F-16 Fighting Falcon vs F-35 Lightning II Fighter Jet

	F-16 Fighting Falcon F-35 Lightning II Fighter Jet Select Product

Price
Our Rating	8.0 8.8
Manufacturer	Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin
Category	Fighter Jets Fighter Jets

General Information

Name	F-16 Fighting Falcon F-35 Lightning II
Manufacturer	General Dynamics / Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin
Country of Origin	United States United States
Type / Role	Multirole Fighter Multirole Stealth Fighter
Generation	4th 5th
Status	Active / In Service In Service
First Flight	January 20, 1974 December 15, 2006
Introduction / In Service Since	1978 2015
Number Built	Over 4,600 1,200+ (as of 2025)
Operators	USA, Israel, Turkey, Greece, South Korea, etc. USA, UK, Japan, Israel, Italy, Australia, and others

Dimensions & Structure

Length	49 ft 5 in (15.06 m) 51.2 ft (15.6 m)
Wingspan	32 ft 8 in (9.96 m) 35 ft (10.7 m)
Height	16 ft 8 in (5.09 m) 14.4 ft (4.38 m)
Wing Area	300 sq ft (27.87 m²) 460 sq ft (42.7 m²)
Empty Weight	18,900 lb (8,573 kg) 29,300 lb (13,300 kg)
Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW)	42,300 lb (19,187 kg) 70,000 lb (31,800 kg)
Internal Weapons Bay	None 2 (up to 5,700 lb payload)
External Hardpoints	9 6–10 (up to 18,000 lb total)

Performance

Maximum Speed	Mach 2.0 Mach 1.6
Range	2,620 mi (4,220 km) with drop tanks 1,380 mi (2,220 km)
Combat Radius	~500 mi (800 km) ~670 mi (1,080 km)
Service Ceiling	50,000 ft (15,240 m) 50,000 ft (15,240 m)
Rate of Climb	50,000 ft/min 45,000 ft/min
Thrust-to-Weight Ratio	1.095 0.87
G Limits	+9 / -3 +9

Powerplant

Engine Type	Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 / GE F110-GE-129 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100
No. of Engines	1 1
Thrust (each)	29,000 lbf (afterburner) 43,000 lbf
Thrust Vectoring	No Yes (on F-35B variant)
Fuel Capacity	7,000 lb internal ~18,500 lb internal

Armament

Gun	1× M61A1 20mm Vulcan GAU-22/A 25mm cannon (F-35A)
Missiles (Air-to-Air)	AIM-9, AIM-120 AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-9X
Missiles (Air-to-Ground)	AGM-65, AGM-88 AGM-154 JSOW, AGM-158 JASSM
Bombs	JDAM, Paveway, Cluster bombs JDAM, Paveway II/III, SDB I/II
Hardpoints	9 6 external + 2 internal
Payload Capacity	17,000 lb (7,700 kg) ~18,000 lb

Avionics & Systems

Radar	AN/APG-68 / AN/APG-83 AESA AN/APG-81 AESA
Radar Range	~160 km ~150+ km
Electronic Warfare (EW) System	AN/ALQ-213, ALQ-131 AN/ASQ-239 suite
Targeting System	Sniper XR / LANTIRN EOTS (Electro-Optical Targeting System)
Helmet Display	JHMCS HMDS Gen III
Navigation	GPS/INS GPS/INS with terrain-following
Autopilot / AI Assistance	Digital Fly-by-Wire Advanced flight management
Communication	Link 16, Secure UHF/VHF MADL & Link 16 secure data links

Stealth & Technology

Radar Cross Section (RCS)	~1.2 m² ~0.001 m²
Stealth Features	Limited shaping, radar-absorbent coatings RAM coating, internal weapons bay, edge alignment
Infrared Signature Reduction	Moderate Yes
Sensor Fusion	Partial (F-16V upgrade) Full 360° data integration
Networking Capabilities	Link 16, Joint operations compatible Distributed data-sharing with allied units

Variants

Special Export Versions

F-16I (Israel), KF-16 (South Korea) F-35I (Israel), F-35A (Japan), etc.

Operational History

Major Conflicts / Deployments	Gulf War, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan Middle East operations (Iraq, Syria)
Notable Operators	USAF, Israel, Turkey, Taiwan, UAE USAF, USN, USMC, RAF, IDF
Combat Proven?	Yes Yes
Mission Types	Air superiority, strike, SEAD, CAS Air superiority, strike, SEAD, ISR

Cost & Program

Unit Cost	~$35 million (Block 70) $80–100 million (variant-dependent)
Development Cost	~$8 billion (program total) ~$400 billion (program total)
Program Name	Lightweight Fighter (LWF) Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)
Funding Countries	United States, NATO partners USA, UK, Italy, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, etc.

Additional Information

Upgrades Planned	AESA radar, datalink, EW suite Block 4, Tech Refresh 3
Future Replacement	F-35A Lightning II NGAD (2035+)
Export Restrictions	Controlled under ITAR U.S. FMS approval required
Notable Achievements	Most exported Western fighter Widest global fighter program in history
Competitors	JAS 39 Gripen, MiG-29, Mirage 2000 Su-57, J-20, Tempest, KF-21

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