In May of 1982, the government of Venezuela signed an agreement to buy 18 Block 15 OCU F-16As and six Block 15 OCU F-16Bs to replace the fleet of Mirage III interceptors and Mirage 5 ground-attack aircraft serving with the Fuerza Aerea Venezolana. This purchase was under the Peace Delta Foreign Military Sales program. This purchase took a long time to be approved, because the US government wanted to sell Venezuela the F-16/79 instead. However, in 1983, the US government finally approved the sale of the F100-powered F-16 to Venezuela, and the first aircraft was accepted for the FAV in September of 1983.
The FAV F-16s equip Groupo Aereo de Caza No. 16 "Dragones", which is based at El Liberatador air base near Maracay. This group has two squadrons--Escuadron 161 "Caribes" and Escuadron 162 "Gavilanes". The primary role of Escuadron 161 is air defense, the main armament being the AIM-9L Sidewinder. The F-16s of Esc 162 are dedicated to the close-support role. FAV F-16s have a drogue 'chute carried in an extended tailcone, with antennae for RWR and ECM equipment mounted on the fairing.
The FAV F-16s were involved in the limited coup attempt in November of 1992, in which they sided with the government forces and were responsible for at least one aerial kill.
Venezeuela has requested a batch of F-16C/Ds, but the US government has so far blocked the request, since it considers the FAV's current F-16 force sufficient for the country's defense. Also, the FAV has lost two F-16s in accidents (9581 and 2179), and is seeking attrition replacements for these two planes.
The Venezuelan serialling system has always been mysterious and the numbers seem to defy any logic. However, their identities are known and are as follows:
Serials of FAV F-16s:
82-1050 General Dynamics F-16A Block 15K Fighting Falcon
built for export to Venezuela (1041)
82-1051/1052 General Dynamics F-16A Block 15L Fighting Falcon
built for export to Venezuela (0051,6611)
82-1053/1055 General Dynamics F-16B Block 15K Fighting Falcon
built for export to Venezuela (1715,2179,9581)
83-1186/1188 General Dynamics F-16A Block 15T Fighting Falcon
built for export to Venezuela as 8900,
0678,3260
83-1189/1191 General Dynamics F-16B Block 15T Fighting Falcon
built for export to Venezuela as 2337,
7635,9583
84-1346/1353 General Dynamics F-16A Block 15U Fighting Falcon
built for export to Venezuela as
7268,9068,8924,0094,6023,4226,5422,
6426
84-1354/1357 General Dynamics F-16A Block 15V Fighting Falcon
built for export to Venezuela as
4827,9864,3648,0220.
Sources:
-
Combat Aircraft F-16, Doug Richardson, Crescent, 1992.
-
General Dynamics Aircraft and their Predecessors, John Wegg,
Naval Institute Press, 1990.
-
The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers,
Orion, 1987.
-
United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough
and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.
-
F-16 Fighting Falcon--A Major Review of the West's Universal
Warplane, Robert F. Dorr, World Airpower Journal, Spring 1991.
-
The World's Great Interceptor Aircraft, Gallery, 1989.
-
Modern Military Aircraft--F-16 Viper, Lou Drendel, Squadron/Signal
Publications, 1992.
-
Lockheed F-16 Variants, Part 1, World Airpower Journal, Volume 21,
Summer 1995.
-
Lockheed Martin F-16 Operators: Part 2, Peter R. Foster,
World Air Power Journal, Vol 24, Spring 1996.
-
Airscene Headlines, Air International.
- Air Power Analysis Update, Venezuela, World AirPower Journal, Volume 37, Summer 1999.
