USAF Activates the First Squadron of F-16s Equipped with AESA Radar

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USAF Activates the First Squadron of F-16s Equipped with AESA Radar

The US Air Force (USAF) has activated the 480th Fighter Squadron as the first USAF F-16CM squadron to be equipped with an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system. USAF Chief of Staff General CQ Brown Jr. stated that updating the F-16 with the addition of the AESA radar will make this aircraft more effective in combat operations. “I look forward to taking the F-16 further into the future of air superiority,” he said.

With the addition of the AESA radar, the F-16 becomes a fourth-generation multi-role fighter that can improve air defence and survivability against enemy forces. The 480th Fighter Squadron reached the milestone after the service declared Full Operational Capability (FOC) readiness for the Air National Guard’s Northrop Grumman AN/APG-83 SABR radar in October 2020.

USAF Activates the First Squadron of F-16s Equipped with AESA Radar

Compared to its predecessor, the upgraded AESA system carries more transmitters, enabling more accurate, long-range, and less interference-resistant airspace scanning.

USAF Activates the First Squadron of F-16s Equipped with AESA Radar