TangoWhiskey
Touchdown! Greaser!
CNN: "two Israeli Apache attack helicopters crashed in northern Israel early Friday after colliding in midair"
Armageddon Aviator said:The F16 -I (I is for Israel) is a largely modified Falcon.
It is manufactured in the USA according to Israeli specs (only minor modifications are made locally) .
The multi-role attack aircraft has a crew of 2 and an extended range.
Packed with sophisticated electronics, it has a distinctive "humpback".
The french tried to sell us modified Mirage 2000 but were turned down.
The last aircraft we purchased in France were Mirage IIIC in 1965 along with a few batches of Vautour bombers.
Since that time, Israel exclusively buys American hardware...
The only exception were 4 Panther naval helicopters (a modified version of the Dolphin).
Armageddon Aviator said:That's the available information regarding the IAF F-16I:
[SIZE=-1]The F-16I is a heavily modified two seat version of the U.S. Air Force's F-16D [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Block 50/52-series fighter. In addition to the new and more powerful Pratt & [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Whitney F100-PW-229 engine, the F-16I boasts numerous internal and e[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]xternal [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]advancements and modifications. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]For example, the Sufa has been customized with [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]new avionic technologies, internally [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]mounted FLIR (forward looking infrared) viewers, [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]and cutting edge weapon system [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]hardware provided by the Israeli defense company[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Lahav - a division of Israel Aircraft [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Industries. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]The Lahav technology will allow for simultaneous, multi-target air-to-air engagement [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]and increased standoff and survivability capabilities. The F-16I has been earmarked [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]to receive the new Python 5 imaging infrared-guided high agility air-to-air missile [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]produced by Rafael, the former Israeli Armaments Development Authority. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]The predecessor to the Python 5, the Python 4, was regarded to be the most [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]advanced heat-seeking missile in the world. The Python 5 boasts a new seeker less [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]prone to countermeasures, lock-after-launch capabilities, and an extended operational [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]engagement time once fired. In addition, the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-68(V)9 [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]multimode radar increases the distance of airborne engagement by 30 percent [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]over the older APG-69 system and affords the "Sufa" with a high-resolution [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]synthetic-aperture ground mapping capability. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Complementing the upgraded weapon systems is a dorsal compartment containing [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]enhanced mission avionics and chaff and flare dispensers, enabling it to conduct either [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]pilot training or combat missions. In addition, removable conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]have been added along the fuselage and above the wing roots, freeing-up underwing [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]hard points for [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]additional armaments. The F-16I has an unrefueled combat strike radius well in excess [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]of 500 miles. The extended flight range allows Israeli forces to attack targets well [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]within Iran and Libya without having to refuel. In addition, the cockpit of the F-16I has [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]been expanded to provide for the addition of an onboard weapons officer situated behind[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]the pilot. It has a 820 non-refueling radius of operation.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Israel had originally ordered 50 F-16Is in 2001 but increased the purchase to 102 [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]after deciding against the procurement of additional F-15Is. The acquisition of the [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Sufa compliments Israel's deterrent strategy by further strengthening the threat to [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]carry out retaliatory strikes throughout the Middle East while at the same time allowing[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]the IAF to retire aging A-4 Skyhawks and F-4E Phantom IIs in service with the IAF [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]since the late 1960s. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Three squadrons of the new aircraft are expected to be operational from the Ramon [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]airbase deep inside the Negev by 2008 with the first strike aircraft arriving next month.[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]With the arrival of the 102 F-16Is, Israel will have a total of 362 of the jets – the largest [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]fleet in any country in the world behind the United States. The F-16s are the backbone [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]of the IAF, but these new "I" models will give added punch to the long-range capabilities [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]of the IAF and will complement the squadron of F-15Is Israel received in the end of [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]the 1990s. [/SIZE]
Dave Krall CFII said:Thanks. That old Falcon is really loaded for Bear!