IAF F-16B Block 5 Netz - “Netz B”
- Yes.
- No.
This suggestion is for the F-16B Block 5 Netz during its first years in IAF service. It’s a tandem seat trainer variant of the Falcon used by the Israeli Air Force. This suggestion represents it in 1981-1982, before it received any additional countermeasures, access to later weaponry such as the Python 3 AAMs, possibly JDAMs, or new Block 15 Elevators.
- 12.3
- 12.7
- 13.0
- 13.3
- I Voted No.
- As a Researchable vehicle
- As a Foldered vehicle (behind the F-16A Netz)
- As a Squadron vehicle
- As a Premium vehicle
- As a Event vehicle
- I Voted No.
History
This aircraft is of the first production series of F-16s, well known for originating from the US via the YF-16 as a part of the Lightweight Fighter Program. This aircraft being suggested is a Block 5 model to be exact, which for all intents and purposes has practically no changes between the Block 1 or Block 10 that would truly affect gameplay in War Thunder. This aircraft was developed in the United States and entered serial production ~1976, and not long after it caught the eyes of the Israelis.
(YF-17 and YF-16 in flight)
In 1978, Israel was looking for a new top of the line fighter jet to fill the needs of its Air Force. Their eyes were drawn to a few aircraft, such as the YF-17 and F-16 in particular, but ultimately decided upon the F-16 and later F-15 aircraft. They announced plans to acquire 75 F-16A/B aircraft, and the acquisition was approved by the District of Colombia. The following program began and the program was then known officially as Peace Marble I foreign military sales program.
(Israeli delegation visit to look into the YF-17)
- Funnily enough, the F-16s Israel received were actually intended for Iran! However after the fall of the Shah in 1979 and the rise of the Islamic Fundamentalist Regime, the deliveries were cancelled. However these aircraft were already paid for, so Iran essentially bought Israel’s new fleet of F-16s, ironic isn’t it!? The Iranian F-16s underwent some small changes for Israeli service requirements, and deliveries to Israel fully began in July of 1980.
(Artist rendition of the IIAF F-16 had Iran revived them as intended)
Deliveries were temporarily halted in 1981 after Israeli F-16s preformed a precision strike on an Iraqi nuclear reactor which was under suspicion of being planned to create nuclear weapons. The U.S. mainly halted these deliveries due to the fact they were uninformed of this action beforehand, however the deliveries resumed one again not long after and the final deliveries were completed in 1981.
(This is a F-16B Netz II, but pretty much the same aircraft)
Throughout IAF service the F-16 has cemented itself as one of the most important fighter jets in the history of IAF. Outside the US, Israel is officially the second largest user of the F-16 in the world to this day. They not only were the First Nation to ever score an air to air kill with it (A MiG-21 shot down by an Aim-9 in 1981 by an F-16A Block 10), but they also account for the vast majority of the confirmed air to air kills scored by the F-16. IAF F-16s were credited by the IAF with a total of 47 air to air kills while suffering no losses whatsoever in IAF service.
(IAF F-16B with inert training bombs and missiles)
Unlike the F-16A aircraft which accounted for all of these kills and combat usage, the F-16B aircraft were used almost exclusively as trainer aircraft since their arrival. It had little to no combat experience at all. The F-16B was used to train IAF pilots for flying the F-16As. However they were still very much combat capable and effective aircraft should they be used in combat situations. It has all the combat capabilities of the A variant and the ability to use the same weaponry as it.
There is one minor change between the A and B Netz. The F-16B has less internal fuel storage than the F-16A, as the new co-pilot’s arrangement is in the same place as where an internal fuel tank, normally in front of the gun and behind the Pilot of the A variant, would be found. This leaves the aircraft with slightly less maximum internal fuel storage ingame. This aircraft is also expected the be ever so slightly different when it comes to flight performance, as it’s not the standard A variant and will have a mildly different flight model due to exterior differences and weight shifts. It should be decently heavier than the F-16A when it comes to empty weight.
In Short:
This will function as a great foldered aircraft option for the Netz A ingame, as it can serve as an inferior F-16 at a lower BR depending on how gaijin wishes to implement it. It wouldn’t offer too much of a difference over the current Netz ingame other than a different configuration, less internal fuel, a heavier base airframe, and a lack of the Python 3 (the current Netz A shouldn’t have this, it’s a historical inaccuracy) simply letting it act as a 2 seat counterpart to this aircraft. Given Israel’s history with the Netz and it being the most successful user of the aircraft, it only makes sense that it receives the most F-16s ingame (aside from the U.S.A. TT of course). It’s an iconic aircraft and a variant that helped the IAF become what it is today. As such, this warrants a spot in the game for me personally. Although many here will simply skip it, I will gladly play a vehicle such as this given its historical background and for historical recreation purposes as well.
Specifications:
(Click to Show)
Operating Country: Israel 🇮🇱
Type: Tandem-Seat Trainer Jet
Crew: 2 Pilots
Wingspan: ~31ft
Wing Area: ~300Ft²
Length: ~49.5ft
Height: ~16.71ft
Powerplant: Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220
Max Thrust: 6490kgf | AfterBurner Thrust: 9000kgf
Max speed: ~Mach 2 at ~11km altitude
Service Ceiling: 55000ft
Range: ~2400mi
Electronics and Systems:
(Click to Show)
- Radar: AN/APG-66 Multimode Radar.
- RWR: AN/ALR-69 Digital RWR.
- 2x AN/ALE-45 Countermeasure dispensers mounted on the underside of the tail section. (They can each dispense 30 “Standard” size countermeasures or instead dispense 15 “Large” each. Often seen in a 30 and 15 combination, and modeled as such ingame on many aircraft including the Netz A, and even functioning as such on the Thai F-16. However gaijin seems to prefer leaving it in a 30 and 30 combination even when visually modeled in a 15 and 30 configuration.)
- CCIP for Cannon, Bombs, & Rockets. CCRP for bombs. EEGS for Cannon.
Armament:
(Click to Show)
(Identical to the A variant with small differences presented based on the inaccuracies of the Netz A ingame)
- Up to 1x Centerline Drop Tank with a capacity of 300 gallons.
- Up to 2x Underwing Drop Tanks with a capacity of 370 gallons each.
- 1x M61A1 Vulcan 20mm rotary cannon with 511 rounds of ammunition.
- Up to 6x Aim-9P3 Sidewinders.
- Up to 6x Aim-9L Sidewinders.
- Up to 2-6x AGM-65A/B Mavericks.
- Up to 6x FFAR Mighty Mouse Rocket pods with 7-19x anti-armor rockets each.
- Up to 4x BLU-27/B incendiary bombs.
- Up to 19x Mk.82 500lb standard or drag bombs.
- Up to 4x Mk.84 2000lb standard or drag bombs.
Missing Weaponry:
- Up to 6x Zuni ATAP rocket pods with 4x anti-armor rockets each.
- At least 4x Mk.83 1000lb standard or drag bombs.
- Up to 4x GBU-8 2000lb guided bombs. (Although IAF F-16A/Bs never used the GBU-8, American ones did and it’s safe to assume these ones were compatible with it and it can be added to the aircraft given that it was in the IAF’s inventory. The American F-15As were given the GBU-8 since IAF F-15s used them, so it’s only fair to have this present as well as a sort of exchange if you will.)
Missing Weaponry (Not Ingame):
- Cluster Bombs (Mk.20 Rockeye), Anti-Runway Bombs, Penetration Bombs, Anti-Radiation Missiles (AGM-88 HARM).
Sources:
(Click to Show)
F-16.net - The ultimate F-16, F-35 and F-22 reference
F-16.net - The ultimate F-16, F-35 and F-22 reference
F-16.net - The ultimate F-16, F-35 and F-22 reference
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon variants - Wikipedia
Specifications and Features of the F-16A Block 1-10 acknowledged and implemented into the game by Gaijin Entertainment.
Thank you for taking the time to read my first suggestion! I hope y’all have a wonderfully blessed day and I’ll see ya in my next suggestion for the F-16B Netz in its later configuration!
