Israel’s Air Force has revealed a new configuration for its F-16I fighter jet designed for medium-range, beyond-the-horizon strikes against heavily fortified ground targets.
The F-16I currently forms the backbone of Israel’s fighter fleet and has been responsible for much of the offensive activity against Iran. Its two-seat configuration allows a weapons systems officer—known in Israel as a navigator—to operate air-to-ground weapons from the rear seat while the pilot focuses on flying the aircraft.
In the newly revealed setup, the F-16I carries four Rampage ballistic missiles. Notably, the aircraft in this configuration does not carry the external fuel tanks that Israeli fighter jets usually rely on. This suggests the aircraft would depend heavily on aerial refueling in order to reach distant targets such as those inside Iran.
Because of the F-16’s relatively light weight and payload limitations, it likely cannot take off carrying both four ballistic missiles and the two to three external fuel tanks typically used for long-range missions.