The F-16C Fighting Falcon is a fighter aircraft featured in many Ace Combat games as one of the earliest available aircraft. Designed first and foremost as a lightweight close-range dogfighter, the F-16 has evolved to become equally lethal in both air combat and attack missions. In most of its appearances, the F-16C carries a variety of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, and features higher maneuverability than most comparable aircraft, making it a highly versatile option for players early in a game's campaign.
History[]
Strangereal[]
The F-16C was in use by a variety of nations as early as 1995. During the Belkan War, it was used by both the Allied Forces and the Belkan Air Force. Notable units that used the aircraft were the mercenary air squadron Crow Team and Belka's elite Silber Team.[1]
The plane was also popular in Usea, seeing use during the Skully Islands insurrection,[2] Usean coup d'état,[3] Continental War,[4] and the Lighthouse War.[5]
During the Circum-Pacific War, both Osea and Yuktobania used the aircraft.[6]
In 2015, F-16Cs were fielded in the Emmeria-Estovakia War by both the Republic of Emmeria Air Force and Estovakian Air Force. Estovakian F-16C ace Mihajlo Mesic, callsign "Edinorog", was shot down by Talisman while escorting bombers which were attacking Vitoze.[7] Emmeria's Windhover Squadron also utilized the aircraft throughout the war, sporting a special livery.[8]
During the Lighthouse War, the IUN, Osean Air Defense Force, and Erusean Air Force, made use of the F-16C. The Mage, Drake and Skeleton squadrons flew the aircraft at some point during the war. Erusean F-16C ace Rosie Lucas, callsign "Bayonet", was shot down by Trigger over the Chopinburg Rainforest while trying to defend the airspace.[9] Spare Squadron member High Roller also flew an F-16C but was shot down over Roca Roja during Operation One Pair.[10]
In 2020, both the Aurelian Air Force and Leasath Air Force made use of the F-16C during the Aurelian War. A Leasath ace, callsign "Ice", was known to have flown the aircraft during the war.[11]
Assault Horizon universe[]
F-16C Fighting Falcons were used by Warwolf Squadron as one of their primary aircraft during the conflict in Africa. They used this aircraft in the level Inferno, where they engaged SRN MiG-21bis Fishbed aircraft over Hamada and an oil facility nearby. However, Warwolf Squadron would eventually leave Africa after the destruction of Carruth and used different aircraft on later missions.
F-16C fighters of the 482nd fighter wing were later deployed to Miami to assist Warwolf Squadron against remnants of the New Russian Federation led by Andrei Markov. Viper Squadron also used F-16C fighters during the attack on Washington, D.C., engaging Su-35 fighters in the midst of chaos. Despite their best efforts, most of them suffered heavy casualties, with one of their pilots being killed in a kamikaze attack by one of the fighters. A few F-16 fighters were even no match for Markov's PAK FA when he destroyed them one by one while engaging Bishop over D.C. Despite this, several F-16 fighters still patrolled the area.
Infinity universe[]
The aircraft was used by Reaper during Operation Bird Hunt.[12]
Game Analysis[]
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown[]
- "A low-weight fighter developed to, among other things, support large lead air superiority planes. A combination of the high-cost, hardly-seen F-15 and the low-cost, widely-used F-16, the F-16C was designed to be a compromise between the two, incorporating the latest technology of the time such as fly-by-wire, making it both stable and agile. Those who attested to the effectiveness of low-weight fighters had high hopes for the F-16C. Its vast improvements gave it increased mobility and greater effectiveness in air-to-surface combat, making it an effective attack—and thus multirole—plane. Its nickname is "Fighting Falcon.""
- ― Hangar
How to Unlock
- The F-16C is the player's starting aircraft at the beginning of the game.
Statistics
Weapons
Part Slots
- BODY: 40
- ARMS: 40
- MISC: 40
Named Pilots
- Rosie Lucas (BAYONET)
- Mage Squadron (Mage 1)
- High Roller (Spare 7)
Skins
- Osea: Two-tone 'Hill Grey' camouflage
- Erusea: Green/brown/tan Aggressor camouflage (Unlocked by earning the "Silver Wings" medal: Sortie in multiplayer mode 50 times.)
- Special: Red/white/blue YF-16 CCV livery (Unlock: Shoot down BAYONET)
- Mage: Osea scheme with Mage Squadron markings.
- Spare: Osea scheme with Spare Squadron markings.
- Strider: Osea scheme with Strider Squadron markings.
- Clown: Mage scheme with Clown's markings.
- Patriot: Red and white stripes with a dark blue front, loosely based on the flag of the United States.
- Silber: Silber Team livery.
- Crow: Crow Team livery
- Windhover: Windhover Squadron livery (acquire the "Cutting-edge Aircraft Series Set" DLC)
- General Resource: F-16XF Gyrfalcon livery (acquire the "Cutting-edge Aircraft Series Set" DLC)
Gallery
An Erusean F-16C dogfighting IUN forces over Chopinburg
Ace Combat Infinity[]
- "A tractable, lightweight fighter with well-balanced maneuverability and stability. It has an exceptionally light weight and aerodynamic blended wing body, and though a single-engine plane, it is equipped with a powerful engine. Called the "Fighting Falcon", its relatively low cost and high power are the reason it has been adapted by air forces all over the world. To date, more than 4,000 of this best-selling model have been manufactured."
- ― Hangar
Lv. | Cst | Price | GUN | MSL | 4AAM | HCAA | QAAM | SP | MO | ST | AA | AG | DF |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 375 | 9,000 | 365 | 78 | 8 | – | – | F+ | E | F+ | F+ | F | F |
2 | 408 | 1,800 | 401 | 82 | 12 | – | – | E | E | F+ | E | F | F+ |
3 | 441 | 3,750 | 438 | 86 | 16 | – | – | E+ | E+ | E | E | F+ | E |
4 | 474 | 6,900 | 474 | 92 | 18 | 18 | – | D | E+ | E | E+ | F+ | E |
5 | 507 | 12,750 | 511 | 98 | 20 | 20 | – | D+ | D | E+ | E+ | F+ | E+ |
6 | 540 | 72,000[a] | 547 | 104 | 24 | 24 | – | D+ | D+ | E+ | D | F+ | D |
7 | 573 | 37,800 | 584 | 110 | 26 | 26 | 13 | D+ | D+ | E+ | D+ | F+ | D+ |
8 | 606 | 87,000 | 620 | 116 | 28 | 28 | 14 | C | C | E+ | D+ | E | C |
9 | 639 | 292,500 | 657 | 122 | 30 | 30 | 15 | C | C | D | D+ | E | C |
10 | 672 | 528,000 | 694 | 128 | 32 | 32 | 16 | C+ | C+ | D | D+ | E | C+ |
11 | 719 | 783,360 | 730 | 132 | 34 | 34 | 17 | B | B | D | C | E | B |
12 | 766 | 963,900 | 767 | 136 | 36 | 36 | 18 | B | B+ | D+ | C+ | E+ | B+ |
13 | 813 | 1,356,600 | 803 | 140 | 38 | 38 | 19 | B+ | A | D+ | B | E+ | A |
14 | 860 | 2,030,400 | 840 | 144 | 40 | 40 | 20 | B+ | A+ | C | B+ | D | A |
15 | 907 | 2,688,000 | 877 | 148 | 44 | 44 | 22 | A | S | C+ | A | D | A+ |
16 | 966 | 3,990,600 | 911 | 150 | 46 | 46 | 23 | A+ | S | C+ | A | D | S |
17 | 1025 | 5,070,000 | 945 | 152 | 48 | 48 | 24 | S | S+ | B | A+ | D+ | S+ |
18 | 1084 | 5,700,000 | 979 | 154 | 50 | 50 | 25 | S+ | S+ | B | S | D+ | S+ |
19 | 1143 | 7,284,000 | 1013 | 156 | 52 | 52 | 26 | S+ | S+ | B+ | S+ | D+ | S+ |
20 | 1202 | 9,186,000 | 1048 | 158 | 56 | 56 | 28 | S+ | S+ | B+ | S+ | C | S+ |
- Part Slots
- At Lv.1, this aircraft carried 10 BODY, 10 ARMS, and 10 MISC part slots. See Tuning § Slot Expansion for further information.
- Nicknames
- Upgrading this aircraft to these levels unlocked the respective nicknames for use at any time.
- Lv.3: Falcon
- Lv.10: Swing Fighter
- Lv.15: Aircraft Mafia
- Lv.20: Millennium
Skin Galleries
Description
- Black, blue, and purple variation of "AC" Skin #01
Availability
- Special Challenges
Gallery
Description
- Dark/light brown and dark green desert camouflage; based on the F-16C block 25/32 of the 64th Aggressor Squadron
Availability
- Special Challenges (December 16, 2015–January 19, 2016)
- Purchase from the Special Supply catalogue for 100 (April 15, 2016–permanent)
Gallery
Banner advertising Event Skin #01 and the T-50 Event Skin #03
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy[]
- "Small and lightweight, this aircraft is a well-balanced fighting machine for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat."
- ― Hangar
How to Unlock
- Available at the start of the game.
Statistics
Weapons
Colors
- Color 1: Light grey body
- Color 2: 2-tone desert camouflage with green
- Color 3: Thick black strokes, similar to Silber Team's F-16C
- Color 4: Color 2 with darker brown spots
- Color 5: Orange camouflage with dark red stripes.
- Color 6: Color 2 with blue spots
Named Pilots
- Scarface One
- Metal Sphere - Found in Visiting Hours. Spawns rights before the gate to Turntable is opened.
Gallery
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon[]
- "A tractable, lightweight fighter with well-balanced maneuverability and stability. It has an exceptionally light weight and aerodynamic blended wing body, and though a single-engine plane, it is equipped with a powerful engine. Called the "Fighting Falcon", its relatively low cost and high power are the reason it has been adopted by air forces all over the world. To date, more than 4,000 of this best-selling model have been manufactured."
- ― Hangar
How to Unlock
- Available from the start of mission 2: Inferno.
Statistics
- Speed: Medium
- Mobility: Medium
- Stability: Medium
- Fire Power: Above Average
- Defense: Low
Weapons
Colors
- Color 1: Air superiority gray
- Color 2: 3-tone desert camouflage
- Color 3: Gold body with black nose
Named Pilots
Gallery
An F-16C gunning down an Su-25TM Frogfoot
An F-16C shooting down an Su-25TM Frogfoot
Ace Combat: Joint Assault[]
- "Small and lightweight, this aircraft is a well-balanced fighting machine for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat."
- ― Hangar
How to Unlock
- Complete mission 5A: Capital Defense. Costs $16,200.
Statistics
Weapons
Colors
- Color 1: Air superiority gray
- Color 2: Desert brown camouflage with green patches
- Color 3: Ocean blue camouflage
- Color 4: Thick black strokes. Very similar to Silber Team's F-16C
- Color 5: Tri-color scheme loosely based on the YF-16 livery
- Color 6: Windhover Squadron livery. Gray body with red wing tips
Named Pilots
- Osaka - Found in Red and Black - Alpha. Spawns to the northeast during the 2nd phase of the mission. If the ace is shot down by an friendly NPC, the kill will not count.
Gallery
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation[]
- "The F-16C has a powerful single engine and a blended wing body. Its high cost-performance makes it a standard for lightweight fighters. The smaller size of this aircraft makes it highly maneuverable, which roll and banking capabilities that are slightly superior to other aircraft. Although basic, its armaments are easy to use and adaptable to both air-to-air and air-to-ground tasks. The F-16 is a highly capable aircraft in almost any pilot’s hands."
- ― Hangar
How to Unlock
- Available at the start of the game.
Statistics
Weapons
Colors
- Emmeria: Air Superiority Grey
- Estovakia: Three-tone Brown/Green Forest camouflage
- Estovakia SP: Golden body with black nose, "Estovakia Air Force" printed on fuselage sides and large black hawk on tail. Based off the "Pride of Siouxland" F-16A of the Iowa Air National Guard.
- F-16C -SCARFACE EMBLEM-: Emmerian scheme with Scarface Squadron emblems
- F-16C -PJ-: Patrick James Beckett's scheme from Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War
- F-16C -TYPE ACE 2-: Recreation of the F-16C scheme from Ace Combat 2
- RAZGRIZ: Razgriz Squadron black scheme from Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War
- F-16C -Windhover-: Windhover Squadron livery
Named Pilots
- Edinorog (Unicorn) - Found in Vitoze Aerial Defense. Spawns with an enemy squadron at low altitude in the central area of the map.
- Windhover Squadron
Gallery
An F-16C in Emmerian colors
An F-16C engaging a Strigon aircraft
Two F-16Cs with -TYPE ACE2- schemes above the Selumna Peaks
Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception[]
- "Small and lightweight, this aircraft is a well-balanced fighting machine for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat."
- ― Hangar
How to Unlock
- Complete mission 4A: Last Line of Defense. Costs 12,800 credits.
Statistics
Weapons
Colors
- Aurelia: Air superiority gray
- Leasath: Desert brown camouflage with green patches
- Special 1: Ocean blue camouflage
- Special 2: Thick black strokes. Very similar to Silber Team's F-16C
Named Pilots
- Ice - Found in Rolling Thunder. Spawns to the east after half of the enemy units have been destroyed without allowing any damage to be inflicted on the Davis Unit.
- Milvus Squadron
- Gryphus Squadron
Gallery
Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War[]
- "Also known as the "Fighting Falcon." Small and lightweight, this aircraft is a well-balanced fighting machine for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat."
- ― Hangar
How to Unlock
- Complete campaign mission 4C: Operation Costner. Costs 31,500 credits.
Statistics
- Speed: 73
- Mobility: 44
- Stability: 46
- Defense: 46
- Air-to-Air: 30
- Air-to-Ground: 55
Weapons
Named Pilots
- Trinker (Drinker/Drunkard)
- UAF 6th AD 4th Air Force Unit/Crow Team
- BAF 51st AD 126th TFS/Silber Squadron
- Meteor Squadron
- Komyeta Squadron (Comet Squadron)
Gallery
PJ color
Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War[]
- "Also known as the "Fighting Falcon." Small and lightweight, this aircraft is a well-balanced fighting machine for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat."
- ― Hangar
How to Unlock
- Complete campaign mission 6: White Bird (Part I). Costs 12,000 per plane.
Statistics
- Speed: 73
- Mobility: 44
- Stability: 46
- Defense: 46
- Air-to-Air: 30
- Air-to-Ground: 55
Weapons
Gallery
Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies[]
- "Small and lightweight, this aircraft is a well-balanced fighting machine for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat."
- ― Hangar
How to Unlock
- Complete campaign mission 3: The Northern Eye. Costs 97,000 credits.
Statistics
- Speed: B
- Air-to-Air: B
- Air-to-Ground: C
- Mobility: B
- Stability: D
- Defense: B
Weapons
Named Units
- Tempel
Gallery
ISAF color scheme hangar
Ace Combat 2[]
How to Unlock
- Complete mission 3: City On Fire. Costs $90,000.
Statistics
- Power: 70
- Defense: 30
- Mobility: 40
- Stability: 60
- Climbing Ability: 50
- Air-to-Air: 60
- Air-to-Ground: 60
- Duration of flight: 18 minutes
- Absorbability: Normal
Weapons
- MSSL x64
Named Pilots
- Tallman
- Metal Sphere
Gallery
Air Combat[]
How to Unlock
- EASY
- Complete mission 5: Destroy Pipe-Lines
- Complete mission 6: Destroy Production Site
- NORMAL
- Complete mission 8: Destroy Enemy Staging Zone
- HARD
- Complete mission 9: Destroy Military Port Facilities
Price
- $2,500,000 - original price
- $2,250,000 - after first discount
- $2,000,000 - after second discount
- $1,500,000 - after third discount
Statistics
- Defense: 1
- Power: 5
- Mobility: 4
- Offense: 3
- Stability: 1
Named Pilots
- Bill (available as a wingman)
Gallery
Trivia[]
- Color 1 for the F-16C in Assault Horizon uses the 23rd Fighter Squadron's emblem behind the canopy, due to being based on a 23FS aircraft.
- The F-16C in most Ace Combat games is the F-16C Block 50 or Block 30, distinguishable from their 'Big Mouth' intake and Wide-Angle Conventional HUD. In games with higher resolution (AC6, AC:AH, ACI, AC7) the F-16C can be positively identified as Block 50 via the presence of landing lights on the front landing gear door, and the lack of reinforcement plates on the dorsal fuselage.
- The F-16C used as reference for the Osean livery in AC7 is F-16C 90-0802, a Block 50 Fighting Falcon of the USAF that is currently in service as part of the 14th Fighter Squadron in Misawa, Japan.
- The two-tone green/brown camouflage (Color 2 in AC04, YK color in AC5, Mercenary color scheme in ACZ, Leasath color in ACX, Color 2 in ACJA, Color 2 in ACAHL, and Estovakian color in AC6) is based on the F-16A of the Venezuelan Air Force.
- The golden color scheme (Estovakian SP in AC6, Color 3 in ACAH) is based on F-16C Block 30 85-1565 from 185 Fighter Wing (185 FW) 174 Fighter Squadron (174 FS) "Bats" Iowa Air National Guard. In Septembr 1996 aircraft has been painted in this color scheme to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the US Air Force. The plane got image of a bat on the tail fin and the inscription "The Bats 50th Anniversary" on left side and the "Pride of Siouxland" on right side.
Footnotes[]
- ↑ Players could use one Nonstandard Upgrade Request Form instead of credits for the Lv.6 upgrade.
References[]
- ↑ Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
- ↑ Air Combat.
- ↑ Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy.
- ↑ Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.
- ↑ Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
- ↑ Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War.
- ↑ "Vitoze Aerial Defense", Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation.
- ↑ Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
- ↑ "Two-pronged Strategy", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
- ↑ "Long Day", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
- ↑ Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.
- ↑ Great Migration, Ace Combat Infinity.