Lockheed Martin remains committed to delivering future upgrades for its 4th generation F-16 multi-role fighter aircraft. Speaking during Farnborough International Airshow 2014, head of business development for Lockheed's F-16, Bill McHenry, explained that his company has delivered 1,300 upgrade kits since the F-16 programme commenced forty years ago. Having delivered more than 4,500 F-16s to 28 customers, Lockheed Martin is well positioned when it comes to providing future upgrades due to its latest F-16V next generation programme and due to the company being the OEM. McHenry said: "The V configuration will be offered as an upgrade and as a new built aircraft. We offer a structural upgrade at the same time. Right now, we have a USAF aircraft in our laboratory and we will finish the lab tests this year. We believe that we can extend F-16's service life from 8,000 to 12,000 hours while upgrading avionics at the same time".
Being asked about competitors entering the F-16 upgrade market, McHenry was bullish about his company's prospects: "it's not rocket science, upgrades is where the money is. However, BAE is understating the value of the OEM. I believe we can win them all due to our low cost and low risk approach. We own the data on F-16 and have the engineers in place”. On top of this, Lockheed Martin has been inserting expertise from the F-22 programme as its groups responsible for both fighters have been merged. Asked about near term potential customers for F-16 upgrades, McHenry pointed at Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Greece. Meanwhile, Taiwan has been the launch customer for the V-configuration upgrade for its F-16s. McHenry said: “two aircraft are going into the modification programme in Texas for kit proofing. Further kits will be installed in Taiwan”. Flight tests will commence in 2015 with land tests planned for this year. Meanwhile, the F-16V’s AESA radar has been flown on one of Lockheed’s testbed aircraft.
Lockheed Martin currently has an order backlog of 41 aircraft, enough to keep the production line open until the third quarter of 2017. “Oman is getting additional F-16s this year, this being their second buy”, McHenry said. The Iraq programme is meanwhile ongoing, and the first aircraft was handed over to the US government in June. Another airplane is to be delivered this month according to McHenry, who told the assembled media: “the aircraft are being delivered on time, on schedule”. Part of an FMS contract, Iraq currently has 36 aircraft on order, two tranches of 18 each. McHenry also indicated that he is pursuing new export orders for F-16, such as in South America: "we are pursuing 25 to 50 aircraft there I would say".
Speaking on 5th generation fighters, Lockheed’s F-16 chief emphasised that “no 4th generation aircraft can match the performance of 5th generation aircraft. Stealth, 5th generation will become the norm. However, some want to use the F-16 as a bridge to the F-35”.
Being asked about competitors entering the F-16 upgrade market, McHenry was bullish about his company's prospects: "it's not rocket science, upgrades is where the money is. However, BAE is understating the value of the OEM. I believe we can win them all due to our low cost and low risk approach. We own the data on F-16 and have the engineers in place”. On top of this, Lockheed Martin has been inserting expertise from the F-22 programme as its groups responsible for both fighters have been merged. Asked about near term potential customers for F-16 upgrades, McHenry pointed at Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Greece. Meanwhile, Taiwan has been the launch customer for the V-configuration upgrade for its F-16s. McHenry said: “two aircraft are going into the modification programme in Texas for kit proofing. Further kits will be installed in Taiwan”. Flight tests will commence in 2015 with land tests planned for this year. Meanwhile, the F-16V’s AESA radar has been flown on one of Lockheed’s testbed aircraft.
Lockheed Martin currently has an order backlog of 41 aircraft, enough to keep the production line open until the third quarter of 2017. “Oman is getting additional F-16s this year, this being their second buy”, McHenry said. The Iraq programme is meanwhile ongoing, and the first aircraft was handed over to the US government in June. Another airplane is to be delivered this month according to McHenry, who told the assembled media: “the aircraft are being delivered on time, on schedule”. Part of an FMS contract, Iraq currently has 36 aircraft on order, two tranches of 18 each. McHenry also indicated that he is pursuing new export orders for F-16, such as in South America: "we are pursuing 25 to 50 aircraft there I would say".
Speaking on 5th generation fighters, Lockheed’s F-16 chief emphasised that “no 4th generation aircraft can match the performance of 5th generation aircraft. Stealth, 5th generation will become the norm. However, some want to use the F-16 as a bridge to the F-35”.
Pieter Bastiaans