Recently the Air Force announced that it may be interested in obtaining a new low cost option to replace its fleet of F-16s, calling for a clean sheet design of a new either fourth and a half gen or fifth gen minus fighter. The role that today’s F-16s play cannot be understated: while the F-22 and F35 are the air force’s fifth generation frontline fighters, the F-16 is by far the most numerous fighter the air force operates, with more F-16 examples than all F-15s, F-22s and F-35s combined. From Pilot Photog.