A remarkable anniversary in the history of Lockheed Martin’s F-16 programme will be marked on 20 January, exactly 50 years after a prototype of the lightweight fighter got airborne for the first time.
Our recently published extensive report into the milestone tells the story behind General Dynamics test pilot Phil Oestricher’s unscheduled outing from Edwards AFB in the YF-16, the programme’s official first flight on 2 February 1974, and the single-engined type’s evolution into the world’s most widely-flown fighter. Click here to read the full article.
To coincide with the 50th anniversary event, this gallery of images highlights some of the additional notable events, unusual F-16 variants, and leading operators of the US airframer’s evergreen fighter, as it continues to enjoy production success for multiple customers.
Craig Hoyle joined Flight International in 2003, and has edited the now monthly title since 2015. He has reported on the UK, European and international military aviation sector for more than 25 years, and produces our annual World Air Forces directory.View full Profile
The long-stalled deal to provide Turkey with 40 Lockheed Martin F-16V fighters was approved by arms regulators, who simultaneously advanced a proposal to sell 40 F-35A stealth fighters to Greece – orders worth a gargantuan $31.6 billion to Lockheed.
The Pakistan air force’s (PAF’s) JF-17 Thunder fighter is making a repeat appearance at the show, with three of the jets in attendance – including one in the Chengdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex-developed type’s new Block III standard.
Manama’s strengthened military capability is proudly on display at the Bahrain air show, with its air force’s newest and most capable-ever combat aircraft to take a starring role.
One of the Royal Bahraini Air Force’s (RBAF’s) new Bell 505 training helicopters is making the type’s debut appearance at the show, within the static display.
