Check the Comparison of F-16 vs F-35A Fighter Jet Specifications, Is It Worth Replacing?

JAKARTA – The comparison of the specifications of the United States (US) F-16 vs F-35A fighter jets is interesting to review. Both are the mainstay weapons of Uncle Sam’s country in its air sector.

Recently, the United States (US) plans to double its air power in the Pacific to face potential conflict with China. One of the steps taken is to replace the fleet of 36 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft in Japan with 48 F-35A stealth fighter jets.

Furthermore, how does the F-16 fighter jet compare to the United States’ F-35A? Here’s the review.

F-16 vs F-35A Fighter Jet Spec Comparison

1. F-16

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine supersonic multi-role fighter jet from the United States. Not only is it maneuverable, this fighter jet is quite reliable when used for air combat or supporting ground attacks.

Quoting the Air Force, the F-16 can reach a range of more than 500 miles when operated. In addition, this fighter jet is also capable of attacking targets with high-accuracy weapons and defending itself from enemy attacks.

Looking back, the F16A was first used operationally in January 1979. After that, the fighter jet continued to produce many new variants which are still in use today.

Carrying the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200 engine, the F-16 is equipped with various capable weapons. For example, the Canon M-61A1 20mm and a number of external hardpoints that can be embedded with air missiles or other ammunition.

Then, this fighter jet also has a number of special features. For example, an avionics system that helps pilots and crews perform accurate navigation processes, UHF and VHF radios plus for landing systems to warning systems and modular countermeasure pods to counter threats.

2. F-35A

The F-35A is the United States Air Force’s latest fifth-generation fighter jet. Its development was originally intended to replace the aging fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcons and A-10 Thunderbolt IIs.

With its advanced aerodynamic performance and integrated avionics, the F-35A will be the next generation stealth fighter jet. Its sensor suite is also sophisticated, designed to collect, combine and distribute more information than previous fighters.

Under its hood, the F-35A carries a Pratt & Whitney F135 engine. This allows it to reach speeds of up to Mach 1.6 or around 1,200 mph.

Moving on to weapons, this fighter jet can carry a variety of weapons, either internally or externally according to its mission. For example, such as AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-132 ASRAAM, JDAM, JSOW, Brimstone, WCMD, MBDA Meteor, and several other missiles.

Furthermore, the F-35 is designed to achieve a level of reliability and maintainability that the US has never had before. The hope is that this fighter jet can become the most advanced multi-role air weapon in the world.

That is the comparison of the United States’ F-16 vs F-35A fighter jets that you can know.

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