Lockheed Martin F-16G Fighting Falcon

History

The Lockheed Martin F-16G Fighting Falcon is a proposed U.S. multirole fighter derived from the F-16 Block 70 production standard. The concept is intended to provide newly built F-16s for U.S. Air Force units as older F-16C/D aircraft approach the limits of their service lives.

The proposed configuration combines the current-production F-16 airframe with additional fuel capacity, passive infrared sensing, targeting equipment and features intended to improve operation from shorter or less developed airfields. As of September 2026, the U.S. Air Force had not established a formal requirement or committed funding for an F-16G procurement program.

The proposal forms part of a broader examination of how the Air Force could increase fighter capacity while simultaneously replacing aging aircraft, procuring F-35As and F-15EXs, introducing the F-47 and developing Collaborative Combat Aircraft.

Development

The possibility of renewed U.S. F-16 procurement predates the F-16G designation. In 2021, U.S. Air Force acquisition leadership publicly discussed the potential value of the active F-16 production line in South Carolina as part of a future fighter-capacity solution.

In May 2025, Air Force leadership was questioned about the possibility of acquiring a U.S.-configured advanced F-16 based on the Block 70. The issues identified for examination included the time required to adapt the export configuration, available manufacturing capacity and the ability of the industrial base to support additional production.

By December 2025, the Air Force had sought pricing information for new Block 70 aircraft. The discussions remained exploratory and did not constitute a procurement decision.

In September 2026, the proposed F-16G configuration became publicly identified as an enhanced Block 70 derivative intended for possible U.S. Air Force use. The Air Force was then preparing options for its next Future Years Defense Program and stated that precise mission requirements and the range of possible solutions had not yet been defined.

The earliest planning horizon associated with a possible new procurement is fiscal 2028. This is a budget and force-planning timeframe rather than a confirmed F-16G prototype, production or service-entry date.

Production context

Lockheed Martin currently builds F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft at Greenville, South Carolina. The facility became the center of F-16 production after manufacturing moved from Fort Worth, Texas, where production capacity increasingly focused on the F-35.

The Greenville line began producing the latest-generation export aircraft before the F-16G proposal emerged and already has a substantial international order backlog. A U.S. order would therefore use an active production system rather than require the reopening of a dormant F-16 assembly line, although available production slots and the extent of any U.S.-specific engineering remain unresolved.

Design

The F-16G is proposed as an improved derivative of the F-16 Block 70 rather than a continuation of the older F-16C/D configuration currently operated by the U.S. Air Force. The concept retains the established F-16 airframe family while adding equipment intended to increase range, endurance, sensing capability and operational flexibility.

Airframe and fuel

The proposed configuration includes conformal fuel tanks mounted along the fuselage and 600-gallon external wing tanks. Conformal tanks increase fuel capacity without occupying the conventional underwing weapon stations, while the larger external tanks provide additional endurance at the cost of using wing stations.

The current Block 70 airframe is designed around a structural service life of approximately 12,000 flight hours. A new-build F-16G would therefore begin service with a substantially fresher structure than the decades-old F-16s it is being considered to replace.

Sensors and mission equipment

The F-16G proposal includes an infrared search-and-track system. IRST provides passive detection and tracking of airborne targets through their infrared signatures without requiring the fighter to transmit radar energy.

A Sniper targeting pod is also part of the proposed configuration. The pod provides electro-optical and infrared targeting functions for air-to-ground missions and other sensor-dependent tasks.

The F-16G is based on the Block 70 standard, whose established configuration includes modern digital avionics and an active electronically scanned array radar. The final radar, electronic warfare suite and other U.S.-specific avionics for an F-16G have not been formally defined by the Air Force, so equipment discussed as possible additions should not be treated as confirmed production features.

Landing equipment

A drag chute is included in the proposed configuration. The parachute reduces landing rollout and could improve the aircraft's ability to operate from shorter or austere runways, an attribute relevant to dispersed basing concepts.

Program status

As of September 2026, the F-16G remained a Lockheed Martin proposal rather than an approved U.S. Air Force acquisition program. No purchase quantity, contract, production schedule, prototype completion date or service-entry date had been announced.

The Air Force was examining multiple approaches to its fighter-capacity requirements. Its considerations included the need to replace aging F-16s, maintain adequate fighter numbers during the transition to newer aircraft and balance procurement and sustainment demands across the F-35A, F-15EX, F-47 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft programs.

A new-build F-16 could allow units already operating the type to retain much of their existing maintenance experience, training infrastructure and support equipment. This consideration is particularly relevant to Air National Guard units with established F-16 organizations. However, the Air Force had not identified particular units as confirmed future F-16G operators.

Specifications (proposed F-16G)

General characteristics

• Type: Proposed multirole fighter aircraft
• Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin
• Design basis: F-16 Block 70
• Structural service life: Approximately 12,000 flight hours for the Block 70-derived new-build airframe
• Fuel configuration: Proposed conformal fuel tanks and 600-gallon wing tanks
• Landing aid: Proposed drag chute

Sensors and mission equipment

• Infrared sensor: Proposed infrared search-and-track system
• Targeting system: Proposed Sniper targeting pod
• Radar: Final F-16G radar configuration not formally defined
• Electronic warfare: Final F-16G electronic warfare configuration not formally defined

Related equipment

• F-16 Block 70/72: Current-production F-16 standard forming the basis of the proposed F-16G configuration.
• F-16C/D Fighting Falcon: Earlier U.S. Air Force production variants that the proposed F-16G could potentially replace in selected units.
• F-35A Lightning II: Fifth-generation fighter already being procured by the U.S. Air Force as part of its broader tactical-aircraft modernization.
• F-15EX Eagle II: Modernized fourth-generation fighter procured alongside fifth-generation aircraft for different portions of the U.S. fighter-force structure.