The world’s most popular fighter jet just turned 50, but it still packs a punch

• The F-16 Fighting Falcon has been flying for over 50 years after first taking flight in early 1974.
• With 4,500 units sold and 3,100 still operational, it is the world’s most popular aircraft.
• The F-16 pioneered new technology, and it remains a powerful, cost-effective jet, evolving with upgrades.

On January 20, 1974, a runway high-speed taxi test involving General Dynamics’ YF-16 accidentally resulted in the first flight of the prototype aircraft that would become the world-famous F-16 Fighting Falcon, the most popular fighter jet.

Fifty years later, more than 4,500 F-16s have been sold — with 3,100 out of all the US military’s fixed-wing platforms and among the lowest hourly costs.

Hollings said “the F-16’s combination of high performance and relatively low operating cost will see it continue to serve as the backbone of American airpower for some time to come.”

The US Air Force is planning a significant further upgrade to keep its F-16 fleet operational into the 2040s with Lockheed Martin — the aircraft’s manufacturer since 1995 — saying it will stay viable until at least 2060.

However, as the skies of the future become increasingly dominated by stealth aircraft, the F-16’s battlefield role may change.

“As the threat environment changes, we’ll likely see a shift in the way aircraft like the F-16 are leveraged in combat,” Hollings said.

In potential future conflicts, fifth-generation aircraft, like the F-35 and the F-22, may penetrate deeper into contested airspaces and relay target information back to less stealthy aircraft, like the F-16, which “will be carrying larger stand-off weapons operating beyond the reach of enemy air defenses,” he said.