The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multipurpose fighter jet that has been widely used since 1979. In the Netherlands and Belgium, among others, it is the successor to the F-104 Starfighter. In Belgium, the F-16 also replaced the Mirage 5. In the Netherlands, the F-16 also replaced the F-5. The aircraft was designed by General Dynamics. The General Dynamics factory was acquired by Lockheed Martin.
Although the F-16 was officially christened the "Fighting Falcon", pilots and ground personnel refer to it as the "Viper". A less common nickname is Electric Jet, due to the F-16 being the first fly-by-wire fighter.
The current Dutch and Belgian version of the F-16 is the F-16A/B MLU (Mid-Life Update). This is the original 1979 version, which was brought to a higher standard by upgrades that also guaranteed its deployability for several years longer. In the Netherlands and in Belgium, the F-16 is being replaced by the F-35.
Kris Christiaens is a professional aviation photographer who always tries to portray the power, manoeuvrability and history of aircraft and helicopters in the most original and impressive way possible... Read more…