General Dynamics F-16A(ADF) Fighting Falcon
One of the early criticisms of the F-16 was its lack of long-range missile capability; though the YF-16 demonstrator was photographed with AIM-7 Sparrows, the early F-16s’ radar could not guide these missiles. Under the initial design parameters of the F-16A as a dogfighting day fighter, this lack was not considered a flaw, but as the F-16A entered service, this would prove to be a detriment, leaving only the F-4 and F-15 with the capability to shoot down enemy aircraft at long-range. F-16s in a fight with Soviet MiG-23s and MiG-29s would not be able to fire back until they were within visual range. The USAF had another problem as well: the defense of the continental United States against Soviet bombers was being undertaken by obsolescent F-106 Delta Darts and F-4C Phantom IIs.
To solve both problems, General Dynamics proposed an upgrade known officially as the Block 15 ADF (Air Defense Fighter). F-16 ADFs would be equipped with an upgraded radar allowing them to fire the AIM-7 (and later the AIM-120 AMRAAM), along with upgraded avionics, including IFF sensors; these gave the ADF its distinctive antenna array ahead of the cockpit and bulges at the base of the tail. A spotlight was added to the portside fuselage to aid in identifying aircraft by night. 240 F-16As were converted to ADF standard, with all of them going to dedicated fighter-interceptor units of the Air National Guard beginning in 1989, with conversions complete by 1992.
The F-16 ADF was intended mainly as an interim type until ANG units received the F-16C version, which began in 1994. As their intended role was defense of the continental US, they were never deployed outside of the Western Hemisphere, though a number were deployed to bases in the Caribbean and along the Mexican border to intercept and force down drug-smuggling aircraft under Operation Coronet Guard. With the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, ADF units began gradually converting to the multirole F-16C or disbanded entirely, leaving only two squadrons left with F-16 ADFs by 2000.
Ironically, the 116th Fighter Wing of the North Dakota ANG would undertake the only combat sortie of F-16 ADFs on 11 September 2001, when two aircraft on Coronet Guard duties were scrambled from Langely AFB and sent north to intercept airliners hijacked by al-Qaeda. These aircraft arrived just too late to stop American Airlines Flight 77 from hitting the Pentagon; they were then vectored north to intercept United Airlines Flight 93 before the passengers on that aircraft attacked the hijackers, who crashed the aircraft near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The 116th FW would be the last F-16 ADF unit in USAF service, retiring their aircraft in 2007 in favor of MQ-1 Predator drones.
This was not quite the end of the ADF in service, however. As Italy phased out its F-104S Starfighters, this left the country without a dedicated interceptor. For a time, the Aeronautica Militare Italiana leased Tornado F.3s from the British Royal Air Force, but beginning in 2003 began replacing these with ex-ANG F-16 ADFs; these aircraft were interim types until the Eurofighter Typhoon reached the AMI in numbers. Other ADF aircraft have been exported to Portugal and Jordan.
This F-16 ADF is painted in the colors of the 120th Fighter-Interceptor Wing of the Montana Air National Guard, flying from Great Falls International Airport. The 120th FIW received early model F-16As in 1987 to replace the F-106A, and these were subsequently converted to F-16 ADFs beginning in 1990. The 120th would retain the ADF until early 2001, when the wing converted to the multirole mission with F-16Cs. The aircraft carries the tail motif of the 120th FIW and standard USAF F-16 camouflage of gunship gray and ghost gray. It is equipped for the interception mission, with two AIM-120 AMRAAMs, two AIM-9L Sidewinders, and two external fuel tanks.
General Dynamics F-16A(ADF) Fighting Falcon
One of the early criticisms of the F-16 was its lack of long-range missile capability; though the YF-16 demonstrator was photographed with AIM-7 Sparrows, the early F-16s’ radar could not guide these missiles. Under the initial design parameters of the F-16A as a dogfighting day fighter, this lack was not considered a flaw, but as the F-16A entered service, this would prove to be a detriment, leaving only the F-4 and F-15 with the capability to shoot down enemy aircraft at long-range. F-16s in a fight with Soviet MiG-23s and MiG-29s would not be able to fire back until they were within visual range. The USAF had another problem as well: the defense of the continental United States against Soviet bombers was being undertaken by obsolescent F-106 Delta Darts and F-4C Phantom IIs.
To solve both problems, General Dynamics proposed an upgrade known officially as the Block 15 ADF (Air Defense Fighter). F-16 ADFs would be equipped with an upgraded radar allowing them to fire the AIM-7 (and later the AIM-120 AMRAAM), along with upgraded avionics, including IFF sensors; these gave the ADF its distinctive antenna array ahead of the cockpit and bulges at the base of the tail. A spotlight was added to the portside fuselage to aid in identifying aircraft by night. 240 F-16As were converted to ADF standard, with all of them going to dedicated fighter-interceptor units of the Air National Guard beginning in 1989, with conversions complete by 1992.
The F-16 ADF was intended mainly as an interim type until ANG units received the F-16C version, which began in 1994. As their intended role was defense of the continental US, they were never deployed outside of the Western Hemisphere, though a number were deployed to bases in the Caribbean and along the Mexican border to intercept and force down drug-smuggling aircraft under Operation Coronet Guard. With the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, ADF units began gradually converting to the multirole F-16C or disbanded entirely, leaving only two squadrons left with F-16 ADFs by 2000.
Ironically, the 116th Fighter Wing of the North Dakota ANG would undertake the only combat sortie of F-16 ADFs on 11 September 2001, when two aircraft on Coronet Guard duties were scrambled from Langely AFB and sent north to intercept airliners hijacked by al-Qaeda. These aircraft arrived just too late to stop American Airlines Flight 77 from hitting the Pentagon; they were then vectored north to intercept United Airlines Flight 93 before the passengers on that aircraft attacked the hijackers, who crashed the aircraft near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The 116th FW would be the last F-16 ADF unit in USAF service, retiring their aircraft in 2007 in favor of MQ-1 Predator drones.
This was not quite the end of the ADF in service, however. As Italy phased out its F-104S Starfighters, this left the country without a dedicated interceptor. For a time, the Aeronautica Militare Italiana leased Tornado F.3s from the British Royal Air Force, but beginning in 2003 began replacing these with ex-ANG F-16 ADFs; these aircraft were interim types until the Eurofighter Typhoon reached the AMI in numbers. Other ADF aircraft have been exported to Portugal and Jordan.
This F-16 ADF is painted in the colors of the 120th Fighter-Interceptor Wing of the Montana Air National Guard, flying from Great Falls International Airport. The 120th FIW received early model F-16As in 1987 to replace the F-106A, and these were subsequently converted to F-16 ADFs beginning in 1990. The 120th would retain the ADF until early 2001, when the wing converted to the multirole mission with F-16Cs. The aircraft carries the tail motif of the 120th FIW and standard USAF F-16 camouflage of gunship gray and ghost gray. It is equipped for the interception mission, with two AIM-120 AMRAAMs, two AIM-9L Sidewinders, and two external fuel tanks.