Boeing's QF-16 Makes its First Unmanned Flight

As a pilotless F-16 roared into the sky last week at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., members of Boeing's QF-16 team and the U.S. Air Force celebrated. The USAF plans to convert Block 15, 25, and 30 F-16s into full-scale target drones under the QF-16 Air Superiority Target (AST) program. These AST drones are used in Weapon System Evaluation Programs (WSEP) for assessing upgrades or replacements for air-to-air missiles (AAM), and they are also useful for giving pilots the experience of a live AAM shot and kill prior to entering combat. QF-16s would replace the current QF-4 drones, the last of which are expected to be expended around 2015. The Air Force's Air Armament Center hosted its first "Industry Day" for interested vendors at Eglin AFB, Florida on 16–19 July 2007. The DoD awarded the nearly $70 million QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) contract to Boeing on 8 March 2010, with the first delivery scheduled for 2014.

On 22 April 2010, the first F-16 to be converted to an aerial target arrived at Boeing's facility at Cecil Field, Jacksonville, Florida. Six F-16s will be modified during the development phase, as prototypes for engineering tests and evaluation. From 2014, up to 126 QF-16 drones will be created. The prototype QF-16 undertook its maiden flight in May 2012. In January 2013, the 576th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Squadron refit team was due to begin modification work on the QF-16 program. Davis-Monthan has 210 F-16s stocked for conversion. From that pool, the Air Force will draw airframes for its 126 planned QF-16 drones. F-16C Block 30B s/n 85-1569 was the first aircraft delivered in November 2012.

On 19 September 2013, an empty F-16 jet tested by Boeing and US Air Force, two US Air Force pilots controlled the plane from the ground as it flew from Tyndall Air Force Base, Panama City, Florida. Boeing suggested that the innovation could ultimately be used to help train pilots, providing an adversary they could practice firing on. The jet – which had previously sat mothballed at an Arizona site for 15 years – flew at an altitude of 40,000 ft (12.2 km) and a speed of Mach 1.47 (1,119 mph/1,800 km/h). It carried out a series of maneuvers including a barrel roll and a "split S" – a move in which the aircraft turns upside down before making a half loop so that it flies the right-way-up in the opposite direction. This can be used in combat to evade missile lock-ons. The firm added that the flight attained 7 g of acceleration but was capable of carrying out maneuvers at 9 g – something that might cause physical problems for a pilot.[90] Boeing was awarded the contract on 10 October 2013 for low-rate initial production (LRIP) Lot 1 of 13 QF-16s. A second award on 20 May 2014 covered production Lot 2, comprising a further 23 QF-16s. On 27 March 2015, Boeing received a US$24.46 million contract for 25 Lot 3 QF-16s and 25 four-year warranties of the QF-16 drone-peculiar equipment. The first production Lot 1 FSAT, QF-16C, 86-0233, 'QF-007', was delivered on 11 March 2015 to Tyndall Air Force Base. It was previously operated by the Michigan Air National Guard's 107th Fighter Squadron, 127th Wing and then stored at the 309th AMARG before being moved to Cecil Field in April 2013 for QF-16 configuring.