The US Navy is to resume flying Lockheed Martin F-16A/Bs with the allocation of 14 stored aircraft to its adversary-fighter fleet.
Meanwhile, the US Air Force is upgrading software on 240 F-16C/D Block 50s to provide a smart weapons capability. The USN will take 10 F-16A Block 15OCUs and four tandem-seat F-16Bs to address an aggressor aircraft shortfall. The aircraft are among 28 F-16s ordered by Pakistan, but later embargoed by the US Government. The USAF is expected to take the remainder.
"It will take about 18-24 months to get them operational. We're not sure when that will start, but we're anticipating Spring 2003 at the latest," says the USN adversary office. The F-16s were completed in 1993-94 and each has flown less than 10h.
Lockheed Martin has released a fifth software upgrade for the USAF's F-16 Block 50s equipped with the general aircraft computer. The 50T5 software allows use of the latest inertial and global positioning system guided weapons ahead of the planned Common Configuration Implementation Programme (CCIP) hardware upgrade in 2002/03.
A new modular mission computer (MMC) is being fitted to all new build F-16s and will be retrofitted to the USAF's earlier Block 40/50 fighters as part of CCIP. "We can't fit MMC to all aircraft at once and so we're giving them a software upgrade to allow them to deliver smart weapons and [Raytheon AGM-88] HARM prior to MMC being retrofitted," says John Debusk, Lockheed Martin F-16 deputy programme manager.
The software allows use of the Boeing GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition, Raytheon AGM-154 Joint Stand-off Weapon and Lockheed Martin CBU-103/ 104/105 Wind Corrected Munition Dispenser, as well as the improved ASQ-213 HARM Targeting System. "We hope to have the whole fleet retrofitted by the end of next year," says Dubusk.
Source: Flight International
