In fact, many people have misunderstandings on this issue. We all know that the service time of a fighter jets is less than 15 years or even 30 years. With the F16 and F15 for the column. Both of these fighters were already in large-scale service as early as the 1990s. Although many of the fighters that were produced at that time were already decommissioned, some of them have served in other countries for more than 30 years.
Like Pakistan's F16 fighters, most of them are from the United States or other national team of second-hand fighters, served in other countries for 10 years to retire retired, and some will come up for auction, such as Pakistan, this funding is not well-off Of countries. As a first-class fighter, F16 even second-hand aircraft, its comprehensive combat capability can not be underestimated, in addition to the body and the aerodynamic layout will be Beyond a lag, others are just as ideal after being upgraded.
Here we have to mention one of the problems is that many military friends and friends mistakenly believe that a fighter's life is only a few thousand hours, would like a fighter life is only a few thousand hours, but also served 20 years, do not have Do not do flight training? Of course, this is not the case, usually said that usually several thousand hours fighter life, refers to the life of a fighter engine for thousands of hours, not to say that the fighter's life is only so much, it will not say that the engine life to fly, Fighters also followed retirement, so estimated that no country is willing to buy a plane, and can not afford.
Let us make a calculation with U.S. fighters. The life span of the U.S. fighter engines can now reach about 10,000 hours. A US military pilot should fly at least 200 hours a year, plus a variety of fighter attendance and a fighter plane Engine life is also likely top of the warplanes retired, what problems if the midway, either repair or change. If it is to do the engine of China and Russia, life expectancy is not so ideal, the life of the Russian engine is now 3000 hours to the top, while less than 1,000 hours in China, the engine life of a few years to end, more impossible to support less than fighter Retired.
If it is a fighter, even if the life of the United States engine, the theoretical life expectancy of tens of thousands of hours, in order to safety and performance, the actual may be replaced a few years or ten years, even if the high-frequency aircraft fuselage structure can hold a few Ten years, the engine will not work. At this time we should change the engine to extend the life expectancy, and not to say that the engine should be scrapped, the aircraft also followed retired, this situation will occur rarely, like the Russian fighters in the service process will have to replace a lot of sets of engines, and only Use value than the replacement value is low, will retire at the same time.
Therefore, do not mistakenly believe that the life of a fighter is only a few thousand hours. It only refers to the life of the engine. The engine can be changed. Only the countries with more military expenditures will retire their fighters sooner. The countries that are not well-to-do financially have changed and replaced one another, making up and complementing each other. The second generation of the last generation flew in the last century mainly on the capabilities and needs of the country
.jpg)