Profile
- Type
- Israeli F-16C/D multirole fighter variant
- Conflict side
- Israel
- Origin
- United States / Israel
- Service note
- Israeli F-16C/D service from the late 1980s; Barak 2020 upgrade in the 2010s; combat use documented through the mid-2020s
Aircraft & UAVs
F-16 Barak
The F-16 Barak is Israel's locally modified F-16C/D Fighting Falcon family, built from U.S.-origin Block 30 and Block 40 airframes and adapted with Israeli avionics, electronic-warfare equipment, mission systems, and weapons integration. The type has remained an Israeli Air Force strike workhorse beside newer F-16I Sufa and F-35I Adir aircraft, with recent source-backed use in Gaza, Lebanon, and long-range strikes against Iran.
- Conflict side
- Israel
- Built in
- United StatesIsrael
Service History
- In service
- Israeli F-16C/D Barak service from the late 1980s; upgraded Barak 2020 fleet remained operational into the 2020s
- Used by
- Israeli Air Force
- Wars
- Israel-Hamas War, Israel-Hezbollah Conflict, Israel-Iran Conflict
Production History
- Designer
- General Dynamics
- Designed
- F-16C/D Block 30 and Block 40 airframes delivered to Israel from the late 1980s to early 1990s
- Built in
- United StatesIsrael
- Unit cost
- F-16C/D listed by the U.S. Air Force at $18.8 million in fiscal 1998 constant dollars; Israeli Barak upgrade costs vary by program
- Produced
- Israeli Block 30 deliveries in 1986-1988 and Block 40 deliveries in 1991-1993; later Israeli upgrade programs
- Number built
- Israel received 75 Block 30 and 60 Block 40 F-16C/D aircraft under Peace Marble II and III, before retirements
- Variants
- F-16C Barak, F-16D Barak, F-16C/D Barak 2020
Specifications
- Crew
- F-16C: one; F-16D: one pilot plus optional weapons-system officer
- Powerplant
- One General Electric F110-GE-100 turbofan on Israeli Block 30/40 Barak aircraft
- Speed
- F-16 family maximum speed about Mach 2 at altitude
- Range
- F-16 family ferry range more than 2,002 miles; Israeli Barak aircraft used external tanks and local modifications for extended strike profiles
- Ceiling
- Above 50,000 feet for the F-16 family
- Armament
- M61A1 20 mm cannon plus external stations for air-to-air missiles, JDAM and SPICE guided bombs, conventional bombs, fuel tanks, targeting pods, and electronic-warfare pods
- Israeli modifications
- Local avionics, electronic warfare, mission computers, higher gross weight changes, and Barak 2020 upgrade work
Conflict Usage
- Israel-Hamas War
- Side: IsraelRole: Strike sorties against Hamas targets
Israeli F-16C/D Barak aircraft were documented among the IAF combat aircraft flying Swords of Iron strike sorties over Gaza, with reporting describing Barak F-16s carrying JDAM and other air-to-ground ordnance.
- Israel-Hezbollah Conflict
- Side: IsraelRole: Air-to-ground strike sorties in Lebanon
A July 2024 news image directly documented an Israeli F-16D Barak firing a missile toward south Lebanon during the Israel-Hezbollah cross-border escalation.
- Israel-Iran Conflict
- Side: IsraelRole: Long-range strike sorties over Iran
During Operation Rising Lion in June 2025, Israeli F-16C/D Barak aircraft were documented carrying precision-guided weapons and taking part in strikes against Iran, including reports that older Barak jets reached Iran without aerial refueling.
Related Weapon Systems
F-16I SufaTwo-seat multirole fighter aircraftThe F-16I Sufa is Israel's customized two-seat F-16D Block 52+ derivative, built by Lockheed Martin with Israeli mission systems, conformal fuel tanks, a missionized rear cockpit, advanced radar, and compatibility with precision air-to-surface weapons. Its recent documented use centers on Israeli strike operations in Gaza, Lebanon, and the 2025 Israel-Iran air campaign.
F-16 Fighting FalconMultirole fighter aircraftThe F-16 Fighting Falcon is a U.S.-designed single-engine multirole fighter used for air defense, air-to-air combat, suppression support, and precision strike missions. Its recent conflict record includes Ukrainian operation of Western-supplied aircraft in the Russia-Ukraine War, Israeli F-16I strike sorties during Operation Rising Lion, and U.S. F-16 employment in Operation Epic Fury against Iran.
F-35I AdirFifth-generation stealth multirole fighterThe F-35I Adir is Israel's customized F-35A-derived stealth fighter, operated by the Israeli Air Force with Israeli mission systems and local sustainment arrangements. Its documented recent combat roles include air-defense interception against Houthi-launched cruise missiles and an Israeli-reported F-35I shootdown of an Iranian Yak-130 during air operations over Iran.
F-15I Ra'amTwo-seat long-range strike fighterThe F-15I Ra'am is Israel's customized two-seat Strike Eagle variant, combining Boeing/McDonnell Douglas airframe performance with Israeli avionics, electronic-warfare systems, and precision-strike integration. Its range, payload, and all-weather attack capability make it a central Israeli deep-strike aircraft, with directly documented use in recent operations against Iran, Hezbollah, and Houthi targets.
Mirage 2000Multirole fighter aircraftThe Mirage 2000 is a French single-engine multirole fighter designed by Dassault Aviation around a delta-wing airframe and SNECMA M53-P2 engine. France transferred Mirage 2000-5 aircraft to Ukraine in 2025, adding a Western fighter type for air-defense missions against Russian missile, drone, and aircraft threats..jpg?width=480)
Arash-2Long-range one-way attack UAV / loitering munitionThe Arash-2 is an Iranian long-range one-way attack UAV, also described as a loitering munition or suicide drone, associated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces. Open sources describe it as a larger Arash/Kian-family strike system with rocket-assisted launch, reported passive-radar or seeker options, and claimed ranges up to about 2,000 km for attacks on fixed or emitting targets.Sources
Lockheed F-16 Fighting Falcon (Netz, Barak)Publisher: Israeli Air Force | Note: Supports Israeli Air Force identification of the F-16 Barak and basic aircraft specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-20F-16 Fighting Falcon Fact SheetPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports F-16 family manufacturer, role, crew, powerplant, performance, armament, and unit-cost data. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Israel - Cheil Ha'avir - F-16.netPublisher: F-16.net | Note: Supports Israeli F-16C/D Barak delivery batches, local modifications, Block 30 and Block 40 variant context, and Israeli armament integration background. | Accessed: 2026-06-20IAF Eyes Major Overhaul of F-16s, Used to Strike Iran, to Meet Future Combat NeedsPublisher: The Jerusalem Post | Note: Directly supports Israel-Iran Conflict use by reporting that F-16 Barak aircraft took part in Operation Rising Lion strikes against Iran. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Rising Lion's Air Offensive: Part IPublisher: Foreign Policy Research Institute | Note: Supports Israel-Iran Conflict operational use by documenting Block 40 F-16C and Block 30 F-16D Barak aircraft carrying precision-guided weapons during Operation Rising Lion. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Configuration and Payload of the Aircraft Employed by Israel in the Fight Against HamasPublisher: The Aviationist | Note: Supports Israel-Hamas War use by identifying F-16C/D Barak aircraft among IAF aircraft striking Hamas targets during Operation Swords of Iron and describing air-to-ground payloads. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Israel-Gaza War Live Updates, 4 July 2024Publisher: The Guardian | Note: Supports Israel-Hezbollah Conflict use through a news image caption documenting an Israeli F-16D Barak firing a missile toward south Lebanon during the July 2024 escalation. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Operation Guardian of the Walls, May 2021Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the F-16D Barak 2020 photograph, released by the IDF Spokesperson's Unit with Commons licensing information. | Accessed: 2026-06-20