Warplanes: The F-35 Was Too Much and Not Enough
Ezoic
June 1, 2024: Out of 4,500 22-ton F-16 jet fighters built during the last fifty years, about 2,100 are still in service in 25 countries. About a third of these F-16s are in the U.S. Air Force. All these F-16s are not being replaced by the new F-35, which is a 31-ton single engine, single-seat aircraft that entered service in different versions between 2015 and 2019.
The two aircraft are similar in size but the F-35 is much heavier and can carry eight tons of weapons compared to seven tons on the F-16. The F-35 also carries three times as much fuel but the lighter F-16 can travel 4,200 kilometers on internal fuel while the heavier F-35 can only go 2,700 kilometers. Both are single engine, single seat aircraft but the F-35 engine generates 48 percent more power than the one on the F-16. Despite this, the F-16 can carry seven tons of weapons compared to eight tons on the F-35. The F-16 can obtain most of the fire control system advantages of the F-35 by carrying a 241 kg targeting pod and a 207 kg navigation pod. That means nearly half a ton less for weapons on the F-16. Many F-16 users find that the targeting and navigation pods do what is needed as well as the built-in targeting capabilities of the F-16. This is why many current users of F-16s are keeping their aircraft. Price is a major factor. The average cost of an F-16 is about $33 million while an F-35 costs $83 million. Another major difference is operational costs per flight hour. It is $19,000-$25,000 for the F-16 but $44,000 or more for the F-35.
https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/2024060104222.aspx
