News

President Clinton signed the 1999 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act May 21. The bill includes more than $10 billion in new budget authority for the Department of Defense for costs resulting from ongoing contingency operations in Southwest Asia and Kosovo, as well as other urgent high-priority military readiness matters. Of few point from the bill, of interest to the F-16 community:

• $40 million for targeting drones that can be towed behind B-1 bombers andF-16 fighters;
• $35 million for more Joint Direct Attack Munitions.
• $2.3 billion "to rectify emerging readiness concerns. " This includes $1.1 billion for spare parts and associated logistical support needed to improve mission-capable rates of various weapons systems.

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On May 15, Operation Northern Watch aircraft were targeted by Iraqi radar posing a threat to coalition aircraft.

The Czech government has sent letters to five western countries expressing interest in purchasing advanced fighter aircraft, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. The letters were sent by the Czech Defense Ministry to the governments of the United States, United Kingdom, France, Sweden and Germany.

The U.S. Air Force recently extended the phase maintenance interval for its fleet of over 600 Block 25, 30 and 32 F-16C/Ds, indicating increasing reliability of the aircraft as the fleet matures. The F-16 phase maintenance interval has been extended from a two-phase, 200-flight hour interval to a single-phase, 300-flight hour interval. This essentially cuts the F-16 phase inspection requirements by a third. This means fewer aircraft out of service and more aircraft on the flight line available for operational training or combat missions. This change will reduce the total base level maintenance man hours required to support these aircraft by two percent. This savings could equate to over $1. 5 million per year for the current USAF fleet of Block 25/30/32 aircraft.

Israel is pressing Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co. to lower price offers in last-minute haggling over a multibillion dollar fighter aircraft contract that could be awarded this week.

A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter shot down a Yugoslav MiG-29 jet Mondaynight after the MiG rose to challenge the American warplane during NATO bombing raids The Russian-built fighter jet was downed near the border between Serbia and Bosnia.

Prime Minister Costas Simitis said on Friday Greece will buy more than50 F16Block-50 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin for about $2 billion. They will also purchase another 15 Mirage 2000-5 from Dassault.

Four F-16AMs of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) were among the first NATO aircraft to enter Serbian airspace on the night of 24 March. Within minutes, the Dutch had achieved their first air-to-air victory since World War II, shooting down a Serbian MiG-29.

The Dutch have contributed 16 F-16 fighters, based at the Amendola airbase in southern Italy. Belgium has contributed 10 F-16 fighters, also based at Amendola. Between them, Dutch and Belgian planes conducted more than 588missions in Yugoslavia up to April 15. Both countries are sending four moreF-16 jets. Denmark announced on that it plans to double the number of F-16 jets at Gazzanise airbase to eight. Later this week, the legislature is expected to formally endorse that. Norway F-16s are also based at Gazzanise. Portugal has deployed three F-16s which have been involved in patrols over the Adriatic and Bosnia.

First Lt. Erkan Salman and First Lt. Oguz Yeten of FLO 182, the Turkish F-16 squadron at Ghedi Air Base, broke a record of being airborne for 7 hours and 25 minutes with their F-16C's.

The Pentagon has formally notified the U.S. Congress that Egypt intends to purchase 24 more F-16 warplanes from Lockheed Martin Corp. for about $1 billion. After a 30-day review period, Lockheed said, a letter of offer and acceptance would be signed in May. Production deliveries would begin in 2001 and continue for about 15 months, Lockheed said. The planes, which would increase the Egyptian Air Force's current fleet of196 F-16s, are part of a larger $3. 2 billion order from Cairo for U.S. military hardware that was announced last month by Defense Secretary William Cohen. The order for 12 single-seat F-16Cs and 12 two-seat F-16Ds is the sixth Egyptian order of F-16 planes. Deliveries of the fifth order are scheduled to begin in June, but are currently running ahead of schedule.

The Danish government will meet NATOs request to double the number of Danish air force F-16 fighter jets taking part in strikes against Yugoslavia to eight aircraft.

The Philippines announced on Tuesday they have set up an initial fund of six billion pesos ($156 million) to finance the start of their long-delayed military modernization program and were accepting offers from foreign suppliers.

The Department of Defense announced today more details on the sale of24 F-16C/D Block 40 aircraft to the Government of Egypt.

Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems delivered the 3, 035th F-16 from Air Force Plant No. 4 located in Fort Worth, Texas, on March 26. This makes the F-16 the largest production program in the plant's history, surpassing the B-24.