"At any given moment in time, there is an F-16 flying in the world, and that's not hyperbole," says OJ Sanchez, the vice president and general manager of the integrated fighter group at aerospace and defense giant, Lockheed Martin.
Now 50 years on, while newer jets multiply and sixth-generation fighters are on the horizon, Lockheed Martin is insistent: the fourth-generation F-16 isn't going anywhere.
F-16s are still "relevant and capable and ready," Sanchez told Newsweek at the Royal International Air Tattoo at the RAF Fairford air base in Gloucestershire, U.K.
"What we see in the F-16 is not only this amazing and adaptable technology that is relevant for the future, but also an airplane and a system that brings together like-minded partners and allies, and that is most true here in NATO."
Lockheed Martin say that 4,600 F-16s have been produced in the half-century since the program started. The jet has undergone several waves of upgrades over the decades, and the latest version—the Block 70/72—will be delivered to Slovakia in the coming weeks.
The changes are mostly internal. The basic structure has mostly remained constant, Sanchez said, but there are "tremendous differences on the inside."
Newer F-16s feature technology such as what Lockheed Martin terms the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System, which automatically takes over if a pilot is distracted or incapacitated, and newer radars. "We've been able to adapt through the internal hardware and software in ways like that to stay relevant," Sanchez said.
Similar trends are visible elsewhere. The Eurofighter Typhoon, which completed its maiden flight three decades ago, is being constantly upgraded, its manufacturers say. BAE Systems announced last week that it had completed ground-based testing with Leonardo UK for a new advanced radar, destined for the Typhoon.
With at least 128 more F-16s still to be built, the Fighting Falcon is up against the fifth-generation F-35—the stealth jet also developed by Lockheed Martin.
"F-16s and F-35s are really the pinnacle of aircraft and aviation right now," Chris "Sasquatch" Nations, an F-16 test and production pilot for Lockheed Martin, told Newsweek. "You can't go wrong with either one."
The latest F-16s will have the same radar as the F-35, and software upgrades for the stealth jet can often be compatible with the F-16. "That's why we see nations continue to fly them," Sanchez said.
There is still a large demand for F-16s, Nations said, with the jets expected to be in service until the 2060s.
One country clamoring for more F-16s is Ukraine. Kyiv's Western backers pledged to send F-16s to Ukraine last year, but the timelines on getting the jets operational and in the air have been vague and prone to delays. Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium have committed to providing F-16s to Ukraine.
"It's been 18 months and the planes have not reached us," Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky told the BBC earlier this week.
The jets will be a significant upgrade to Ukraine's air force, battered by more than two years of war against the Russians' superior and larger fleet. As some nations have moved toward F-35s, there may be additional F-16s Ukraine will hope to get their hands on.
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