General Dynamics F-16B Block 5 Fighting Falcon

General Dynamics / Fokker / SABCA · United States · first flew 1979 · fighter

Variant of the F-16 Fighting Falcon — family overview.

The F-16B Block 5 is the two-seat combat-capable trainer variant at the Block 5 production standard, delivered alongside the F-16A Block 5 to USAF and NATO customers. It shares all Block 5 improvements over the initial Block 1 standard.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	15.03 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Two-seat Block 5 F-16 trainer with combat capability
Tandem cockpit under continuous bubble canopy
Same early avionics suite as F-16A Block 5

Two-seat F-16 profile; otherwise externally identical to the F-16A Block 5 with the extended cockpit section for the rear seat.

Specifications

The General Dynamics F-16B Block 5 Fighting Falcon has a length of 15.03 m (49 ft).
It has a wingspan of 9.45 m (31 ft).
Its maximum speed is 2120 km/h (1317 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Delivered in 1979–1980 to initial F-16 operators, the F-16B Block 5 provided dual-control conversion training while retaining full weapons capability. Belgium and the Netherlands received B-models from their consortium production lines at SABCA and Fokker respectively. These aircraft were the first European-assembled Fighting Falcons.

Variants

Block 5 two-seaters; subsequent two-seat variants followed the same block progression as the A-model singles.

Where you'll see it

Operated by USAF, Belgium, and Netherlands; most upgraded or replaced over subsequent decades.

Related aircraft

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