Alttayaran Fi Alkhalij F-16G Al'alfiat Alssaqr

[comrade harps]

Alttayaran Fi Alkhalij F-16G Al'alfiat Alssaqr (Tranche 3)
Shaheen 1 Squadron, United Arab Emirates Air Force
Al Dhafra Air Base, UAE, March, 2011



In the late 1980s and early 1990s, interest began to coalesce around the idea of a multi-national fighter program for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members. An indigenous design was thought possible, but after the creation of Alttayaran Fi Alkhalij (Gulf Aviation) to manage the project and a few false starts, the GCC sought an American partner. Enter Lockheed Martin, which had long been pitching a variety of standard F-16C/D and alternative advanced models to the GCC members. With Lockheed Martin teamed with the Pakistan Aircraft Company (PAC), a proposal for a customised F-16C/D-based derivative with the larger wing from the Lockheed's Agile Falcon design was agreed to by the GCC members in the mid-1990s. Intended as a fighter for the first half of the 21st century, the name Al'alfiat Alssaqr (Millennium Falcon) was adopted, the type also receiving the US designations of F-16G (single-seat combat) and H (two-seat combat-capable trainer) and K (two-seat combat type with big spine for all-weather attack and SEAD missions).






Manufacturing of the F-16G/H/K series brought together US companies like Lockheed Martin, General Electric (F110-129 turbofan engine), Northrop Grumman (AN/ALQ-165 Airborne Self-Protect Jammer) and Westinghouse (AN/APG-68 radar), with final assembly by PAC in Pakistan and at the Al'alfiat Alssaqr In-Kingdom Final Assembly (AAIKFA) plant in Saudi Arabia. The F-16G/H/K is a modular design and has been built in Tranches, with the improvements of each Tranche being able to be retrofitted to earlier aircraft during overhauls. Tranche 1 and 2 aircraft, for example, used the AN/APG-68 V5 radar, but Tranche 3 introduced the V8 model. Conformal fuel tanks and the multi-national IRIS-T IIR-guided air-to-air missile were also introduced with Tranche 3. The Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod is the type's standard targeting pod and is matched to a large range of precision-guided munitions, including Paveway, JDAM, LJDAM and Maverick. The Al'alfiat Alssaqr is integrated with the AGM-88C HARM, the G and H models supporting its deployment with the Raytheon AN/ASQ-213 HTS whereas the K uses internal emitter targeting avionics.





The Al'alfiat Alssaqr has entered service with the air forces of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). With these nations, the type has seen combat against Iran, over Iraq and Syria (against both the Syrian government and later Islamic State and other extremist rebels) and Yemen (against Houthi rebels). The UAE aircraft depicted here is a Tranche 3 plane as seen during operations over Syria. It is equipped for the SEAD/DEAD mission profile with HARMs and GBU-54 laser JDAMs, with AIM-120C AMRAAMs and Iris-T air-to-air missiles. These missions were usually flown teamed with HARM-armed F-16Ks, which also used their internal avionics for jamming/spoofing.

[Tophe]

With these additional tanks, this plane seems very very long range... has it a "round-the-World" ability? (good model anyway, at this scale)...

[comrade harps]

With these additional tanks, this plane seems very very long range... has it a "round-the-World" ability? (good model anyway, at this scale)...

Wild Weasels are first in, last out. Plenty of loiter time.

[zenrat]

 

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice! F-16s in desert camo have a certain charm. 

[JayBee]

I think our Gondor will love that. After his F-16/Mitsubishi F-2A swap.

[Steel Penguin]

 
looks good,  the colours and the shape change really works

[comrade harps]

F-2A with the CFTs is early real-world, too: F-2 Super Kai http://www.f-16.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3264

[sandiego89]

Nice  is that a F-15 canopy? 

[ennobee]

Thinking of that, I would like to see a real 'Star Wars' Millennium Falcon in desert camo and Iraqi markings. May be some Bahraini special color scheme?

[DogfighterZen]

Comrade, i like that a lot!

[NARSES2]

That is nice

[comrade harps]

Nice  is that a F-15 canopy? 

Nope, just the standard Mitsubishi F-2A canopy.

Does anyone know why they went with a framed bubble top front end and not that F-16's frameless clearview?

[DogfighterZen]

Does anyone know why they went with a framed bubble top front end and not that F-16's frameless clearview?

From what i've read, it's because of the F-2's low level attack and close support role, against large bird strikes.

[comrade harps]

Does anyone know why they went with a framed bubble top front end and not that F-16's frameless clearview?

From what i've read, it's because of the F-2's low level attack and close support role, against large bird strikes.

Thought it might be something to do with bird strikes, I just hadn't seen it referred to, so thanks for the confirmation.