The F-16 might be aging by some standards, but it's still one of the fastest machines in today's skies. The F-16A took its first flight in 1976, and the jet first entered service with the US Air Force in 1979. The jet was originally designed as a lightweight, low-cost, single-engine fighter, with an emphasis on agility more than sheer speed. But what fighter jets are quicker than the F-16? And, although the F-16 has used different engines over its lifetime — including Pratt & Whitney and General Electric offerings — the USAF's reported top speed remains unchanged.