The latest version of Lockheed Martin’s Viper jet, the F-16V, completed its first flight last week, the company said in a news release. The aircraft features a new radar system by Northrop Grumman that Lockheed says “will deliver a quantum leap in capability.” The cockpit also has a new center pedestal display and an upgraded mission computer. “This flight marks a historic milestone in the evolution of the F-16,” said Rod McLean, general manager of the program. “The new F-16V configuration includes numerous enhancements designed to keep the F-16 at the forefront of international security.”
More than 4,550 F-16s have been delivered to date, Lockheed said. The airplane can fly at speeds greater than Mach 2 and has a maximum design load factor of 9 Gs. The new upgrades are available both in new-production airplanes and as retrofits for the existing fleet. AVweb’s Glenn Pew took a tour of an F-16 cockpit back in 2009; click here for the video.
