The F-16 has a tough skin. At an age when other aircraft are entering museums, General Dynamics' fighter-bomber still packs a punch in international competitions against so-called "fifth generation" aircraft. The first prototype of the aircraft flew for the first time in 1974, and the operational life of the last aircraft built will undoubtedly extend beyond 2040. Nearly seventy years old and still going strong! In the meantime, the light fighter optimized for daytime missions will have become a formidable fighter-bomber, with more than 4,400 units built and used in more than 25 countries. Two volumes will be devoted to the F-16 in this collection. This first volume focuses on the aircraft's genesis and the F-16A and B, while the F-16C and D will be covered in volume 2.