Upgrading the Vipers' engines with thrust vectoring still isn't even on the table. The Viper pioneered what is known as relaxed static stability and laid the blueprint for later generations of fighter jets today. This is another reason why the F-16 has never been updated with thrust vectoring. Related How Fighter Jets Have Evolved Over The Last Decade A closer look at the arms race for the smartest warbirds. The F-16 Multi-Axis Thrust Vectoring (MATV) program began as a joint General Electric and General Dynamics privately funded effort, according to F-16.net.