F-16 gets an upgrade in its Viper version

Fox News:
Meet the F-16V ‘Viper’ - the newest, most advanced fighter in the F-16 family that has just made its maiden flight.

The latest version of the F-16 introduces numerous cutting-edge enhancements.

Made by Lockheed Martin, the fourth-generation aircraft is often referred to as the Fighting Falcon. The F-16 can travel speeds faster than Mach 2 – that’s more than 1,500 mph. The aircraft is just under 50 feet long and has a wingspan of about 31 feet.

The F-16V flew with Northrop Grumman's advanced APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) and Northrop’s Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) for the first time last week.

Northrop’s SABR AESA fire control radar provides next-gen air-to-ground and air-to-air radar capability. The technology supports countering advanced threats. These AESA radars are also used by the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.

SABR works by scanning electronically, rather than mechanically. This helps reduce the need for moving parts. The receiver, exciter, and processor functions are all contained in one replaceable unit. According to Northrop calculations, their advances produce three to five times greater reliability than current fire control radar systems.
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There is more.

The F-16 was designed by one of the best fighter pilots in history and still has impressive maneuverability in a dog fight.  While it does not have the stealth of the F-22 and F-35, it still excels in close contact aerial combat and the new radar system gives it some of the standoff range of the later jets.

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