Why the F-16 fighter jet remains a force to be reckoned with (updated 2025)
The F-16 Block 70/72 is the latest and most sought-after version of the fighter. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
The Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jet remains in the limelight more than 40 years after its first flight. Shephard sums up the latest developments and details everything you need to know about the aircraft in 2025.
The list of countries that would like to get their hands on the F-16, whether that is the latest variant or upgrading its existing fleet to the Block 70/72 type, continues to grow.
Ukraine’s acquisitions of F-16s continue, although training for its pilots on the aircraft has slowed over the last year with more pilot training deemed ‘critical’ for its operational use in the country as President Zelensky said the country did not have enough pilots to fly the aircraft.
The first donated F-16s for the country from Denmark arrived in August 2024, with the second batch arriving in
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