what do you think of the f-16? Personally I think it is a cheap and cost effecteve way for air defense. plus the f-16 boasts superior menuverability, supurb avionics and arment, and not to mention you can build a whole fleet of them with only a couple-million bucks.

Ok, plane and simple its multi role. It does a good job, and is cheap, however you need more than a couple million to buy even one.

It is a very maneuverable plane yes, however many aircraft are just as maneuverable. Especially, in this day and age. The other problem with that is the fact that its maneuverability rarely becomes a factor in this day and age of BVR engagements, in fact, its size becomes a problem. The F-16 is not used for clearing airspace over war zone in the very first offensive. That is, generally, the job the the Air Superiority fighter, such as the F-15 and the F-22, instead it is used mainly for close air support and the bombing role. The radar is another factor that has to do with the size of the aircraft. Without, a parent radar, so to speak, like an AWACS the F-16 can't see as far as an aircraft like the 15 which has a big radar and can see things way out.

However, it is definitly a solid platform and does what it does well. Overall, it is an outstanding aircraft, but its more of a jack of all trades aircraft if you know what I mean.

Sure that all is true. However most of the USAFs aircraft stationed here are F-16s. so they mainly defend the US from air attack or terrorist attack. Also the F-15 and F-22 are outragously expensive and complex. somewhat more technologlicly advanced sure but still.

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If you are going thru hell, keep going.
-Winston Churchill

We have more F-16s than F-15s yes, but that is because they are cheaper. They are good aircraft, but either way they are cheaoer than both the 15 and 22.

The only reason 16s are alert birds is because you can shoot one off faster, however F-15s come out right after.

For instance which aircraft was over the 9/11 ground zero first? F-15s

Faster, more firepower, larger radar, bigger attack radar, etc.

AND MORE COMPLEX! that can be a problem. Also the closest airbase to NY stations F-15s not -16s. -15s are really expensive and complex. They can be hard to repair. If you have a really complex aircraft that has a unknown malfunction, it could take a while to find and fix. A simple aircraft helps alot. sure -15s are great n all but are way too sophisticated. hey im not sayin that -16s are perfect, in fact they are far from it, im just sayin the USAF wouldn't be the same without em.

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If you are going thru hell, keep going.
-Winston Churchill

y dont u go on youtube and search f 15 one wing

hey the f-15 is great for us because we can pritty much throw money at the world. now lets think about countrys that need an airforce but don't have the money to purchase f-15s> your answer: the f-16.

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If you are going thru hell, keep going.
-Winston Churchill

Well, in that you are wrong. Two F-15s from the 102nd FW, Massachusetts Air National Guard out of Otis Air National Guard base were the first to begin CAP over NY on 9/11.

That is straight out of 'Air War Over America' published by HQ 1st AF PA Office Tyndall AFB, FL.

When have complexities been a big issue for F-15s? We thought that would be a problem going to the Middle East, but it turned out that they performed awesome. The longeron problem was not due to complexity it was due to the manufacturers not making it to the proper specs.

Not to sound nasty, but frankly, who cares about what other air forces need? Yeah, we need to supply our allies properly with good aircraft, but otherwise, we have the largest and strongest AF in the world.........so who cares? Besides we only allowed certain countries to purchase the 15 anyway, many countries would die for it because in today's day and age, air superiority is life for your ground forces, it decides whether you win a ground war or not. That's not the role of the 16. You can use it like that but its not designed for that.

For Examples:

Perfect example of why complexity doesn't mean death and how it can actually save your life. Simple is better 99.9% of the time in life, but for the AF of the USA that .1% gives them the ability to annihilate the enemy AFs.

www.stickdudestudios.com

hey im sorry if you think im trying to say the f-16 is the best aircraft there is. I just really like the f-16 and i wanted to see other people's opinions on it. i just noticed everyone liked the f-15 or -22 and i wanted to bring the f-16 into the light here. sure the f-15 is great for fighting overseas wars and whatnot but the f-16 has its own role. Homeland defence. i think (and correct me if im wrong) but i noticed that the f-16 was used alot by the national guard for air defence and aid in natual disastors.

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If you are going thru hell, keep going.
-Winston Churchill

sigh I have no problem with you liking it best, everyone has their own opinion, and thats how it should be. However, the point I have been trying to get across, is that it is not the best aircraft out there and it has strong points and weak points like all aircraft.

The other point that I have been trying to make is that it is not used primarily for air defense, thats the job of an air superiority fighter, like the F-15 and the F-22. The F-16 is the USAF's alert fighter, however thats because we have more of them and we can get them up pretty quick. That doesn't mean that every time the USAF needs to have an aircraft checked out the 16s are scrambled, now a days thats the F-22 thats going up and intercepting, but both the 15 and the 22 do that.

Yes the F-16 has its own role, but its multi role, its a jack of all trades that can do many different things for less money than a specialize aircraft, which is not always bad. It just means it doesn't have a specific role.