A US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon flies over Ramstein Air Base in Germany during “Agile Combat Employment” exercises in March 2021. A similar aircraft crashed near the base on Tuesday, though the pilot safely ejected. (US Air Force/Senior Airman John Wright)
Another F-16 Has Crashed—Second Loss of a Fighting Falcon This Month
Tuesday’s crash in western Germany is the 15th crash of an F-16 Fighting Falcon since 2000, but comes only five days after a similar incident in Michigan.
The US Air Force confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that an F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing crashed at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany at approximately 2:30 pm local time.
“The pilot ejected safely and is receiving medical care. Emergency response personnel are on scene,” the Air Force wrote. “The cause of the incident is under investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.”
According to media reports, the F-16 was one of four aircraft that took part in a joint training exercise and crashed as it was returning to the air base in western Germany near its border with Luxembourg. The other three aircraft were diverted to Ramstein Air Base.
Images shared on X (formerly Twitter) appeared to show the charred wreckage of the Fighting Falcon, with black smoke rising from the crash site.
The Second F-16 Crash in Five Days
Tuesday’s crash follows the loss of a Texas Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon, this one assigned to the 194th Fighter Wing from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. That aircraft crashed last Thursday near Traverse City, around 190 miles north of Detroit, during a training flight originating from the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center (ACRTC).
The pilot of that Fighting Falcon was able to eject from the single-seat, single-engine fighter and received medical treatment.
That incident prompted an evacuation of the surrounding area due to a chemical spill tied to the aircraft.
Both last week’s crash and today’s are “Class A mishaps” for the United States Air Force—the designation for an incident where damage totals more than $2 million, when an aircraft is destroyed, or when a service member is killed.
This would be at least the 15th Class A mishap involving the F-16 Fighting Falcon since 2000. It follows last week’s crash and another last December when an F-16C that was being flown by a member of the famed US Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team crashed during a training flight in Southern California.
The last loss of a US Air Force F-16 in Germany occurred in October 2018, when a Fighting Falcon crashed near Zemmer-Rodg, south of Spangdahlem Air Base.
The Air Force’s Total Number of F-16s Is Going Down
The United States Air Force received its final new-build F-16 Fighting Falcon on March 18, 2005. It was the final aircraft of 2,231 single-engine multirole aircraft for the US military, with deliveries beginning in 1978.
As of this year, the US Air Force’s total inventory of F-16s was 826, with the active-duty force operating 484 of the aircraft, and the remaining jets assigned to Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units.
The total fleet was divided between the F-16C, the single-seat model, with 704 in service; and the F-16D, a two-seat trainer, with 134 aircraft.
The US Air Force’s fighter fleet has already fallen below congressionally mandated minimums and faces a structural shortage of nearly 300 aircraft required for national defense strategy. The loss of two of the F-16s, along with the four F-15EX that were lost in the Middle East this year, has only made matters worse.
Earlier this month, aerospace giant Lockheed Martin—which continues to produce the F-16 for foreign military sales (FMS)—proposed developing an upgraded variant for the US Air Force dubbed the F-16G. Given that many of its oldest F-16s are reaching their end of life, and three have crashed in less than a year, the Pentagon will have to consider its options, including buying new Fighting Falcons.
It also must hope crashes don’t come in threes!
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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