Difference between revisions of "F-16A ADF (Italy)"
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=== Pros and cons === | === Pros and cons === | ||
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' --> | <!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' --> | ||
| − | <!--''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".--> | + | <!--''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".--> |
'''Pros:''' | '''Pros:''' | ||
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== History == | == History == | ||
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' --> | <!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' --> | ||
| − | + | The history of the F-16 ADF began in during the mid 1980's, America had phased out their USAF Air Defense Command which meant the next in line to protect the American skies would completely fall unto the Air National Guard. Their main task was to intercept bombers from the Soviet Union in a theoretical invasion. This meant that they would need an agile aircraft who could not only be fast enough to intercept the high altitude bombers, but also be properly equipped to shoot enemy aircraft down. General Dynamics initally would convert up to 270 F-16A/F-16B airframes into ADF standard. The modification would retain the ability to mount air-to-ground missiles, rockets and bombs however it introduced the AN/APG-66 radar which greatly improved target acquisition of small targets, IFF for distinguishing friendlies and foes (AN/APX-109), and a 150,000-candlepower night spotlight for identification. The ADF would be in service for many years, but ultimately due to the cold war dying down after the USSR disolved, the need for all the surplus F-16's would dwindle down. Some of the ADF's would be converted back into regular F-16A or B's, whilst others were either put in storage or exported to other nations. In Italy's case, during the end of the cold war the F104's were still Italy's primary defence against enemy bombers and fighter jets, and although it did have some upsides as it was still extremely fast meaning it could react to threats quicker, but for dogfighting it was not fit. Italy joined in the Eurofighter program, which also included Spain, Germany and the UK, this would allow the nations listed to have a common modern multi-role fighter that would go into service and remain in service for decades to come. The issue however was development of this new fighter required time and money, something which after the soviet union collapsed was not readily availible, especially due to all western/NATO countries deciding to downsize their armed forces. Italy would be put in a very tough situation, the F104's were still in service but could not risk them being shot down in case they were forced to enter a dogfight. As a stop gap measure Italy would initially order from the UK several Tornado's in the ADVs (F.3) variant which would be able to give Italy a decent fighter which was capable of dogfighting. They weren't outright bought, but actually rented to the Italian Air Force from stocks belonging to the RAF in 1993 with a decade-long contract, since Italy also operated quantities of the [[Tornado IDS (1995) (Italy)|IDS]] variant. They did their job but the joint developed Eurofighter program had other setbacks once again which meant that Italy had to make a choice, either extend the rental of the ADV fighters or choose another stop-gap option. The ADV would become too expensive to rent again so they were returned, Italy would study its choices but ended up prefering the American F-16, especially in it's ADF variant. Thus in 2001, an agreement was signed with the United States on 15th March to provide the Italian airforce with 30 F-16A ADFs,1 F-16B ADF and 3 F-16B block 5 and 10 in OCU configuration. Before delivery to the Italian airforce, the aircraft would be brought out of storage at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona and transfered to the Ogden ALC at Hill AFB, Utah, where they would undergo 220 days of refurbishment and upgrades. Part of the upgrades included the Falcon-Up and several changes to the aircraft such as replacement of particular bulkheads, updating the landing gear and anything which extended its life, as the ones which were put out of storage already had several hundred hours of flightime. Once refurbishment was completed in the US, the F-16's would be delivered to the Italian Air Force as part of the "Peace Caesar" program.<ref>https://www.f-16.net/f-16_users_article10.html</ref> Its good to note that whilst the part of the F-16's were being ready, several pilots from the Italian airforce would be sent to America to be trained on the aircraft, which also included armament familiarization. Italian F-16's in service would not be equipped with rockets, bombs or air to ground munitions, however they did still retain the ability to do so. Italian F-16 armament consisted of AIM-120, AIM-9L and also AIM-9E and M anti air missiles. The 20mm Vulcan was also kept. Italian F-16's would be a main component of the Italian air force. One of their first deployments would be in Libyan airspace, as part of NATO’s Operation Unified Protector which established a no-fly zone over Libya. They'd also be used as escorts for Italian SEAD packages. As the first decade went by relatively peacefully and the eventual commission of Eurofighters for Italy, Italian F-16's belonging to the 5° Stormo would be retired at Cervia air base in 2010 with with each F-16 being painted in a special colour. In the 23rd of May 2012, a disbanding ceremony would held at Trapani-Birgi air force base to mark the disbandment of the 18° Gruppo, which at that point was the sole surviving F-16 squadron within the Italian air force. Not all Italian F-16's were returned to America, some were stored in Italy whilst some made their way in museums for example at the Vigna di Valle museum there is an F-16 which belonged to 23° Gruppo of the 5° Stormo, MM7251. | |
| − | |||
| − | As the first decade went by relatively peacefully and the eventual commission of Eurofighters for Italy, the | ||
== Media == | == Media == | ||
Revision as of 15:35, 5 January 2023
| This page is about the Italian jet fighter F-16 ADF. For other uses, see F-16 (Family). |
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Contents
Description
The ▄F-16A Block 15 ADF Fighting Falcon is a rank VIII Italian jet fighter with a battle rating of 12.7 (AB/RB) and 13.0 (SB). It was introduced in Update "Apex Predators".
A representation of rented F-16A ADFs from the USAF for the Italian Air Force; aside from the roundel on the aircraft, the jet performs exactly like its American counterpart, ensuring the air-combat capability of Italy with some of the most advanced missiles in game, as well as advanced avionics and manoeuvrability.
General info
Flight performance
Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.
| Characteristics | Max speed (km/h at _,___ m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | ___ | ___ | 15240 | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | ___ |
| Upgraded | ___ | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | ||
Details
| Features | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear | Drogue chute |
| X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| Limits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
| Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
| 0 | 482 | N/A | ___ | ___ | ~__ | ~__ |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < ___ | < ___ | < ___ | N/A |
Engine performance
| Engine | Aircraft mass | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine name | Number | Basic mass | Wing loading (full fuel) | |||
| Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 | 1 | _,___ kg | ___ kg/m2 | |||
| Engine characteristics | Mass with fuel (no weapons load) | Max Gross Weight | ||||
| Weight (each) | Type | _m fuel | __m fuel | __m fuel | ||
| 1,470 kg | Afterburning low-bypass turbofan | _,___ kg | _,___ kg | _,___ kg | _,___ kg | |
| Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB) | Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (___%/WEP) | |||||
| Condition | 100% | ___%/WEP | _m fuel | __m fuel | __m fuel | MGW |
| Stationary | 6070 kgf | 8570 kgf | _.__ | _.__ | _.__ | _.__ |
| Optimal | ___ kgf (_ km/h) |
___ kgf (_ km/h) |
_.__ | _.__ | _.__ | _.__ |
Survivability and armour
Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.
Modifications and economy
| Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armaments
| Ballistic Computer | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| CCIP (Guns) | CCIP (Rockets) | CCIP (Bombs) | CCRP (Bombs) |
 |
 |
|
|
Offensive armament
The F-16A ADF (Italy) is armed with:
- A choice between two presets:
- 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon, wing root-mounted (512 rpg)
- 1 x 20 mm M61A1 cannon + 60 x countermeasures
Suspended armament
The F-16A ADF (Italy) can be outfitted with the following ordnance presets:
- 1 x 300 gal drop tank
- 2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles
- 6 x AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles
- 2 x AIM-7M Sparrow missiles
Custom loadout options
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIM-7M Sparrow missiles | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 300 gal drop tanks | 1 |
Usage in battles
Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).
Pros and cons
Pros:
- High power-to-weight ratio gives it an incredible acceleration
- Highly manoeuvrable at lower speeds
- Able to carry a drop tank to extend flight time
- Access to 6 x AIM-9L sidewinder missiles
Cons:
- Consumes fuel quickly
- G limit
- No air-to-ground armament
History
The history of the F-16 ADF began in during the mid 1980's, America had phased out their USAF Air Defense Command which meant the next in line to protect the American skies would completely fall unto the Air National Guard. Their main task was to intercept bombers from the Soviet Union in a theoretical invasion. This meant that they would need an agile aircraft who could not only be fast enough to intercept the high altitude bombers, but also be properly equipped to shoot enemy aircraft down. General Dynamics initally would convert up to 270 F-16A/F-16B airframes into ADF standard. The modification would retain the ability to mount air-to-ground missiles, rockets and bombs however it introduced the AN/APG-66 radar which greatly improved target acquisition of small targets, IFF for distinguishing friendlies and foes (AN/APX-109), and a 150,000-candlepower night spotlight for identification. The ADF would be in service for many years, but ultimately due to the cold war dying down after the USSR disolved, the need for all the surplus F-16's would dwindle down. Some of the ADF's would be converted back into regular F-16A or B's, whilst others were either put in storage or exported to other nations. In Italy's case, during the end of the cold war the F104's were still Italy's primary defence against enemy bombers and fighter jets, and although it did have some upsides as it was still extremely fast meaning it could react to threats quicker, but for dogfighting it was not fit. Italy joined in the Eurofighter program, which also included Spain, Germany and the UK, this would allow the nations listed to have a common modern multi-role fighter that would go into service and remain in service for decades to come. The issue however was development of this new fighter required time and money, something which after the soviet union collapsed was not readily availible, especially due to all western/NATO countries deciding to downsize their armed forces. Italy would be put in a very tough situation, the F104's were still in service but could not risk them being shot down in case they were forced to enter a dogfight. As a stop gap measure Italy would initially order from the UK several Tornado's in the ADVs (F.3) variant which would be able to give Italy a decent fighter which was capable of dogfighting. They weren't outright bought, but actually rented to the Italian Air Force from stocks belonging to the RAF in 1993 with a decade-long contract, since Italy also operated quantities of the IDS variant. They did their job but the joint developed Eurofighter program had other setbacks once again which meant that Italy had to make a choice, either extend the rental of the ADV fighters or choose another stop-gap option. The ADV would become too expensive to rent again so they were returned, Italy would study its choices but ended up prefering the American F-16, especially in it's ADF variant. Thus in 2001, an agreement was signed with the United States on 15th March to provide the Italian airforce with 30 F-16A ADFs,1 F-16B ADF and 3 F-16B block 5 and 10 in OCU configuration. Before delivery to the Italian airforce, the aircraft would be brought out of storage at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona and transfered to the Ogden ALC at Hill AFB, Utah, where they would undergo 220 days of refurbishment and upgrades. Part of the upgrades included the Falcon-Up and several changes to the aircraft such as replacement of particular bulkheads, updating the landing gear and anything which extended its life, as the ones which were put out of storage already had several hundred hours of flightime. Once refurbishment was completed in the US, the F-16's would be delivered to the Italian Air Force as part of the "Peace Caesar" program.[1] Its good to note that whilst the part of the F-16's were being ready, several pilots from the Italian airforce would be sent to America to be trained on the aircraft, which also included armament familiarization. Italian F-16's in service would not be equipped with rockets, bombs or air to ground munitions, however they did still retain the ability to do so. Italian F-16 armament consisted of AIM-120, AIM-9L and also AIM-9E and M anti air missiles. The 20mm Vulcan was also kept. Italian F-16's would be a main component of the Italian air force. One of their first deployments would be in Libyan airspace, as part of NATO’s Operation Unified Protector which established a no-fly zone over Libya. They'd also be used as escorts for Italian SEAD packages. As the first decade went by relatively peacefully and the eventual commission of Eurofighters for Italy, Italian F-16's belonging to the 5° Stormo would be retired at Cervia air base in 2010 with with each F-16 being painted in a special colour. In the 23rd of May 2012, a disbanding ceremony would held at Trapani-Birgi air force base to mark the disbandment of the 18° Gruppo, which at that point was the sole surviving F-16 squadron within the Italian air force. Not all Italian F-16's were returned to America, some were stored in Italy whilst some made their way in museums for example at the Vigna di Valle museum there is an F-16 which belonged to 23° Gruppo of the 5° Stormo, MM7251.
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
See also
The F-16 family
- F-16A and F-16A Netz: Block 10 variants with ground attack capabilities
- F-16A ADF: Block 15 of US ANG (Air National Guard) before they were leased to Italy
- F-16A MLU: so-called Block 20 dedicated to ROCAF with both aerial combat and ground attack capabilities
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| Italy jet aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Aerfer | Sagittario 2 · Ariete |
| Fiat | G.91 pre-serie · G.91 R/1 · G.91 R/4 (Portugal) · G.91 Y · G.91 YS |
| AMX International | AMX · AMX A-1A (Brazil) |
| Panavia | Tornado ADV · ▄Tornado IDS · ▄Tornado IDS (1995) |
| Foreign: | |
| Vampire | Vampire FB 52A |
| F-84 | ▄F-84F · ▄F-84G-21-RE |
| F-86 | CL-13 Mk.4 · ▄F-86K |
| F-104 | ▄F-104G · F-104S · ▄F-104S TAF (Turkey) · F-104S.ASA |
| F-16 | ▄F-16A ADF |
| AV-8 | ▄AV-8B Plus |
| Hungary | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich | ◔MiG-15bis · ◔MiG-17PF · ◔MiG-21MF · ◔MiG-21bis-SAU · ◔MiG-23MF · ◔MiG-29 |
| Ilyushin | ◔IL-28 |
| Sukhoi | ◔Su-22M3 |
| Saab | ◔JAS39EBS HU C |
