Boeing Completes Contract to Convert F-16 Fighters to QF-16 Target Drones

Boeing has delivered the last QF-16 target drones made from decommissioned F-16 fighter jets to the United States Air Force.

Boeing announced this on its Linkedin page.

The QF-16 replaced the full-size QF-4 air targets from 2015 until the final retirement of this type in 2017. The F-16A Block 15 and F-16C Block 25/30 fighters retired by the US Air Force are being converted into target drones.

Boeing refurbishes the decommissioned aircraft and returns them to airworthy condition, after which a number of upgrades are installed, including remote control capabilities. Sensor systems are also being installed to detect and confirm how sensors and weapons are working against them.

In addition, modified electronic warfare containers and software are installed on the target to accurately simulate the capabilities and tactics of a potential adversary, the ground control center is modernized, and the realism of threats and countermeasures is improved.

They are used in weapons evaluation programs to test upgrades or replacements of air-to-air missiles, and give pilots the opportunity to gain experience in actual missile launch and engagement before combat use.

The first of 13 QF-16s was delivered to Tyndall AFB in early 2015. A total of six batches of the modified aircraft were to be delivered by April 2025.

The U.S. Air Force is looking for a supersonic Next Generation Aerial Target (NGAT) platform. It should more accurately reproduce the characteristics of advanced enemy aircraft – their performance, radar, infrared and other signatures.

In 2020, a 5th generation simulator aircraft, the 5GAT, was already tested and crashed during flight tests. Due to the lack of a replacement, it is currently planned to continue operating a fleet of 90 QF-16s until at least 2035.

Saab, Boeing, and BAE Systems have recently signed a letter of intent to develop a new training aircraft for the Royal Air Force based on the T-7A Red Hawk.

As part of the agreement, the three companies plan to create an aircraft focused on the pilot training program, which currently suffers from an insufficient number of aircraft to maintain its qualifications.

The agreement also stipulates that BAE Systems will lead the final assembly work in the UK. This will help lay the foundation for a local supply chain.