Combat missions over Kosovo have driven the US Air Force to seek supplemental funding to refurbish many of its of Lockheed Martin F-16C/D fighters that would otherwise fall short of their projected lifespans.
Lockheed Martin designed the single-engined fighter to last 8,000h within a specific flight profile based on the McDonnell Douglas F-4. Prolonged combat in the Balkans has placed many of the F-16s outside that profile and aircraft are "falling out at 4,000 to 6,000h", according to USAF Air Combat Command's (ACC) Maj Gen Dennis Haines.
Air force officials note that wear and tear on the F-16s would have been more severe had the aircraft not generally operated at 15,000ft (4,575m) and above. Limited air-to-air combat and the widespread use of stand-off weapons minimised high stress manoeuvres.
The air force says it needs as much as $800 million to structurally overhaul its F-16s. The USAF and Air National Guard operate around 1,500 F-16s, some 650 of which are older high time Block 25 and 30 aircraft and the remainder newer Block 40 and 50s.
Depending on how much money the ACC obtains, engineering work could start in 2000-1. The work needed varies depending on usage, but could be focused on the F-16's centre and aft fuselage sections, control surfaces and other load bearing areas.
An additional study is under way to extend the Block 50's planned 8,000h lifespan by 10% through enhancements to bulkheads.
Source: Flight International
