radar and moving maps; the right-hand MFD is the system display (SD), presenting information about the engine, landing gear, slat and flap settings, and fuel and weapons status. Initially,
35226-402: The pilot. It is armed with an internal 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon in the left wing root and has multiple locations for mounting various missiles, bombs and pods. It has a thrust-to-weight ratio greater than one, providing power to climb and vertical acceleration. The F-16 was designed to be relatively inexpensive to build and simpler to maintain than earlier-generation fighters. The airframe
35432-451: The proposed Saab 37E "Eurofighter" . Northrop offered the P-530 Cobra, which was similar to the YF-17. The Jaguar and Cobra were dropped by the MFPG early on, leaving two European and two U.S. candidates. On 11 September 1974, the U.S. Air Force confirmed plans to order the winning ACF design to equip five tactical fighter wings. Though computer modeling predicted a close contest, the YF-16 proved significantly quicker going from one maneuver to
35638-448: The protest was rapidly crushed by the authorities, it is considered as the main event that united Taiwan's opposition. In 1984, Chiang Ching-kuo selected Lee Teng-hui as his vice-president. After the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was (illegally) founded as the first opposition party in Taiwan to counter the KMT in 1986, Chiang announced that he would allow the formation of new parties. On 15 July 1987, Chiang lifted martial law on
35844-461: The purchase of eight F-16 Block 70/72 for $ 1.25 billion (~$ 1.47 billion in 2023). On 4 November 2022, the Bulgarian parliament approved the purchase of 8 more F-16V for $ 1.3 billion. Republic of China Air Force ( Taiwan ) On 27 February 2019, Taiwan requested to buy 66 new F-16 Block 70/72 airframes for an approximate $ 13 billion (~$ 15.3 billion in 2023) as replacement for their aging Mirage 2000 and F-5 fighters. On 16 August 2019,
36050-416: The reactor for the creation of nuclear weapons . The following year, during the 1982 Lebanon War Israeli F-16s engaged Syrian aircraft in one of the largest air battles involving jet aircraft, which began on 9 June and continued for two more days. Israeli Air Force F-16s were credited with 44 air-to-air kills during the conflict. In January 2000, Israel completed a purchase of 102 new F-16I aircraft in
36256-434: The reform-minded Deputy Secretary of Defense David Packard , who favored the idea of competitive prototyping . As a result, in May 1971, the Air Force Prototype Study Group was established, with Boyd a key member, and two of its six proposals would be funded, one being the Lightweight Fighter (LWF). The request for proposals issued on 6 January 1972 called for a 20,000-pound (9,100 kg) class air-to-air day fighter with
36462-400: The same year, Japan and the ROC signed a peace treaty . While initially enthusiastic about the return of Chinese administration and the Three Principles of the People , Formosans grew increasingly dissatisfied about being excluded from higher positions, the postponement of local elections even after the enactment of a constitution on the mainland, the smuggling of valuables off the island,
36668-542: The scope of upgrades, which often involve the addition of more power-hungry avionics. Lockheed won many contracts to upgrade foreign operators' F-16s. BAE Systems also offers various F-16 upgrades, receiving orders from South Korea, Oman, Turkey, and the US Air National Guard; BAE lost the South Korean contract because of a price breach in November 2014. In 2012, the USAF assigned the total upgrade contract to Lockheed Martin. Upgrades include Raytheon's Center Display Unit, which replaces several analog flight instruments with
36874-427: The seat angle and the canopy's thickness, the ejection seat lacks canopy-breakers for emergency egress; instead the entire canopy is jettisoned prior to the seat's rocket firing. The pilot flies primarily by means of an armrest-mounted side-stick controller (instead of a traditional center-mounted stick ) and an engine throttle; conventional rudder pedals are also employed. To enhance the pilot's degree of control of
37080-414: The single turbofan jet engine; a conventional tri-plane empennage arrangement with all-moving horizontal "stabilator" tailplanes; a pair of ventral fins beneath the fuselage aft of the wing's trailing edge; and a tricycle landing gear configuration with the aft-retracting, steerable nose gear deploying a short distance behind the inlet lip. There is a boom-style aerial refueling receptacle located behind
37286-425: The single-piece "bubble" canopy of the cockpit. Split-flap speedbrakes are located at the aft end of the wing-body fairing, and a tailhook is mounted underneath the fuselage. A fairing beneath the rudder often houses ECM equipment or a drag chute . Later F-16 models feature a long dorsal fairing along the fuselage's "spine", housing additional equipment or fuel. Aerodynamic studies in the 1960s demonstrated that
37492-427: The single-seat version of the General Dynamics F-16XL was to have been designated F-16E , with the twin-seat variant designated F-16F . This was sidelined by the Air Force's selection of the competing F-15E Strike Eagle in the Enhanced Tactical Fighter fly-off in 1984. The 'Block 60' designation had also previously been set aside in 1989 for the A-16, but this model was dropped. The F-16E/F designation now belongs to
37698-418: The southern coast of Taiwan, mostly for seasonal fishing but also subsistence farming and trading, by the early 17th century. In 1603, Chen Di visited Taiwan on an anti- wokou expedition and recorded an account of the Taiwanese Indigenous people. In 1591, Japan sent envoys to deliver a letter requesting tribute relations with Taiwan. They found no leader to deliver the letter to and returned home. In 1609,
37904-431: The status quo, as well as those with cross-strait economic ties. It also created tension with the mainland and disagreements with the United States. Chen's administration was also dogged by public concerns over reduced economic growth, legislative gridlock, and corruption investigations . The KMT's nominee Ma Ying-jeou won the 2008 presidential election on a platform of increased economic growth and better ties with
38110-401: The suppression of traditional Taiwanese beliefs. Starting from 1940, families were also required to adopt Japanese surnames , although only 2% had done so by 1943. By 1938, 309,000 Japanese were residing in Taiwan. During the Second World War, the island was developed into a naval and air base while its agriculture, industry, and commerce suffered. Air attacks and the subsequent invasion of
38316-447: The transformation of Kaohsiung into a special municipality on par with Taipei. In the 1970s, Taiwan became the second fastest growing economy in Asia. Real growth in GDP averaged over 10 percent. In 1978, the combination of tax incentives and a cheap, well-trained labor force attracted investments of over $ 1.9 billion from overseas Chinese , the United States, and Japan. By 1980, foreign trade reached $ 39 billion per year and generated
38522-434: Was annexed in 1683 by the Qing dynasty of China and ceded to the Empire of Japan in 1895. The Republic of China , which had overthrown the Qing in 1912 under the leadership of Sun Yat-sen , took control following the surrender of Japan in 1945. The immediate resumption of the Chinese Civil War resulted in the loss of the Chinese mainland to Communist forces , who established the People's Republic of China and
38728-434: Was achieved by tax rebate for exports, removal of import restriction, moving from multiple exchange rate to single exchange rate system, and depreciation of the New Taiwan dollar. Infrastructure projects such as the Sun Yat-sen Freeway , Taoyuan International Airport , Taichung Harbor , and Jinshan Nuclear Power Plant were launched, while the rise of steel, petrochemical, and shipbuilding industries in southern Taiwan saw
38934-421: Was also adopted into the Chinese vernacular as the name of the sandbar and nearby area (Tainan). The modern word "Taiwan" is derived from this usage, which is written in different transliterations ( 大員 ， 大圓 ， 大灣 ， 臺員 ， 臺圓 or 臺窩灣 ) in Chinese historical records. The area occupied by modern-day Tainan was the first permanent settlement by both European colonists and Chinese immigrants. The settlement grew to be
39140-519: Was attached to Jinjiang . The Yuan dynasty officially incorporated Penghu under the jurisdiction of Tong'an County in 1281. Penghu was evacuated in the 15th century by the Ming dynasty as part of their maritime ban , which lasted until the late 16th century. In 1349, Wang Dayuan provided the first written account of a visit to Taiwan. By the 1590s, a small number of Chinese from Fujian had started cultivating land in southwestern Taiwan. Some 1,500-2,000 Chinese lived or stayed temporarily on
39346-405: Was augmented pitch control to avoid deep stall conditions at high angles of attack. The stall issue had been raised during development but had originally been discounted. Model tests of the YF-16 conducted by the Langley Research Center revealed a potential problem, but no other laboratory was able to duplicate it. YF-16 flight tests were not sufficient to expose the issue; later flight testing on
39552-406: Was discovered that rainwater could accumulate in certain spots within the fuselage, so drainage holes were drilled in the forward fuselage and tail fin area for Block 5 aircraft. The Soviet Union significantly reduced the export of titanium during the late 1970s, so the manufacturers of the F-16 used aluminum instead wherever practical. New methods were also used: the corrugated aluminum is bolted to
39758-509: Was encouraged by American aid and programs such as the Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction , which turned the agricultural sector into the basis for later growth. Under the combined stimulus of the land reform and the agricultural development programs, agricultural production increased at an average annual rate of 4 percent from 1952 to 1959. The government also implemented a policy of import substitution industrialization , attempting to produce imported goods domestically. The policy promoted
39964-496: Was followed by the first flights of Northrop's YF-17 prototypes on 9 June and 21 August 1974, respectively. During the fly-off, the YF-16s completed 330 sorties for a total of 417 flight hours; the YF-17s flew 288 sorties, covering 345 hours. Increased interest turned the LWF into a serious acquisition program. NATO allies Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway were seeking to replace their F-104G Starfighter fighter-bombers . In early 1974, they reached an agreement with
40170-455: Was given its name of "Fighting Falcon" on 21 July 1980. Its pilots and crews often use the name "Viper" instead, because of a perceived resemblance to a viper snake as well as to the fictional Colonial Viper starfighter from the television program Battlestar Galactica , which aired at the time the F-16 entered service. On 7 June 1975, the four European partners, now known as the European Participation Group , signed up for 348 aircraft at
40376-505: Was limited by the original inlet to a thrust of 25,735 lbf (114.47 kN), the Modular Common Inlet Duct allowed the F110 to achieve its maximum thrust of 28,984 lbf (128.93 kN). (To distinguish between aircraft equipped with these two engines and inlets, from the Block 30 series on, blocks ending in "0" (e.g., Block 30) are powered by GE, and blocks ending in "2" (e.g., Block 32) are fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines.) The Increased Performance Engine (IPE) program led to
40582-418: Was non-moving, but this proved uncomfortable and difficult for pilots to adjust to, sometimes resulting in a tendency to "over-rotate" during takeoffs, so the control stick was given a small amount of "play". Since the introduction of the F-16, HOTAS controls have become a standard feature on modern fighters. The F-16 has a head-up display (HUD), which projects visual flight and combat information in front of
40788-416: Was officially launched on 1 July 1977 at the Fokker factory. Beginning in November 1977, Fokker-produced components were sent to Fort Worth for fuselage assembly, then shipped back to Europe for final assembly of EPAF aircraft at the Belgian plant on 15 February 1978; deliveries to the Belgian Air Force began in January 1979. The first Royal Netherlands Air Force aircraft was delivered in June 1979. In 1980,
40994-408: Was placed so it was rearward of the nose but forward enough to minimize air flow losses and reduce aerodynamic drag . Although the LWF program called for a structural life of 4,000 flight hours, capable of achieving 7.33 g with 80% internal fuel; GD's engineers decided to design the F-16's airframe life for 8,000 hours and for 9- g maneuvers on full internal fuel. This proved advantageous when
41200-435: Was rolled out at Fort Worth on 13 December 1973 and accidentally accomplished its first flight on 21 January 1974, followed by its scheduled "first flight" on 2 February 1974. The second prototype first flew on 9 March 1974. Both YF-16 prototypes participated in the flyoff against the Northrop YF-17 prototypes, with the F-16 winning the Air Combat Fighter (ACF) competition, as the LWF program had been renamed. In January 1975,
41406-406: Was rolled out on 13 December 1973. Its 90-minute maiden flight was made at the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB , California, on 2 February 1974. Its actual first flight occurred accidentally during a high-speed taxi test on 20 January 1974. While gathering speed, a roll-control oscillation caused a fin of the port-side wingtip-mounted missile and then the starboard stabilator to scrape
41612-406: Was settled by farmers of the Dapenkeng culture , most likely from what is now southeast China. These cultures are the ancestors of modern Taiwanese Indigenous peoples and the originators of the Austronesian language family . Trade with the Philippines persisted from the early 2nd millennium BCE, including the use of Taiwanese jade in the Philippine jade culture . The Dapenkeng culture
41818-454: Was shot down in northern Israel when it was hit by a relatively old model S-200 (NATO name SA-5 Gammon) surface-to-air missile of the Syrian Air Defense Force. The pilot and navigator ejected safely in Israeli territory. The F-16I was part of a bombing mission against Syrian and Iranian targets around Damascus after an Iranian drone entered Israeli airspace and was shot down. An Israel Air Force investigation determined on 27 February 2018 that
42024-555: Was succeeded by a variety of cultures throughout the island, including the Tahu and Yingpu ; the Yuanshan were characterized by rice harvesting. Iron appeared in such cultures as the Niaosung culture , influenced by trade with China and Maritime Southeast Asia . The Plains Indigenous peoples mainly lived in permanent walled villages, with a lifestyle based on agriculture , fishing , and hunting . They had traditionally matriarchal societies . The Penghu Islands were inhabited by Han Chinese fishermen by 1171, and in 1225 Penghu
42230-416: Was the seventh-greatest sugar producer in the world. The Han and Indigenous populations were classified as second- and third-class citizens, and many prestigious government and business positions were closed to them. After suppressing Han guerrillas in the first decade of their rule, Japanese authorities engaged in bloody campaigns against the Indigenous people residing in mountainous regions, culminating in
42436-405: Was unable to officially register the land. In the early 1800s, local officials convinced the emperor to officially incorporate the area by playing up the issue of piracy if the land was left alone. In 1814, some settlers attempted to colonize central Taiwan by fabricating rights to lease aboriginal land. They were evicted by government troops two years later. Local officials continued to advocate for
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