As Russian and China’s 5th generation stealth fighters jet are nearing completion, some people are wondering how long much longer 4th generation fighters jet such as the F 16, F 15, Su 27, and MiG 29 are going to stick around. But if earlier trends are to be believed, these “old” fighters may continue to serve into the 2040s or longer.
Better computers allowed for the integration of the multi-function display. While these were not on the initial versions of 4th gen fighters, they began to be introduced in the mid 1980s with the F 16 C. MFDs are now present in almost every 4th generation fighter.
But 4th generation fighters are still rolling off the production line for export. As the U.S. Air Force tries to retire and sell its old stocks of F-16As, Lockheed Martin is still churning out new F 16s (albeit built to a far more advanced standard) for countries like Slovakia and Bahrain in 2018. These new production aircraft will likely serve for many decades.
Better computers allowed for the integration of the multi-function display. While these were not on the initial versions of 4th gen fighters, they began to be introduced in the mid 1980s with the F 16 C. MFDs are now present in almost every 4th generation fighter.
But 4th generation fighters are still rolling off the production line for export. As the U.S. Air Force tries to retire and sell its old stocks of F-16As, Lockheed Martin is still churning out new F 16s (albeit built to a far more advanced standard) for countries like Slovakia and Bahrain in 2018. These new production aircraft will likely serve for many decades.
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