Air forces around the world are constantly seeking to get the most bang for their buck in terms of combat effectiveness for their fighter jets. The F-16 Fighting Falcon fills this role perfectly for many of these air forces and as such has seen wide usage throughout its lengthy military career.
The Fighting Falcon first entered service in 1978 in the U.S. Air Force as a multirole fourth generation fighter jet. Over the years this jet has undergone upgrades and improvements, but it is still relatively cheap compared to the newest generation of fighter jets. Early variants of the F-16 sell for roughly $13 million with more recent variants starting between $25 and $30 million. However, the most advanced versions of this aircraft can cost anywhere upwards of $60 million.
With this relatively cheap price tag for militaries looking to add to their forces, the F-16 has found its way into militaries around the world and is easily on of the most prolific fighter jets on the planetâalso owing to its longevity. (These are the most widely used fighter jets in the world.)
To identify the countries with the most F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry publication. We ranked these countries according to the number of F-16 currently in service. We included supplemental information regarding active F-16s in respective fleets, military branches that will be using these aircraft, and what variants of the F-16 are on order or are currently in service.
The F-16 comes standard with a 20mm internal automatic cannon and can be equipped with a range of air-to-air missiles and air-to-ground missiles. It can reach speeds of roughly 1,300 mph and has an operational range of 2,600 miles. The Fighting Falcon fills a variety of roles for any air force but it is primarily used for interception and general strike missions. (These are the world’s most iconic strike fighter aircraft since WWII.)
Here is a look at the countries with the most F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets:
25. Venezuela
Source: Stocktrek Images / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images
- Active aircraft: 15
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: Venezuelan Military Aviation
- Variant(s): F-16 A/B
24. Romania
Source: 39955793@N07 / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 17
- Aircraft on order: 32
- Military branches: Romanian Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 A/B
23. Bahamas
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 22
- Aircraft on order: 18
- Military branches: Royal Bahamas Defense Force
- Variant(s): F-16 C/D/V
22. Morocco
Source: africom / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 23
- Aircraft on order: 24
- Military branches: Royal Moroccan Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 C/D/V
21. Oman
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 23
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: Royal Air Force of Oman
- Variant(s): F-16 C/D
20. Portugal
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 25
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: Portuguese Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 A/B
19. Netherlands
Source: ronmacphotos / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 26
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: Royal Netherlands Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 A
18. Indonesia
- Active aircraft: 32
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: Indonesian Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 A/B/C/D
17. Iraq
Source: USAF / Hulton Archive via Getty Images
- Active aircraft: 34
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: Iraqi Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 C/D/IQ
16. Denmark
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 43
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: Royal Danish Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 A/B
15. Chile
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 46
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: Chilean Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 A/B/C/D
14. Poland
Source: david_e_smith / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 48
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: Polish Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 C/D
13. Thailand
Source: pacificairforces / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 50
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: Royal Thai Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 A/B
12. Belgium
Source: david_e_smith / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 53
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: Belgian Air Component
- Variant(s): F-16 A/B
11. Jordan
Source: Handout / Getty Images
- Active aircraft: 59
- Aircraft on order: 12
- Military branches: Royal Jordanian Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 A/B/V
10. Singapore
Source: 39955793@N07 / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 60
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: Republic of Singapore Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 C/D
9. Pakistan
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 75
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: Pakistan Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 A/B/C/D
8. United Arab Emirates
Source: Stocktrek Images / Getty Images
- Active aircraft: 76
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: United Arab Emirates Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 E/F
7. Taiwan
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 137
- Aircraft on order: 66
- Military branches: Republic of China Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 A/B/V
6. Greece
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 154
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: Hellenic Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 C/D
5. South Korea
Source: usairforce / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 167
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: Republic of Korea Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 C/D
4. Egypt
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 218
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: Egyptian Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 A/B/C/D
3. Israel
Source: my_public_domain_photos / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 224
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: Israel Air and Space Force
- Variant(s): F-16 C/D/I
2. Turkey
Source: slezo / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 243
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: Turkish Air Force
- Variant(s): F-16 C/D
1. United States
Source: usnavy / Flickr
- Active aircraft: 897
- Aircraft on order: 0
- Military branches: United States Air Force, United States Navy
- Variant(s): F-16 A/B/C/D
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