The U. S. Air Force recently authorized the service life extension of the F-16 to 12,000 Equivalent Flight Hours--far beyond the aircraft's original design life of 8,000 hours. Following the planned structural modifications that are a main component of the SLEP, the U. S. Air Force could safely operate the aircraft to 2048 and beyond. The current focus of modernization efforts, in addition to the structural modifications, will be with the avionics. What has not yet been fully investigated is the survivability of the aircraft, especially with regards to missile and radar countermeasures. Given the service life extension, we will be facing significant improvements in threat missiles and radars, which are already being developed to defeat our fifth generation fighters. Of near-term concern is the modernization of expendable dispensing capabilities that could outperform the current technologies. The Air National Guard's F-16s currently rely on systems that are dispensing flares or similar devices. It is imperative that the Air National Guard look to new and different methods and technologies. It is also important to examine survivability solutions that can be installed with a minimum of modifications. Finally, the installation of these solutions should not decrease the aircraft's weapons payload. Given the newest countermeasures being installed in the Air Guard's fleet of F-15Cs, it is reasonable to assume that similar improvements in effectiveness could begin deployment onto the F-16 within the next 3-5 years. We strongly encourage the Air National Guard to assess, in the near term, advanced expendable decoy dispenser systems for the F-16 that can cost effectively provide significant additional quantities of highly effective expendables as a supplement to existing dispenser systems.