Iran Has Got Hold of the F-16

Iran seems to be able to obtain an American F-16 fighter jet from Venezuela. Eccentric and anti-American Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threatened last six years to sell some of its available F-16s to Iran. Finally, sending one fighter of Iran, apparently, is the effort to help Iran counter air to prepare their defenses for a possible air raid Israeli F-16I. This gesture of Venezuela is unlikely to seriously be able to help Iran, because the Venezuelan F-16 planes are much older models, and the current Israeli F-16s are the most current available models of aircraft.

Venezuela got its F-16s in 1983, it and 1984th respectively. They represent the F-16A / B Block 15. Currently, the U.S. Air Force are F-16C / D Block 50, and even more advanced F-16E / F Block 60 being built for the UAE. Venezuelan F-16s in question were made and more than 25 years ago. For the F-16's they are really very old. 


These aircraft are not equipped with the latest radar, missiles, air-to-air or EW. In the past 13 years, since Chavez came to power, they almost did not get any service in connection with the freezing of relations with the United States. Quarrel with the country producing spare parts for your combat aircraft - not a good idea.

Israeli F-16I, which weighs 24 tons, is a two-seat fighter-bomber, and perhaps the most capable of the models of F-16s are currently in service. In general, this modified version of the F-16C / D Block 50/52, equipped with more advanced radar (APG-68 (X)), and can carry Israeli-made weapons such as missiles, air-to-Python 4 missiles and air to-surface Popeye 2.


With a price of $ 45 million each, F-16I has an excellent navigation system, which allows him to fly at extremely low altitudes, while not exhausting the pilots. The aircraft can operate at night and in any weather. F-16I can carry enough fuel to hit targets at a distance of 1,600 kilometers (within range of Iran). 

The aircraft uses the latest missiles, air to air with short-range and long-range, as well as smart bombs. The aircraft is equipped with electronic warfare systems, as well as a powerful computer system, locking in detail information on each sortie. 

This feature provides an invaluable service during training. In principle, F-16I is mainly optimized for the delivery of smart bombs anywhere, despite the presence of a dense air defense. This further increases the Israeli military force against its neighbors. Israel has received 102 new fighter-bomber F-16I for the past eight years, and upgraded another 125 older F-16s up to the standard F-16I.