The potential F-16 acquisition for Hanoi has not been confirmed, but it would support the White House’s defense objectives.
Hanoi is close to securing a defense agreement with Washington that would culminate in the acquisition of F-16 fighter jets. If this deal comes to fruition, it would represent the largest military exchange of its kind to transpire between the two countries. The fourth-generation American-made platform has been in service for nearly half a century. The latest Fighting Falcon variant, however, hosts cutting-edge capabilities that make the jet a near-peer to more modern fighter series. Earlier this month, the United States greenlit the sale of F-16 fighters to the Philippines to support Manila’s defense capacity in the South China Sea. The United States has a special interest in bolstering the defenses of its allies in Asia, considering the increased hostilities carried out by the People’s Republic of China in the region. While the potential F-16 acquisition for Hanoi has not been confirmed, this arrangement would fall in line with the White House’s defense objectives.
Introducing the F-16 Fighting Falcon
The F-16 may be fifty years old, but the iconic fighter jet remains in high demand. In fact, there’s a solid chance a Fighting Falcon is in the air somewhere in the world at any moment of the day. The General Dynamics-designed aircraft is derived from the Cold War-era Lightweight Fighter Program (LWF). As part of this air superiority initiative, the F-16 was designed with an increased thrust-to-weight ratio. Following a tough competition between all the big-name manufacturers at the time, the General Dynamics YF-16 prototype was selected as the winner of the LWF program.
Over the years, the F-16 has undergone several modernization efforts in order for the platform to retain an edge in the modern threat climate. The Fighting Falcon has gained Beyond Visual Range capabilities, improved sensors and avionics, and more powerful engines. Based on these enhancements, the jet can remain in the air longer than enemy near-peers due to its superior combat radius. Older F-16 series are equipped with nine hardpoints for weapon payloads and can carry the AIM-9 Sidewinder, Raytheon AMRAAM, Raytheon Sparrow, and other air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles.
The newest Block 70/72 F-16 variants are considered to have “4.5-generation” attributes. In terms of armament power, these jets can lug air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, bombs, and precision-guided munitions. Both these variants have the same capabilities but different engines. The Block 70 variants sport the General Electric F110, while the Block 72 models are powered by the Pratt & Whitney F100 engine. Perhaps most significantly, the new F-16 models possess extended service lives which nearly double their time in the air compared to their predecessors. In terms of sensors and countermeasures, the Block 70/72 jets feature the APG-83 AESA radar, which leverages hardware and software commonality with the F-22 and F-35 fifth-generation fighters. As detailed by The Defense Post, ”the radar is linked with a new active and passive internal electronic warfare system (Viper Shield), incorporating a new digital radar warning receiver.”
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
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