Officials at the Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, say they are preceding handily with the largest modernization program for the F-16 Viper. At the heart of the upgrade is what’s called Common Configuration Implementation Program—a comprehensive $2 billion effort to enhance avionics commonality for 650 Block 40, 42, 50, and 52 F-16s. Officials say the CCIP, expected to be completed by 2010, will improve “lethality and survivability” and reduce the cost of upkeep. Key elements include Link-16 capability, new mission computers, color displays, and enhanced horizontal situation indicators, among other improvements.
A half-dozen pilots from one of the Air Force’s premier F-16 units, the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., have been awarded one of the service’s highest decorations for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.