Vt. Air Guard begins conversion to upgraded F-16

[+BUFF]

Published: Wednesday, March 5, 2008

SOUTH BURLINGTON – The Vermont Air National Guard begins it’s conversion to

the next generation F-16 today with the arrival of a newer version F-16 that

is being transferred to the Vermont Air National Guard from Great Falls,

Montana, Air Guard officials said.

 

Colonel Douglas Fick, the 158th Fighter Wing’s Commander, will pilot the

F-16 from Montana and is expected to arrive at the Vermont Air Guard base in

South Burlington late this afternoon. This aircraft will begin the transfer

of the more sophisticated Block 30 F-16 that will eventually replace the

Block 25 F-16 that the Vermont Air Guard currently flies, said Air Guard

officials. The Block 30 F-16 is produced in the mid 1980s and is

approximately 5 years newer than the Vermont Air Guard’s existing fleet of

jets.

 

The new F-16 is powered by a General Electric manufactured Engine with of

30,000 pounds of thrust. The Block 25 F-16 is powered by a Pratt and Whitney

engine with 25,000 lbs of thrust.

[+JediMaster]

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