The Bahrain government has agreed to allow a US Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) to extend its deployment in the emirate for another 60 days in view of the uncertainty over Iraq's intentions regarding UN arms inspections. ...

The Republic of China Air Force has grounded its F-16 fighters after a two-seat trainer crashed on 20 March, leaving the two crew members missing at sea. Forty-four of the 150 aircraft ordered in 1992 have been delivered to date. ...

Lockheed Martin's fighter plant in Fort Worth, Texas, recently became the first major aircraft manufacturer and aerospace company to be recommended for Aerospace Standard (AS) 9000 recognition. ...

On March 20th, a ROCAF F-16 disappeared and presumably crashed over the Taiwan strait. There are still no signs of the missing jet and its two pilots. ...

Rumors say that the United States will offer South African National Defense Force (SANDF) F-16 fighter jets. These would probably be second-hand U.S. Air Force F-16 B and C variants, which are being phased out as they are replaced by the latest D-series planes....

Three missiles jettisoned in an emergency by a U.S. fighter jet returning from Kurdish-held northern Iraq were destroyed in a controlled explosion in southern Turkey on Friday. ...

The body of a pilot had been found in the sea, a day after his F-16 crashed off South Korea. A U.S. military statement said search and rescue personnel found the body of the pilot, whom it did not identify, early on Thursday, some 60 miles west of the South Korean city of Osan. ...

A pilot assigned to the 51st Fighter Wing, Osan AB (South Korea) is missing following the crash of his F-16 Fighting Falcon, on March 25, over the Yellow Sea, about 60 nautical miles west of Osan. The crash occurred at 8:52 p. m. (5:52 a. m. CST) during a combat training mission. ...

An F-16 pilot ejected safely before his plane crashed onto a runway during an attempted landing at Hill Air Force Base. The pilot, Lt. Col. John Burgess, was treated at the base hospital for minor injuries. ...

Pakistan Day was celebrated on Monday, 23 March. PAF aircraft including the F-16, Mirage-5, MIG-7P, and MIG A-5 participated in the spectacular fly-by during a joint services parade in the capital city(Islamabad). Two F-16s each from the 9th and 11th Squadrons at Sargodha AB performed flight demonstrations with smokewinders. The Chief of the Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Pervaiz Mehdi Qureshi, in an 11th Squadron F-16participated in the flight demonstrations. ...

Poland has put the purchase of modern multipurpose fighter aircraft on the backburner to save government revenues for costly social reforms and other military needs. A fast purchase of Western aircraft is not required by the NATO alliance, which Poland expects to join next year along with the Czech Republic and Hungary. NATO officials had made clear it did not want Polandto bleed itself dry paying for hefty arms programs in the next few years. ...

The ANG 169 FW, McEntire, SC, deployed eight aircraft and a support team of approximately 100 personnel to Nellis AFB, NV on 21 March for two weeks. All aircraft landed Code I. ...

The ROCAF lost it's first F-16B (#6828) today. It crashed into the ocean near Ma-Kung (Taiwan). ...

The ANG 148 FW, Duluth, MN, deployed five F-16 Block 15 ADF aircraft and associated personnel to Panama. ...

A consortium of aircraft from the two Block 32 Fighter Squadrons performed a fly-by at the ROK Air Force Academy, Friday, 20 March for the 1998graduation ceremony. The graduation was attended by the newly appointed Defense Minister Chun, Yong-Taek and ROKAF Chief-of-Staff, General Lee, Kwang-Hak, as well as many of the Korean dignitaries. ...

Twelve Turkish warplanes infringed on Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) regulations yesterday over the Aegean, many of which developed into violations of Greek air space. ...

Bahrain has signed a letter of acceptance to buy up to 10 LMTAS F-16C/D fighters. The new aircraft, selected in preference to 20 ex-USAir Force F-16A/Bs, will be delivered from 2000 and will join 12 F-16C/Ds already in service. ...

Due to budgetary constraints, the US Air Force (USAF) is facing a short fall of 25 Lockheed Martin F-16s in the future, according to Lt. Gen George Muellner, principal deputy assistant secretary of the air force for acquisition. This deficiency could be resolved by reshuffling assets, reducing exercises and re-examining anticipated deployment rates. ...

The government explained that there are a number of areas of concern, such as in the potential consolidation of electronics warfare systems. ...

As part of its ongoing effort to foster product affordability LMTAS recently implemented an international data exchange standard known as the Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data, or STEP, on its F-16, F-22, Joint Strike Fighter, F-2 and KTX-2 programs. ...

Salespeople at the Lockheed Martin are nervously eyeing economic conditions in Chile, hoping that a drop in copper prices and Asian-related troubles won't upset a potentially lucrative sale of F-16 fighters. In August, the Clinton administration lifted a 20-year ban on U.S. weapons sales to South American nations. ...

The last two F-16A's of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard passed through Kelly AFB, TX on 11 March 1998 on there way to storage at AMARC, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ. ...

Lockheed Martin Electronics and Missiles, along with the US Air Force, will complete flight testing later this year of an initial design of the LANTIRN2000 targeting pod that will significantly extend its operational range. ...

Lockheed Martin moves ahead with its plans to lay off 1, 500 to 2, 000 workers at its Tactical Aircraft Systems facility in Fort Worth. ...

The proposed $9 billion merger of Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp. was dealt a major setback Monday when the companies unexpectedly announced that the government opposed the transaction. ...

Poland will probably invite bids to replace some of its old communist-era jet fighters only after it joins NATO next year, Prime Minister Jerzy Buzeksaid on Friday. ...

Pakistan said on Saturday it would go to court in the United States to seek a refund of $658 million it paid for 28 F-16 fighter planes that Washington has refused to supply because of legal hurdles. ...

The 524FS are rumored to be loosing their Block 40s by October 1st to be replaced with Block 30s from Kunsan (WP). This would make the 27FW an all Block 30 wing with the 524th aircraft going to Hill AFB. These aircraft were originally from the 74FS at Pope AFB. ...

NATO's largest exercise this year, "Strong Resolve '98", is to take place in the North Atlantic and Iberian Peninsula between March 9-21. ...

Turkey said four fighter aircraft belonging to its ancient rival Greece on Thursday trailed and obstructed two of its warplanes patrolling over the Aegean Sea. ...

Rumor has it that Croatia is looking to replace its MiG-21bis force with a modern fighter preferably the F-16. ...

Poland's defense and industry ministers teamed up on Tuesday to seek double the funds now proposed by the finance ministry for long-term modernization of the armed forces and for buying multi-purpose fighter jets. ...