The F-16 Fighting Falcon was manufactured from General Dynamics from 1974 to 1993, Lockheed Corporation from 1993 to 1995, and since 1995, it has been manufactured by Lockheed Martin. Over 4,500 F-16s have been sold. The new versions from the Lockheed Martin F-16V Viper family under production by the Lockheed Martin at its new production facility.

United States The F-16 is in service with United States Air Force active, reserve, and Air National Guard units, and is used by the USAF aerial demonstration team, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, and as an adversary/aggressor aircraft by the United States Navy.

Operation Desert Storm (1991)

In Operation Desert Storm of 1991, 249 USAF F-16s flew 13,340 sorties in strikes against Iraq, the most of any Coalition aircraft. Falcons often had AGM-65s (up to six), or two Mk84 2,000 lb bombs (middle underwing pylons), two 1,400 L fuel tanks, two AIM-9 and an underbelly ECM pod, such as the AN/ALQ-131. F-16Ds from the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hill AFB were used as spotter aircraft to search and find Iraqi SAMs and Republican Guard troops. They were armed with up to six Mk82s, Cluster Bombs, and LGBs. These aircraft were also equipped with LANTIRN and binoculars. Three aircraft were lost to confirmed enemy action: two to enemy radar guided SA-6 and SA-3 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs)"Airframe Details for F-16 #87-0228."f-16.net. Retrieved: 17 April 2010."Airframe Details for F-16 #87-0257." F-16.net. Retrieved: 25 October 2009. and one to a shoulder-launched SA-16 missile."Airframe Details for F-16 #84-1390." f-16.net. Retrieved: 25 October 2009. Other F-16s were damaged in accidents and by hostile ground fire but were able to return to base and be repaired."F-16 Accident Reports for 1991". F-16.net. Retrieved: 16 May 2008."USAF Manned Aircraft Combat Losses 1990–2002." Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved: 16 May 2008. In all, seven F-16 were lost during Desert Storm combat operations between January 16 and February 28."F-16 Accident Reports for 1991." F-16.net. Retrieved: 17 April 2010.

F-16s formed the basis of the largest strike package (72 aircraft) flown during the war – "Package Q", a daylight raid against targets in downtown Baghdad on 19 January. It was during the "Package Q" mission that two F-16s, from 614th TFS 'Lucky Devils', part of the 401st TFW (P), flying from Doha, Qatar were lost to SAMs with their pilots (Capt Mike "Cujo" Roberts and Maj 'Tico' Tice downed, respectively, by a SA-2 and SA-3) becoming POWs.Huertas, S.M. "Lucky Devils in the Gulf War." lucky-devils.net. Retrieved: 17 April 2010. This mission also marked the largest single operational F-16 strike package flown to date."The Lucky Devils and Forgotten 1000 in the Gulf War." lucky-devils.net. Retrieved: 17 April 2010.

F-16s were used also as Wild Weasel shooters, with AGM-88 HARM missiles, together with older F-4Gs (480th TFS, 52nd Wing). There were only 13 F-16s with HARMs, all based at Incirlik Air Base, together with 12 F-4Gs. Phantoms had the powerful AN/APR-47 and with these systems, they did the more difficult tasks (attacking the mobile radar sites); F-16s were only recently fitted with HARMs, and the bulk of USAF SEAD was still the F-4G (another 48 were at Sheik Isa, Bahrain). F-16s flew escort/Wild Weasel missions escorting them and striking pre-planned targets. The 138th Fighter Squadron (174th TFW, New York ANG) used 24 F/A-16s equipped with a 30 mm gunpod, the GPU-5/A 'Pave Claw', a four-barreled derivative of the A-10 Thunderbolt's GAU-8 Avenger, but this proved a failure owing to excess vibration and inadequate gunsights."A-16, F/A-16, F-16A (30mm gun): F-16s for the CAS/BAI missions." f-16.net. retrieved 9 November 2009.Williams and Gustin 2004, pp. 28, 118.

Interwar Air Operations over Iraq (1991–2003)

From the end of Desert Storm until the invasion of Iraq in 2003, USAF F-16s patrolled the US/UK imposed no-fly zones in Iraq. Two air-to-air victories were scored by USAF F-16s in Operation Southern Watch."Aerial Victory Credits." Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved: 16 May 2008. On 27 December 1992, a USAF F-16D shot down an Iraqi MiG-25 in the airspace over southern Iraq with an AIM-120 AMRAAM; this was the first USAF F-16 kill since the F-16 was introduced; and was also the first AMRAAM kill."F-16 Aircraft Database: F-16 Airframe Details for 90-0778." F-16.net. Retrieved: 16 May 2008. On 17 January 1993, a USAF F-16C destroyed an Iraqi MiG-23 with an AMRAAM missile for the second USAF F-16 victory."F-16 Aircraft Database: F-16 Airframe Details for 86-0262." F-16.net. Retrieved: 16 May 2008.

F-16s returned to Iraq in December 1998 as part of the Operation Desert Fox bombing campaign to "degrade" Iraq's ability to manufacture and use weapons of mass destruction.NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. "Secretary Albright" (transcript). PBS, 17 December 1998. Retrieved: 16 May 2008.

Balkans (1994–1995 and 1999)

F-16s were also employed by NATO during Bosnian peacekeeping operations in 1994–95 in ground-attack missions and enforcing the no-fly-zone over Bosnia (Operation Deny Flight). The first incident took place on 28 February 1994, four J-21 and two IJ-21 Jastrebs, and two J-22 Oraos had violated the no-fly-zone to conduct a bombing run on Novi Travnik. The pilots of the two J-22s spotted the F-16s above them and after their attack, they left the area in low-level flight towards Croatia, where the U.S. jets could not follow. Meanwhile, the rest of the group was engaged and attacked, first by two USAF F-16Cs, which scored three kills. The remaining J-21 was destroyed by a different pair of USAF F-16Cs. Of the six Yugoslavian jets engaged, four were shot down (one by AMRAAM and the others by Sidewinders).Palmer, Eric L. "USAF F-16s shoot down four Serb attack aircraft." F-16.net, 28 February 1994. Retrieved: 16 May 2008. Air Combat Information Group (ACIG), 28 October 2003; updated 18 September 2004. Retrieved: 16 May 2008. On 2 June 1995, one F-16C was shot down by a Serb 2K12 Kub SAM (NATO reporting name: SA-6 "Gainful") while on patrol over Bosnia. Its pilot, Scott O'Grady, ejected and was later rescued by USMC CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter on 8 June."F-16 Aircraft Database: F-16 Airframe Details for 89-2032." F-16.net. Retrieved: 16 May 2008.

NATO F-16s also participated in air strikes against Serbian forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina during Operation Deliberate Force in August–September 1995, and again in Operation Allied Force over the entirety of Yugoslavia from March–June 1999. Air Combat Information Group (ACIG), 30 November 2003. Retrieved: 16 May 2008.

On 2 May 1999, a USAF F-16CG was shot down over Serbia. It was downed by an S-125 Neva SAM (NATO: SA-3 "Goa") near Nakucani. Its pilot, then-Lieutenant Colonel (later General and Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force) David Goldfein, 555th Fighter Squadron's commander, managed to eject and was later rescued by a combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) mission.Roberts, Chris. "Holloman commander recalls being shot down in Serbia." F-16.net, 7 February 2007. Retrieved: 16 May 2008."F-16 Aircraft Database: F-16 Airframe Details for 88-0550." F-16.net. Retrieved: 16 May 2008. The remains of this aircraft are on display in the Yugoslav Aeronautical Museum, Belgrade International Airport.

On 4 May 1999, a lone Yugoslav Mig-29 flown by Lt. Col. Milenko Pavlović attempted to intercept a large NATO formation that was returning to base after bombing Valjevo (the pilot's home town). The aircraft was engaged by a pair of USAF F-16CJs from the 78th Fighter Squadron and was shot down with AIM-120, killing the pilot. The falling wreckage was hit by a Strela 2M fired by the Yugoslav army in error.

Operations in Afghanistan (2001–2021)

F-16s have been used by the United States in Afghanistan since 2001. One USAF F-16 fighter was lost during the operations in Afghanistan: on 3 April 2013 a USAF F-16 crashed near Bagram Airfield in eastern Afghanistan's Parwan province killing its pilot. In 2002, a tri-national detachment known as the European Participating Air Forces (Danish, Dutch and Norwegian) of 18 F-16s in the ground attack role deployed to Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan to support Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Manas Air Base was returned to Kyrgyzstan control in 2014.

Invasion of Iraq and post-war operations (2003–2024)

US F-16s participated in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and the only loss suffered over Iraq during this phase was an F-16CG of the 388th Fighter Wing's 421st Fighter Squadron that crashed near Baghdad on 12 June 2003 when it ran out of fuel."F-16 Aircraft Database: F-16 Airframe Details for 88-0424." F-16.net. Retrieved: 16 May 2008.

A US Army MIM-104 Patriot SAM fire-control radar was damaged on 25 March 2003 following a hit by an AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missile fired from an USAF F-16C on a patrol over southern Iraq, when the radar established a lock-on onto the fighter and the F-16 RWR classified it as a SA-2 radar.Weisman, Jonathan. "Patriot Missiles Seemingly Falter For Second Time; Glitch in Software Suspected." Washington Post, 26 March 2003 (via Global Security). Retrieved: 17 May 2008. On 7 June 2006, two USAF F-16s dropped two guided bombs (one GBU-12 Paveway LGB and one GBU-38 GPS-guided "smart" bomb) destroying an al-Qaeda safehouse, killing Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq."Iraq Terror Chief Killed in Airstrike." CBS News, 8 June 2006. Retrieved: 29 June 2008. On November 27, 2006 one F-16 was lost near Falluja during a close air support strafing run when the pilot remained focused on the target instead of pulling up. On 15 June 2007, an F-16C crashed when the pilot lost spatial orientation during a night close air support mission. The pilot was killed in the crash. On 15 July 2007, another F-16C crashed and burned out during takeoff when a tire blew. The pilot ejected safely.

On 25 February 2009, a USAF F-16 shot down an Iranian Ababil-3 UAV after it entered in Iraqi airspace.F-16 shot down Iranian drone in February – Air Force News News from Afghanistan & Iraq – Air Force Times

In September 2010, USAF F-16s dropped two bombs providing close air support for an Iraqi Army unit that was overwhelmed by armed insurgents. This was the first air raid in Iraq since July 2009.https://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100924/wl_nm/us_iraq_violence_usa

USAF F-16s were deployed to Iraq and Syria as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.

USAF F-16s, together with F-15E Strike Eagles, helped blunt an Iranian attack against Israel on 13 April 2024 by shooting down an unspecified number of Iranian one-way-attack UAVs.

Libya 2011 USAF F-16s participated in the enforcement of no-fly zone over Libya as part of Operation Odyssey Dawn.

Israel

Bekaa Valley and Osiraq raid (1981)

The F-16's first air-to-air combat success was achieved by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) over the Bekaa Valley on 28 April 1981, against a Syrian Mi-8 helicopter, which was downed with cannon fire following an unsuccessful attempt with an AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile (AAM).Iskra, Alex. Air Combat Information Group (ACIG), 26 September 2003. Retrieved: 16 May 2008. Several months later, on 14 July 1981, the IAF achieved the first F-16 "kill" of another fighter with a successful AAM shoot-down of a Syrian MiG-21."First Down – F-16." iaf.org.il, Israeli Air Force website. Retrieved: 25 October 2009.

On 7 June 1981, eight Israeli F-16s, escorted by F-15s, executed Operation Opera, their first employment in a significant air-to-ground operation. This raid severely damaged Osirak, an Iraqi nuclear reactor under construction near Baghdad, to prevent the regime of Saddam Hussein from using the reactor for the creation of nuclear weapons.

Operation Peace for Galilee (1982)