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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
NATO's largest exercise this year, "Strong Resolve '98", is to take place in the North Atlantic and Iberian Peninsula between March 9-21.
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.
Sixty Air Force F-16C jet fighters in the Gulf each cost $2, 335 an hour to fly, including base support, maintenance, fuel and aircrew.
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