The F-16 Fighting Falcon Should Still Be Feared

[@terrancestorey7254]

A massive detail you missed was that by choosing the F-16, it made the F-15 cheaper to operate. The F-15 and F-16 both use F100 engines. Building thousands of F100s, drove the unit cost down. In a sense the F-16 made itself cheaper too. That's a win-win-win situation.

[@daljiba]

Its always not always low cost or minimum cost of operation but VICTORY IN BATTLE the hype is now busted by Indian AIR Force

[@chucklucas5653]

Per Wikipedia F-16 Fighting Falcon : Powerplant: 1 × General Electric F110-GE-129 afterburning turbofan engine, 17,155 lbf (76.31 kN) thrust 29,588 lbf (132 kN) wet or 1x Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 / 220E 29,160 lbf (130 kN) Go GE !

[@alistair676]

Its like a russian tank ;)

[@suspicioususer]

@@daljiba outproducing the enemy often leads to victory in battle. Ask the Germans

[@keirfarnum6811]

Breezy Mods Very astute comment about tooting ass!

[@wizzzer1337]

F-16 has the curves of a woman, it's the sexiest plane in my opinion and that's not just fetishization, that's an observation of a masterpiece of aerial design.

[@arcosiancosine1065]

Yep. Sexy jet to be sure.

[@raymondkisner9240]

wizzzer1337 hahaha

[@youtubemaster3374]

I think su 35 looke more sexy . F16 seems rather cute to me.

[@firepower7017]

muneeb riaz F-16s can compete against any mig you throw and to make it financially fair 2 F-16s vs any one MIG or SU you have

[@firepower7017]

OptimalOptimus50 A Su-27 can 1v2?

[@senatuspopulusqueromanus3011]

Don't forget about the fact that it looks amazing too.

[@_Matsimus_]

Your Favorite Sheepdog so so so sexy I think

[@politedog4959]

It's the most beautiful jet fighter ever designed by the USA. If only it had canards though...

[@senatuspopulusqueromanus3011]

Augschburgball I would argue that the title of "most beautiful" would go to the F-86 Saber... It's definitely tied for first with the F-15 for best looking modern fighter though. PS: The F-22 is also beautiful, but I liked the looks of the F-23 better.

[@politedog4959]

Your Favorite Sheepdog naw, I don't like the nose design and the low mounted wings on the Sabre - Mig-15 looks better imo. The F-15 is a bit too bulky and squarish for my taste, especially the inlets. F-22 looks great, second to the F-16 probably, it's more elegant than the t h i c c F-35... F-23 is pure beauty, but sadly it never made it into production

[@senatuspopulusqueromanus3011]

Augschburgball Those are two of the things that I like the most about it though 🙃... And the F-15 is (arguably, and imo), the greatest straight up fighter ever to see real action. That's why it's so beautiful in my opinion. I agree with you on the F-35 though.

[@nibotkram7743]

Great vid. Nice to see a Brit who isn't bashing us in the US. The Falcon has been one of my favorites for decades. Truly an American legend I love your channel and thanks for your service to free people everywhere.

[@brockcherry5303]

best military based YT channel IMO. good facts, no automated bot voices, no keyboard know-it-all's in the comment section... what more could one wish for?

[@bannedinc.]

not to mention brit dry humor. a good way to give good vibes to the viewer! :D

[@romeor6231]

I find these videos to be rather boring. I feel like he's reading off a wiki page till the end.

[@brockcherry5303]

romeo r you lack taste, not only that, but matsimus uses personal experience mixed with online available data in his videos, i don't see any "script reading" vibes in his videos at all.

[@aurathedraak7909]

Brock Cherry no bull shit

[@thefreeman8791]

Dalek14mc is excellent as well. His dispels a lot of military myths on his channel. But he does get the all to familiar keyboard warriors/KZbin experts in the comment section of his channel. It is a good one that I would recommend as well.

[@dilligafdude9434]

"Countries should fear the F-16 in their airspace." Because that means the F-22s are already there.

[@michaelsmith1348]

Yea baby

[@shevanel92]

LOOOOOOL

[@jamesnorth7318]

Half of the f22 fleet is unoperational and parts are being cannibalised already. I love the look and design of it. But it's overrated.

[@shevanel92]

The F-16 was the perfect multirole righter.

[@p51mustang24]

@midgetydeath Yeah the F-16 is more of an air-to-ground aircraft(now, in its later years of life), with reasonable air to air capabilities when needed. The LRSB, B2, F35, and stealth drones fulfill the roles of early war air defense supresson, then the F16 provides lower cost air to ground (but can still defend itself). Of course in places like the middle east the gen4 aircraft are actually superior to the gen5 aircraft, if only on the ground of cost.

[@drbendover7467]

The F16 fighting falcon will always be remembered as the best lightweight fighter in the world for its time long after the last country stops using them.

[@erusean8492]

Dr Bendover *cough* mig-35

[@Garhunt05]

The a4 skyhawk would like to have a word with you

[@tilenstibilj3930]

*cough* po2 *cough*

[@MakAlexMosc]

Skyhawk and Po-2 are not fighters.

[@Garhunt05]

MakAlexMosc the A4 was used as a fighter by numerous air forces. But if its rejected the f5 tiger 2 and f86 will suffice.

[@GrOuNdZeRo7777]

Always thought of the F-16 as the Honda CIvic of fighters, Very capable and popular with a huge following without breaking the bank.

[@jeffarab4947]

GrOuNdZeRo7777 Dangerous Things Channel so cool that was a good one eco mode too

[@KPunkZ]

Drive a civic, drive a civic, drive a civic, drive a civic. A car you can trust.

[@boomerisadog3899]

If the civic was a eg hatch with a k-swap, turbo, and awd.

[@wuhan827]

@@boomerisadog3899 ahhhh gotta love that viscous coupler on a Kswap

[@A7XKoRnRocks1]

The PAF has it as their main fighter since the 80's in fact Pakistan was one of the first customers due to the Afghan Soviet War and it was really successful there. My dad was a F-16 pilot in the PAF, proud of that.

[@SteelbeastsCavalry]

DAMN RIGHT!!! 10:22 Ah..... that number just rings nothing but joy in my ears....

[@_Matsimus_]

SteelbeastsCavalry thought you would like this ;-)

[@LupusAries]

Come 'round, come gather here.... ;)

[@demanischaffer]

I always loved how the Viper (USAF pilots nicknamed the Falcon that before it got the official name) Looked so futuristic for it's time

[@luska5522]

The nickname came from Battlestar Galactica

[@alantorres7916]

The only thing more dangerous than this is a British man with a la85a2 that hasn't got his tea yet

[@chookianna6146]

Sargeant Cookie XD

[@arandomyoutuber6634]

Sargeant Cookie I'm British but I lvoe the tea jokes and stuff except when people just talk about British people and tea and say stuff rude like that

[@alantorres7916]

ARandomKZbinr well I just thought it was funny how you guys like your team but if the jokes are too much I'll stop I just find them to be funny

[@alantorres7916]

randomguy8196 that's exactly why I put a2

[@alantorres7916]

ARandomKZbinr here a better joke The only thing more dangerous than a f16 Is someone useing a la5a1

[@2serveand2protect]

It IS still feared and it is still a platform that has enormous potential improvement. It's (very simply) - an EXCELLENT DESIGN, that combined with the new advancements in electronics, is still extremely versatile and DEADLY. DAMMIT! What else do you need from a plane??

[@dragonbutt]

We need it to fly its self! Oh wait QF-16 :DDDD

[@JamesTMAK1]

If you haven't read it, i heavily recommend "Viper Pilot" by Dan Hampton. It's his experiences of being a SEAD Wild Weasel pilot in the F16CJ in both Iraq wars.

[@arcosiancosine1065]

Boyd is another good book.

[@TheSaintArmando]

Being a wild Weasel must be one of the most terrifying things.

Great read...love when he talks about all the pixies he had shot off during a raid.

[@veritechdcs9937]

I’ve heard horrible things about that guy. Go for Vipers In The Storm for something more humane

[@charlie15627]

The F-16 is a beautiful machine, fast and agile. With avionics and radar upgrades, it can certainly have a long service life. Although stealth fighters like the F-22 and F-35 have moved the game to a new level, the F-16 is still on par with a great many opposing aircraft and it's multirole capabilities make a valuable asset.

[@lmbtcs1879]

Charlie Harris f35 is cumbersome, f22 is great but damn costly

[@deatbird99k]

F-35 is a great jet but it's not a fighter it's a multi role and the F-22 is just godly

[@romeor6231]

The f-35 is far more agile than the f-16. Far stronger engine and little drag because of internal weapons.

[@charlie15627]

The F-35 and F-22 are both far superior to the F-16 but, they are also very expensive. We can't afford to replace all the F-16's overnight. The F-35 does cover all of the fields the F-16 does and then some, Including air-to-air. The F-16 does have a greater thrust to weight ratio and it carries more air-to-air weapons, externally, making it a better dogfighter. The biggest fear with it is that we're making the same mistake that we did with the F-4. Then, like now, we assume that our technology makes close-in dogfighting obsolete. It remains to be seen if we're right this time. At least the F-35 has a gun. Something the F-4 did not. Considering that, why would we spends hundreds of billions of dollars to replace them when they're still, quite effectively, doing their job. The replacements also need to be tempered in battle, before we lay all of our trust in them. The F-22 is just a beast all around but it also hasn't been tested in battle. Far as I know all it's done is follow some Russian and Syrian planes and monitor some of Syria's airspace.

[@young_dieg0301]

Also, the F-16's is getting an upgrade in a variant called F-16V

[@RaderizDorret]

Ah, the Viper. She's getting old and showing her age, but she was THE gold standard for most of her life and, in the hands of a skilled pilot, can bring down nearly any opponent it could potentially face. I kinda wish we could have gotten the F-16XL variant into production (cranked arrow full delta wing with at least 16 hardpoints, drastic increase in range and low speed handling characteristics, and minimal high speed performance degradation due to the increased weight). Could you do a video on the F-5, A-4, and A-37? All are very good "bang for your buck" aircraft that served proudly around the world.

[@billr.1230]

The reason we didn't buy the XL is because it bled off too much speed in a turn. The F-15E was a better, albeit, more expensive choice.

[@bobski8203]

A-4 Skyhawks were awesome. The US Navy still flew them in a defensive role back in the 1980s and 1990s. Nevertheless, they never did and never will compare to the F-16, no matter how superlative they may have been.

[@Eleolius]

Best looking plane on the market for decades. Though the Dassault Rafale looks slick too.

[@sseltrek1a2b]

the Rafale is almost a dual-engine sister to the F-16....very similar look (aside from the dual wings)...

[@jeffarab4947]

Steve Selinsky they are amazing and they perform maneuvers so tight and can really be deadly in air to air dogfights

[@Yazaku]

I saw F16 in RIAT this year, and those was amazing planes. I think that was the most agile plane in the show, with Eurofighter and JAS 39 Gripen.

[@metanumia]

I fell in love with the Viper as soon as I booted up Falcon 4.0 for the first time in 1998, after reading through the 3 inch thick manual of course! The F-16 is arguably one of the best defense acquisitions the U.S. Air Force has ever made, in terms of dollar-to-performance ratio.

[@arcosiancosine1065]

Falcon 4 is still around and better than ever thanks to some dedicated fans. Look up Falcon BMS. There's a few more manuals now too :)

[@metanumia]

Thanks so much +Arcosian Cosine ! I really appreciate the tip, I played BMS quite a few versions back, and I was thoroughly impressed at the time. Your comment reminded me I should go check out how it's doing these days, no doubt they've continued to improve and expand it. :)

[@corsairpl133]

Anodyne Melody if i only i had good PC and HOTAS...

[@Ag3nt0fCha0s]

Anodyne Melody oh yeah, F16 is a little workhorse. Much like the F5. A shame for the americans to have started so strongly with the F5, continued so capably with the F16, to finish so pathetically with the F35.

[@JZ909]

I spent countless hours in that tome of a book.

[@shadownor]

I was usaf weapons troop on f-15s, it is common knowledge that you dont want to get in a knife fight with a viper.

[@Pow3llMorgan]

A mate I worked with was a former F-16 mechanic. He says from an engineering and servicing standpoint they are just excellent to work with. It's easy to get replacement parts and the knowledge base is huge because so many different forces fly and service them. Also the iconic air intake is especially suited for taking a nap in! :D

[@nathanlennox6056]

Until that one guy nobody pays attention to disappears one day after a runup haha

[@drutalero2962]

@@nathanlennox6056 nah. Every run up requires fod check.

[@drutalero2962]

Especially in the winter when it's cold 😃

[@oceanhome2023]

The nap would have been similar to the cat that decided to take a “Warm Nap” under the hood of my frozen car . It’s screeching disembowelment was thought to be slipping engine accessory belts as I blipped the throttle to clear it it DID start slipping due to the fresh warm guts in the pulleys. The true mayhem was not evidenced to me until I checked the oil ! Poor kitty

[@HiHassanZia]

F-16 will never fade from the memories even decades later after it's retired, the most versatile, the most beautiful, the most feared, the most sexiest (which gives you goosebumps just by looking at it) and last but not least the Best multirole fighter jet ever developed....

[@freefall0483]

Awesome aircraft. Even little things, like having AMRAAMs on the wingtip stations to allow your BVR weapons to be gone before dogfighting, thus improving roll rate, as well as the ability to match any 3rd generation aircraft BEFORE dropping A-G stores is legendary. Even after all of this time, the -16's RCS is very good. Just under 1 square metre. The addition of the Helmet Mounted Queing System and the Sniper A-G/A-A targeting pod makes it a severly dangerous opponent. Even after the F-35 comes all the way online, the -16 is likely to have a very long life with the ANG as well as many 3rd world countries. I beleive that it will be the MIG-21 of the new century.

[@wikilcontainments]

My understanding was it wasn't meant to be a fighter but a test concept. The thing is a big maneuverable cruse missile with a cockpit on top. Thrust to weight is extreame, at an air show I've seen one follow the deck at 30 feet about 300 mph, go vertical in about one hundred feet, and be almost out of sight strait up in less than ten seconds. Breathtaking.

[@aaronlonghuynh5245]

Well, it is a light fighter.

[@captaincurd2681]

F-16 is the Bruce Lee of the sky. Fast, agile shirt off combat machine.

[@julienckjm7430]

That's a good thing that you start to do videos on fighters jet and military aircrafts also. This chanel will only get more interesting!!!

[@Sreven199]

To me, the F-16 will always be my favorite Jet aircraft. It's so sleek, and beautiful, yet it packs a hell of a punch. Also, call me crazy, but I feel like it looks like an evolution of the P-51. The bubble canopy, the straight wings, the single large, prominent scoop on the underside of the fuselage.

[@killingfields1424]

You're right, it is a real evolution of the legendary P-51D. General Dynamics did said that they were influence with the P-51D when their YF-16 was to battle it out to win a contract for the airforce requirements to supplement the F-15 Eagle in the strike role against Northrop's YF-17, while the YF-17 relegated for the Navy and becomes the F-18 Hornet

[@cf6282]

Alan Caldoza I had the good fortune to see the YF16 as a youngster back in 1977. Sort of grew up with the machine. Forty years on I was able to show the F16 to my son. Amazing that this bird is still around and still looks beautiful. We went to see the F35 for the first time together a couple of years later. I really missed that big tail at the rear. But when it went up and saw it’s silhouette against the sky....I knew that is what I had to get used to. And it did impress me.

[@Ozrico1o1]

It was an exciting time here at Ft. Worth when we were building this new fighter. I had friends whose fathers were at General Dynamics working on it. There were F-16's and B52's overhead every day, living here a few miles from the base.

[@LuboCirdan]

F-16V Block 70/72 has already its buyers. Bahrain bought 16, then Slovakia 14, and the last buyer is Taiwan with 66.

[@man_vs_life]

Just getting started with Falcon BMS, so this was a nice vid to provide a little atmosphere. It's funny how you went from documentary style narration to more casual chat style - no hiding your enthusiasm for the plane, lol.

[@bananomet4052]

I always loved both F15 and F16, beautiful planes.

[@CristianValenzuela2155]

Pretty much it sums all up. Congratulations for a great video! One of the best F-16 videos ever, and I mean it.

[@battleshipfleet]

I've always loved the F-16 since i saw iron eagle. such a beautiful jet, my favorite by far.

[@brendaproffitt1011]

Great video and the way you explained different thing's on this F16.lightfighter.and dogfights and upgrades bombs and missiles too. Thank you so much for your videos I do appreciate it a lot

[@krebsfish5035]

The F-16 : old but gold

[@RadostinVelchev]

the fact that the F16V Block 70/72 price skyrocketed can be confirmed by the Bulgarian who paid over 1.2 billion dollars for 8 planes, training, technical support and equipment...

[@JohnSmith-oe5rx]

Radostin Velchev They’re paying from the best though, hehe. 🇺🇸 ☺️

[@XavierAncarno]

The most beautiful canopy in the entire aeronautics world

[@romanadamenko6111]

DCS promoting this vid on Facebook brought me to this channel :D great vid and I'm def subscribing

[@JustinHo98]

This jet will always be my favorite simply cause my dad helped design the engine

[@killingfields1424]

For you, because its your favorite. One was shot downed by Mirage 2000 a french counterpart.

[@Duvstep910]

+Matsimus Gaming the F-16 is the jet that make me want to be an air force pilot. i FUCKING LOVE THE VIPER

[@robertsaberniak007]

These birds are getting a big upgrade... the Pentagon approved a bill to improve all the avionics onboards these magnificent birds.

[@Jake-wz7wy]

Im off sick today and matsimus has uploaded its all going good

[@ludvigthebirb7131]

ayyy me too

[@porkerthepig]

Same here lol

[@DeNihility]

One thing I love about Matsimus videos is that his vids always have subtitles; the auto-generated subs always work.

[@graeme3023]

saved my arse on several occasions

[@Rimasta1]

Love your channel. Very informative and enjoyable to watch.

[@thrakerzad5874]

Probably the most iconic jet fighter/bomber in the world

[@shaolindreams]

Something about the F-16 struck a cord with me as a kid.... i think it's the beautiful design... Such a badass plane.

[@meccnr3536]

Now jets?

[@_Matsimus_]

MECCNR _ going up in the world lol

[@craigtate5930]

Love the looks of these. Possibly my all time favorite

[@NATORDEN]

Meanwhile in warthunder we pull 13gs in Hunter, sabre's meteors and g91s

[@overwatch_9461]

NATORDEN g91 is a bit shit dont you think

[@swayingGrass]

15G in a Zero for 1 whole second.

[@tilenstibilj3930]

my po2 can pull 9990gs

[@overwatch_9461]

BrokenHeadPVP k

[@corsairpl133]

NATORDEN On arcade you can pull 22g on Hurricane.

[@kylegoodman5196]

Gotta love that most of the countries who fielded Mig-29s are now flying F-16s with much higher operational rates and greater capabilities.

[@ricardosoto5770]

Its ironic that the Mig 29 who was a designed as a counter for the F 16 its being replaced by it. Politics and durability issues are responsible. In the end the Viper won. The Mig 29 is probably one of the most overrated airplanes in existance. Beautifull, fast and agile, yes.. but, with terrible range, avionics, and unrealiable. With a very short service life of between 2,500 to 3000 flight hours. And since Russia is mostl likey the country Eastern Europeans fear the most, buying the Mig 35, who supposedly fix those issues its a no no.

[@Tuberuser187]

Great upload as always, thanks mat.

[@_Matsimus_]

Nonarei thanks for watching buddy

[@tankninja1]

I've just had the thought that the F-16 isn't as unique as the "Fighter Mafia" story might imply because the US did have a number of lightweight cheap fighter designs, namely the F-5. The F-5 shared a lot of similarities with the later F-16 program in their cheap, widespread, and multi-use capabilities.

[@snafuthebrave1922]

The F16 and the F18 are truly Mig killers.

[@ashimachoudhary7446]

They may be mig killer......what about the SU's

[@snafuthebrave1922]

@@ashimachoudhary7446 that's what the F22's and F15s are for...

[@faridadungca5822]

Snafu The Brave F-16 and F-15 are the MiG killers

[@faridadungca5822]

Ashima Choudhary dont worry the latest Eagle can handle well your SUs...

[@snafuthebrave1922]

@@ashimachoudhary7446 that's the job of the F15 and F22...

[@brabham74]

I've discovered your channel recently. I've subscribed. Please keep these kind of vids coming.

[@jonas2097]

you made a little mistake there Matsimus, the MiG-29 kill over Serbia late 90's was NOT a belgian F-16, but a Dutch one :)

[@CocoaBeachLiving]

Great presentation on the F-16. Nicely done.

[@robinderoos1166]

Well, our dutch ones are rolling fine, though flying not so much... Quite a lot of repairs and refitting is needed...

[@TheTrueMorningStar]

Here in 2019 India has just started building their brand new F-16s! Glad to hear I was so in love with this jet as a kid we lived next to an air base where one of my moms friends served and I would always go watch them fly. I had photos of this jet all over my room!

[@shidder_mutt]

I don't always fly the viper, but when I do I don't carry more then two bombs and bingo in under half an hour. *Dos Gringos intensifies*

[@bleutz]

The F-16 went operational at Hill AFB, Utah in 1979. 388 TFW I worked on the Viper for 11 years, a truly great fighter!

[@rubenyoranpc]

These fly over my house quite regularly. I live near Leeuwarden Air Base in The Netherlands, and I am sad to see them go for the f35's. Those things make a lot more noise than the f16

[@Breahuly]

Rubenyoranpc haven't noticed them making much more noise. Then again it will be a sad day to see them go. Thankfully we will keep them as pilot are being transitioned to the F-35. It will be a great sight seeing them fly over as I live underneath the Leeuwarden AFB flightpath :)

[@Idahoguy10157]

Every aircraft with afterburner (reheat) is loud

[@ricardosoto5770]

In the US has been lawsuits againt USAF airbases when they switched form the F 16s to the F 35 due to the noise.... to its true.

[@wellensgamingodds3228]

I have one thing to say due to what you said at around the 6:30 minute mark. I't WASN"T a reactor plant, it was a DIESEL power plant, if they'd bomb'd a reactor then there'd have been a whole bunch of radiation like with the chernobyl disaster.

[@Empanadaking20]

Privet tovarivh matsimus

[@fabio6170]

crazy russian gopnik its roman not soviet 😅

[@MrMaximkozin]

As a kid I grew up building models of it. 20 years later as, an Air Force tech I got to maintain them from the newest models to ancient once going back almost to the ones that bombed Iraq in the 80s, I really hated it cause I was lazy and never knew what real work looks like on and Eagle or worse yet - a Phantom. This Video gave me a new look on my Air Force experience

[@brandondaniels9471]

The Toyota Corolla of fighter jets 😂😂😂

[@amoxintubeu]

I think it is a Camry.

[@BeamRider100]

lightweight porsche turbo more like

[@ToreDL87]

@@amoxintubeu More like AE86 Corolla, commandeered by a capable driver = Good luck beating it in a knife fight.

[@kathrynck]

The original F-16A was a brilliant dogfighter, but it had a lot of limitations. When the F-16C model came out, those limitations were largely addressed, but the added weight of the C model somewhat compromised it's dogfighting edge. In later block upgrades though, with the new engines going from around 24000 lbs thrust to about 30,000, that weight issue disappeared, and the F-16 really hit it's sweet spot. Any late block series upgrade version of F-16 is a very formidable gen 4 fighter, and at a great price. It's not the creme de la creme of 4th gen, but if you measure it by dollars per ounce of effectiveness, it can still give anything out there a run for it's money. It should probably avoid dogfighting with thrust vectoring planes though.

[@faridadungca5822]

kathrynck Could your thrust vectoring plane outmaneuver latest air to air missiles in a dogfight nowadays? Doubt it.

[@kathrynck]

@@faridadungca5822 I agree, maneuverability has become a secondary consideration in G5. More than the issue of trying to out maneuver a missile which doesn't have a squishy pilot... is the fact that missiles are less and less requiring a 12 o'clock aim to be fired at a target, which really deconstructs traditional dogfighting. Missile tech, stealth, advanced sensors, and pilot situational awareness - is replacing ye olden dogfight. Still, the vast majority of planes and missiles out there are gen 4 and 4.5. So dogfighting ability still has relevance "for now". Its an evaporating relevance though. Gen 4 & 4.5 are destined to become missile/bomb trucks, or desert decorations. But that was true of gen's 1-3 too.

[@mickaeldelatre3320]

The story of the F16 development is very interesting (a french military history journal talked about it a few years ago) : to be short, a genius engineering and tactical team said "F U" to the Air Force brass, went with a new way to design aircrafts around global performance instead of minimaxing what the Air Force wanted (leading to the 60s disaster), and proposed a Hi-Lo mix around a "few" air supremacy, long standoff, more expensive but very efficient fighter (F15) and "lots" of more cost-effective but still efficient all around fighters able to go up and personal against enemy fighters (F16). The initial version of F16 wasn't meant to be with a radar, they should have been guided through AWACS under the F15 umbrella until they could attack with heat-seeking missiles. ... then of course top brass went in the way and wanted "toys" for the F16, including a nuclear capacity, and thus "skyrocketing" the price. As the plane was very cost-effective from the start and well designed, fortunately the final version was still very good. (if needed, I could find the article and scan it, but it's in french ...) And the lesson is : when you get top brass out of the way, you build fantastic airplanes with skilled engineers and tacticians. Now remind me what happened with F-35 ? :/

[@ChucksSEADnDEAD]

mickael delatre the irony is that the final version of the F16 blows the original vision out of the water and it's success in exports was exactly because multirole is much more useful than pure fighters for other NATO countries which barely need fighter aircraft. The F20 Tigershark was the pure fighter the Fighter Mafia wanted, and it was a massive failure. If the F16 were a short-range guns and heaters only fighter it would have failed and the whole of Europe would have used Tornados and Mirages.

[@mickaeldelatre3320]

I have of course to agree with you ! I'm not expert enough to know if its bombing capacities come from this nuclear option added in, but it sure was a good opportunity for NATO countries - imho the design was really good and could thus expand its role (even though the autonomy is a bit short). ... Now I remember in Falcon 4 the take-off with a full bomb load, it felt like a truck. The pure joy of dropping the bombs on target just because you knew that at last you could turn again correctly :D (and I will always remember the troll US AA team deciding that it was a good idea to set up right in the middle of the airstrip SECONDS BEFORE I LANDED, but that's another story)

[@dragonbutt]

The irony here is that the day of the hot rod single seat day fighter, of which the F-16 was designed to be, was pretty much done by the time it was introduced. So that "Genius engineering team" was actually extremely short sighted, and the "Toys" for the F-16 were actually necessary to keep it USEFUL. You said it yourself. The damn thing wasnt even designed with a radar in mind in the first place. Meanwhile the F-35 is pushing the boundaries of what is physically possible while actually being similarly mobile to the F-16, while offering more sensory capacity than the F-16 could ever mount. And dont you "Well the F-35 lost a dogfight against it" me. The F-35 only lost because the F-16, in order to be similarly weighted to a fully fueled F-35, was equipped with external tanks. More drag = More time on the throttle = consuming fuel faster = invalid testing because the F-35 was more efficient. You know what you get when "Skilled engineers and tacticians" design a plane? Literally any fucking military aircraft. They arent paid to be shit at their job like the engineers at Rafale.

[@becauseiwasinverted5222]

Not to be a ball breaker, but you guys have things backwards a little. The Fighter Mafia/Reformers never wanted the high low mix. They wanted the F-15 out of the game entirely, replaced by a F-16 with no radar and no bombing capability. The USAF told them to go suck the long one, however, and put the F-15 in service as the standard air superiority fighter and the F-16 as the standard fighter-bomber, with many more capabilities than the reformers originally wanted. It was the USAF that made the F-16 the marvel it is, not those madmen. As for the F-20, the reformers had no love for it because it was full of complex electronics and was "multirole".

[@ricardosoto5770]

Actually those wonderfull toys, will ensure that the F 16 remains relevent even today--- Ballistic missiles, look at Rock and Rampage (those crazy israelis), Cruise Missiles, well you got JSM, JASSM, Delilah. Glide bombs like JSOW, SDGB. Laser Guided Bombs. Antiship Missiles like Penguin, NSM. HARM and SLAM air to ground missiles. Get the F 16 an ASEA radar and Iris T and Meteor air to air misiles and it will remain relevant for years.

[@mikedrop4421]

The best part of this story is something that's rarely talked about is the fact that both designs ended up being further developed, produced and deployed.

[@leotmh4135]

Love it when i was kid, F-16V still badass, cost effective and competitive to 4.5th generation jet fighter e.g. EF-2000, Rafale

[@dankoz6340]

Stealth tech is simply trying to minimize your radar cross section. It's not complete disappearance. Most radars will be able to spot a "stealth" target if it's close enough... Or after it fires.

[@wigon]

You forgot to mention one of the earliest advanced F-16 versions which was the Israeli F-16I Sufa. There was also the Lavi project based upon the F-16 that apparently Israel sold off to China which resulted in the Chinese J-10 fighter jet (although China and Israel deny this). At any rate, check out the F-16I Sufa. It was the first F-16 variant to feature conformal fuel tanks and has an added dorsal spine housing extra fuel and electronics. israeli-weapons.com/weapons/aircraft/f-16i/F-16I.html

[@Codysdab]

Nice a video on my 2nd fave plane after the A-10. The F-16 is such an awesome weapon system.

[@flybeep1661]

Could have mentioned the nick name pilots give it. It's often called the Viper.

[@ToreDL87]

Well that goes without saying.

[@allanhongCPM]

@8:16 aim-120 scorpion missile?????? Whats that???

[@ludvigthebirb7131]

too bad that Denmark is throwing these out now in favor for the f-35

[@bruh5361]

Ludvig Juel Martens the f-35 is still a very good aircraft

[@romeor6231]

You do realize the that f-35 is superior in every single way?

[@ludvigthebirb7131]

alright first: not in "every" way but ya its still superior. Second: its a legend, its battle tested and the f-35 so far is only superior on paper.

[@fabiantaveras8458]

people will hate the F-35 no matter what fam.

[@USSAnimeNCC-]

Ludvig Juel Martens just hope those pilots don't suffocate 😁

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

The Block 60 variants are true masterpieces of technology. Upgraded radar, software, radar and avionics and conformal fuel tanks that the UAE purchased makes that small air force a heavy weight contender in that part of the world.

[@joseglenn20]

too bad their skillset can't keep up with the Aircraft.

[@CountSpartula]

The F16 is a beautiful plane.

[@stephenlord2200]

Love this video and I am 100% with you. I think the F-16 is the best fight EVER!!! Not only is it so versatile and maneuverable, but it is also aesthetically gorgeous. I love the way this fighter looks and wish I had become a fighter pilot so I could fly one of these beauties. Great video!!!!

[@cody42069420]

Can't wait for the block 50 release on DCS !!

[@shellyth5700]

Still my favorite military jet since I was very young. Always love to see it mentioned!

[@armandorodrigues144]

that's because it is pretty much the ideal design for a true dogfighting aircraft that we can achieve with present day technology and knowledge about aerodynamics, if not how would you explain it still going around kicking everythings *ss? be it F-22/35/15, Eurofighter, Rafale, etc... the F-16 still keeps a positive W/L ratio in practice (it of course depends on the pilot) there are still 2 things that could actually improve it's dogfighting performance and those would be thrust-vectoring and canards which I guess that due to the compact size thrust-vectoring would be more effective while the 2 together might not make the most out of each individual advantages (it works for the J20 because it is massive) the case of the F-16 is not unique, in some cases it is unique like Israeli F-15 pilots first thinking they were being "demoted" to F-16 but after flying it never wanting to go back, for some Israeli pilots flying the F-16 is reaching the top in their Air Force the F-15 and F-14 as well are also aircraft designs that were never surpassed by a enemy aircraft or potential replacements, or did no one think it was much more than a coincidence that the F-22 looks like a F-15 with more angles to defeat radar? that is why I do not understand one thing, why is there a need to design unproved aircraft to replace them? is it because they are aging? then can someone explain to me the following: which would be cheaper, more cost-effective and more mission effective, launching in 2018 a new production run of F-22s/F-35s or instead launching the production of 800 (probably more) new F-16s based on a revised or modernized design? because those F-16s would keep the base of the design with some tweeks like slight reduction of radar crossection but the major upgrade would be internal, a revised F-16 would be built the the most modern alloys instead of those that were the best the industry could offer in the past, it would also incorporate new building techniques that have made structures stronger while still cutting a bit on the weight, it would probably incorporate a lot more carbon-fiber for the protection in major components then it would of course also receive a huge upgrade in avionics and such and since the design was bing revised they could make space where older F-16s might have lacked and thus stoping the F-16 from receiving such upgrades conclusion: you would get a stronger and most likely lighter airframe which allows higher wingload (and also allows a higher payload), increases overall performance (like speed) but it also works to reduce it's fuel comsuption, a modern engine would probably further reduce it's running cost while still increasing it's output while modern avionics would reduce/simplify the load of information received by the pilot allowing him/her to keep on top of everything going on around the "battleground", this together with a more powerfull radar allows the increase of mission efficiency by allowing it to attack from longer distances than it could in the past e it the F-14, 15 or 16 there's something that should be obvious, a revised/modernized design of proven concepts do not carry the extra expense of lenghthy tests (since you already know those are more than capable of flying), it is a much cheaper option than designing entirely new aircraft that you have to yet prove it can fly, and there's even room to add things like thrust-vectoring and internal weapon bays (especially on the F-15 and F-14) and you would get the "same old friends" for at least 20 or 30+ more years and in addition with a lot of market (Israel would most likely want to replace their older F-15s and F-16s, similar to many countries in the world and their F-16s, even if the US sold them slightly downgraded versions of the new aircraft)

[@dumdumbinks274]

The same argument you are presenting can be applied to the F-4, which was and still is a capable aircraft, especially the modernised versions which are comparable to 4th gen fighters. Upgrading old designs simply doesn't allow much growth, and the F-16 has some known flaws. For instance, the likely reason the F-16 doesn't have thrust vectoring is because the aircraft is extremely easy to lose control of past 20d AoA, so the benefit of TV is almost useless. Upgraded F-16s are in production anyway with new airframes, and are still quite inferior to fighters like the F-35, and not only at long range. The same goes for upgraded F-15s.

[@avivagreenwald1752]

Armando Rodrigues is making a very wise point. Improve on the things that have succeeded instead of dismissing them as old and no longer relevant. Sure, you can add new planes just don't get rid of the old ones and their ongoing programs of development. The second point, cost-efficiency, is a very relevant problem. If you took all the money invested in F35's program, and made F16s instead, would all the F35s as a combined force really be as powerful as all of those F16s ? Probably not. It's ten f16s in the air for each f35. And the ratio keeps climbing. So Armando, you are right.

[@dumdumbinks274]

"Improve on the things that have succeeded instead of dismissing them as old and no longer relevant." - And end up with systems that can't handle the new threats because they have already reached their full potential. "Sure, you can add new planes just don't get rid of the old ones and their ongoing programs of development. " - Old planes have high maintenance costs due to wear and tear. All airframes have a expected lifetime and become unsafe to fly after significant use. You're going to end up buying replacement airframes anyway so why not put the investment into a more capable fighter? "If you took all the money invested in F35's program, and made F16s instead, would all the F35s as a combined force really be as powerful as all of those F16s ?" - That is a complicated question for several reasons. The F-35 program is for 3 variants, not 1. The F-16 is only capable of filling the shoes of 1 of those 3 variants. The F-35 program cost includes funding for transferable technology that has already been used to upgrade the F-15 and F-16. The most notable upgrades being the APG-82 and APG-83 radars, but also EW tech and avionics. "...would all the F35s as a combined force really be as powerful as all of those F16s ? Probably not. It's ten f16s in the air for each f35. And the ratio keeps climbing. " - It's actually more like 2 F-16s per F-35A (the only variant the F-16 can sub for), and no they wouldn't be more powerful. Logistics issues would be far more prevalent in a larger fleet of any type than a smaller fleet of more capable aircraft. And don't forget the F-35 is still in development and hasn't even left low rate initial production. Once full rate production hits when all the big issues are sorted out the F-35 will clearly be the better option. "They could put two smaller engines to replace the single engine. Perhaps shave off more weight and gain fuel efficiency." - That would still increase weight and fuel consumption. Overall it would result in a fighter with less range but slightly more thrust and maybe a bit more maneuverable. On top of that modern engine technology means that single engine fighters are more reliable than twin engine fighters.

[@avivagreenwald1752]

dumdumbinks274 , at least one point you're making is a misunderstanding. When I suggested don't get rid of the old ones, I wasn't referring to the actual old plane, I am saying keep them in production. What you thought I was saying is quite laughable indeed! :)

[@dumdumbinks274]

Fair enough, though if a superior aircraft is available and affordable it would be better than just producing an old design with upgrades. Sadly it doesn't seem as though 5th gens are currently affordable enough to completely phase out 4th gens.

[@MasterChief-sl9ro]

The new ones have upgraded Electrical Power output. Thus they can use bigger more powerful radars. Both for Jamming and longer ranges. On top of carry more electrical internal modules.

[@airsoftman612]

Denmark(where i'm from) are currently putting our f16 out of service and replacing it with the f35 jets bought from USA

[@qatronano]

airsoftman612 same in norway

[@JohnSmith-dq7sr]

I don't understand why it had to be the f35, does anyone know why eurofighter or saabs fighter is not good enough?

[@richieh7901]

Lil Fong just the pure networking power of the f 35 can you imagine how powerful a bunch of smart fighters working together can be that's the plan for the f 35

[@possiblyadickhead6653]

Richard Hayhurst it is not like any other fighter couldn't have down the same

[@Berthrond]

Because they were about to use Gripen due to economical reasons , but american diplomats and other agents pressured Norway and Denmark to buy american or they would punish them with less trade.

[@MrBiggrim]

first time i saw this aircraft i thought it was the most beautiful plane ever. still do

[@hoffmanstream1107]

If the americans would'nt have forced the israelis to seize their IAI Lavi project that plane would have been a much better platform ...

[@ricardosoto5770]

The Lavi was going to be very expensive due to scale economies anyways. Uncle Sugar is paying for those F 16s anyways.

[@jawjww]

I really enjoy these jet videos! Thank you sir.

[@ehtisham713]

Pakistan Air Force shot down 10 soviet and afghan aircrafts.... Pakistan Zindabad

[@RICKYCHAVEZ1980]

First of all, I enjoyed this video a lot, very cool. I love the F-16 falcon and it’s my personal favorite.

[@viperdriver82]

2 words .........Iron Eagle😉😄

[@lawrencenicolin3375]

Well researched......great visuals......excellent video......!

[@Perktube1]

By the way, have you done a video like this on the KA-25 helicopter or the ME-323 Gigant? I have a soft spot for things that can haul cargo and personnel.

[@ackos2488]

The view from the cockpit is amazing.

[@TheBashar327]

No mention of Operation Iron Eagle 🦅, the mission to rescue Col. Masters? Still classified?

[@MrGrompok]

Matsimus, you have made awesome videos about military equipment, some tactics and even about life in service. But I was wondering could you make a video about modern mercenaries, their role in war these days and your opinion about them?

[@agerbaek01]

:) nice Video. Fun to see the guy in the orange flightsuit, that is my good friend. Filmed from a patrol in Greenland. :)

[@joaogirardi2943]

The thing is, it started as a light jet fighter to execute air superiority missions during daylight and then it was gradually upgraded to do ground attack, night missions and got AESA radar and better stuff. So I think the F-16 set an example of how you should design a jet fighter, you start small and then you work your way up to what you want. That's how the F-35 program should have been done. If it followed the example of the F-16, maybe the F-35 would have already been operational way earlier than it really was and the program cost would have been way smaller.

[@dumdumbinks274]

Not really. The F-35 program has been expensive due to political interference and delayed decisions i.e poor management. Could have affected any program.

[@dmac7128]

The best feature I like is its canopy. The unobstructed view has to be breathtaking and a dream for pilots engaged in close dogfighting.

[@dmac7128]

@Adam Balleyballey That's what Phantom pilots thought in North Vietnam. Thing is, there are what are called Rules of Engagement. Depending on the situation, targets may have to identified visually as hostile before firing. And if dog fighting isn't a thing, than why is every modern fighter equipped with guns?

[@dmac7128]

@Adam Balleyballey The concept of rules of engagement is not classified. It is well know that in North Vietnam, the US was under restrictive rules of engagement that forced Phantoms to engage MiGs at close ranges. What's to say that in a future conflict that may not happen again?

[@stijill]

It doesn't hurt that they are by far the most beautiful fighters next to the mustang