News

NovaLogic announced that it will launch "F-16 Viper". This flight simulation features an industry-first, large-scale multiplayer capability that allows F-16 Viper pilots to compete against multiple products within the same on-line combat arena via novaworld.net.

U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen will visit Argentina, Chile and Brazil from May 23 to 27 to emphasize close U.S. ties with South America and encourage continued progress in civilian control over militaries in the region.

U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee leaders and other key senators said Sunday they would let Pakistan have the F-16 fighter aircraft if it did not match India's nuclear test blasts.

Chile will decide in June which fighter aircraft it will buy to replace its aging air force fleet, Chilean Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Miguel Insulza said.

The government of the United Arab Emirates today announced that it has selected Lockheed Martin's new F-16Block 60s as its advanced fighter aircraft. The total program including weapons and support is valued at approximately $7 billion. A contract with the U. A. E. is expected to be signed later this year. Aircraft deliveries are expected to begin in 2002. We understand the United States has also agreed to sell the Emirates HARM missiles designed to destroy enemy radars as well as advanced AMRAAM anti-aircraft missiles, both carried by the F-16. As of May 1, Lockheed Martin had delivered more than 3, 700 F-16 aircraft to the air forces of 19 countries. The company's contracted backlog as of May 1 includes orders for approximately 260 additional F-16s, not counting the 80 in the U. A. E. sale. The "Block 60" is the most sophisticated version of the F-16. The export order, the first for this model, will secure some 30, 000 U.S. jobs.

The United Arab Emirates is expected to announce Tuesday its intention to buy some $6 billion worth of U.S. warplanes following talks at the White House.

Virgin Interactive announces the release of F-16 Aggressor -- a new combat flight sim that, according to them, raises the standards of PC-based sims to a level of realism found only in the most advanced military and airline training simulations.

Chile's Finance Minister Eduardo Aninat said on Tuesday the country was still several months away from deciding which of four types of jetfighter it will buy to update its aging air force.

Pratt & Whitney Eagle Services has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Air Force valued at $453. 3 million for the continued overhaul and repair of F-15 and F-16 fighter engines. The contract, awarded to Eagle Services' subsidiary, Pratt & Whitney-San Antonio, provides for scheduled and unscheduled depot maintenance of theF100-PW-229 engine fan, core, high-pressure turbine and low-pressure turbine modules.

Chilean authorities will make a decision at the end of this month on which aircraft to buy to renew the Air Force's aging fleet.

F-16s, pilots, aircraft maintainers and support personnel from the 419th FW at Hill AFB will deploy to South-West Asia in mid-May for two weeks. Saving fuel and trans-Atlantic wear on aircraft, Carswell crews (301st FW) will fly and maintain the Hill F-16s from early to mid-June.

NASA's F-16XL #1 research aircraft has completed the flight verification of a recently installed Digital Flight Control System (DFCS) at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif.

The United Arab Emirates is expected to announce next month its intention to buy some 80 F-16 warplanes worth about $6 billion from Lockheed-Martin. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khalifa bin Zaid al-Nahayan, a son to UAE President Sheikh Zaid bin Sultan al-Nahayan, is due to go to Washington next month on an invitation by Vice President Al Gore. An announcement on the intention to go for the F-16 could be made at that time. The UAE is after F-16s that can conduct long-haul operations without the need of aerial refueling and equipped with systems like the HARM(High-Speed Anti-Radar Missiles) and AMRAAM (Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles).

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan has awarded Lockheed Martin a second major contract to continue manufacture and delivery of components for Japan's new support fighter, the F-2.

Forty-one F-16 fighter jets based in Utah have crashed since the planes were first stationed at Hill Air Force Base nearly 20 years ago.