State Dept approves sale of 25 F-16 Block 72 to Morocco

[marsavian]

The US State Department approved the possible sale of 25 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 72 fighters to the Royal Moroccan Air Force, as well as a possible agreement to upgrade 23 of the air force’s Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters to the F-16V variant.

The F-16C/D fighters and related equipment are estimated to cost $3.79 billion, while the upgrade and related equipment is estimated to cost $985 million.

The possible new aircraft order would come with a number of subsystems, spares and related equipment. Such hardware includes 29 Pratt & Whitney F100-229 engines, 26 Northrop Grumman APG-83 active electronically scanned array radars; 26 modular mission computers; 26 Link-16 multifunctional information distribution systems; 26 Northrop Grumman LN260 embedded global navigation systems; and 40 joint helmet mounted cueing systems; among other equipment and subsystems.

Weapons and targeting equipment approved as part of the potential new fighter aircraft sale include 30 General Dynamics M61 Al Vulcan 20mm guns; 40 Raytheon AIM-120C-7 advanced medium range air-to-air missiles; 60 Boeing GBU-39/B small diameter bombs; and 12 General Dynamics MK82 bombs, as well as 26 Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-33 Sniper targeting pods.

The upgrade package will include a number of the same subsystems as the new aircraft bundle, such as the APG-83 active electronically scanned array radar. Though, it also includes 26 Terma AN/ALQ‑213 electronic warfare management systems; 26 advanced identification friend or foe systems; and 26 Harris AN/ALQ‑211 self-protection systems, among other devices.

Source: https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... or-456892/

[Corsair1963]

India really blew it when it selected the Rafale in the first MMRCA Fighter Contest over the F-16. As Lockheed Martin offered to transfer the entire production for the F-16 to India. Which, means they could have also produced F-16's for export. Just look at the orders for the Viper over these last couple years alone.

[Lieven]

See the complete "shopping list" here: http://www.f-16.net/f-16-news-article5137.html

[marsavian]

Thanks, better thorough article. So Morocco has enough sidewinders already ? At this rate though F-16 production will outlast F-15/F-18 even without the budgetary thumbs on scales those Boeing fighters get !