News

Israeli government officials told aerospace company Lockheed Martin that they will buy 50 of its F-16 fighter jets, thus ending a heated competition with Boeing, a Lockheed spokesman said late Friday.

In order to respond to any Indian misadventure across the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, F-16 multi-role fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) have been sent to Skardu deep in the Northern Areas of Pakistan and close to the ongoing battle between Kashmiri Mujahideen freedom fighters and Indian Army occupation forces in the Kargil sector as well as skirmishes between Pakistan Army troops and Indian Army troops on the LoC in the Drass-Kargil-Batalik sectors, PAF sources have disclosed to PIADS.

The United States, which refused to sell Bangladesh its F-16 warplanes several years ago, is concerned about Dhaka's plan to buy eight Russian MiG-29s, State Department officials said on Thursday. They already had a number of conversations with Bangladeshi officials to explain our concerns and they have also declined to sell high-performance aircraft to Bangladesh for their part.

SGI today announced it has been selected by Lockheed Martin to provide sophisticated, high-performance visual computing equipment to power the world's first networked, full-mission F-16 simulators. The simulators will allow pilots to engage in virtual missions with other pilots operating simulators from locations worldwide.

Northrop Grumman Corporation's Electronic Sensors and Systems Sector(ES3) has been awarded three separate contracts valued at a total of $25. 1million to provide APG-66(V)2 Mid-Life Update (MLU) radar kits and assorted spares for the F-16A/B aircraft. Collectively, these contracts will provide 45 radar kits to the Belgian Air Force, 25 kits to the Portuguese Air Force, and two kits to the U.S. Air Force. Work on the contracts is expected to be completed by early 2002. According to Northrop Grumman, the combat-proven APG-66(V)2 provides for increased airborne detection ranges, enhanced ground map resolution capabilities, and much higher reliability. Each Mid-Life Update radar kit features upgraded computers and a reduced number of LRUs (line replaceable units), which greatly simplifies integration into the aircraft. Over 300 APG-66(V)2 radar kits have already been delivered to the air forces of Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway.

Israel has asked the United States to allow a one-month delay in its decision on the competition between Lockheed Martin Ltd. and Boeing Co for a $2.5 billion jetfighter tender.

Lockheed Martin will debut a new F-16 aerial demonstration at this year's Paris Air Show, continuing the Fighting Falcon's long tradition of bringing new technology, marketing approaches and orders to Le Bourget.

The Government of Egypt signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for 24 more F-16 aircraft on June 3, 1999. The total estimated value of the program is approximately $1 billion.

Israel on Wednesday put off by at least a month a decision on the competition between Lockheed Martin and Boeing for a 2.5 billion jet fighter tender. Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak requested late on Wednesday that the decision be left to his new government, which is expected to be formed by early July.

The four-nation Eurofighter consortium on Tuesday offered to let NATO-member Norway join if Oslo chooses to buy Eurofighters instead of U.S.-built F-16s. Eurofighter and F-16 makers Lockheed Martin, the only rivals to supply Norway with 20 jets from 2003 to 2010 with an option for 10 more, presented formal bids on Tuesday.

Even before "Spicoli, " a 555th Fighter Squadron pilot, brought his F-16CG aircraft to a complete stop in his unit's "Nickel Loop" May 27, he knew he couldn't escape the traditional hosing down after an aviation milestone.

On May 28, 1999, Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems delivered the first aircraft in Egypt's fifth F-16 procurement program, known as Peace Vector V.

Yugoslav air defenders fired their most missiles to date against NATO warplanes in the latest alliance sorties, jolting a U.S. F-16 in a near-miss. Yesterday over 30 missiles were fired against NATO aircraft and anti-aircraft fire was very active. A U.S. pilot had to evade two missiles fired in a salvo against him and he told us yesterday night one passed so close to the aircraft that he heard and felt turbulence as it passed and exploded near his aircraft. In another attack, six missiles were fired at a package of aircraft attacking a single target. This trend to shoot more missiles is probably a kind of desperation. They are shooting unguided missiles, as many as they can, to try and hit an aircraft with a lucky shot.

Orbital Sciences announced today its Fairchild Defense Division has been awarded a $16. 5 million contract to supply its Digital Terrain System (DTS) to the U.S. Air Force (USAF) for its F-16 aircraft.

The DTS enhances the safety of combat aircraft operations by providing the pilot with predictive ground collision avoidance information through visual and aural commands.

Raytheon received more than $217 million under three separate contracts for production of and improvements to the AIM-120 AMRAAM. Already more than 10, 000 missiles have been produced for U.S. and international customers.