Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

American military magazine: US fighter jets sold to various countries are "junk"

An American military magazine claimed that the American fighter jets sold to countries like Iraq and Turkey are just "junk". The magazine wondered why Washington sold F-16s to Iraq for billions of dollars even though they were stripped of their most sophisticated missiles and electronic equipment?

"Military Watch" magazine reported that Arab governments are trying to buy American F-16 or F-15 fighter jets as the newest and most powerful in the world, but these planes are often of poor quality.

The magazine confirmed in a study it published a few days ago, in which it said that the US made changes to this fighter jet in order to make it less capable and less sophisticated in order to sell it to third world countries, especially Arab countries.

In its research, the magazine acknowledged the existence of significant differences between those of the American military or its counterparts in the West, and those produced for sale to third world countries, in terms of removing all the most advanced electronic technologies, and the missiles are equipped with them, and impose strict conditions on the places of their operation and use.

According to the magazine, the United States has neutralized from planes it sold to its Arab allies, the possibility of attacking or neutralizing attacks by Israeli planes.

We mention the article here so as not to hide it. But we publish this together with a recommendation to treat publications of this type with appropriate suspicion. Because it is not clear to us what the commercial and political motives are behind articles of this type.

The article:

The World’s Worst F-16s Downgraded in America For Sale to the Third World

The F-16 Fighting Falcon first entered service in the United States Air Force in 1978, and remains both the world’s second oldest fighter in production and the most widely fielded fourth generation fighter in the world. Developed as a lighter and cheaper counterpart to the heavyweight F-15 Eagle which formed the Air Force's elite, the Falcon has for decades represented the cheapest Western fighter on global arms markets.

The fighter has been produced in a wide range of variants, from the F-16E/F Desert Falcon tailor made for the United Arab Emirates Air Force, the less advanced but less costly F-16I tailored for Israeli needs, and a number of poorer and heavily downgraded variants developed for third world air forces.

A key factor in the discrepancy between the more and less capable F-16s is that the U.S. has sought to limit the capabilities of a number of third world air forces by heavily downgrading their hardware, as well as by regulating how these aircraft can be used and where they can be operated.

A further factor is the length of time the F-16 has been in production, which means the discrepancy between the early F-16 variants and the latest F-16 Block 70/72 remains very significant particularly in terms of avionics. A look at the five countries which operate the five least capable F-16s, and the reasons for their fleets' very limited capabilities, is given below.


Iraqi Air Force

A fleet of 34 F-16IQ Fighting Falcons currently forms the backbone of the Iraqi Air Force, with the fighters having been delivered between 2014 and 2017.

The aircraft left much to be desired in terms of performance, and like the F-16s in Egypt they were denied access to the AIM-120 missile and handicapped by heavily downgraded avionics.

The decision to handicap the fighters is thought to have been influenced by Israeli concerns regarding a viable Iraqi aerial warfare capability, with the Israeli Air Force having violated Iraqi airspace frequently. Iraq was thus only provided with the minimum capability to ensure Lockheed Martin gained the contracts for new fighters.

Although Iraqi F-16s have supported counterinsurgency efforts, they have proven less favourable than the South Korean supplied T-50 jets in such roles and have suffered from very low availability rates.


Turkish Air Force

Following the Israeli Air Force’s retirement of a portion of its F-16 fleet in the late 2010s the Turkish Air Force emerged as the largest foreign operator of the Fighting Falcon with an estimated 250 in service.

Unlike most operators, however, the aircraft have not been widely equipped with modern AIM-120C air to air missiles, let alone the more modern AIM-120D, which leaves their capabilities extremely limited with electronic warfare countermeasures dating back to the 1990s and a very limited range of around 70km.

Even those Turkish F-16s which have been armed with a very small number of AIM-120C missiles were seen carrying them alongside older AIM-120Bs signifying the shortage in numbers available.

Turkey has notably been denied access to more advanced F-16 variants compatible with more modern missile classes, and after its eviction from the F-35 fighter program sales of upgrade packages for its fleet have seen considerable opposition in Washington.



Venezuelan Air Force

The Venezuelan Air Force is one of the last remaining operators of the F-16A/B Fighting Falcon, having been one of the very first clients for the jets in the early 1980s, and fields 18 of the aircraft which have seen relatively few upgrades since they first joined the fleet.

The aircraft are not relied on heavily, with the country’s more recent acquisitions most notably of Su-30MK2 heavyweight fighters providing it with the most capable combat fleet in Latin America.

Venezuela’s F-16s use obsoleted AIM-9L/P and Python 4 visual range air to air missiles, and have no beyond visual range capabilities whatsoever for either air to air or strike missions.

This combined with their ageing avionics and sensors leaves them with a negligible capability to counter modern fighter units, although for regional standards they remain above average with neighbouring Argentina and Brazil not only fielding on even older and poorer A-4 and F-5 jets, but relying on them as their most capable combat jets.



Indonesian Air Force

The Indonesian Air Force's F-16s, like those in Venezuelan service, have no beyond visual range capabilities and rely entirely on older variants of the short ranged AIM-9 Sidewinder for air to air engagements. The aircraft are newer than those in Venezuelan service and deploy AGM-65G missiles for air to ground roles, with their avionics being much better suited to precision strikes.

Like Venezuela, Indonesia relies very heavily on Russian sourced fighters with a range of modern missiles to compensate for the shortcomings of its F-16s, deploying Su-27s and Su-30s armed with modern active radar guided air to air missiles and various cruise missiles.

Indonesia fields 9 F-16A/B fighters supplemented by 24 F-16C/D jets acquired second hand from the United States, with only these newer models capable of meaningful air to ground operations.


Egyptian Air Force

The Egyptian Air Force remains one of the largest foreign operators of the F-16, with its Falcons frequently referred to as the worst in the world which remains true among major users.

Egyptian Falcons rely on very heavily downgraded avionics, are strictly controlled by the United States in how they can be used, and lack any viable beyond visual range missiles for air to air combat with none at all suitable for air to ground or anti shipping missions.

The effectively obsolete AIM-7P Sparrow was eclipsed by the more modern AIM-120 AMRAAM in U.S. Air Force before the Soviet Union collapsed over three decades ago, but with Egypt denied access to the AMRAAM the older AIM-7 remains its Falcons’ best anti aircraft armament.

The missile is deficient in a wide range of areas from a lack of fire and forget capabilities to its poor electronic warfare countermeasures and very short range, meaning Egyptian F-16 units can provide a negligible air defence capability.

The fleet’ position is only worsened by the fact that even AIM-7 missiles are few and far between in service, with Egyptian F-16s very rarely seen with anything longer ranged than a defensive AIM-9. The fighters’ avionics and electronic warfare countermeasures are themselves also heavily downgraded.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Cardinal Robert Prevost Elected as Pope Leo XIV, Marking a Historic Papacy
India-Pakistan conflict may be first test for Chinese military tech
Bill Gates Announces Plan to Wind Down Philanthropic Foundation and Disperse Wealth
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
EU Hits TikTok with €530 Million Fine Over China Data Transfers
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
Warren Buffett to Step Down as Berkshire CEO After Nearly 60 Years
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
U.S. and Ukraine Poised to Sign Strategic Critical Minerals Deal Amid Geopolitical Shifts
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
How do you fix this culture?
Corrupted from Within: How Deep State Power and Unelected Judges Hijacked Democracy Against the Will of the People
President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky just held an impromptu discussion on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral in Rome.
World Leaders Gather in Rome for Pope Francis's Funeral
Pope Francis Laid to Rest in Rome as World Leaders Attend Funeral
Not Child’s Play: How Competitive Gaming Became a Global Economic Empire
California Surpasses Japan to Become the World’s Fourth-Largest Economy
Peter Navarro: The Man Behind Trump’s Tariff Madness
Former U.S. Congressman George Santos sentenced to eighty-seven months for wide-ranging fraud
Pope Francis: head of the Catholic church who pushed for social and economic justice
China do not pay these tariffs - you pay it. This is new 145% tax you pay to the US government.
Cultural Battles in the Vatican: The Candidates in the Battle for the Holy See and Pope Francis's Testament
Global Leaders Pay Tribute to Pope Francis Following His Death
Wild Chimpanzees Observed Bonding Over Alcoholic Fruit
Greek Christians Celebrate Easter in Thessaloníki
US Federal Reserve Chair Issues Warning on Tariff Impact
China, China, China!
Pope Francis Makes Brief Appearance at Easter Sunday Mass
Saudi Arabia Offers Max Verstappen Unprecedented Deal to Join Aston Martin
Global Pistachio Shortage Amid Rising Demand for 'Dubai Chocolate'
Trump is assembling a coalition of Western leaders aligned with the MAGA vision, strengthening a unified front for global change
IMF Predicts No Global Recession Amid Trade Tensions
Alphabet Faces Antitrust Setbacks as Federal Judges Rule Against Google
US Billionaires Call for Higher Taxes, but Proposed 'Millionaires Tax' May Not Achieve Desired Outcome
This is Vienna, Austria in 2025.
Designed in US, made in China: Why Apple is stuck in tariff tussle
Boeing Jet Returns to US from China Amid Tariff War
US Sets Deadline for Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal Brokerage
Italy Introduces 'Sex Rooms' in Prisons for Inmates
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Meets with Donald Trump to Discuss EU-US Trade Tensions
×