Lockheed F-16I Sufa (Storm)

Lightweight Multirole Fighter (2004)

Aviation / Aerospace

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Image released to the Public Domain.

The F-16I Sufa is a highly-localized Israeli take on the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon Block 52 lightweight multirole fighter mark.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/22/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

The F-16I "Sufa" ("Storm") is a highly-localized twin-seat Israeli version of the classic General Dynamics (now Lockheed) F-16 "Fighting Falcon" lightweight multirole fighter. The design incorporates many unique features to make it largely Israeli in nature and updates key aspects of the already proven fighter. The F-16I is, at its heart, a direct evolution of the F-16 "Block 52" offering.

The formal IAF requirement for a such a fighter was born in September of 1997 and the F-16I design competed successfully against the service's other option - more F-15I Ra'am long-range strike platforms. The definitive selection being made during July of 1999. From there, 102 total F-16Is were placed on order by the IAF, resulting in a modified F-16 flying in prototype form on December 23rd, 2003. Deliveries to the Israeli air service began as soon as February of the following year.

The F-16I incorporates changes to its avionics, instrumentation, and weapons support (the APG-68(9) series radar fit in the nose and the Pratt & Whitney (PW) F100-PW-229 afterburning turbofan engine at the tail are both retained). About half of the existing aircraft's avionics set has been replaced with a customized suite and a new, locally-developed, Helmet-Mounted Sight (HMS) was introduced. Broadened weapon support for Israeli-made missiles, such as the Python 5 from Raphael, was also introduced during this design and development process. Beyond this, the airframe was modified to support conformal fuel tanks along either side of the dorsal line to improve operational ranges at the expense of additional weight.

The result in a more lethal target-hunting aerial platform suitable for use within the current attack-or-defend doctrine of the IAF. The F-16I fights alongside the F-15 "Eagle" air superiority/multirole marks (A, C, and I) to form an impressive "one-two" punch. The current (2019) IAF inventory includes as many as 175 F-16-related fighters (both C and I models) in addition to 66 of the aforementioned F-15 types. A dozen F-35I 5th generation stealth-centric strike fighters are also on call with some 38 more to follow, further bolstering the existing IAF fighter fleet.

Specifications

Service Year

2004

Origin

Israel

Status

ACTIVE
In Active Service.

Crew

2

Production

102
UNITS

Lockheed Martin - USA / Elbit Systems; Israel Aerospace Industries - Israel

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

Israel

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Air-to-Air Combat, Fighter
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.

✓ Interception
Ability to intercept inbound aerial threats by way of high-performance, typically speed and rate-of-climb.

Length

48.6 ft
(14.80 m)

Width/Span

32.2 ft
(9.80 m)

Height

15.7 ft
(4.80 m)

Empty Wgt

19,842 lb
(9,000 kg)

MTOW

37,479 lb
(17,000 kg)

Wgt Diff

+17,637 lb
(+8,000 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the Lockheed F-16I production variant)

Installed: 1 x Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 afterburning turbofan engine developing 27,000lb of thrust.

Max Speed

1,501 mph
(2,415 kph | 1,304 kts)

Ceiling

52,493 ft
(16,000 m | 10 mi)

Range

2,001 mi
(3,220 km | 5,963 nm)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Lockheed F-16I production variant. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database. View aircraft by powerplant type)

STANDARD, FIXED:
1 x 20mm M61A1 internal automatic cannon.
2 x Short-range, air-to-air missiles on wingtip launchers.

Approximately 17,000lb of externally-held drop/launch stores across nine total hardpoints (three under each wing, three under the fuselage). Supported weapon systems include additional short-range or medium-range air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, precision-guided bombs, conventional drop bombs, and rocket pods. Also supported are 3 x Jettisonable drop tanks.

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft automatic cannon

Graphical image of an aircraft Gatling-style rotating gun

Graphical image of an air-to-air missile weapon

Graphical image of a short-range air-to-air missile

Graphical image of a medium-range air-to-air missile

Graphical image of an aircraft air-to-surface missile

Graphical image of aircraft aerial rockets

Graphical image of an aircraft rocket pod

Graphical image of an aircraft conventional drop bomb munition

Graphical image of an aircraft guided bomb munition

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Hardpoint Mountings: 11

F-16I "Sufa" - Base Series Designation.

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