Why the F-16 is Such a Badass Plane Story of the Fighting Falcon F-16 Viper

For more than forty years, the F-16 Fighting Falcon has served as the backbone of the US Air Force’s fighter fleet! Today, we will explain how the F-16 became one of the biggest success stories in the world of military aviation. Conceived in the early 1970s, by a small but vocal group of engineers, and defense analysts known as the Lightweight Fighter Mafia, the F-16 was designed as an alternative to fighter aircraft that had grown increasingly heavy and unmaneuverable. Over the decades, the F-16 has unofficially been referred to as “the Viper”. Despite its initial lightweight, day-fighter emphasis, the F-16 would immediately develop into a multi-role fighter-bomber. Despite its initial lightweight, day-fighter emphasis, the F-16 would immediately develop into a multi-role fighter-bomber. As the LWF was underway, NATO allies Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway were on the lookout for a replacement for their Lockheed F-104G Starfighter fighter-bombers. The similarly sized, single-e