Post-BRAC 2005 F-16 line-up

Henrik wrote:He-he, thanks Niels!!

As I understand it they will both retain their current markings - the big question is if they will get Sniper pods or continue with their current Litenings?!?!

Sniper and Litening are not Block dependent..

ViperDude

I think Henrik's comment was more related to new Vipers - new mission - new equipment rather than pod vs. block

Hello all,

Having been "away" for some time now - including another trip to the States - I´m back and I have the following news for You.

Another big Viper "shuffle" in the USAF is imminent and will involve and effect the following units;

WI ANG ( 176th FS / 115th FW ) will loose its current 22 "Big Inlet" Block-30 aircraft starting this fall ( read: now ) and gain 22 Block-40 aircraft. The Block-40s - 20 F-16CGs and 2 F-16DGs - will be a mix from the 34th FS at Hill AFB, UT and the 36th FS from Osan AB, RoK.The current WI ANG "Big Inlet" Block-30s will all be transferred to the 121st FS / 113th WG of the DC ANG replacing a similar number of "Small Inlet" Block-30s. Of those "Small Inlet" Block-30s most will be retired!!

The WI ANG´s new AEF partner will be the CO ANG and the 120th FS / 140th WG that also will replace 22 "Big Inlet" Block-30s with the remaining mix of Block-40s from the 34th FS and 36th FS. The current 22 CO ANG "Big Inlet" Block-30s will transfer to the NJ ANG in Atlantic City, NJ and replace a similar number of "Small Inlet" Block-30s of which most will be retired!!

The 34th FS at Hill AFB, UT will be temporarily deactivated awaiting the F-35 and the 36th FS in the 51st FW at Osan AB, RoK will gain Block-50 aircraft from the 22nd FS in the 52nd FW at Spangdahlem AB, Germany where the 22nd will deactivate!!

The NM ANG´s 188th FS / 150th FW at Kirtland AFB, NM will loose 21 "Big Inlet" Block-30s and will be integrating with the 550th SOS flying MC-130Ps and HC-130Ns also at Kirtland AFB. The Current "Big Inlet" Block-30s in the NM ANG will - as it seems now - transfer to the SD ANG replacing 22 "Small Inlet" Block-30s of which most will retire!!

The IN ANG´s 163rd FS / 122nd FW in Ft. Wayne, IN will transfer 22 "Small Inlet" Block-30s to the MN ANG´s 179th FS / 148th FW in Duluth, MN. Ft. Wayne will receive 24 A/OA-10 aircraft and Duluth will retire 22 Block-25s.

As it seems now the MN ANG will only fly those "Small Inlet" Block-30s for a few years as this unit has been granted Block-50s around 2013/14.

The 162nd FS / 178th FW in Speingfield, OH will pass its remaining 14 "Big Inlet" Block-30s - ( 8 F-16Cs and 6 F-16Ds ) - along to remaining "Big Inlet" Block-30 units increasing the number of assigned aircraft to 23 aircraft per unit.
"Big Inlet" Block-30 units affected by this are;

AL ANG - gain two F-16Cs and one F-16D.

DC ANG - gain one F-16D in addition to the 22 transferred from the WI ANG.

IA ANG - gain one F-16C and one F-16D.

NJ ANG - gain one F-16D in addition to the 22 transferred from the CO ANG.

SD ANG - gain one F-16C and one F-16D in addition to 21 transferred from the NM ANG.

VT ANG - gain one F-16D.

As it seems the AFRC will gain a few aircraft to boost the 457th FS / 301st FW at NAS Ft. Worth JRB, TX with two "Small Inlet" Block-30 F-16Cs and the 93rd FS / 482nd FW at Homestead ARB, FL with three "Big Inlet" Block-30 F-16Cs.

Each of the two AFRC F-16 units will hereby have 29 F-16s per unit!!

As always, these transfers are what I know of now and are subjects to change any time!!

Greetings,

Henrik.

Dang, Henrik - great news

Thanks Niels - well, I would personally have preferred it a bit different though

Well, I see where you're comming from, Henrik.

But it could be worse - after all, 122FW changing to A-10's, 150FW and 178FW + 34FS loosing Vipers isn't exactly news, it's been roumored for while.
On the other hand, the other units receiving "new" Vipers are always good.

On the other hand, I saw some pics recently of 148FW 179FS Block 25's with CUPID updates - wonder what they will do with those??

Boman wrote:I saw some pics recently of 148FW 179FS Block 25's with CUPID updates - wonder what they will do with those??

Hi Niels,

Actually most Block-25s and all Block-30/32s have the CUPID, but I guess You mean the AIFF / AN/APX-113, right?!?!

Those Block-25s with the APX-113 as well as those "Small Inlet" Block-30s with it will have it de-installed when retired and those systems removed from retiring aircraft will be re-installed in those "Big Inlet" Block-30 aircraft remaining in servvice.

Remember that not all of the Block-25/30/32s had it installed orginally!!

You are right Niels that CUPID also implemented the AN/APX-113 AIFF system knowm from the Block-50/52 CCIP and the now worldwide MLU-program, but by late 2007 only about 75 Block-25/30/32s had been so modified. The program came to a near-halt as budget cuts and the advanced retirement of some of the pre-Block aircraft were imminent!!

At this point the following "Big Inlet" Block-30 units have the follwing number of aircraft AIFF modified;

AL ANG - eight aircraft.
CO ANG - eight aircraft.
IA ANG - four aircraft.
NM ANG - six aircraft.
VT ANG - ten aircraft.
WI ANG - eight aircraft.

There are appx. 18 "Small Inlet" Block-30s ( one in the SD ANG, six in the IN ANG, six in the DC ANG and a couple in the NJ ANG ) that currently have the AIFF system installed and most of those planes - if not all - will have it removed when retiring.

The TX ANG out of the Kelly Field annex at Lackland AFB ( "SA" tail code ) have no AIFF-equipped "Big Inlet" Block-30s and the OH ANG in Springfield have one - 86-0302. It is expected that 302 will be transferred to the IA ANG in Des Moines.

Cheers,

Henrik.

Thanks for the clarification, Henrik

Henrik,
You da man....again, thanks for the info, should be interesting to see the changes...

Jeff

As it seems now the MN ANG will only fly those "Small Inlet" Block-30s for a few years as this unit has been granted Block-50s around 2013/14.

Who's Block 50s??? Wonder if the drawdown at Misawa comes through or the beginning of F-35 era at Shaw begins.

Siesta,

As it seems now it will be "SW" Block-50s as at least ne of their squadrons will give up its Vipers - like the 34th FS at Hill AFB, UT - and await the F-35!!

Cheers,

Henrik.

Hmmmm, don't like this I'm hearing - seems the whole Viper community is winding down one by one
Now that they are getting around to the Block 50 units, things are not looking good anymore.

Retiring old airframes is one thing, but when you start reducing active units in order to alllokate their airframes to other units, it is a sign of weakness.
Next question now become which of the Shaw units will go? My bet is the 77FS, as they have the oldest airframes overall?

Me neither, Niels!! But as soon as the F-35 begins to roll off the production line Viper units - at least active units - will re-equip fast!!

I believe Your guess is as good as mine in regard to which unit will be in question. I personally believe that Shaw will soon do a similar thing as Hill does right now with the 34th FS - transferring their Vipers and staying "inactive" until the F-35 comes along.

Spang and Misawa Vipers are also candidates for ANG / AFRC transfers as I foresee further cut-backs like the current transfer of Block-50s from Spang to Osan. Maybe Misawa will transfer thier Block-50s to Kunsan at a future point and then free up the current "WP" Block-40s for ANG / AFRC service!?!?

Hello all,

Happy new year to ya´ll

The SD ANG is in the process of gaining the NM ANG "Big Inlet" Block-30s and one known transfer of their otherwise operated "Small Inlet" Block-30s has taken place.

Noted at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ with the NJ ANG on Jan. 4th 2010 was 85-1440 still in full SD ANG markings.

Cheers,

Henrik.

SD is not getting big mouths from NM. Neither have they transferred any jets to Atlantic City. SD is an AEF partner with Atlantic City and is simply loaning them a jet while deployed.