US Air Force abandoned F-16 modernization program

According to Defense News, referring immediately to “several sources,” the United States Air Force decided, for financial reasons, to abandon the CAPES (Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite) program, the “big” upgrade of Lockheed Martin F-300C / D Block Series X-Fighters. 16, 40, 42 and 50. Accordingly, CAPES funding will be excluded from the budget request of the US President for the 52 fiscal year, which will be submitted to the 2015 Congress in March 4.

The basis of the CAPES program was the re-equipment of the F-16 fighters with the new on-board radar with active phased array (AFAR). In 2013, Lockheed Martin, the general contractor for the CAPES program, chose Northrop Grumman SABR (Scalable Agile Beam Radar) for installation on upgraded radar aircraft. The Raytheon RACR (Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar) radar was a competing offer. Also during the modernization, it was planned to install a new integrated airborne defense complex Terma ALQ-213 (V) and a radio intelligence complex.

The cost of the CAPES program was not officially reported, but was estimated at many billions of dollars. Now, the US Air Force decided to abandon CAPES, and the funds planned for it to spend on limited upgrades and a service life extension program (SLEP) for a larger number of F-16 front lines. During SLEP, the assigned F-16 glider resource is increased from 8 thousands to 10-12 thousands of flight hours. One of the reasons is unofficially called the desire of the US Air Force to insure against possible further delays in achieving IOC status with F-35A planes, now scheduled for December of the 2016 year.

Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman declined to comment on CAPES rejection messages.

In this regard, the newspaper notes that Taiwan, which in 2011 year concluded an agreement worth $ 5,3 billion through FMS to upgrade the X-NUMX F-146A / B fighters of the island with the US Air Force on the basis of the CAPES program, could suffer the greatest damage from the cancellation of CAPES. If the Americans cancel the CAPES program, Taiwan may not be able to independently finance R & D on this project to upgrade its F-16 - especially in the context of the recently announced 16 plan-percent reduction of the Taiwanese defense budget over the next five years.

The refusal of CAPES will also deal a serious blow to the promotion of Northrop Grumman with its radar with AFAR SABR on the world market. Earlier in 2013, South Korea and Singapore chose to upgrade their F-16 fighter jets with the competing Raytheon RACR radar.

Prototype radar with AFAR Northrop Grumman SABR fighter Lockheed Martin F-16C US Air Force. Edwards, January 2010 of the Year (c) Northrop Grumman

Comments

[Wurger]

Desa or are they really short of money?

[AVV]

Quote: Wurger

Desa or are they really short of money?

All the money on the F-35 !!!

[Civil]

Quote: Wurger

Desa or are they really short of money?

But it makes no sense, F-35, drones, it is enough to replace, almost 3000.

[Lord of the Sith]

Here's what the U.S. Air Force and Navy have now:

F-15A / B / C / D 254 units 76-79gg
F-15E / F 302 units 88g
F-16A / B / C / D 1430 units 79-81gg
F-18A / B / C / D 400 units 83g
F-18E / F 467 units 00g
F-22 145 units 97-11gg
F-35 100 units 12g - today

[evgenii67]

Quote: Sith Lord

Here's what the U.S. Air Force and Navy have now:

F-15A / B / C / D 254 units 76-79gg
F-15E / F 302 units 88g
F-16A / B / C / D 1430 units 79-81gg
F-18A / B / C / D 400 units 83g
F-18E / F 467 units 00g
F-22 145 units 97-11gg
F-35 100 units 12g - today

if the information is reliable, then more than half of this time is at rest and it pleases, I hope that the replacement (F-35) in the end will not meet American expectations. Although the situation in the Russian sky is probably worse, could you provide similar information (for comparison to all forum users) on the Russian Air Force? Thanks in advance!

[clidon]

Correct:
For the US Air Force produced:
F-15A / B / C / D - 1976-1992
F-15E - 1988-1999
F-16A / B / C / D - 1978-1995
F-18A / B / C / D - 1983-1987
F-18E / F / G - 1999-present
AV-8 Harrier II (121 units) 1983-1997
F-22 (187 units) 1996-2011
F-35 2006-present

[Lord of the Sith]

well there yes a little incorrectly made a selection. And some of your numbers are not production, but modernization. The electronics are changing and weapons, and the glider, and the engine?

[clidon]

No, this is all production.

[Nayhas]

Quote: Sith Lord

Here's what the U.S. Air Force and Navy have now:

You are cheater. This is very bad.

[Geisenberg]

Quote: Wurger

Desa or are they really short of money?

It seems to be true. This is banal greed. Some have lobbied for the purchase of the F35 and now their army will be left without another aircraft that still knows how to fly.

[alone]

Money is allotted for necessary projects like F-35! F-16 is already a secondary issue.

[Jurkovs]

Chop yourself all the ends and make a stubborn bet on the F-35. Apparently they forgot their own saying that they don’t put all the eggs in one basket.

[tilovaykrisa]

There is not enough money, they are not already pulling in modernization and f35, they are already throwing partners, then there will be more, they will cut a single program.

[evgenii67]

Quote: tilovaykrisa

not a single program will be cut.

when they start cutting planes and ships for metal, then I rub my palms with a malicious smile.

[tilovaykrisa]

We need to offer them financial assistance in the disposal of aircraft carriers, bombers and nuclear weapons and then it’s unnecessary to be greedy

[Vovka levka]

Quote: tilovaykrisa

There is not enough money, they are not already pulling in modernization and f35, they are already throwing partners, then there will be more, they will cut a single program.

This suggests that things are getting better with the F-35. Initially, this was a fallback version with a delayed F-35 program.

[alex84]

The point is to upgrade old planes and put expensive new equipment on them, all the same they would last a maximum of 10 years and be written off, in my opinion it is logical that they abandoned the program

Now the U.S. Air Force decided to abandon CAPES, and the funds planned for it were spent on a limited modernization and SLEP program for a larger number of F-16 combatant units. During SLEP, the assigned resource of the F-16 airframe increases from 8 thousand to 10-12 thousand flight hours.

It’s more logical to fly on the old ones before entering F35, and then dispose of or sell to the poits

[typhoon7]

Probably the way it is, although the F-16 is still a masterpiece of its time. I think that the aircraft, as they are withdrawn from service, will be offered on the markets of third countries, where they are unlikely to refuse it.

[Russ69]

Quote: tilovaykrisa

There is not enough money, they are not already pulling in modernization and f35, they are already throwing partners, then there will be more, they will cut a single program.

They have reduced the financing of BMP ...

. The U.S. Army has stopped the GCV (Ground Combat Vehicle) infantry fighting vehicle program, defense-update.com reports January 23. In 2014, $ 492 million was requested to finance the program, but only $ 100 million was allocated to “preserve the development of certain types of technologies.”
Chief of Staff of the US Army, General Raymond T. Odierno (Raymond T. Odierno) said that for the remaining funding, the army will continue to develop technologies so that in three or four years to be ready to return to the development of a new combat vehicle Bradley.
http://www.militaryparitet.com/ttp/data/ic_ttp/6399/

[Mizhgan]

Scha go to the masses settlement of situations by diplomatic forces. Well, in the future it would be nice to get Alaska diplomatic back. (Eh, dreams, damn it.)

[alex-kon]

The printing press is jammed, but there is no money for spare parts.

[MolGro]

It’s expensive to upgrade the F16, the F22 does not fly as it should, the F 35 defense plane (and for vertical take-off - high fuel consumption, less payload, less space in the equipment enclosure) is an actual defective fighter.

[Blackmokona]

Vertical take-off only on the F-35B, F-35A and F-35C do not have it.

[colonel manuch]

They have large stocks, and the budget (albeit rubber) may not be able to pull on several models. There they ask for stricter attempts at cutting than we do.

[clidon]

This means that the F-35 lobbyists once again won. And they accordingly proved that the Lightning program will be completed in the near future.

[typhoon7]

I agree, because nothing else is visible on the horizon.

[clidon]

Boeing is desperately lobbying for its "quiet" 4th generation F-15SE upgrades.

[Leshka]

they laughed with F-35

[Yun Klob]

Damn, do not have time to print dollars in America.

[de bouillon]

Quote: Lord of the Sith

Here's what the U.S. Air Force and Navy have now:


F-15E / F 302 units 88g
F-18E / F 467 units 00g

during the 90s and zero, respectively. There is still part of the F-16 of the 90s.

At the moment, the Superhornets are one of the newest aircraft. Now they are still being bought for deck and marine corps to replace the usual Hornets.

[de bouillon]

Quote: MolGro

It’s expensive to upgrade the F16, the F22 does not fly as it should, the F 35 defense plane (and for vertical take-off - high fuel consumption, less payload, less space in the equipment enclosure) is an actual defective fighter.

only model B has a vertical, although it surpasses the current Harier in range, it is believed that with vertical takeoff the F-35 will have 800 km versus 280 for the "Briton".

Models A and C for the Air Force and Deck have a range greater than the F-16 / F-18 Superhornets. 1000-1100 km vs 600-780 km

[de bouillon]

Quote: evgenii67

Quote: Sith Lord

..... could you provide such information (for comparison to all forum users) on the Russian Air Force? Thanks in advance!

everything is in English, but it should be clear

download and see there a breakdown for all countries of the world. The huge US tanker fleet causes envy and surprise, the "huge" Baltic air forces smile

http://rusfolder.com/39535666

[evgenii67]

Quote: de Bouillon

entertaining, thanks!

[clidon]

Pretty optimistic staff. Most likely, regular cars are taken into account, but not really flying ones. The same Mig-29 has long been many times less.

[dmitrij.blyuz]

Yes. But a good car was. Yanks specifically began to blunt.

[fzr1000]

Or is there a cheaper and more effective replacement in the form of a UAV fighter. God forbid...

[de bouillon]

from decommissioned F-16 you can do this

for the breakthrough of air defense is the thing.

[clidon]

I think they will be good only in that role, in which they thought - a target plane.