Features
In an air combat role, the F-16's maneuverability and combat radius (distance it can fly to enter air combat, stay, fight and return) exceed that of all potential threat fight aircraft. This aircraft can locate targets in all weather conditions and detect low flying aircraft in radar ground clutter. In an air-to-surface role, the F-16 can fly more than 500 miles (860 kilometers), deliver its weapons with superior accuracy, defend itself against enemy aircraft, and return to its starting point. The cockpit and its bubble canopy give the pilot unobstructed forward and upward vision, and greatly improved vision over the side and to the rear. The seat-back angle was expanded from the usual 13 degrees to 30 degrees, increasing pilot comfort and gravity force tolerance.

The F-16 also provides excellent flight control through its "fly-by-wire" system, side-stick controller, highly accurate inertial navigation system, UHF/VHF radios, instrument landing system, AN/APG-66/68 radar warning system, and modular countermeasure pods. The aircraft also has a M61A1 20mm six-barrel cannon, two wingtip Sidewinder or Sparrow air-to-air missiles to be used against airborne or surface electronic threats and extra space in the fuselage for additional avionics systems.

Background
In designing the F-16, advanced aerospace science and proven reliable systems from other aircraft such as the F-15 and F-111 were selected. These were combined to simplify the airplane and reduce its size, purchase price, maintenance costs and weight. The light weight of the fuselage is achieved without reducing its strength. With a full load of internal fuel, the F-16 can withstand up to nine G's, nine times the force of gravity, that exceeds the capability of other current fighter aircraft. y

All F-16s delivered since November 1981 have built-in structural and wiring provisions and systems architecture that permit the multi-role flexibility to perform precision strike, night attack and beyond-visual-range interception missions. Presently, these aircraft are assigned to The Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (Top Gun) located at NAS Fallon, Nevada.

Service
USN and USAF