Forum: F-16 News

Lockheed has stated that unless it gets new orders for F-16s by the end of this year, it will shut down the production line in 2013. It will actually start the process sooner, and any orders that come in during that period will experience "significant gaps". Naturally, once the line is shut down, the cost of any new F-16s would be so high as to virtually insure it will never happen, because the cost would have to include re-establishing the line.

Iraq and Oman might buy a few, but it would seem the best shot to keep the line open would be for the US to allow Taiwan to buy new ones.

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So F-16s couldn't be built in Kore or Turkey?

Any news on the last 18 F-16s for Pakistan Air Force? are they in the building process?

ptrident wrote:

Any news on the last 18 F-16s for Pakistan Air Force? are they in the building process?

I'm pretty sure that they were literally just ordered. I would anticipate that while work on long-lead items may have commenced, that we are at least 2 years away from seeing tthe deliver/final assembly of these jets.

discofishing wrote:

So F-16s couldn't be built in Kore or Turkey?

I believe Turkey and Korea 'assemble' F-16s, but they wouldn't have all the equipment/jigs/etc to actually produce them as a whole.

Major sub-assemblies are shipped to their locations for final assembly. I highly doubt anyone outside LM has the capabilities to build the Viper from the ground up.

Where would they get engines? Their lines too would come to a halt; PW's F100 and GE's F110.

TEG

All of the Pakistan jets are delivered, Morocco jets are now on the flighline in F/W, that's about it for now.

PAF has exercised the option allowed to them by the United States for additional order of 18 more Block-52s, and notified the same to them. They are awaiting delivery time lines from LM and final approval from Uncle Sam, which in all likelihood is a 100% guarantee. According to a PAF official, the timing of order is important keeping in mind the proposed LM f-16 Line shutdown, and stated that paf hopes to receive these additional jets around 2014/2015 post approval. God Speed PAF!

I think Morocco is considering another batch of 12 Vipers,they wanted 36 initially

any where I can find the news on PAF buying the additional 18 vipers?

Iraq is now buying Vipers and Indonesia is looking at second hand Block 25s. Pakistan can buy more, but how likely is that? Also, the UAE seems to have lost interest in the Rafail. Would they prefer some more F-16Es?

As far as additional orders I only see a number of possibilities. Pakistan could take up its option for another batch of 18. There have been negotiations with Oman for another batch of 12. Morocco could also be in for another 12 or even 24 with Iraq only recently ordering their first examples and follow on order maybe likely. But as far as I can see these are the only ones who would come to fruition. All the other talks are speculations as far as I'm concerned. I see F-16 production running into 2016-2017 when production of the F-35 realy kicks in. But than it will definately be over and done with.

Greets,

Quote:

As far as additional orders I only see a number of possibilities. Pakistan could take up its option for another batch of 18. There have been negotiations with Oman for another batch of 12. Morocco could also be in for another 12 or even 24 with Iraq only recently ordering their first examples and follow on order maybe likely. But as far as I can see these are the only ones who would come to fruition. All the other talks are speculations as far as I'm concerned. I see F-16 production running into 2016-2017 when production of the F-35 realy kicks in. But than it will definately be over and done with.

Heard anything about the UAE requesting more F-16Es? I was thinking if the US gets an administration change about this time next year, we might have some people in Washington who aren't afraid to let Taiwan have more F-16s.

Pakistan has exercised the option of buying another batch of 18more f-16Block-52s, this was one of the talking points on the recent visit of Hilary clinton to pakistan and the same of our foreign minister to washington. Pakistan Air Force has made it clear to the government that we need more of these jets, final touches are being given to the formal contract signing. The previously bought jets have formed the No.5 squadron, and the new squadron will be No.6, both squadrons will be based in jacobabad, at shahbaz airforce base. hopefully we will be seeing these jets to life in a year or so. By the way, how many vipers does the LM production line churns our per annum?

typo/ our=out

That_Engine_Guy wrote:

discofishing wrote:

So F-16s couldn't be built in Kore or Turkey?

I believe Turkey and Korea 'assemble' F-16s, but they wouldn't have all the equipment/jigs/etc to actually produce them as a whole.

Major sub-assemblies are shipped to their locations for final assembly. I highly doubt anyone outside LM has the capabilities to build the Viper from the ground up.

Where would they get engines? Their lines too would come to a halt; PW's F100 and GE's F110.

TEG

IIRC, the F100 is used on the F-15, which has a moderate chance of another decade+ on production if the SE takes hold and even takes the place of some F-35A orders, as I suspect it may. The line would obviously have to remain open for a while on those, and I can't see the USAF flying aircraft for which engines are no longer built.

Forum: F-16 News

End of F-16 production? Only 58 in backlog