Through a brief social media announcement, the Israeli Air Force confirmed the retirement and decommissioning of its F-16C Barak-1 fighters after nearly 40 years of service. These combat aircraft were introduced into the force in the late 1980s as part of multiple acquisition programs from the United States.
According to reports on their social media, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated: “The Air Force bids farewell to the single-seat ‘Barak 1’ aircraft. Members of Squadron 115, who have operated the aircraft in recent years, bid farewell with a salute, demonstrating once again the deep connection between humans and machines.”
In recent years, this version of the F-16 Block 30 had been replaced in Israeli combat fleets by the new F-35A, and relegated to pilot training duties. With its confirmed retirement, these roles will now be filled by the new Leonardo M-346.
As of today, following the United States Air Force (USAF) with its multiple versions, Israel stands as the second largest operator of the F-16 fighter globally. The aircraft was first introduced in the late 1970s, chosen by Israel over the costly McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagle at the time.
Through various Peace Marble programs, the Israeli Air Force operated different variants of the F-16, from A/B Block 5/10 “Netz” to the more modern F-16I “Sufa” over more than three decades. Multiple upgrade programs were also undertaken by local companies to adapt these combat aircraft to IDF requirements.
The F-16C Barak-1s were acquired under the Peace Marble II program for the procurement of new Block 30 aircraft. The IDF received a total of 51 F-16Cs and 24 F-16Ds under the designation “Barak” (translated from Hebrew as “Lightning”). Subsequently, under Peace Marble III, another batch of F-16 Block 40 fighters (30 F-16Cs and 30 F-16Ds) was received, designated as Barak II.
Finally, neither the Israeli government nor local media have indicated the fate of the recently retired Barak-1s. It is likely that various components and rotables will be used as spare parts for the rest of the Israeli F-16 fleet, or possibly made available to third-party countries. In either case, Israeli Fighting Falcons are among the most extensively modified and customized F-16s in the world, making their operation notably more expensive than other similar variants, heavily reliant on Israeli companies for logistical support.
*Photographs used for illustrative purposes.
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