F-16I Israelies
Aunque ya es medio noticia vieja, vi que no se hablo en el foro...
El F-16I es una version modificada de los F-16 Block 50/52 para la fuerza Aerea de Israel...
Bueno, primero, a los costados del fuselaje veran esas "cosas", son tankes de combustibles externos que se pueden quitar, ahora, la joroba ya creo que es una joroba para poner electronica, como en los A-4...
LINK
http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/aircraft/f-16i/F-16I.html
Aunque ya es medio noticia vieja, vi que no se hablo en el foro...
El F-16I es una version modificada de los F-16 Block 50/52 para la fuerza Aerea de Israel...
The long-awaited Israeli F-16I Sufa (‘Storm') rolled off Lockheed Martin's production line in Texas last week into thehands of Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, who was on scene to receive the new aircraft, the first of 102 ordered by Jerusalem -16in 1997.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) chose to acquire the latest version of the world renowned Lockheed Martin F-16 over additional purchases of the more expensive twin engine Boeing F-15I - for which the IAF placed an order for 25 in 1997. The estimated $4.5 billion dollar F-16I deal ($45 million per aircraft) will be financed by the annual U.S. military aid package and concludes the largest Israeli military purchase in history. Each F-15 cost approximately $84 million.
The F-16I is a heavily modified two seat version of the U.S. Air Force's F-16D Block 50/52-series fighter. In addition to the new and more powerful Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 engine, the F-16I boasts numerous internal and external advancements and modifications. For example, the Sufa has been customized with new avionic technologies, internally mounted FLIR (forward looking infrared) viewers, and cutting edge weapon system hardware provided by the Israeli defense company Lahav - a division of Israel Aircraft Industries.
The Lahav technology will allow for simultaneous, multi-target air-to-air engagement and increased standoff and survivability capabilities. The F-16I has been earmarked to receive the new Python 5 imaging infrared-guided high agility air-to-air missile produced by Rafael, the former Israeli Armaments Development Authority. The predecessor to the Python 5, the Python 4, was regarded to be the most advanced heat-seeking missile in the world. The Python 5 boasts a new seeker less prone to countermeasures, lock-after-launch capabilities, and an extended operational engagement time once fired. In addition, the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-68(V)9 multimode radar increases the distance of airborne engagement by 30 percent over the older APG-69 system and affords the "Sufa" with a high-resolution synthetic-aperture ground mapping capability.
Complementing the upgraded weapon systems is a dorsal compartment containing enhanced mission avionics and chaff and flare dispensers, enabling it to conduct either pilot training or combat missions. In addition, removable conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) have been added along the fuselage and above the wing roots, freeing-up underwing hard points for additional armaments. The F-16I has an unrefueled combat strike radius well in excess of 500 miles. The extended flight range allows Israeli forces to attack targets well within Iran and Libya without having to refuel. In addition, the cockpit of the F-16I has been expanded to provide for the addition of an onboard weapons officer situated behind the pilot. It has a 820 non-refueling radius of operation.
Israel had originally ordered 50 F-16Is in 2001 but increased the purchase to 102 after deciding against the procurement of additional F-15Is. The acquisition of the Sufa compliments Israel's deterrent strategy by further strengthening the threat to carry out retaliatory strikes throughout the Middle East while at the same time allowing the IAF to retire aging A-4 Skyhawks and F-4E Phantom IIs in service with the IAF since the late 1960s.
Three squadrons of the new aircraft are expected to be operational from the Ramon airbase deep inside the Negev by 2008 with the first strike aircraft arriving next month.
With the arrival of the 102 F-16Is, Israel will have a total of 362 of the jets – the largest fleet in any country in the world behind the United States. The F-16s are the backbone of the IAF, but these new "I" models will give added punch to the long-range capabilities of the IAF and will complement the squadron of F-15Is Israel received in the end of the 1990s.
Bueno, primero, a los costados del fuselaje veran esas "cosas", son tankes de combustibles externos que se pueden quitar, ahora, la joroba ya creo que es una joroba para poner electronica, como en los A-4...
LINK
http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/aircraft/f-16i/F-16I.html
