From the outside, many of the U.S. military’s fighter jets can be difficult to discern from one another—especially when the jet’s alphabetical and numerical designations are so similar. The F-15 and the F-16, for example. 

The Air Force operates both jets, which debuted around the same time and which share similar paint schemes. The layperson would be easily forgiven for confusing the two jets. However, the F-15 and F-16, despite similar designations, are very different platforms. Let’s consider what makes each of the Air Force’s fourth-generation fighters unique from one another.  

Size 

The most glaring visual difference between the F-15 and the F-16 is the size; the F-15 is a significantly larger aircraft. This makes sense: the F-16 was developed as part of an Air Force program called the Lightweight Fighter (LWF) program, which existed because the F-15 was considered too large and too costly. So, the F-16 exists in many respects as a direct result of how big the F-15 is, and of course, it is a much smaller aircraft. 

The F-15 is sixty-three feet long with a forty-two-foot wingspan. The F-15’s maximum takeoff weight is 68,000 pounds. Meanwhile, the F-16, which is regarded as a jet that you “put on” rather than “get into,” measures forty-nine feet long with a thirty-two-foot wingspan and a 37,200-pound maximum takeoff weight.  

Relatedly, the F-15 has two engines, while the F-16 has just one.  

Power 

The F-15 features two Pratt & Whitney F100 engines; modern variants have upwards of 29,000 pounds of thrust per engine, meaning the F-15 is a very powerful aircraft. The result is a top speed of Mach 2.5 and a service ceiling of 60,000 feet. 

The F-16, meanwhile, features one engine, the F100 or the General Electric F110, offering about 27,000 pounds of thrust. The F-16 has a maximum speed of about Mach 2 and a service ceiling of 55,000 feet. So, the F-15 is a notably more powerful aircraft than the F-16, with thrust-to-weight ratios of 1.17:1 and 1.09:1, respectively. 

The result is that the F-15 has better acceleration and vertical performance.  

Turn Characteristics 

The F-15 is better at high-energy maneuvering. The F-16 has a superior sustained turn rate. What does that mean? The F-15 is not as quick or nimble, concerning direction changes, in a sustained turn as the F-16. 

However, the F-15 can maintain high energy throughout a turn, thanks to the aircraft’s excellent thrust-to-weight ratio. The F-16 is very agile by comparison, capable of achieving quick turns thanks to relaxed stability and computer-assisted fly-by-wire controls. 

Said as simply as possible: the F-15 is better at maintaining speed while turning, but the F-16 is better at changing direction quickly.  

In sum, the F-15 and F-16 are very different aircraft with different designs, characteristics, and functions. However, both have been pillars of the USAF force structure for almost half a century.  

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

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