Yeah it’s crazy that we still don’t have anything between block 15 and 50
yep, although i don’t think there’s much of a difference between the 23-30 blocks (could be wrong though, haven’t dug too deep into those) the block 40 is really the one that mostly sticks out
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looking into it, the 20 block were export (pre MLU) for Taiwan, the block 25s were the first C version of the F-16s giving it the AN/APG-68 and were later upgraded to have the F100-PW-220E, the block 30s (30/32) got the new F110-GE-100, as well as the capability for Shrikes and Harms, and were later upgraded to use the AMRAAM, with a later in life upgrade for a bigger air intake for the (at the time) newer F110 engine, the block 40/42s were the first all weather day or night strikers of the F-16s as they were first to be equipped with the Lantirn pods out of the box combined with the wider hud (Wide-Angle Raster), which was allowed to use the JDAM, JSOW, WCMD (wind corrected cluster bombs), and EGBU-27 bunker busters, were also known as F-16CGs, then after that we have the 50s (CJs-CMs), 60 (F-16Es), 70s (F-16Vs), and as of December 2025 the hypothetical 80s (F-16Xs which are just 70s but with US tech)
All but 14 US F-16s were in operational service before 2001. The last production block of F-16Cs for the US was ordered in December 2000 and started construction in FY 2001. That was for just 4 planes. The last one built was this plane, 01-053 - final delivery to the USAF was in 2004
An F-16 with functional CFTs wasn’t built until September 2001 and didn’t begin flight testing with a working fuel system for the tanks until October.
No F-16Cs have been ordered for the USAF since CFTs were validated for production aircraft. So no US F-16 was ordered with the CFT compatible fuel system in mind.
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Idk, but the US hasn’t gotten any non US owned vehicles in like 30 yrs
For air they didn’t, but for ground they did. And who else would get the F-16E? It would honestly be a logical upgrade to the PoBIT, unless they randomly decide to give it to Israel
When the F16’s we’re ordered in 2000/2001 the CCIP wasn’t being put on aircraft, and since Lockheed said the CCIP would make older F16’s common to the ones currently being produced, the F16’s that we’re being produced in 2003+ we’re fitted with CCIP which make them Lockheed’s “Advanced” version. This also shows that after the 2000/2001 planes we’re ordered their designs changed.
This lowk prob maybe means that like the 6 F16’s that weren’t delivered post 2003 we’re the only F16s given to the US that used the CFT compatible airframes, its not 0 tho!!!
“CCIP will bring commonality to the USAF Block 40/50 fleet. There is also a large degree of hardware and software commonality with other F-16 upgrades. These include the F-16A/B Mid-Life Update retrofit, new production USAF F-16s (starting in spring 2003)”