The F-16 Block 60: A High-Tech Aircraft for a Volatile Region - United Arab Emirates

Aerospace Power Journal, Fall, 2000 by Gilles Van Nederveen

* New F-110-GE-132 engine, which produces 32,000 lb of thrust (see http://www.f-16.net/reference/versions/fl6_cd61.html).

Missions conducted by Desert Falcons include air superiority, air and maritime surveillance, regional air defense, and precision ground attack. For more information, see Lockheed Martin's web site on all its fighter aircraft programs, including the F-16 Block 60, at http://www.thefighterenterprise.com.

The Sale

Difficulties attendant upon the purchase of the Desert Falcons involved (1) "source codes," which allow the reprogramming of onboard avionics, and (2) the ability to carry a standoff attack weapon--especially a cruise missile. The source codes that program the electronic-warfare, radar, and data buses are extremely controversial since the United States never exports them; instead, we will send UAE the "object codes," which will allow it to add to the F-16's threat library (see http://www.clw.org/cat/pr11-15-99.html).

After weeks of quiet diplomacy, the US State Department informed France--which wanted to export the Black Shahine--that that standoff weapon was in fact a cruise missile banned under the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). Since its range exceeds 300 km (the current defining limit for cruise missiles under the MTCR), international agreement regulates the export of such weapons. Because the terms of the sale allow the United States to regulate which weapons the F-16s can carry, we made it very clear that Lockheed Martin could not change the data bus to permit the aircraft to carry the Black Shahine. UAE, however, might modify some of its Mirage 2000-5s/-9s to carry the weapon (see http://wwwjanes.com). Furthermore, the AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile could have become a hard export, but when Qatar bought the French Mica beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile--the equivalent of the AIM-120--we dropped our objections. The AIM-120 and other state-of-the-art weaponry are now part of a $2 bi llion weapons package accompanying the F-l6 contract (see http://www.defensellnk.mil/news/Sep1998/m09l61998_m143-98.html).

UAE also sees the Desert Falcon acquisition as a prestige issue, since all Persian Gulf countries have made or are in the process of making further purchases of fighter aircraft. Additionally, UAE will allow the US Air Force to use the new base that will house the 80 F-16s. According to the DOD statement accompanying the notification of sale to Congress, UAE has become a key regional ally who will help the United States with basing, access, and pre-positioning of material.

Supporting the sale, DOD has agreed that the Air National Guard at Tucson, Arizona, will conduct the initial cadre training. In addition, because of the UAE air force's concern about the lag between contract signing and aircraft delivery, it intends to purchase 20 Dutch F-l6As/Bs for training and familiarization purposes prior to the arrival of the newly built Desert Falcons. Although some parties consider the sale of the F-16 Block 60s controversial, in reality it enhances the capabilities of a key US regional partner and gives US Air Force expeditionary forces seamless integration in a crisis.