How powerful is General Dynamics' F-16 fighter jet and why is Vietnam buying it?

Vietnam has reached an agreement to buy F-16 fighter jets from the US, said a report. The deal which could involve more than 20 F-16 jets, is potentially the largest arms transfer between the two former Cold War adversaries. The decision might be driven by Vietnam's growing tensions with China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

This American compact, single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft was originally built by the General Dynamics Corporation for the United States Air Force (USAF). Although it was officially named "Fighting Falcon", the aircraft, commonly came to be known by the nickname "Viper" among its crews and pilots.

It was developed in the 1970s as a lightweight, cost-effective fighter jet as a part of the US Air Force's Lightweight Fighter(LWF) program. It is not only highly maneuverable, but has also proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack.

The F-16 is 15 metres long and has a wingspan of about 9.5 metres. It is powered by General Electric Turbofan engine, which, with afterburning, can generate upto 102 to 130 kilonewtons of thrust, accelerating this aircraft to more than twice the speed of sound.

It provides a comparatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system. Advanced aerospace science and reliable systems from aircrafts such as the F-15 and F-111 were selected and used in designing the F-16 aircraft.

The aircrafts have been extensively used in the Gulf War, Kosovo Conflict, Afghanistan War, Iraq War, Syrian Civil War and a number of operations by NATO and its allied nations. It has flown in more than 400 air-to-air combat kills, one of the most successful fighters post-Vietnam War.

Weaponry includes a 20-mm rotary cannon as well as attachments under the wings and fuselage for a wide variety of bombs and missiles. With a typical combat load, the F-16 weighs approximately 10,000 kg, which is less than half the weight of the previous-generation F-4 Phantom II.

Certain F-16 aircrafts, specially operated by NATO countries and the US Air Force can even carry B61 nuclear bomb, a free-fall tactical thermonuclear explosive.