Lockheed Martin Committed to Long Term F-16 Sustainment and Modernization

Lockheed Martin Committed to Long Term F-16 Sustainment and Modernization As several countries invest in used F-16s to strengthen their air forces without spending billions on buying new aircraft, Lockheed Martin says it is will provide maintenance and support through the USAF. "Lockheed Martin is committed to the long-term sustainment and modernization of all F-16s (new and used) by providing technical support, maintenance and modification to numerous customers through the USAF", Lockheed Martin told Defenseworld.net. The USAF offers upgrades based on and customized to the capability requirements of its customers. In addition to providing structural upgrades designed to extend the aircraft’s life cycle, the USAF also offers a wide range of capability enhancements which will ensure the F-16’s viability for years to come, the company said in a statement. Countries like Pakistan, Indonesia and Jordon besides some EU states are taking to buying used F-16 fighter jets to supplement their air forces. While Lockheed Martin will charge about $70 million for a brand new F-16, a second-hand jet will cost just $15 million. For many countries on a budget, that is an attractive offer. “Second-hand fighters do not mean the same thing as a second-hand car. They are disassembled to the last pieces of wing. When they are reassembled they can be used in safe conditions. The fighters are very well maintained,” said Romania’s Defence Minister Corneliu Dobritoiu, after Portugal agreed to supply Romania with an unknown number of F-16 aircraft. Most recently, Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract valued up to $1.85 billion by the U.S. Government to initiate the upgrade of 145 Block 20 F-16A/B aircraft for Taiwan. This retrofit program will include the addition of an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, embedded global positioning, as well as upgrades to the electronic warfare and other avionics systems of Taiwan’s F-16s. So far, Pakistan, Taiwan, Chile, Jordon and Romania have acquired second-hand F-16s from various governments around the world. By Bindiya Thomas