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2024-02-01

F-16 Block 70 Dominates Slovakian Skies in Grand Arrival

Slovakia’s airpower has just received a major upgrade! Two F-16 Block 70 fighter jets, gleaming with the promise of enhanced national security, have touched down in the country. This marks a crucial moment, not just for Slovakia’s defence capabilities, but for the evolution of the iconic F-16 itself.

Crafted in Greenville, South Carolina, these jets stand as a testament to advanced engineering and have a current backlog of 135 jets. Moreover, Bulgaria has inked a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for an extra eight jets to bolster its fleet. Upon the finalisation of this agreement, the backlog will see an addition of eight more jets.

The deliveries for Slovakia are scheduled to persist until 2025, with the initial batch of jets, termed a ferry cell, anticipated to reach Slovakia by mid-2024.

OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of the Integrated Fighter Group at Lockheed Martin, emphasised: “The delivery of the first two F-16 Block 70 jets to Slovakia signifies a crucial starting point in bolstering the country’s defence capabilities. We are committed to delivering a total of 14 jets to Slovakia.

The integration of this platform will allow the Slovak Air Force to effectively safeguard its borders and partner with allies across Europe, NATO, and the world.”

Operational Excellence

The F-16 stands as a strategic and coveted option for numerous customers worldwide, offering advanced fighter aircraft capabilities, fostering regional and global partnerships, and ensuring affordable lifecycle costs. Currently operational in 25 countries, with over 3,100 units in service, the F-16 boasts an impressive track record, accumulating an estimated 19.5 million flight hours and over 13 million sorties.

The Block 70/72 represents the pinnacle of 4th generation fighter technology. With unmatched capabilities, it is already slated for deployment by six countries and counting.

Advanced Radar

Northrop Grumman’s advanced APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar provides the Block 70/72 with 5th Generation fighter radar capabilities by leveraging hardware and software commonality with F-22 and F-35 AESA radars. It provides greater situational awareness, flexibility and quicker all-weather targeting and helps pilots with unprecedented target area detail and digital map displays that can be tailored with slew and zoom features.

Imaging Precision

The Block 70/72 features a new, high resolution Centre Pedestal Display (CPD), which provides critical tactical imagery to pilots and allows them to take full advantage of AESA and targeting pod data.

The updated CPD introduces features such as colour moving maps, larger and more user-friendly air-to-air Situation Displays, zoom functionality allowing seamless information switching between displays, digital presentation of Flight Instrument Data, and a versatile colour/night helmet-mounted display.

Further integration of the Lockheed Martin Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod and Legion-ES IRST system not only boosts pilot situational awareness but also elevates warfighter survivability.

Saving Pilots

Developed by Lockheed Martin, the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS) was purpose-built to prevent deadly crashes and has already saved the lives of several pilots and F-16s since the system entered service with the U.S. Air Force in late 2014.

The Auto GCAS is designed to decrease incidents of what is known as controlled flight into terrain, or CFIT. According to U.S. Air Force statistics, CFIT incidents account for 26 per cent of aircraft losses and a staggering 75 per cent of all F-16 pilot fatalities.

Lockheed Martin has more than 36 years of weapon integration experience with the F-16, enabling it to be one of the most versatile multirole fighters ever.

In concert with the U.S. Air Force and multiple F-16 Foreign Military Sales customers, the company has certified more than 3,300 carriage and release configurations for greater than 180 weapon and store types.

Extended Structural Life

The Block 70/72 boasts an extended structural life of 12,000 hours-- over 50 per cent beyond previous F-16 models. This ensures a reliable, easily maintainable jet with a service life of at least 40 years for most air forces, free from anticipated extended structural repairs. The conformal fuel tanks offer enhanced fuel capacity and extended range without compromising the jet’s aerodynamice .

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