ROKAF KF-16 Update

Gamera · by **Gamera** » 23 Dec 2017, 15:25

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation ... 41224.html

KF-16 pilot named this year's Top Gun

2017/12/20

Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) 38th Fighter Group pilot Major Kim Sang-won was named as the 2017 Top Gun, the annual award for the Air Force's top ace.

According to the ROKAF, it held an award event last week for this year's air combat contest at the Air Force Club in Seoul.

During the contest, the KF-16 fighter jet pilot proved his mettle by hitting a 4-meter radius ground target from a 6-kilometer altitude and swiftly slipping through the red zone.
Kim received 995 points out of 1,000 during the contest to claim the much-envied honor.

mtrman · by **mtrman** » 25 Dec 2017, 08:11

Congrats. Wish him and RoKAF life-long success...

By the way, was it an LGB or JDAM targeting?

Gamera · by **Gamera** » 27 Feb 2019, 14:39

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/ ... 64501.html

Fighter jet crashes near Gunsan, 2 pilots rescued

2019/02/27

The two-seat KF-16D warplane fell into the sea for an unidentified reason at 12:13 p.m., 13 minutes after departing from an air base in Gunsan, 274 kilometers south of Seoul, it said in a text message sent to reporters.
The pilots immediately ejected and were rescued.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/PYH2019022713 ... ge/general

KF-16 fighter crashes

2019/02/27

This photo, taken by a reader on Feb. 27, 2019, shows two pilots wrapped in blue towels being transported from Sinjin Port in Taean, 150 kilometers southwest of Seoul, to a hospital.

Gamera · by **Gamera** » 14 Apr 2019, 17:54

] KF-16 fighter crashes

] 2019/02/27

https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20190311131900503

2019/03/11:
About noon, ROKN ship recovered black box(es) from crashed KF-16D.

Gamera · by **Gamera** » 30 May 2019, 05:04

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation ... 69677.html

Seoul to keep flying KF-16s following recent crash

2019/05/29

According to the preliminary results of the investigation by a group of military officers and experts, including those from its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, a failure in the fuel supply to the combustion chamber is believed to have caused the engine flameout.

Noting that the military has been carrying out special checkups on the jets and changed an internal filter, one of the key parts, the Air Force said the jets were found to be safe enough and are scheduled to resume flights starting Friday.

Gamera · by **Gamera** » 30 May 2019, 12:02

(First, I don't know its serial number either.)

https://japanese.joins.com/article/900/ ... ctcode=200

2019/02/27, noon, accident KF-16D took off, from Gun San AB, Jeol La Buk Do, for flight training.
In the air, after engine flamed out, pilots twice attempted to restart engine, and failed.

13 minutes after took off, crashed into sea, 46 km west of So San, Chung Cheong Nam Do.
Pilots ejected at 3,800', and 148 knots.

ROKAF accident investigation team, USA manufacturers, and USAF experts concluded causes of stopped fuel supply system:
- Fuel pipe (that flowed into fuel pump) clogged, and air entered fuel pipe.
- Fuel pump interior clogged.
- Fuel pipe (that flowed into engine fuel regulator device) clogged.

madrat · by **madrat** » 30 May 2019, 13:15

Bad fuel?

Gamera · by **Gamera** » 08 Mar 2021, 12:49

Major JEON Young Gi.

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation ... 04897.html

F-16 pilot named Best Pilot of Year

2021/03/03

[ROK] Air Force Maj. Jeon Young-gi of the 19th Fighter Wing has been named the "Best Pilot of the Year" for his versatile performance, according to the Air Force, Wednesday.

hornet1129 · by **hornet1129** » 14 Mar 2021, 13:55

First KF-16 Block 72 upgraded at Korea spotted.
Unfortunately the serial no. is blocked but still good news to know that the KF-16 got new life!

Bjorn · by **Bjorn** » 14 Mar 2021, 16:54

Is this upgrade package officially known as a block 72 upgrade?

Greets,

hornet1129 · by **hornet1129** » 14 Mar 2021, 17:41

Can't find the official statement from both ROK and US but press said it is the Block 72 and the daily news operated by DoD said the KF-16 upgrade program will be made the KF-16 into the F-16V standard.

Gamera · by **Gamera** » 16 Mar 2021, 11:12

Neither the Greek nor the Taiwanese F-16V seems to have CFT (conformal fuel tanks).
Does the South Korean F-16V have CFT?

basher54321 · by **basher54321** » 16 Mar 2021, 14:28

Gamera wrote:Neither the Greek nor the Taiwanese F-16V seems to have CFT (conformal fuel tanks).
Does the South Korean F-16V have CFT?

Never seen a ROKAF Block 32 or 52 with CFTs

ROCAF Block 20 are not CFT capable either AFAIK.

Some Greek F-16s are of the plus / advanced Type and do have CFTs already so will retain them.
Earlier HAF ones from Peace Xenia III (I think) do not have CFTs.

I would expect that only those that have CFTs already will have them after the upgrade. The only operational F-16s that have CFTs currently were built like that new with structural changes, higher MTOWs and stronger landing gear.

Boman · by **Boman** » 17 Mar 2021, 15:30

The F-16V BLock 70/72 update is available to earlier F-16A/B/C/D's however the CFT' solution is traditionally only available for block 50/52 jet.
Hence likely not part of the scope when updating earlier blocks even if these receive the rest of the F-16V block 70/72 updates.
The reason would be structural limitations with the earlier blocks. And no A/B's to date have been seen with CFT's

basher54321 · by **basher54321** » 17 Mar 2021, 16:41

Boman wrote:The F-16V BLock 70/72 update is available to earlier F-16A/B/C/D's however the CFT' solution is traditionally only available for block 50/52 jet.
Hence likely not part of the scope when updating earlier blocks even if these receive the rest of the F-16V block 70/72 updates.
The reason would be structural limitations with the earlier blocks. And no A/B's to date have been seen with CFT's

Is it even an option because it doesn't seem very likely you could add it to anything before Block 50+/52+.

The Advanced block 50+/52+ compared to the older original Block 50/52 had structural changes, heavier landing gear, and higher MTOW according to Lockheed Martin specifically for the CFTs.