Ability of the F-4 to change its maneuver (that is, to roll rapidly while pulling high Gs) was poor.ĬOST. While the F-4 can pull 7G in turns, which was acceptable for that time, it can only do so by rapidly bleeding off energy (losing speed and/or altitude). Vision down and to the sides is poor vision to the rear is nonexistent. It is designed for a pilot to look straight ahead. In order to minimize high-speed drag, the F-4, and all combat aircraft before the F-14, does not have a bubble canopy. F-4 pilots to frequently found themselves fighting at separation distances at which they could not see the smaller MiG-21s, but the MiG-21 pilots could see them. As the Vietnam War drew to a close, it was generally agreed that the F-4 had prohibitive deficiencies including: Against very inferior North Vietnamese pilots flying small, highly maneuverable MiG-21s, the air-to-air kill ratio sometimes dropped as low as 2 to 1, where it had been 13 to 1 in Korea. Used as a fighter rather than as an interceptor in Vietnam, the F-4 was severely miscast. Be that as it may, the F-4 interceptor was designed to meet the fleet defense mission by using rapid climb to high altitude, high supersonic speed, and radar-guided missiles to shoot down threat aircraft at long distance. The F-4 was originally designed as an interceptor for defense of the fleet against air attack - a mission neither it nor any other jet has ever executed, because no US fleet has come under air attack since the beginning of the jet age. This trend reached its extremity in the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom, which was the principal fighter for both the US Air Force and Navy during the latter part of the Vietnam War. Genesis of the successful F-16 fighter/attack aircraft lies in reaction to severe deficiencies in US fighter design revealed by the Vietnam War.įollowing the success of the small, highly maneuverable F-86 day fighter in the Korean War, US fighter design changed to emphasize maximum speed, altitude, and radar capability at the expense of maneuverability, pilot vision, and other attributes needed for close combat. because no other fighter comes close to offering all its strengths. To that end, no other fighter can match the F-16’s record. Nations who operate and will operate the F-16 have made an important commitment to its citizens: national defense. These customers have experienced the performance and reliability of the F-16 firsthand and reaffirm the high quality of the aircraft. More than 4,300 F-16s have been produced for 24 countries with 52 follow-on buys by 14 customers – a key indicator of customer satisfaction.
Nations around the world have evaluated the variety of choices available and consistently selected the F-16, the world’s most capable multirole fighter. The F-16 soars above all others as the world’s standard.