The FReeper Foxhole Remembers Bombardment of Fort Sumter(4/12/1861) - Oct 9th, 2003

http://www.civilwarhome.com/CMHsumter.htm ^

[Johnny Gage]

Air Power
Lockheed F-16 "Fighting Falcon"

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact, multirole fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the United States and allied nations.

In an air combat role, the F-16's maneuverability and combat radius (distance it can fly to enter air combat, stay, fight and return) exceed that of all potential threat fighter aircraft. It can locate targets in all weather conditions and detect low flying aircraft in radar ground clutter. In an air-to-surface role, the F-16 can fly more than 500 miles (860 kilometers), deliver its weapons with superior accuracy, defend itself against enemy aircraft, and return to its starting point. An all-weather capability allows it to accurately deliver ordnance during non-visual bombing conditions.

The F-16 is being built under an unusual agreement creating a consortium between the United States and four NATO countries: Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway. These countries jointly produced with the United States an initial 348 F-16s for their air forces. Final airframe assembly lines were located in Belgium and the Netherlands. The consortium's F-16s are assembled from components manufactured in all five countries. Belgium also provides final assembly of the F100 engine used in the European F-16s. The long-term benefits of this program will be technology transfer among the nations producing the F-16, and a common-use aircraft for NATO nations. This program increases the supply and availability of repair parts in Europe and improves the F-16's combat readiness.

USAF F-16 multi-mission fighters were deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1991 in support of Operation Desert Storm, where more sorties were flown than with any other aircraft. These fighters were used to attack airfields, military production facilities, Scud missiles sites and a variety of other targets.

Originally conceived as a simple air-superiority day fighter, the aircraft was armed for that mission with a single six-barrel Vulcan 20-mm cannon and two Sidewinder missiles, one mounted at each wingtip. Over the years, however, the mission capability of the aircraft has been extended to include ground-attack and all-weather operations With full internal fuel, the aircraft can carry up to 12 000 pounds of external stores including various types of ordnance as well as fuel tanks.

The original F-16 was designed as a lightweight air-to-air day fighter. Air-to-ground responsibilities transformed the first production F-16s into multirole fighters. The empty weight of the Block 10 F-16A is 15,600 pounds. The empty weight of the Block 50 is 19,200 pounds. The A in F-16A refers to a Block 1 through 20 single-seat aircraft. The B in F-16B refers to the two-seat version. The letters C and D were substituted for A and B, respectively, beginning with Block 25. Block is an important term in tracing the F-16's evolution. Basically, a block is a numerical milestone.The block number increases whenever a new production configuration for the F-16 is established. Not all F-16s within a given block are the same. They fall into a number of block subsets called miniblocks. These sub-block sets are denoted by capital letters following the block number (Block 15S, for example). From Block 30/32 on, a major block designation ending in 0 signifies a General Electric engine; one ending in 2 signifies a Pratt & Whitney engine.

Specifications:
Primary Function: Multirole fighter
Builder: Lockheed Martin Corp.
Power Plant: one Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-200/220/229 or one General Electric F110-GE-100/129 with 27,000 pounds Thrust.
Crew: F-16C: one; F-16D: one or two

Dimensions:
Length: 49 feet, 5 inches (14.8 meters)
Height: 16 feet (4.8 meters)
Wingspan: 32 feet, 8 inches (9.8 meters)

Performance :
Speed: 1,500 mph (Mach 2 at altitude)
Ceiling: Above 50,000 feet (15 kilometers)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 37,500 pounds (16,875 kilograms)
Combat Radius: [F-16C] 740 nm (1,370 km) w/
Range: Over 2,100 nm (2,425 mi; 3,900 km)

Armaments:
One M-61A1 20mm multibarrel cannon with 500 rounds;
external stations can carry up to six air-to-air missiles, conventional air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions and electronic countermeasure pods.

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All photos Copyright of Global Security.Org

[snippy_about_it]

OMG, do we work in the same place? LOL!!!

[SAMWolf]

LOL! Taht's cuz I had Snippy put them all in weldgophardline's hole.

[SAMWolf]

LOL! That is just too bizarre, even for England.

[SAMWolf]

Cool! I'm gonna have to see if I can find some around here.

[SAMWolf]

Vehicles = moving foxholes = bullet magnets.

[SAMWolf]

I wonder what would have happened if the South hadn't fired, but would have left Anderson alone. Could Lincoln have rallied the North to raise an Army and invade the South if the South hadn't fired first?

Interesting question. I think Lincoln would have had a real hard time getting the majority of the North to fight if Sumter (or something else wasn't attacked first). It made a good rallying point for Lincoln.

[SAMWolf]

All the comforts of home. Seems we spend more time in our cubicles than in our homes. :-(

[colorado tanker]

bullet magnets

LOL! That's OK as long as you're driving the best tank in the world, the M-1. But it was a little dicey during WWII when our main battle tank was the Sherman.

[SAMWolf]

Cubicles proivide concealment but not cover.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for letting us know BeAllYouCanBe.

You be sure to let Desertdog know how much we appeciate his service.

[colorado tanker]

I agree, Sam. Sumter galvanized the North into action. Before, people seemed to be holding their breath, hoping there wouldn't be a war. On the other hand, Something else probably would have happened, like some hothead trying by force to install a confederate government in a border state or raiding an armory in a border state.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Johnny.

[SAMWolf]

Sherman = Ronson.

Took us long enough but we did finally get the best tank in the world with the M1.

[SAMWolf]

I don't think there was any way the South could have left and not have a war breakout. Something was bound to happen to start the war. Too many hotheads on both sides.

[snippy_about_it]

cuz I had Snippy put them all in weldgophardline's hole.

Hey, I heard that!

I didn't do it. ;)

[colorado tanker]

LOL! I've heard elsewhere about the Ronson nickname for the Sherman. Wasn't funny at the time, I'm sure.

[SAMWolf]

Brits called them "Tommy Cookers". We made up in quantity what they lacked in quality. At least they were reliable tanks even if under gunned, too thin armor and had too high a silhouette.

[SAMWolf]

Our Military Today
Searching Orgun-E

U.S. Army soldiers of Charlie Company, 1st Platoon, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, stationed at Orgun-E firebase, Orgun, Afghanistan, conduct a search for weapon caches and weapons deemed illegal to own, as well as any evidence of Taliban activity in Say Khan, Gulmani Kot and Pir Kowti, Sept. 28, 2003. Sgt. Stephen Butcher, 1st Squad, waits for the signal to enter as he leads a soldier’s stack outside the door to a home in Gulmani Kot. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kyle Davis, 55th Signal Company


1st Squad, 1st Platoon soldiers wait out side a shop in Say Khan for the owner to unlock the door so the soldiers can search. September 28, 2003. U.S. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kyle Davis, 55th Signal Company


U.S. Army Capt. Jimmy Oplander, platoon leader for 1st Platoon, enters a shop in Say Khan in order to search for weapons Sept. 28, 2003. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kyle Davis, 55th Signal Company


Sgt. Michael Reid holds a box for an interpreter to unlock so the box can be searched, Sept. 28, 2003. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kyle Davis, 55th Signal Company


Sgt. Stephen Butcher opens a crate in a shop in Say Khan while searching for weapons or ammunition, September 28, 2003. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kyle Davis, 55th Signal Company


Residents of Pir Kowti agree to bring their weapons to the center of town to be registered and returned, or registered and confiscated, depending on the type of weapon rather than having soldiers rummage through their homes and personal belongings. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kyle Davis, 55th Signal Company


2nd Lt. Blake Witherell, platoon leader for the 41st Engineers, 1st Platoon A Company, 2nd Squad, confiscates three AK-47 magazines from an Afghan, Sept. 29, 2003. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kyle Davis, 55th Signal Company


Spc. Nick Bernson with the 486th Civil Affairs Battalion watches a home owner open a bag of ammunition Sept. 29, 2003. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kyle Davis, 55th Signal Company

[radu]

HOWDY EVERYONE.

I got this in an e-mail from a Navy veteran friend and thought it would be nice to share it. To hopefully bring a smile to the faces of everyone. Cute lil critters are a great touch to a heart-felt message. *giggle*