The American fourth-generation fighter jet, the F-16 Fighting Falcon, has received a radar that gives it the capabilities of fifth-generation aircraft, according to The National Interest (NI).
As noted by the publication, the upgraded F-16 Block 70 and Block 72 models have received the same set of equipment and differ only in terms of their engines. The first version is equipped with the General Electric F110 engine, while the Block 72 incorporates the Pratt & Whitney F100 engine.
According to the NI report, the Block 70/72 aircraft differ from previous versions of the F-16 with a modernized cockpit featuring a high-resolution main display, an expanded arsenal of weapons, and conformal fuel tanks. In addition, the aircraft are equipped with the AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) antenna.
Previously, Yuri Knutov, the director of the Air Defense Museum, stated that the S-300, S-350 “Vityaz,” S-400 “Triumph,” and “Buk-M3” anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMs) are capable of shooting down the planned delivery of American F-16 fighters to Ukraine.
On December 9, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustam Umorov announced negotiations for the transfer of Western aircraft to the Ukrainian Air Force. He stated that the delivery of F-16 fighters is within the near-term perspective. He also added that discussions for the supply to the Ukrainian Air Force include not only American F-16s but also any other aircraft.
Earlier, NATO set a condition for the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine.
