"This flight marks a historic milestone in the evolution of the F-16. The new F-16V configuration includes numerous enhancements designed to keep the F-16 at the forefront of international security, strengthening its position as the world’s foremost combat-proven 4th Generation fighter aircraft," Rod McLean, the vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s F-16/F-22 Integrated Fighter Group, said Wednesday.
According to the company, the flight took place on October 16.
The F-16V "Viper" has a new mission computer and a high-capacity Ethernet data bus among other enhancements that add to its combat capabilities.
The F-16 is one of the oldest and most popular combat aircraft in the US Air Force, with over 1200 of the fighters currently in use. It became operational in 1978, and is still flown by many air forces around the world, including Israel, Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt.
